News from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
September 23, 2005
Phone: (603) 271-3211
Email: info@wildlife.state.nh.us
For information and online licenses, visit 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us

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CONTACT:
Jon Greenwood: (603) 271-1743 
Jane Vachon: (603) 271-3211
September 23, 2005


BROOD STOCK ATLANTIC SALMON OFFER EXCITING FALL FISHING

CONCORD, N.H. -- Anglers looking for some challenging catch-and-release 
sport fishing while they're enjoying the fall foliage should head to 
the Merrimack and Pemigewasset rivers to hook the "King of Fish" -- 
Atlantic salmon.

This fall, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will stock the 
Merrimack and Pemigewasset rivers with big salmon for anglers to fish for 
-- about 500 brood stock Atlantic salmon weighing from 3 to 8 pounds 
each. Anglers also may encounter some of the brood stock salmon stocked 
last spring. 

Expect some great fishing by the first week in October, as the fall 
stocking will take place very soon, according to Jon Greenwood, 
coordinator of Fish and Game's Merrimack River Anadromous Fish Restoration 
Program. "These big fish are great fun to catch, and it's a beautiful time of 
year to be out at the river," Greenwood says. 

Fisheries statistics indicate that the success rate for catching salmon 
is higher in the fall than in the spring season, thanks to better 
wading conditions and cooler temperatures. The brood stock Atlantic salmon 
season runs year-round, but all salmon caught from October 1 through 
March 31 must be released immediately. 

Anglers need a New Hampshire fishing license and an $11 Atlantic salmon 
permit; both can be purchased online at 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us, or from license agents statewide. All proceeds from salmon stamp 
permits support the Merrimack River Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, 
created in 1993 by Fish and Game, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, to help restore migratory fish populations to the 
Merrimack River watershed. As of 2005, stamp and possession tags are not 
required for salmon anglers. 

The fish being stocked this fall are surplus brood stock salmon from 
the Warren Fish Hatchery. Brood stock salmon are kept to produce 
offspring, or "fry," more than a million of which are released each spring to 
in an effort to restore sea-running fish to the Merrimack River basin. 
After spawning at the hatchery, the brood stock fish are released in the 
Merrimack, creating the only managed salmon fishery in New England.

The brood stock salmon released in the Merrimack offer New Hampshire 
anglers an exciting recreational fishing opportunity. This fall, the 
large fish will be stocked in the Franklin-Bristol area. The first good 
spots to try for the big salmon are below the Ayers Island Dam in Bristol 
along the Coolidge Woods Road, the Profile Falls Recreation Area, the 
access site near the Smith River confluence and below the Eastman Falls 
Dam in Franklin. Because the fish are migratory, anglers should also 
try fishing downstream as the season progresses, near Boscawen, Penacook 
and Sewall's Falls Park, and below the dams at Hooksett and Garvins 
Falls. Find more information and an access map at 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/atlantic_salmon.htm. 

Fish and Game's Greenwood suggests that anglers use traditional salmon 
flies or trout streamers such as Grey Ghosts, Mickey Finns or any 
patterns that imitate small baitfish. Fly casters should use 8 to 10 pound 
test line and a 7-, 8-, or 9-weight rod with floating line. Fishing with 
spinning gear is allowed in the section of the river below the Garvins 
Falls Dam in Bow. Anglers should review the special regulations for 
brood stock salmon available on the Fish and Game website. 

Brood stock salmon anglers can help the program by reporting their 
catch to Fish and Game; fishing diaries submitted by January 15 are 
eligible for a prize drawing. For a printable salmon diary and information on 
how to send in your report, visit 
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/atlantic_salmon.htm.

Fish and Game's programs for restoring anadromous fish, managing and 
researching fisheries and teaching people about aquatic resources are 
made possible in part by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration 
Program, funded through purchases of fishing equipment and motorboat fuels. 
Visit Fish and Game at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

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Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, 
Concord, NH 03301.  Comments or questions concerning this list should 
be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.