Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

    A 50-year-old lake trout would probably weigh a lot more than 25
    pounds. I don't believe they live that long, though. 
    
    Yes, I would let it go.
    
    John H-C

>    	"Would YOU let 'em go?

 NFW.

>    	"Would YOU let 'em go?

YUP....



		RIGHT INTO THE FRYING PAN!!

Please tell us more.  How did they catch it ? I assume through the ice ?
Any more details ??


Thanks,
Dave (who likes Nubie)

    
    
    	YES , I WOULD LET HIM GO.. !!
    
    
    
    IN FIVE MORE YEARS HE CAN COLLECT SS
    ....
    
    

Nubanusit is one beautiful, pristine lake. But the lake trout population
is only a shadow of what it once was. I have seen 2  15 pounders caught,
and heard about 3 over the years that have gone over 20 pounds, but a person 
could put in hundreds of hours there and not catch much. I believe that the 
PH is very low, and the smelt are non-existent. The suckers are still 
plentiful there, and provide the main diet for the lakers, I figure.
I think that there a few huge aging lakers left, and then some stunted
younger fish. 

Your chances of getting a nice rainbow are much higher than getting a keeper
laker, it seems. There used to be salmon stocked, but they didn't grow,
as they are not apt to feed on suckers like the lake trout do.

Also, every other year or so, brookies are stocked or get in there from
Spoonwood, and they're fun to go after with a flyrod. Both the brookies
and the rainbows feed on the surface, and drive you crazy chasing them around
before they submerge. They're very shy in the crystal-clear water.

But just being on Nubie in a canoe, under a blue sky, in turquois water
so clear you can see down about 25 ft., and watching the loons, is worth
the trip - even is the lakers are not responding.


Dave

    Finally, the text of the article from the Peterborough paper.
    One of my co-workers retrieved it for me - her dad is the Fire Chief
    in Hancock, and they 'know' the fish came from Nubie, though no
    reference in the article - it was someone at the store that speculated
    the age of the fish (I didn't think they lived that long either - in
    speaking with F&G folks, they apparently categorize them as 'over
    20 years' when they weigh a certain weight - they use scales or 
    earbones to try and determine age and it becomes very difficult)
    
    Re. 4, 6

    Like you Dave, I think Nubie is undoubtedly the nicest lake in 
    southern N.H., but getting fish outa there is like the proverbial
    'needle and haystack'.
---------

	HOLY MACKEREL - Up through the ice comes a 24-pound trout 

	   Brian Halvonik of Harrisville landed a near-record lake trout 
	Saturday.  It weighed in at 24.32 pounds on a certified scale at
	the Harrisville General Store.  True to fishing ethic, Halvonic 
	said he's note telling where the big one was caught.

	   The 24 pound lunker measured 37.5 inches long, with a 23.5
	inch girth and tail width of 12 inches.  Halvonik was fishing 
	through an oblong hole in the ice he had chopped by hand when
	the big fish hit his 10lb test line, outfitted with a steel 
	leader and ballbearing swivel.

	   It took Halvonic about 3o minutes to hail in the fish, caught
	in about 45 feet of water.  Halvonik, who didn't take his ice	
	auger with him Saturday, said it was just luck he'd chopped a 
	hole large enough for the laker.  His usual auger-made hole
	would probably have been too small, he added.

	   Halvonik, who'd pretty much decided his ice fishing was over
	for the season, decided it was such a nice day he'd try his luck 
	just one more time.

	   He's glad he did.  But one huge fish isn't.

      I'm no expert on trout, but from my limited experience with many
    other species, and listening to some of the 'old-timers' expounding on
    the subject, I've found that fish this old and/or this big are usually
    not much good when it comes to the table. Usually the 2-4 year old fish
    are the most tasty and are also big enough and prolific enough so you
    can get nice food and not harm the population.
      I fish for Largemouth Bass about 95% of the time, and have never
    taken a bass bigger than 4 pounds to eat...and I've caught quite a few
    over 5 pounds... I always have this idea that I'll come back the next
    year and that same Bass'll be a half-pound heavier...
    
      Unless someone wanted to take the trophy to a taxidermist, it seems a
    shame to take it..
    
      JM

Had fun at Nubanusit Lake on Saturday. 

My son and I had been trying for rainbows on top, and got a couple of small 
ones with spinners, but the fishing was s-l-o-w. Also got a nice 3.5 lb.
smallmouth. Then, we decided to try the lead-core line, and try for lakers.
I'm glad we did, because we were blessed with a couple of nice lakers.
about 5 and 4 lbs, respectively. They were right on bottom in 35' of water.

These fish were encouraging, because they were very fat and healthy, full of
nymphs from the bottom. (I had expected to see suckers or smelt in them, but
they were full of bugs). I saw another laker caught (4 lbs) and talked to a 
guy who caught a couple of 6lb-ers the day before. This is a good sign,
because in the past few years, most of the fish have been ageing lunkers, 
and I was wondering if spawning was becoming a problem there, or something.

There was a fantastic mayfly hatch, brown and white ones 1" long, with
gossamer wings and triple tails. They would drift down on the water to lay their
eggs (I assume) and wandering rainbows and smallmouth would scarf them down with
a 'pop'. Trout were all over on top, and it was a glassy smooth surface (which
made the rainbows VERY wary. I wish I'd had time to get out my dry fly
outfit and try casting to them, but I ran out of time.

All in all, Nubanusit is challenging, but beautiful.


Dave