Fly fishing
 

Anyone out there fly fish on Winnipesaukee? If so, any tips to get a new lake fly fisherman started?

I assume you are talking about casting a fly (typical fly fishing) where you use a floating line and fly to match a hatch?
Just go to a quiet cove or nearby river and have at it! The Pemigewasset river near Bristol is amazing! It’s shallow and you can wade with water shoes or sneakers. You can access the river from Profile Falls. If you go there you turn
Left onto a dirt road before the Smith river and it takes you to the main Pemi river. The river at Profile Falls is where the Smith River dumps into the Pemi.
It’s a great spot for family activities like tubing etc. try your luck on some native brookies there! It’s also stocked by fish and game.

I've done lots of river fly fishing and lots of spin fishing for bass on the lake. I've never really tried fly fishing on Winnipesaukee and am wondering if others have had much luck. I don't care too much about what I'm fly fishing for - just looking for some ideas to get myself started.

All fish love to eat flies so anywhere you cast one you will get action! Just let the fly sit a moment and retrieve it slowly while twitching it slightly and stop momentarily. On a river you float the fly in the current, obviously. On Winni, shallow water near structure like rocks and Lilly pads and docks should give some action.

I just remembered something (been a long time since I did fly fishing)
You can buy these little “poppers” for fly fishing! They really attract some fish! As you strip the line in they make a popping noise that drives fish crazy!

Get yourself a slow sinking line and some #10 beadhead woolly buggers in just about any color and try all different retrieves around structure in up to 10 feet of water and be prepared to catch all different kinds of fish. :)

Also get a floating line and some #4 or #6 bass bugs or poppers for the top water bite early am and late evening. A lot of fun. :)

You might also want to invest in some good fishing waders. My wife giving me a TideWe Bootfoot Chest Wader for my birthday last year completely changed my fly fishing experience. And experience is still the best teacher so keep fishing! Check out fly fishing gear reviews and lists here https://fishmasters.com/fly-fishing/

March-April, 8-classes, fly casting, indoor lessons
 

Waterville Valley Recreation Dept - fly casting, 8-class course

Indoor classes on the art and science of fly casting; March & April, price $15-total, maximum number students-13

Instructor - Erik Amero

Wednesdays from 5:15-6:00pm on March 4, 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22

Bring your own fly rod and line as just a small number of rods and lines are available.

www.watervillevalley.org/recreation to pre-register.

Flyfishing the Pemi ?
 

To HillCountry...

You mentioned fly fishing the Pemigewasset river near Bristol ?

Can you provide some entry points and roads near access....

Thanks !

Yes! The best way I know of (with access to both the Pemi and the smaller Smith River as it flows to the Pemi is Profile Falls. Really nice area with ample parking. It is the northern end of the old Hill road that follows the Pemi from Franklin to Bristol.
If you come across Rt 104 to Bristol, turn left in Bristol at the JCT of 104 and 3A. A few miles down there's a sign for Profile Falls (open sunrise to sunset)
There is a "woods road" that you can drive down to the shores of the Pemi with a nice picnic area and immediate access to the river. Most times (Spring runoff excluded) you can just wade in shorts and water shoes/sneakers. A very relaxing and not overly crowded area. When it's hot we just take the dog and wade and dunk...fun!

This is a very nice place to visit.

There are trails in the woods that follow the river.

Depending on the time of year, there are nice roaring or subtle babbling places there to help you ignore the issues of the world.

Although I live on Winnie I don't drown flies there. I typically have gone farther North to the Saco or Ellis rivers but lately have been experimenting with the smaller ponds within an hours ride from the Wolfeboro area. Some are remote, requiring a little bit of a hike and some are road side. Most of them are stocked and because they're remote they have some nice sized holdovers. Do a search for remote fishing ponds in the area. NH Fish and Game website has some info on them as well as topo maps.

Sky Pond
 

Sky Pond is a small very cold pond is heavily stocked with brook trout and fly fishing only. Plus the hike out to the Bald Ledge over looking Lake Winona is very rewarding. Follow the signs for the Dirty Worm Greenhouse off the Ashland end of Winona Road and in about 3/4 of a mile turn left onto Lower Oxbow, and the brown and white canoeing signs will take you right to the Sky Pond State Park parking lot.
If you are an accomplished fly fisherman there are some really great spots on Winni (my favorite, the narrows between Whortleberry & Dow) , but wind can make it challenging. Sky Pond is ringed by heavily wooded hills and the wind usually isn't an issue