CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department completed its annual aerial stocking of remote trout ponds on Wednesday. Fish and Game contracts a helicopter to stock remote ponds across the Granite State, from the Sunapee Region to Pittsburg. During this one-day event, nearly 50 remote ponds are stocked with brook trout fingerlings from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s hatcheries to ensure residents and visitors enjoy a successful remote fishing experience.
The stocking of remote ponds in the backcountry of New Hampshire provides a unique angling opportunity for people seeking a true wilderness experience. Serene remote ponds not only produce beautiful brook trout and increased catch rates but also offer the outdoor enthusiast an opportunity for wildlife viewing, hiking, camping, or just simple solitude. Many of these remote ponds are located off popular hiking trails. As with any hiking trip, always follow safe hiking guidelines. Visit www.hikesafe.com to learn more.
Brook trout that have spent all winter under the ice become voracious as the first insects start to hatch, and fishing with small nymphs can be exciting for anglers. With water temperature increases slowed by a cool and delayed spring this year, June and July should feature abundant mayfly hatches and provide outstanding surface action.
Fish stocked last June will have reached 5-6 inches in most areas, with 2-year-olds reaching 8 inches or more, and 3-year-olds often reaching 10 or more inches. In fact, the fishing in these picturesque remote ponds is one of New Hampshire’s best-kept angling secrets.
A few of these remote ponds are designated as “special regulations only,” so be sure to check specific waterbody regulations prior to your trip. To see the entire list of stocked remote ponds, visit www.fishnh.com/fishing/trout-aerial.html.
Aerial trout stocking is made possible through fishing license sales and Federal Sportfish Restoration dollars. A grant and funds from the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire supported this program in recent years. If you wish to make a donation to help fund the program, go to: www.nhwildlifeheritage.org/donate for ways to donate and mark your donation “Aerial Stocking.”
