N.H. Code Admin. R. Fis 401.01
Chapter Definitions
Effective Oct 22, 2025(See Revision Note #1 at chapter heading for Fis 400 and Revision Note at chapter heading for Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91; EXPIRED 1-1-97 New. #6432, eff 1-21-97; ss by #6629, eff 1-1-98; ss by #8442, eff 1-1-06; ss by #10425, eff 1-1-14; ss by #13698, eff 7-26-23 (see Revision Note #2 at chapter heading for Fis 400); ss by #14418, eff 10-22-25, EXPIRES: 10-22-35Executive Director, Fish and Game Department
- (a) “Angling” means “angling” as defined in RSA 207:1, I-a.
- (b) “Artificial lure” means any fishing bait constructed by humans as an imitation or substitute for natural bait or fish forage and includes, but is not limited to spinners, spoons, poppers, plugs, jigs, and plastic, rubber, or other artificial imitations of natural bait. “Artificial lure” does not include “fly” as defined in RSA 207:1 VII.
- (c) “Bag and creel limit” means “bag and creel limit” as defined in RSA 207:1, II.
- (d) “Bait” means dead or live natural fish food, whether in part or whole, and includes fish, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, or their progeny or eggs, and power bait or any ingestible substance.
- (e) “Black bass” means largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui).
- (f) “Cast of artificial flies” means no more than 3 flies.
- (g) “Culling” means the act of exchanging a fish for one of the same species already in possession.
- (h) “Cusk fishing device” means a device for storing line in a manner which is not free running and is securely attached to said device and to which is attached a sinker weighing at least one ounce not more than 6 inches above, and independent of, an attached single hook with one hook point for the attachment of bait.
- (i) “Fly fishing” means fishing by trolling or casting with only fly rod, fly reel, fly line combination, to include Tenkara, with an artificial fly or cast of artificial flies attached and does not include the use of spinning, spincast, and casting rods and reels and lead core lines.
- (j) “Ice fishing” means taking freshwater fish during the open season through manmade openings in the ice by the use of ice fishing devices.
- (k) “Ice fishing device” means any device used to take fish through the ice including a tip up, jig stick, rod in hand, or handline exclusive of a set line and cusk fishing device.
- (l) “Ice-in” means that period when the surface of a body of water or a portion thereof is covered with sufficient ice to safely support a person.
- (m) “Manmade opening” means a hole in the ice made by an ice cutting tool, including but not limited to augers, chisels, and saws, that is used for ice fishing and does not include areas that remain ice free due to current and movement created by dock aerators, bubblers, fans, and similar devices.
- (n) “Minimum length” means the shortest total length of a fish allowed to be taken. The term includes “minimum total length”.
- (o) “Net” means any open fabric constructed of string, cord, thread, or wire knotted or woven together in such a way as to be capable of entraining or entrapping fin fish.
- (p) “Personal use” means the utilization by an individual for noncommercial purposes, not for sale or barter.
- (q) “Set line” means any unattended line which is placed in the freshwaters of the state, including through the ice, for the purpose of taking fish which is not under the direct view and control of the person placing said line.
- (r) “Single hook artificial lure” means an artificial lure with one single hook with not more than 3 hook points.
- (s) “Snagging” means the taking or attempting to take any fish by foul hooking, that is, hooking the fish in any part of the body other than inside the mouth. The term includes “snatching” and “lifting”.
- (t) “Tandem fly” means 2, single pointed hooks dressed with feathers, hair, thread, tinsel, or any similar material and joined together by a single strand of wire or line, one behind the other to form a single artificial fly to which no spinner, spoon, or similar device is added.
- (u) “Tenkara” means a style of fly fishing that uses flies, a telescoping rod of bamboo, fiberglass, or composite material, and a short length of line without backing. This line is attached to the tip of the rod. The rod does not have guides or a reel seat.
- (v) “Tip-up” means a fishing device for storing line designed to be set through the ice and to indicate when something has disturbed the bait attached thereto.
- (w) “Total length” means the greatest possible length of the fish with mouth closed and caudal, tail, or fin rays squeezed together to give the maximum over-all measurement.
- (x) “Tributary” means any waters flowing directly or indirectly into a waterbody.
- (y) “Trolling” means angling by trailing a line from a vessel, as defined in RSA 270-D:1, XI, being propelled by machinery, electric, or manual power.
- (z) “Trout” means brook (Salvelinus fontinalis), rainbow (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown (Salmo trutta), and golden trout (Salvelinus alpinus), and all their hybrids.
Source. (See Revision Note #1 at chapter heading for Fis 400 and Revision Note at chapter heading for Fis 500) #5016, eff 1-1-91; EXPIRED 1-1-97 New. #6432, eff 1-21-97; ss by #6629, eff 1-1-98; ss by #8442, eff 1-1-06; ss by #10425, eff 1-1-14; ss by #13698, eff 7-26-23 (see Revision Note #2 at chapter heading for Fis 400); ss by #14418, eff 10-22-25, EXPIRES: 10-22-35