Writing On The Fly: The Puzzle That Is My Favorite River

By George Liset, Writing on the Fly, InDepth NH

How does a river become a “Favorite” river? There are a number of reasons why, having success fishing the river is probably the main reason. Convenience is another one. Both play a part in why my favorite river is mine. That, and because it is also a challenge to fish. I’ll call my river “The Onmaway River.” Primarily because it is “On my way” to a number of places I travel to.

I fish the Onmaway River all year except for the two months it’s closed. From January first to the last day in October I can be found trying my luck on the river, knees and weather permitting which usually go hand in hand. Trying my luck is an accurate description of the fishing. Some days it can be like solving a puzzle and other times it can solve itself. Those days, however, are few and far apart.

Many rivers never change their stripes. There are rivers that Fish and Game manage just for trout, and trout are what you will find. Since the Onmaway is a tributary to Lake Winnipesaukee, everything that is in the lake can at some point be found in the river and that is where solving the puzzle of what to fish for and how to fish for it comes in.

Over the years I have learned that the trout come up from the lake to spawn for about a month in the spring and that the Landlocked Salmon come up in the fall, usually the week before the river closes. Recently the Salmon have been waiting for the river to close, that’s when you see the fly fisherman slowly walking up and down the river crying.

It is the in-between times that an angler has to try and decipher the river. When I first started fly fishing the Onmaway I would just throw a black or olive colored Wooly Bugger. As a fly, it is a great fly to prospect a river with. I might tie on a size twelve if I thought bigger fish were around or a size twenty for smaller pan fish, although it is hilarious to see the smaller fish try and eat a bigger fly.

On my most recent trip I had my four weight, 8’6” G.Loomis since I busted my “Go To” Orvis three weight Superfine. I started out with a dry dropper rig. I tied on a size 16 Caddis and dropped off a size sixteen Prince Nymph. This is another good set up to prospect with since the Onmaway had a lot of deadfalls laying in the water from a recent storm. It also makes it problematic for using and losing Wooly Buggers.

I had a couple of nibbles which meant that I had found, more than likely, a little school of minnows. I am the Minnow King so I thought if anyone could catch those little guys I could, but alas, no luck. As I worked my way down the river I decided to change flies. I decided to tie on a small size eighteen Maribou Wooly Bugger.

I enjoy fishing the Maribou flies because of the action and how it seems to attract fish. I cast the fly against the far bank and no sooner had it hit the surface, the water exploded and I was into a three pound Rock Bass. That was the biggest I had caught in that river. My expertise is usually with the little guys. Two casts later and Bam! Another Rock Bass at around two pounds. Five minutes later I caught my obligatory river Dace, a monster at six inches.

A few years ago I would have got shut out. Having spent more time on the river and expanding my fly fishing repertoire has made me a better angler, better not great. Like most anglers I’m still trying to figure things out even after all these years, but isn’t that the fun of it?

George Liset of Dover is an award-winning outdoor writer and avid fly fisherman who shares insights of his time on the water exploring New Hampshire streams and rivers as well of those around New England. George is a graduate of Wheaton College, Illinois, and the University of New Hampshire. His column Writing on the Fly has been honored by the New England Press Association and the New Hampshire Press Association.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.