WRITING ON THE FLY
By GEORGE LISET
Fly fishing, like any other endeavor, is as complicated as you want to make it. There can be a huge learning curve. What equipment to purchase, how to cast, what flies to use and when? These questions can be overwhelming to someone wanting to learn how to fly fish. This is where a good fly shop can be useful. A good fly shop can help you with all these. Then after all these questions are addressed, there is the question of where to fish.
I have written in the past about the importance of a good local fly shop and supporting them as they become an endangered species. If catching a New Hampshire Wild Brook Trout, and knowing where to fish for them, is on your list, all roads lead to the North Country Angler fly shop in North Conway.
Shop owner Steve Angers has made it even easier to find these fish with his new book, “Fly fishing New Hampshire’s Secret Waters.”
When my friend Coach B loaned me his copy of the book, I sat down and read it cover to cover. Steve talks about such things as what you need for a successful outing, The Secret Waters in the Great North Woods, The White Mountain National Forest, The Upper Valley and Monadnock Regions, as well as featuring an appendix on hard-to-find flies.
An unwritten rule in fly fishing is to not give up your secret fishing spot. So, my interest was piqued and I gave Steve a call to ask him about this and his book. When I got Steve on the phone and asked him this question he laughed and said, “With computers and Google Earth, there are no more secret spots. What makes a spot secret sometimes comes down to how accessible it is.” I know this for a fact. Bushwhacking to a remote pond with a float tube on your back or hiking and climbing to a remote mountain pond can be deterring.
During my conversation with Steve, I asked what prompted him to write the book. Steve mentioned that he was approached by the publisher as to his possible interest in writing it. Steve has written a fly fishing column for The Conway Daily Sun, which was a natural segway into writing the book. As the owner of The North Country Angler, which is the second longest continuous-operating fly shop in New England, it is second only to the Rangely Fly Shop, which is also Steve’s favorite fly shop and a must-see iconic fly fishing destination.
During our discussion I asked Steve if he could suggest any must- fish spots for a fly fisher visiting the North Country. Steve mentioned the Saco, Ellis and Androscoggin Rivers for big fish, the Wildcat, Upper Ellis and Upper Saco for Wild Trout and Kettle, Sawyer and Black Mountain Ponds for large Browns. As for flies, Light and Dark Edson Tigers for Wild Trout and Brook Trout Buck Tails and Maple Syrup flies for ponds. Also, as most fly fishers know, there are a few local go-to flies in the shop that are not advertised.
Steve and I talked about the increase in popularity of fly fishing during the pandemic, both men and women. As Steve said, “The fish don’t care who is on the other end of the line.” We laughed. As we wrapped up our conversation, I made plans to head North for some Wild Brook Trout fishing and a visit to the shop.
George Liset of Dover is an 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.
