I was over at the hearing along with a few other Maine hill people (opposite of flatlanders?). It was possibly the most poorly organized public hearing I have ever attended. The hearing officer didn't set any ground rules, and the hearing quickly devolved into back and forth between members of the public. At one point a NH Conservation Officer stepped in, and things got a little better after that.
Pretty big turnout--maybe 40-50? Of the people who spoke--if you counted them each once, as opposed to by how many comments they made--I'd say the comments were something like 2:1 opposed to the proposal, including the three folks from Maine who spoke.
I would have been very surprised if the hearing and the written comments that came in by December 8th made any difference, and they didn't. The 2018 Rules are now up on the NH Fish and Game website:
http://www.eregulations.com/wp-content/ ... HFW_LR.pdfFor the Magalloway, it's barbless artificials, C+R for trout, downstream from the Maine border to the mouth of Sturtevant Stream. Same on the section from there downstream to Umbagog Lake from Jan 1 to May 31, and from the day after Labor Day to September 30. From June 1 to Labor Day, here is how it reads:
Quote:
Single hook artificial lures/flies, only a single hook point shall be used with bait, all hooks shall be barbless
or have barbs pinched, use or possession of live fish for bait shall be
prohibited. Catch and release for trout. No limits on black bass.
It's a little confusing but I think that makes bait other than live fish legal, so long as its used on single point, barbless hooks, and all trout are released.