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Conservation Officer Mark Ober prepares a boat prior to releasing fish into Success Pond. A dead battery is just another challenge to overcome.
The Road to Success
The road to Success is not easy, but for fishing fans it’s not about the journey STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARSHALL HUDSON
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here is only one way to reach Success, and it is a rough ride that will test your resolve and shake you to your core. I know, I’m on the road to Success. The unincorporated township of Success is located in Coös County, easterly of Berlin and snuggled up against the Maine border. It is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and there are some seasonal cabins, mostly located on Success Pond, which means there is an active seasonal population, but the 2020 census indicates that the township has a permanent population of four. That’s four people in 57 square miles. There is no town government, so oversight and governmental services are provided by the county and state. Success landowners pay their property taxes to the County of Coös, but with so few residents, the maintenance of the only road doesn’t seem to be a priority. I’ve joined a convoy of trucks hauling live fish into Success Pond from the State Fish Hatchery in Berlin. Leading the parade is
42 New Hampshire Magazine | May 2022
a New Hampshire Fish and Game biologist driving a pickup truck towing a boat and trailer. Two hatchery tank trucks loaded with fish to be stocked follow him. A conservation officer also towing a trailered boat is next, and I’m bringing up the rear with a truckload of “just-in-case stuff.” There are no convenience or hardware stores selling needed items on the road to Success, so it’s best to go prepared for anything. After six slow miles of pothole dodging on the washboard road and repeatedly bouncing my head off the roof of the cab, a posted sign warns me that ... the road will now get worse ... for the next six miles. Some joker has posted a “10 mph” speed limit sign, but we are barely doing 3 mph and anyone going faster than that must not like their truck (or their kidneys) very much. There are no service stations, rest stops, telephones or houses anywhere on the road to Success, so it’s wise to be kind to your truck. If you break down, you walk. Today’s adventure began with an
Fish culturist Jared Irwin hands a netful of trout to NHF&G biologist Andrew Schafermeyer.
early-morning arrival at the Berlin Fish Hatchery. It is a beehive of activity as trucks are being prepared and fish are being netted, checked, weighed and counted. Fish swimming freely in a pool don’t hold
