News — FishingInNewEngland

The name is not exactly inspiring of angling greatness, but there’s much to be said for these slender, shiny fish. Text & Photography by Tom Richardson Smelt, specifically rainbow smelt, can be found in both the salt and fresh waters of New England. Along the northern coast, schools of smelt migrate upstream each winter to spawn, although their numbers, like those of river herring, have been greatly reduced by dams and other forms of habitat destruction. (Prior to the mid-1800’s, most coastal rivers in New England saw seasonal runs of smelt.) A fine smelt! Smelt also thrive in freshwater lakes...