New England's Best Kept Fly Fishing Secret? The Upper Connecticut River

Episode 162 of the Destination Angler Fly Fishing Podcast – January 15, 2026 Our destination is the Upper Connecticut River—a remote tailwater in far northern New Hampshire that delivers outstanding fly fishing with remarkably light pressure. In this episode, I'm joined by veteran guide Bill Bernhardt, a 20-year Orvis-endorsed guide and co-owner of Points North Outfitters in Pittsburg, NH. Bill explains why this system fishes more like a Western tailwater than classic New England water—and why it remains one of the region's true sleepers. We talk trout and landlocked salmon, seasonal strategies, favorite fly patterns, remote ponds, and the miles of public access that make solitude easy to find for anglers willing to explore.  Plus, tales of huge Atlantic Salmon, landlocks pushing 30", guiding a blind man, and mistakenly trespassing on Ted Turner's Patagonia paradise.     🎣 Is the Upper Connecticut River New England's best-kept fly fishing secret? You decide. With host Steve Haigh Be the first to know about new episodes.  Become a subscriber  Contact Bill Bernhardt:  ·        Points North Outfitters  ·        Facebook | Instagram  @pointsnorthnh ·        YouTube Destination Angler Podcast:   Website YouTube Instagram & Facebook  @DestinationAnglerPodcast  Please check out our Sponsors: Got Fishing  Crafting world-class fly-fishing adventures specially designed to your level of experience and budget.    Facebook @GotFishingAdventures Instagram @GotFishing  High N Dry Fishing Where science and performance meet.  Check out the full lineup of floatants, line dressings, and sighter waxes at www.highndryfishingproducts.com    Facebook @highndryfishingproducts  Instagram @highndryfishing Redd's Flies Premium flies, tied with purpose.  Redd's is a family-run company built around premium, hand-tied flies that actually hold up and flat-out catch fish, delivered to your doorstep in days, not weeks.   A portion of every order goes directly to organizations protecting trout habitat and restoring rivers.  Facebook @ReddsFlies      Instagram @ReddsFlies TroutRoutes  The #1 Mapping Resource for Trout Anglers.  Podcast listeners can try one month of TroutRoutes PRO for FREE by clicking the link in the episode description. Explore 50,000 trout streams with TroutRoutes today.   Get 1 Month Free   Facebook @troutinsights Instagram @TroutRoutes      Comments & Suggestions:  host, Steve Haigh, email [email protected] Available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Recorded Nov 13, 2025