Blueback Trout Fishing
The Sunapee or Blueback Trout is one of the most unique members of the Salmonid family (trout, salmon, char) in all of North America. The Blueback Trout is a subspecies of the Arctic Char. The Sunapee Trout has the most southerly range of all the native Arctic Char in North America. It is isolated to a small group of glacial lakes/pond on the border of Maine and Canada. These remote lakes have provided a sanctuary for the blueback since the last ice age. Despite their isolation in these rural areas, they have faced peril in the form of overfishing and the introduction of invasive fish. They are currently found in less than half of their historical range. Their survival has come with the help of conservation groups and better fisheries management practices.
Where to Find Blueback Trout
Once native to New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and a few smaller lakes and ponds of the southwest corner of Canada, the blueback trout is now found in less than 20 ponds split between the border on Maine and Canada. Though these ponds are small in size, they are quite deep. The sunapee trout uses these depths for majority of the year to seek comfort in the cold, dark depths. Flood pond, Black Pond, Deboullie pond, Wadleigh Pond, Big Reed Pond, and Gardner Pond in the northern end of Maine's Allagash, still support fair numbers of Blueback Trout in their depths.
Fly Fishing for Blueback Trout
For at least 9-10 months out of the year the Blueback trout lives between 25 and 50 feet depending on the piece of water it lives in. This makes most forms of fly angling quite difficult, especially in windy conditions. However, with a fast sinking line, it is not impossible to get down to where these fish live. Patience and attention to detail will yield the best results. These charr cruise the depths looking for easy meals. This may come in the form of insect larvae or small bait fishes. Wind drifting steeper bluffs or dropoffs are a great place to start. They will also suspend over the deepest regions of the lake where counting your line down with a smooth retrieve is a productive tactic. These tactics will work great from June through September when the Sunapee Trout are deep. During shoulder months it is possible to find the Sunapee Trout shallow for a brief period.
In the periods following ice off Sunapee trout will roam the shallows looking for the first hatches of the season. The water during the spring turnover are cool and ideal for the Blueback and their brook trout relatives. This is likely the best time to fish these ponds as anglers are likely to run into better numbers of brook trout with the occasional blueback trout. This also happens to be a great time to run into trophy sized brook trout. Small streamers and buggers are a great bet this time of year. Early hatches of midge, blue wing olives, and small caddis can start a feeding frenzy in the shallows. Look for a prevailing wind to concentrate the fish on one side of the lake or another.
The colder mornings of fall can also bring the Sunapee trout to the shallows. The char will be feeding up for their spawn and ensuing winter months. Come September they will dawn their captivating colors that range from a bright yellow to orange. Streamers are again a good option in the fall. Sporadic blue wing olive hatches may once again bring fish to the surface on overcast days.
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Fishing for the blueback from shore is next to impossible with the exception of the special weeks at the very beginning and end of the season. A canoe or kayak is essential for the remainder of the year. If you're looking for help in probing the depths of the lake for the Sunapee, TJ with Maineiac Outfitters is most experienced guide on the Blueback trout's home waters. Having some moral support in the boat can be a life saver want monotonously counting down your casts to get to where the fish live.
