Winnipesaukee Smelt
968-46
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The Winnipesaukee Smelt is a New Hampshire classic tied for the lake that named it. A pale white featherwing with an olive-green topping and the faintest blush of pink along the flank renders the translucent look of a live smelt, finished with a trailing rear hook that turns short strikes into hooked fish.
On Winnipesaukee and the other big smelt lakes of New England, landlocked salmon and lake trout build their seasons around this one baitfish. This pattern's soft, realistic coloration is tuned for the clear water those lakes are known for, where fish get a long look and gaudy attractors get ignored. Spring ice-out and fall turnover are its prime windows.
Best for:
- Landlocked salmon and lake trout on smelt waters
- Clear-water lakes where realism beats flash
- Trolling or casting at ice-out and fall turnover
📌 Pro Tip: The rear hook earns its keep on cold early-season days when salmon swipe lazily at bait—troll this fly in the top ten feet near tributary mouths and let the tandem rig convert the half-hearted takes.
