sugar or contoocook

[browntrout]

I've fished the Contoocook in the past with pretty good results- have yet to fish the sugar. Can anyone compare the two in terms of fishing quality, length of flyfishable water and pressure?

[fessiewig]

I'm in the same boat, so I'm interested as well.

[dcs2]

I want to try the Sugar too. I drove last summer but it had rained recently and the water was high and murky. IN the FFO stretch, is it better to start at the top and work down, or vice versa?

[MJ]

I see the first and last posts regards this topic were back on March 10th, nonetheless, I'd like to throw in my 2cents worth. I fished the Sugar a few times last summer while fishing the Contoocook only once. When I visited the Contoocook the flow seemed pretty high and wading was a bit tricky. As it was I only spent a short while there and most of that time was spent at the site of the then recently removed dam. I had no success except one hook up that I was unable to bring to net. Admittedly, my experience on the Contoocook that day was very limited, but interesting enough that I want to give it another go this year. As for the Sugar, I love it there. Regards pressure, well I spent nine hours there one day without seeing another angler. In all the other times (maybe four or five) I saw maybe three other fly fishers. I have fished only the FFO section, which has very easy access due a defunct railroad bed that follows the stream. At the southern end of the FFO section at the Kellyville bridge is ample parking. The northern end near the Oak St. bridge has less room, but enough for a few vehicles. The FFO section is a bit over two miles long, and it is nicely quiet and pretty to the eye. The stream is heavily strewn with rocks and boulders with a lot of pocket water, lots of riffles and one good pool midway down/up the FFO section. There is another spot that might qualify as a plunge pool, but just barely (I think.) Two RR bridges cross the river on the northern part of the section, very pretty indeed. The eastern side of the section is flanked in some places by fairly steep and high banks. The railroad bed parallels the western side and the bank is fairly steep but not overly high is most places. Nonetheless, as noted earlier, the stream has fine access along most of the FFO section. Every time I have fished the Sugar I have enjoyed myself immensely. New Hampshire, of course, stocks the river with Brookies, Rainbows and, I believe, Browns. I have caught only Brookies and Bows. But I am convinced all the ones I have lost must have been HUGE Browns! When working upstream from the Kellyville Bridge end, only one, maybe two, private homes are in sight on the eastern bank. Other than that it's just stream and trees. However, occasionally an ATV or walker w/dog passes by on the RR bed. Unfortunately, the Sugar is about an 80-mile drive for me from my home in Salem. If it were closer, I’d hit it much more often. I wish I could provide more info regards the Contoocook. Hopefully, however, I will learn more about that water before too much longer. Ok, that’s my take on the Sugar. I hope it will be useful to some. Of course, I’d love to hear what others might have to say about the Sugar or the Contoocook or, for that matter, any other stream or river down around the southern part of the state.

[fessiewig]

I fished the Contoocook years ago as my "home" river. At that time I knew every riffle and run in the Special Regulations section. After so many years away, I'm not at all sure I "know" the river any longer. Sure, I know in generally, but not like I did. Rivers change, even year to year and you need to be on the river all the time to really get to know it. I suppose I could go to the Contoocook and fish it and have some success, but I don't feel I could give a report on how and where to fish the river any longer.

[BugChucka]

I used to fish the Contoocook here and there a couple years ago. The fishing was good during the spring but I always wondered how many fish actually held over.

[fessiewig]

If you ask Fish & Game they'll tell you the Contoocook doesn't hold over fish . . . . . NOT! Although the water warms, the fish can handle it, there are enough springs and feeder streams to hold over a sizable population. Remember here, we're in NH not Montana, so when I say sizable you need to understand that. I've caught fish in every month from April through September in the Contoocook and have tangled with some very large Browns and Rainbows.

[bmik]

I usually fish the Contoocook in Henniker early in the season (April & May).
There is a lot of good water to be found if you walk up or down from the obvious spots. You can tell when thing start warming up as you'll start getting into some smallmouths.