Androscoggin River Report July 3 2005
Flow rate 1960 CFS Water Temp 74 F


I caught three fish Saturday without trying on a broken rod. My two-piece fly rod snapped at the base of the male section of the union on a cast. I pulled in the tip and tried to pull the insert out. I had three feet of leader out with a streamer still in the water when a 15-inch Bass came up and took the fly! He was on for two jumps and then spit the hook. I went back to trying to remove the male insert. Two more smaller fish took the fly before I Got smart, quit messing around, and went back to get another rod. I only caught two small Bass after returning to fish again, Go figure!
The big thunderstorm we had in the upper Valley a couple of days ago did wonders for the Trout fishing. I fished the river above Bethel and did well with dries using a dark caddis tight to the bank in a couple of spots. The largest was a very fat Rainbow about 16-inches. Most of the fish were in the 10 to 13-inch class but all fought well. It made for a very pleasant evening. Most of my fishing is either streamers or nymphs. Working a Dry to rising trout is certinally a joy on a calm cool evening after several days of oppressive humidity and heat.
At the end of the month I am helping on a three-day project to help set up twelve monitoring stations for a nonprofit agency to study the effects the affluent from the
Paper mills has on insects and fish from Milan New Hampshire (control-site above the paper mills) down to Gulf Island Pond.
The Androscoggin is a unique Case study, because there are three Paper Mills on the river. There is no other River in the United States where this occurs. The study will give valuable insight and information to help make decisions for the further clean up of the river watershed.

“A man should believe in something…I believe I’ll go fishing!”