Check here for Vermont fly fishing reports during the season.
Big browns live in Vermont!
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Check here for Vermont fly fishing reports during the season.
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The Hendricksons continue to come off slow, somewhat spotty, but steady...yet nobody is looking up. I nymphed up a couple of wild rainbows on part of the Winooski today, but I must admit it's eerily slow. Like last season, this dry weather with north and sometimes east winds do not make for good fishing in general. Forecast is for more of the same through Wednesday with cooler weather and east to northeast winds...ugh. We'll see if the fish respend favorably or not. Water temps range throughout the 50's. The Lamoille is in far better shape in general, and today there were increased flows on the Winooski from "the powers that be". Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Conditions continue to be pretty darn slow right now. A bit surprising as I look over my fishing journals. I've seen far more surface activity and bugs around in years past even, with similar flows and water temps. We saw enough Hendricksons today to actually see a few on the water at any given time, yet no rises, nothing. It'll happen soon enough, but the "new" weather forecast brings brings my least favorite weather to Vermont; sunny and northerly winds and average temps through Wednesday. Chamber of Commerce days to be sure, but that kind of weather doesn't keep the bugs on the water long enough to get lots of rising fish. It'll help push the Winooski into better, fishable levels though, and the state will be getting lots of rivers stocked too. Remember to get into your "clean gear" routine to prevent didymo spread. Water temps on the water I was on today were 55-56 degrees on a trib of the Winooski and 59 in the upper Winooski at 5pm. Hatches are slowly coming along, and the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I managed to nymph up two nice wild rainbows this afternoon, 12", and 14", but I did not see any rises, and the Hednricksons only came off a little better than yesterday. Water temps were great though, reaching 55-56 degrees at 2:30 pm. Fair weather for everyone north of Rte. 9 through the weekend, but cooler. Early next week looks cold and wet, with snow showers in the mtns. on Monday night! Hendricksons are hatching much better in the Champlain valley than in the spine of the Greens. Hatches consist of Hendricksons #12-16, Blue Quills #18, Little Brown Stones #12-14, and Cranefly Larvae #10. Good luck on the water!
Slowly but surely we're getting there. A few more Hendricksons on the wild trout stream I was on today. No rises, but I did get a 15" wild rainbow nymphing. Water temp was 53 degrees at 2:30 pm. We'll need perhaps two more days of weather that is warm enough and we'll be in great shape. The weather forecast makes this a bit of a toss-up though. We'll have some rain and showers overnight and early tomorrow that should not muck things up, but it may drop water temps below 50 again. In general, water levels are running at around average for the date which is good. Both the Winooski and Lamoille are running into the 50's during the afternoon. The Lamoille is in far better shape than the Winooski right now. Hatches consist of Hendricksons #12-16, Blue Quills #18, Little Brown Stones #12-14, and Cranefly larvae #10. Good luck on the water!
Still not much happening on the wild trout stream I was on today. I realized that this season we may still be a bit early is that I found a pile of snow at only 525 ft. in elevation! Water temps on the Winooski around Montpelier were in the low 50's this afternoon. I did see the first two Hendricksons, so we're getting there. Some of the tribs of the Lamoille have been stocked with their brook trout over the past couple of days. The Lamoille is in better shape than the Winooski overall; it is generally lower and clearer. We've got a bit of rain for Wednesday night and Thursday am, which is fine since it will be pretty warm. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the wild trout stream I was on today were 50 degrees at 2:30 pm. Still a bit too cold to get any mayflies really going. Lots of Little Brown Stones flying around and hatching though. This sping has been a bit different than the past 2-3 years, more of a traditional start to things. The last 2+ years, I found rising fish eating Hendricksons on May 1st in central Vt. This spring has also been a teaser so far because as soon as condtions start to look good water level wise, we get get rain/cooler weather. I'll gladly take that later in the season, but once May rolls around, I like to see clearer and warmer water! With that said, some rain is forecast Wednesday pm through the rest of the week, and as of now Friday and the weekend are forecast to be cooler than normal! Hopefully it doesn't rain too hard. The Winooski is still high and pretty dirty below Montpelier. Water temps range throughout the 40's into the low 50's. Hatches consist of Blue Quills #18, Hendricksons #12-16, Little Brown Stones #12-14, and Cranefly Larvae #8-12. Good luck on the water!
I just got back from a wet, raw weekend in the Manchester area. When we left the Orvis parking lot at 2:00pm it was 45 degrees out! We continued downstream and checked out the Battenkill looking for some insects and maybe some surface activity. Flows were still pretty fast on the 'Kill, and I was looking for slower, warmer water. We found it on the NY side of the river. 49 degrees for a water temp is not warm really, but it was the best we could find. I found a pod of 3-4 fish; hooking 2 and landing one nice 13" wild brown. But the real fun part was how GREAT the hatch of Hendricksons was. Clearly more males than females were on the water (Red Quills #14-16), but the numbers of them was a sight to behold. They hatchesd a bit later due to the cool dreary weather, but from about 3:30-5pm + there were bugs all over the stretch we were on. On the drive back up today, none of the rivers we saw (Mettawee, Poultney, Castleton, New Haven, Lewis Creek) were in bad shape. The Mettawee was moving real fast and would have been on the bottom of my list out of those 5 right now. We stopped on the lower New Haven and watched a nice Blue Quill hatch with the first few Hendricksons of the year. There were also the first #14 Yellow Sallies, as well as the Little Brown Stones that have been hatching for about a week now. Nobody rising though, and the water temp was just under 50 degrees. As for things further north, the Winooski is still stuffed from atleast Montpelier downstream. High flows out of the reservoirs are contributing to that. Hendricksons should start hatching in decent numbers by Wednesday in both the Winooski and Lamoille watersheds. The Lamoille is in better shape level wise and I'm thinking the fishing will really pick up towards Wolcott in the next coupls of days or so. The "petting zoo" (trophy trout zone) on the Lamoille below Fairfax Falls was stocked last Thursday. The "petting zoos" on the Mississquoi and the Black in southern Vt. were also stocked late last week. I've still got a few openings left for May, so drop me a line if you'd like to get in on the "big fish" time of year! Hatches consist of Blue Quills #18, Hendricksons #12-16, Little Brown Stones #14, Yellow Sallies #12-14, the odd Quill Gordon #14. Good luck on the water!
A bit warmer today, but the lack of overall sun will keep the rivers and streams from warming up too much. Looks like a bit of wet weather Saturday night and Sunday, but I don't think it'll be more than a bump in the road. River levels are just a couple of days away from being in great shape for first hatches of the season. We'll see how next week pans out; right now it looks a bit cool to get many streams over the 50 degree mark for very long. While nothing banner yet, hatches consist of Blue Quills #18, Little Brown Stones #14-16, Quill Gordons #14 (select waters, mostly in S.W. waters). I'll be down around Manchester this weekend, and I'll try to get a report in on Saturday, but I'll have a Sunday report for sure. Good luck on the water!
Water levels are dropping fast around the state which gives us an idea of how badly we needed rain. Smaller streams under say 25-30 ft. are fishable. Larger tribs to the big rivers have varying degrees of clarity, but are still a day or so from being really fishable. The Lamoille and Winooski are both still high, but the Winooski is in worse shape due to high flows out of Waterbury and Wrightsville Reservoirs. I found a couple of Hendrickson nymphs on a small trib of the Lamoille today, and they look like they're about 5 days from hatching. The extended forecast is starting to become clearer with the next two days warming and drying out, with highs in the upper 60's atleast on Saturday. From Sunday through mid next week is a bit dicey with no big rains but no air temps to really get water temps into the low 50's for consecutive days like we need to initiate decent mayfly activity. They may start with a trickle for awhile. No rivers of note have been stocked other than the trophy trout zone on Otter Creek. I wouldn't be surprised if the trophy trout in the Lamoille below Fairfax Falls were stocked tomarrow. Hatches consist of Little Brown Stones #14-16, a few Blue Quills #18 at lower elevations and further south, some Quill Gordons #14 on a few southwestern streams. Your best shot at catching fish with nymphs and maybe the odd dry will be lower elevation brook trout streams. Good luck on the water!
Big rains yesterday have brought water levels back up on the all rivers and streams around the state. The big rivers will be stuffed for atleast 3+ days, depnding on how much rain we get over the next 5 days or so. The weather forecast is pretty dicey; with now a cooler wetter forecast for the weekend, with temps only in the low to mid 50's. This will not allow water temps to get above the magic 50 degree mark for most waters. That being said, the forecast could improve, we'll just have to wait and see. Some small streams are fishable right now; they're clear but running a bit fast. Hatches consist of Little Brown Stones #14-16, and some Blue Quills #18, and Quill Gordons #14 down south. Good luck on the water!
As of 11 am, I received 1.05" of rain and it is now SNOWING so heavily it's pilling up on top of my rain gage! We're now expecting up to 2" of snow above 1500 ft., and rain elsewhere. Rainfall has been widespread around the state; West Brdigewater (Ottauquechee) 1.66", St. Johnsbury, 1.47", Rutland .81", Montpelier .78", and Burlington .48". So we can see that the eatern half of the state has gotten more rain, and river levels are responding. There is a flood watch for Caledonia County, as the Passumpsuc is now bankfull and will flood later today. Most everything is blown out, and the big rivers have climbed right back up in water level. The Winooski and Lamoille will be unfishable for atleast 3-5 days or so. It now looks like most of the state will have dry weather during the upcoming weekend (southern Vt. may be cloudy/wet), and by then small to mid-size waters will be fishable. Bookings are picking up for the remainder of my May/early June openings, so if you're interested in getting out and chasing big wild fish, don't hesitate in dropping me a line. Hatches (or the lack thereof) are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
The much needed rain has arrived, though it's still pretty light here in Underhill at 11am. The rain will pick up and we're expecting a 1-2" rainfall statewide over the 36+ hours. Some snow (gulp!) is forecast above 2000 ft. later on Tuesday when a pool of cold air filters in. All of this means unfishable conditions on most waters for some time. Small streams will be the first to clear. I got a reputable report that Quill Gordons and a few Blue Quills are starting to hatch on the Battenkill. There is also an odd Hendrickson, but these were seen a bit further down on the NY side of the river. Any hatches will slow down a bit with this rain and colder weather. Water level aside, there should be some more consistent bug activity by the upcoming weekend. Nothing really hatching further north of any real consequence. Lewis Creek being in the Champlain Valley has a few more bugs around like Little Brown Stones #14. Fishing a "hatch" will still be a few days off yet. Thanks to those of you who attended the Mad-Dog TU Banquet this past weekend. We raised alot of money and had a great time in the process. Stay dry and warm and good luck on the water!
We got a bit of rain last night, about .12", but the real stuff will be arriving tomarrow with 1-2" of rain forecast thru Tuesday. This means that the vastly improved conditions right now will turn ugly again. Personally, I'm happy with the rain, the real hatches have not begun yet, and I'll take it gladly so we don't have a repeat of last May. I don't expect Handricksons to start hatching in earnest for another 7 days. Good luck on the water!
I just got back from the Catskill region today and we had a great time. Lots of bugs, lots of fish! As for current happenings in Vermont, there is not too much new since Tuesday, other than the forecast for this coming week will be wet and cool. We really need the rain in general, though the big rivers are still pretty high from all the snowmelt. Small streams look great right now, and most should hold up well during the rains. Little Black Stones #16-18, and some small Black Caddis area around, but I don't think the trout are being picky right now, you just have to find them and get down to them. Good luck on the water!
Just a follow up of todays report; while I will be out of town later today thru Saturday am, I will be checking e-mail and will have my cell phone with me, 802-338-0649, for those of you who'd like to book a trip. I've still got a few good days available for the "big fish" May-Early June window. Scroll down to read the first report, thanks and good luck on the water!
Wow, I really feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day...the same weather over and over...and over again. I cannot remember a steak of warm, dry weather that has lasted this long in April. The big rivers have peaked in flows and we're starting to see the gradual reduction in flows on these bigger waters and their major tribs. It'll be another 5 days or so before we start seeing widespread fishable water (other than the small streams which are mostly fishable). Word is that the Catskill rivers are having a hatch bonanza of Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Hendricksons, and Caddis, so....I'm going!! I'll be down on the Deleware system until Saturday morning, so my reports will continue at the end of the week. Overall, nothing will really change during the week as we only have a slight chance of showers Wednesday night, and then more dry weather until Saturday night. Fish deep, dark, and slow and good luck on the water!
The Lamoille and Winooski appear to have finally peaked in flows now that the snowpack below 2500 ft. is largely gone. With dry weather in the forecast most of the next week, levels will drop pretty quick on the big rivers and major tribs. There are fish being caught on small brook trout tribs and streams that have no more snowmelt and are clear. Fishing streamers and nymphing will produce some fish. The state is just starting to stock our waterways, so don't expect to see any stockies until flows drop a bit. Good luck on the water!
The big rivers around the state are stuffed with snowmelt and will stay that way for atleast another 3-5 days, depending on the stretch and if there's any snow left. Some small streams are very fishable, while others that still have snowpack in their valleys are high and dingy. No real rain forecast for the next week; a 30-40% of showers on Wednesday night, and a 40% chance of showers next Saturday...thats it. I can live with the dry weather for another week (mostly to prevent flooding on the big rivers and their major tribs), but after that we are going to need a good soaking .50-1.00" of rain to prevent a repeat of last season, when rivers dropped really fast and we played "catch up" all summer. We tend to have dry summers after big,wet winters, and I'm hoping this is not the case this year. My bookings for the May to early June timeframe are filling up now, so drop me a line if you'd like to book a trip during this prime big fish window! I also will be doing trips on the Upper Connecticut River this season now that I have my NH guide license, and for those of you who have never fished the "Big C" during the summer...you're missing out! The Big C is without a doubt the most under-rated trout stream in the Eastern U.S. No crowds, cold water during the heat of summer, beautiful surroundings, and a healthy mix of wild and stocked fish. I will be doing wade and float trips on the Big C from early June (once water levels drop) thru early October. Not much hatching right now except for Little Black Stones #16-18, and I don't think there are any fish keying in on them..they'll take any nymph that can get down to them. Water temps range throughout the 40's. Good luck on the water!
Another warm day will continue to speed up the snowmelt from the higher elevations of the next few days. As the snowpack disappears, we will see water levels drop very fast around the state. The forecast for the next 5-7 days is more dry weather with above average temps. Some small streams at lower elevationsa are fishable. Nothing really hatching yet aside from Little Black stones #16-18, but the warm weather has brought out terrestrials a bit earlier than normal, and I'm seeing no shortage of wasps, ants, and ladybugs around right now. Water temps range throughout the 40's to around 50 on some of the lower elevation southern waters. Good luck on the water!
Well, I just got back from taking my New Hampshire Guides License exam and...I passed! Whew! I am now the ONLY LICENSED NH guide actively guiding in Northern and Central Vermont, so if you're interested in doing a trip up to the Upper Ct. this summer when the heat gets to our local rivers, drop me a line! I will also be doing overnight camping/fishing trips based from my property on the banks of the Upper Ct. in the Catch and Release zone. I have 700 ft. of private access to some outstanding water. I'll be doing float or wade trips on the Big C. Drop me a line for rates and overnight camping package info. As for current conditons around the state, this crazy warm weather has increased snowmelt at the higher elevations and the big rivers and their major tribs have responded by spiking back up. Some small brookie tribs that drain higher elevations are high and dingy, while the lower elevation tribs are clear and at a fine level. Some fish are being caught on both the Black and the Willoughby for those who like seeing more people than fish, though both rivers will be running real high and dingy with this increased snowmelt. Fish deep, dark, and slow for success, and good luck on the water!
Both the weather and my allergies have told me...Spring is here!! My personal misery aside, you can't beat this weather at this time of year. While I'm fine with it for the next week or so, I'd hate to see a repeat of last Spring where we had dry, sunny conditions all the time, making water levels drop too much too fast, and mayfly hatches were sporadic at best. Many small streams in the area are very fishable and with water temps approaching 50 on some of them, you may even be able to drum up some nice small stream fish. The larger tribs of the Winooski and Lamoille are still too high to spend much time on, but that will change by the weekend. With the exception of their headwaters, the Winooski and Lamoille are unfishable due to high, dirty flows. Water temps range throughout the 40's, to near 50 on some waters. Good luck on the water!
We have a great weather forecast for the next week, with sunny, dry and warm conditions that will help river levels drop and warm up a bit. April is never "good" fishing, but if you work hard enough and fish deep and slow and have a little luck on your side, you can drum up some fish. Please avoid fishing to any rainbows you may see spawning, these fish are busy making more fish for future generations, and exploiting them while they're spawning is unethical to say the least. Any small dark, weighted nymph will do on the fishable brook trout waters. Good luck on the water!
River levels are dropping fast now that the snowpack has dwindled and we have sunny dry weather. The big rivers will remain unfishable until around May 1 as usual. Small brook trout streams will be fishable by the end of the week, and for those patient and fishing deep, you should be able to drum up some brookies. There are some small black stoneflies around, but fish are not picky at his time of year; you just have to get down to them with something they can see. Forecast is outstanding through Saturday, with air temps well above normal (60-70F) and sunny, dry conditions. Good luck on the water!
Some heavy rain fell last night here in North Underhill, we received over .85" of rain in the past 24 hours. Portions of the Winooski, Lamoille, and Otter Creek are flooding into neighboring fields, while smaller tributaries and small streams are running at or close to bankfull. Looks like most of the rain has pushed east of us, but we do have a forecast of up to 1" of snow tonight, which won't do anything really to the rivers. Look for slow, gradual improvement over the next 3 days, with temps by mid-week approaching 60 degrees. There won't be to much to report over the next couple of days, so my next report will probably be on Tuesday. Good luck on the water!
Not much new to report from yesterdays report, though I just wanted to let folks know there is a flood advisory out for all of Vermont through Saturday, so please think twice about getting real close to any moving water tomarrow. With air and water temps running in the 30's it'll be pretty rough to say the least. As of noon Friday, the Lamoille in Cambridge is flooding into some fields already, and water levels are about 2 ft. from closing Rte. 15 at the backwards bridge. .75-1.00" of rain are forecast through Sunday am, which will really clobber the upper elevation snow pack. Look for some small brook trout streams to be fishable, though it will be slow, by Wednesday. Stay dry and don't wade!
Saturday is opening day here in Vermont; though it's really more symbolic than signalling the actual start of "good fishing". With .50-1.00" of rain forecast followed by snow showers Saturday night, I won't be heading out personally, but for those who feel the cabin fever, I'd recommend staying on small waters at low elevations that hopefully have no snowmelt left in their drainages. Water temps will be in the mid to upper 30's...not condusive to finding active trout. I posted some new photos from last season on my photos section, so check them out if you need some added inspiration! As I eluded to in my earlier report, bookings for the prime May to early June timeframe are filling up, so if you're interested in getting out for this "big fish" time of year, drop me a line. Pull out your Gore-tex and good luck on the water!
Greetings folks! I got back from New Zealand a month ago, and after a bit of getting over jet lag, doing some presentations for TU chapters and getting some writing done, I'm starting to look ahead to the upcoming trout season! I have already gotten quite a few inquiries and bookings for the magical mid-May to early June window, so if you're interested in booking a trip let me know asap. My rates for 2008 as of now have not changed, and anyone booking ahead will lock in on my 2007 rates. After Memorial Day, I'll see where gas prices are. If they're over 4.00 a gallon, my rates may go up nominally. In the next week or so, I should be adding a bunch of new photos from the 2007 season, some of which will raise some eyebrows I'm sure! Don't forget the Mad-Dog Trout Unlimited banquet and fundraiser on Saturday 4/26 at 6 pm at the Best Western in Waterbury. Lots of great fishing gear, and lots of good company, so don't miss it! Thats all for now, my reports will start up in April near opening day. Cheers, Lawton
Well, another season has come to a close and all in all it was a good, steady season. Lots of warm and sometimes low water kept it from being stellar in my opinion; but we had trout water to fish at almost any time once you got beyond the big rivers. In terms of trout numbers and size, I'd say they were within the "average", though atleast on the Winooski I did notice that high #'s of small wild rainbows did translate in to good numbers of 10-14" wild fish. In terms of hatches, I would have to rate the spring hatches as being a bit disappointing in terms of surface activity, largely due to the mid winter floods in most parts of the state, along with dry cold weather during the first half of May. Summer and fall hatches seemed decent. I guess the thing that stands out the most about the season was the discovery of Didymo in the Big C, the White, and the Battenkill. Let's remain diligent next season about cleaning our gear and slowing its spread into other rivers. The one thing we should all think about doing if we haven't already is to become a member of a local angling group, like Trout Unlimited,etc. It provides a good way to meet folks that have common interests, and the larger the unified group we have, the more we can potentially accomplish in terms of getting some good wild trout management on our waters. I'll be in New Zealand from November 2 thru February 13th this winter, so if you're interested in booking a trip for next season, please drop me an e-mail at lawtonweber@pshift.com I won't have my cell # on while I'm gone. When I get back, I'll be expanding the photos section on my website with some of the 2007 highlights, and there will be a couple of new features as well. I want to thank everyone I spent time on the water with this season, and thank my regular viewers as well. Let's hope for lots of snow and no real cold weather, and see you next Spring!!!
Well that was a bit more rain than was intially forecast! 1.65" fell in N. Underhill, and most every mid-size and large river in the state is blown out big time. Most small streams are high also. With another big rain event forecast for Friday pm/Saturday am, and then a major cooldown for early next week, I'm pretty sure this will be the unofficial end to the trout season. Overall for October we can't complain, we had several great days out on the water due to warmer than normal temps. I'll be doing perhaps a couple more reports between now and the 31st., especially if anything changes for the better. Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the Winooski and a trib were in the balmy mid-50's this afternoon. We did real well for this time of year, getting 6 wild bows on dries 8-14", and nymphed up another 5 wild bows 10-13" on nymphs. This was the last of the warm weather with rain and cooler temps arriving Tuesday. Fishing will slow down a bit with cooler temps, but as long as the water stays above around 46 or so, you'll still be able to drum up fish on nymphs. I saw one BWO all day today, so I wouldn't count on much for hatch activity other than BWO's and terrestrials...good luck on the water!
Last nights rains dumped 1.3" of rain here in N. Underhill; the Lamoille and Winooski are blown out, the White is off-color upstream as far as Bethal atleast. The major tribs are running high and off color, but should be fine by tomarrow. Some small streams are fishable, while others are really gushing. Fishing should be good thru mid-week with warmer than normal temps. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I went Salmon fishing on the Clyde this morning with a buddy and quite honestly did poorly...a few smolts, a couple of big fish strikes, and my buddy got a couple nice rainbows. Water levels were ok, but the fish we did see were dark and on their beds, so we left them alone. We have between .5-2.00" of rain forecast for the next 24 hrs, but as of 5pm it sure looks to me like most of it is heading north and west of us. I'll probobly be wrong and the rain will come, but with warm temps forecast thru Monday, I think the trout fishing will be good for the latter half of October. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Nice warm weather for this time of year will keep the fishing surprisingly productive if you know where they are. We have some pretty big rains forecast Friday pm, and the weekend is calling for dry and above normal temps, so I think the fishing will be ok for the next few days, high muddy water on the bigger waters aside. Hatches consist mostly of just a few Cinammon Caddis #14-16, and good #'s of BWO's #20-24. Good luck on the Water!
Water levels continue their slow drop, and conditions should be ok thru Friday. We are going to get more rain starting Thursday and some heavier stuff on Friday and in my experiance if you can fish in a relatively "warm" fall rain the fishing is usally pretty good. Hatches are the same as preivous days, good luck on the water!
I had a very good "October" guiding day today on the Winooski below Bolton Dam. The water was 47 degrees all afternoon, and we fished a Blue-Winged Olive hatch that was REALLY thick! We caught all of our fish on dries, landing 6 total, and hooking a couple others. Condtions aren't going to get any worse; they may actually get better as things will slowly warm a bit thru the week, peaking out on Friday with temps in the low 60's. With dropping water levels, things should hold on just fine. It's challenging fishing, but I find it alot of fun! I do have openings over the next week, so look me up if interested. Hatches consist of mostly BWO's #20-24, and a few Cinammon Caddis #14-16, and Isonychias #12-14. Good luck on the water!
The big rivers are running clear, but with the above average flows and cold temps we'll start to see the slowdown this week. Temps are forecast to be a bit lower than was thought a few days ago. We've gotten snow above around 2500 ft. the past couple of nights, and we had sleet last night here in N. Underhill. Water temps will range throughout the 40's to around 50 in some of the warmer, lower elevation, big waters. Nymphing will be the way to go from here on out...exceptions being of course, that if you find some fish rising, go for it! BWO's and small terrestrials will usually be the ticket. Good luck on the water!
The Winooski below Bolton Dam was 56 degrees at noon today where I was guiding. There was some surface activity and I saw the odd fish chasing emerging Isoychias. I had a raw beginner out today teaching her to cast, so catching fish was not the priority, but we did hook a couple. Big rains forecast tonight thru Friday will put the big rivers off and make the small streams a bit cold. Lows Friday/Saturday nights will be cold enough for snow above 1500 ft. It has been a good run though, and I do think once this water drops next week, we should still have some decent fishing...it'll be a bit more work/skill, but it's worth it! Good luck on the water!
The big rivers are in decent shape as of Wednesday pm, but after the rains on Thursday pm and Friday am, things will be high and off again. We're expecting .5-1.00" of rain thru Friday am. Thursday should be decent fishing, especially late in the afternoon when the rain just starts. Hatches are pretty sparse, but consist of Isonychias #12-14, BWO's #18-22, a few Caddis #14-16, and snts and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the two tribs of the Winooski I was on today were both a surprisingly warm 57 degrees in the afternoon hours. I would have thought the cold rain a day or so ago would have cooled things off more. Regardless, its a GREAT water temp for this time of year. The "deck" has certainly been reshuffled on the area waters after that big rain, with fish moving around quite a bit. We saw an odd Trico and BWO but no rises, all the fish were caught on nymphs. As of 8pm, it looks like most of the big rain tonight is falling south of I-89, which means the Lamoille and Winooski should be in good shape by tomarrow pm. Good luck on the water!
Surprisingly heavy rains started falling around 2 am last night and as of 11 am have now tapered off, dropping .85" here in N. Underhill. The Winooski is blown out big time; the Lamoille did not get near as much rain, but I'm sure will be off-color at the very least. As is often the case from Colombus day onward, conditions have really nose-dived. With such a cold rain this morning, water temps will be way down in the low 50's...which is still fine to fish in, but quite a sharp drop from a couple of days ago. With more rain now forecast for Tuesday-Friday, it may be awhile before we get "nice" weather to fish in. All that being said, the small streams will fish ok, as will some of the major tribs of the Lamoille and Winooski. In the far south, streams like the Mettawee and Battenkill avoided most of the recent rains, so are still rather low and in good shape. Hatches consist of BWO's #18-22, a few Isonychias #10-14, and a few Cinammon Caddis #14-16. Good luck on the water!
I had some clients who weren't quite willing to fish in the heavy rain today, so I went myself for about an hour and a half. I fished the lower Winooski just above Richmond and did pretty well, catching 5 of the stocked brownies, a couple of smaller wild bows, and had a brown of about 18" break me off on the corner of a big rock after a pretty long battle. All were taken on nymphs with the rain falling like it was. Some smaller streams have gotten enough rain to throw mud in the big rivers, Mill Brk. in Richmond for instance, was chocolate milk at 4:30pm. I suspect that the Winooski and possibly the Lamoille will be off-color on Sunday, maybe worse. Heavy rains are falling in the south too, so some waters will be off as well. We needed the rain, and in N.Underhill we got 1" even today. Because it was a pretty "warm" rain, it won't cause the water temps to plummet like they normally do in a typical October rain. So conditions should be great this coming week, though it will be more typical October weather. Hatches consist of Isonychias #12-14, BWO's #18-22, a few Cinammon Caddis #14-16, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the Winooski around Montpelier was 62 degrees at 4pm. We did well, hooking lots of wild bows, a few browns, and landing around 8 wild bows and browns. It's going to start cooling down finally during the weekend, but conditions should stay very good for the next 5+ days. Hatches are sparse but the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Ah women in bikinis on ride-em-up mowers...October in Vt.!! I actually saw that on my road this morning. Anyhow, I managed to get out and fish a trib of the Winooski with a buddy and despite the bright warm weather, we did ok. One wild brown of 17", and wild rainbows of 9",9",10",13",13",17", and 18" were landed. Hatches are sparse at this point, but with water around 63 degrees the trout are really active! Good luck on the water!
Another day of shorts and wet wading. I guided on trib of the Lamoille this afternoon and the water was on either side of 60 degrees. With all the leaves blowing into the river, it was a bit tough at times, but we hooked a couple of nice fish. Look for the weather to continue to get warmer thru the week, until Monday when a big cooldown occurs. Hatches, are getting pretty sparse but are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I feel a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day...sunny and dry, sunny and dry,etc. All in all though, the fishing continues to be good, though hatches have diminished a bit. When we get some clouds and rain, we'll see some better BWO activity. Looks like Columbus Day will provide some showers and a big cool down, but until then it's a beach party. Hatches consist of Isonychias #12-14, Yellow Quills #16-18, BWO's #22-26, a few Tricos #22-26, Cinammon Caddis #14-16, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Wet wading...in October?!? Yup, I did it today on the Lamoille. Now those of you who have fished with me know I don't wear waders usually until October or if its pouring out, but this weather is a bit much! Water temp on the Lamoille around Johnson was 59 degrees at 1 pm. Forecast for the next 5-7 days calls for WARM weather and no significant rain in sight. We will however, start to see the "bump" in river levels over the next week as most trees stop taking in water and the aquafer has more water going to the streams. If you're looking to get out and enjoy these conditions, drop me a line, good fishing should continue well past Columbus day weekend. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Had to shorten a trip this evening due to a sore back my client had, but we still hooked two nice wild bows, landing the smaller 13" one. Water temp was 62 degrees in Richmond. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the section of the Winooski I guided on today was 60 degrees at noon. I don't think the temp budged much during this "fall feeling" day. Northwest winds are never great for hatches and rising fish, but we managed to do pretty well landing a bunch of wild bows up to 13". Forecast looks great for the next week. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Much needed rainfall fell across the state last night. Here in N. Underhill we received about .85" so far, and the Moretown area in the Mad/Winooski Valley got about the same. Heavier rains fell across Rutland county and in east-central Vt. The Lamoille has ballooned up to 531cfs and is a bit off-color, but not muddy. The Winooski has come up a bit too, but I suspect portions of it will be fishable by Saturday pm. Water temps on both rivers range thru the low to mid 60's. We've got another spell of dry fine weather from Saturday-Friday, with above normal daytime highs, and cool lows in the 40's. what this means is that we'll have GREAT fishing conditions over this coming week. We could still use a bit rain for the long term, but for now this is just perfect. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, Yellow Quills #16-18, BWO's #18-22, Cinammon Caddis #14-16, and terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Looks like a good slug of rain is on the way overnight, and then clearing by Thursday pm. We'll see if/how many streams get dirty from this..we have had some shower actvity the past 36 hrs, so the ground should be able to absorb a bit, but we're just going to have to see how things shake out. One thing is for sure, Saturday-Thursday we will have GREAT conditions for this time of year. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Hot muggy weather for late September has kept river temps in the 60's to almost, gulp, 70 on the lower ends of the big rivers. We've only gotten about .12" of rain so far in N. Underhill, but it really does look like we're going to get some solid rains over the next 36 hrs. which we sorely need. After Friday we'll have great fishing weather for atleast 3-5 days. Hatches consist of Isonychias #12-14, BWO's #18-22, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, Cinammon Caddis #14-16, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Conditions right now can only be described as a bit "stale" on Vermonts rivers. Lack of rain and warm bright weather has made fish a bit uptight. I got calls from two angling friends of mine this evening that reported similar events on the water tonight as to what I experianced guidng today. We had a couple of big bows come up and take a look and then follow a dry that only 3 days ago they would take on the first good cast. We had to work for them a bit today, but we got a 12" brown, and 13",14",14" and 16" wild rainbows. I had to pull out a secret New Zealand dry fly tonight to bring up the bigger bows on what was essentially a hatchless evening on the Winooski around Waterbury. This particular dry got solid takes on the first presentation. Water temps range from 63 below Bolton Dam at noon, to 65 degrees around Waterbury at 5:30pm. The rainfall predictions appear to be better and better, with totals generally of an inch forecast Wed. pm thru Friday. Like most of the season, I'll believe it when I see it in the rain gage. Hatches are the same previous days, good luck on the water!
I had a great day guiding a client on a stretch of the Winooski above Montpelier. Water temp was 60 degrees at noon. We caught a mix of wild browns and bows, along with a couple of stocked browns that seemed to make it thru the heat of this summer no problem. I can't remember flows being this low in late September since the drought of 2001. We do have some weather coming for Wednesday-Friday, anywhere between .25-.75" should fall, and since the trees are starting to turn, and don't take in as much water, we should see the levels pop up atleast a bit. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Another breezy day on the Winooski, but atleast it was alot cooler. First trip was actually for late season Smallmouth on the lower Winooski. We caught about 25 smallies 9"-15", no biggies but fun nonetheless. On my second trip the water temp on a stretch below Bolton Dam was 66 degrees at 5pm. I had the same beginners I had on Saturday, and they improved nicely, culminating with 14" and 17" wild rainbows! Water levels are getting really,really low right now, not good for spawning browns looking to access tribs. Hopefully we'll get some rain midweek. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
The water on the Winooski was a bit toasty for this time of year, 67 degrees where I was guiding, but the fish were still pretty active. The big problem today was the gusty winds...it made it tough for just about any skill level. We did catch some rainbows however, so the hard work payed off. A cooler day tomarrow will help things stay productive. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, BWO's #20-24, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, Cinammon Caddis #14-16, a few Tricos #22-26, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
The fishing on the Winooski today was off the charts. I guided from 11am until dark, and the water temps went from to 60 to 66 thru the day. A tad above normal for late September, but the fish were very active. We literally hooked dozens of fish, landing around 15 fish, all wild bows 7-16", and one wild brownie of 14". We could use rain, but overall conditions are really good. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Well, I'm back from Denver and one thing is for sure...I would not trade the fishing we've got here for the CARNIVAL in Colorado. Yes, they have some rivers with bigger numbers of bigger fish, but man, the crowds are beyond the pale! Anglers everywhere, you have to drive hours to go to different watersheds only to find more anglers everywhere, and then of course being the west, the better stretches are totally posted and private. We may not have huge numbers of big fish, but we don't have the crowds, and last time I checked, you can only catch one fish at a time! I jumped right back into the guiding this evening on the Lamoille. We got a mix of wild rainbows and browns up to 16" mostly on dries, and unlike Colorado, we had the water all to ourselves! The water temp was 60 degrees at 6pm. The forecast has some warm weather the next two days, but a cold night tonight should keep things decent. So all in all, we've got some great conditions ahead of us. I have very limited openings for the next 2 weeks, so drop me a line if you'd like to take advantage of some of the best fishing of the season! Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, BWO's #20-24, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, Cinammon Caddis #14-16, a few Tricos #22-26, and terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
The forecast calls for .50"-1.00" of rain over a good portion of the state tonight. With that comes the possibility of the big rivers getting a bit dingy, but it'll be short-lived, and aside from that the forecast looks great for the next week. I'll be out of town at the World-Flyfishing Expo in Denver from Saturday 9/15-Wednesday 9/19, so my reports will pick up after I get back. For September openings I only have 9/26, and 9/27 remaining, so whether you'd like to chase Salmon on the NEK, or doing a float down the Winooski or Lamoille, don't hesitate in looking me up! I'll be checking my e-mail while I'm in Denver, or you can call my cell. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I had a great night guiding a beginner on the Winooski. 63 degree water temps, and rising fish galore. We hooked 12 fish up to 15", managed to land a couple and had fish rising within 10 ft. of us. We've got a pretty strong cold front that'll push thru Friday night, bringing some needed rain and then some very cool weather for the weekend. Aside from the potential of some dingy water on the big rivers after the front, the extended forecast looks great. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Last night we got about .33" of rain here in N.Underhill while east-central and southern Vt. got hammered yesterday with some places getting up to 3" of rain. Needless to say, most streams in the south are high and muddy, while the Winooski and Lamoille have come up, but are still completely fishable. Small streams in the area are in great shape, and with temps in the 30's the next two nights, a sunny 75 degree day on Friday won't be a bad thing at all. Funny how only a week ago, we were sick of hot weather and warm water, and now with a week of mostly colder than normal temps ahead of us, I won't mind some days in the 70's to keep things from getting too cool too quick! Thats the weather in Northern New England for ya. We're looking at Isonychias #10-14, BWO's #20-24, Tricos #22-26, Cinammon Caddis #14-16, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials like and ants and beetles #12-20 for hatches. Good luck on the water!
Fishing was pretty good in the middle of the day today on the Lamoille above Morrisville. Water temp was 61 degrees at noon. We caught a mix of wild and stocked rainbows up to 14". A bit of rain came thru this evening, but not enough to really much things up. Southern Vt. got much more rain today than we did up north. Aside from high winds Wednesday, fishing should be great over the next few days. I think we've finally cooled down for good, which is real nice. A float trip down the Winooski or Lamoille at this time of year can provide some great fishing, so drop me a line if interested. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the Lamoille this afternoon were 65-66 degrees at 5pm. We found lots of active fish and hooked a bunch on dries. We only got .23" of rain on Sunday, while the Winooski Valley got a bit more (.63" in Montpelier). We've got more rain forecast Tuesday pm which is good news. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, Yellow Quills #16-18, BWO's #20-24, Caddis #14-18, Tricos #22-26, Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20, and a few hoppers #10-14. Good luck on the water!
My client and I did surprisingly well today on a trib of the Winooski, the water was 63 at 8am, and 68 at 2pm. We caught heaps of wild rainbows up to 13",and hooked a few whales in the 15-18" class. No rain today really, but it looks like we're going to get much needed rains tomarrow, and then we'll finally get some fall weather. I've got a few prime dates left in September and early October, so look me up if you're looking to cap off the season with the big one! Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Record high temps are forecast tomarrow along with incredibly warm overnight temps on Friday (only getting down to around 70!); this will make the big rivers too warm to trout fish Friday/Saturday, and probably Sunday if we don't get decent amounts of rain. 1/4-1/3" is what it looks like now, but it may not be widespread. Speaking of rain, here in N. Underhill we got a pretty nasty t-storm early this am, dropping a tad over .25". These storms move up the Lamoille Valley and points further north only. I'm actually thinking smallmouth bass over these next couple of days, but in terms of trout fishing, am hours will best, and even Saturday will find some larger tribs of the big rivers running around 70 degrees, so I would go to some higher elevation streams for some good small stream action. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Not much new to report, other than it looks like we won't be seeing any rain until Sunday. We really need some rain. The big rivers will be a bit too warm Friday thru the weekend, but the small stuff should be ok. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water levels are at season lows now, and we could really use some rain which we will hopefully get this weekend. The fish were definetly spooky where I was guiding today. Look for some pretty hot muggy weather from Thursday thru the weekend, so keep in mind that the big rivers may not be in great shape in the pm hours despite the shorter days and cooler nights. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, Tricos #22-26, BWO's #18-22, Caddis #14-18, Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials like hoppers #8-14, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
We just spent the weekend up on the Big C where we had pretty good fishing, particularly on Sunday pm., when I got some nice wild bows and browns in dries in the 10-16" class, and I hooked the monster brown that we saw about a month ago, he was in the same place, and ate a big stonefly dry, but after about a minute or so, the darn hook popped out, which rarely happens to me personally once I've had a fish on that long with such a big fly. Oh well, he was truly huge, about 24" or so, 4+ lbs. The didymo seemed to be making another comeback after getting knocked back from the high water in July...no carpets of the stuff but most rocks had patches of it on them. Conditions within Vt. are pretty boney, with low water levels just about everywhere, and after a cool Tuesday-Thursday, it warms up into the 80's again, which is way above average and does not help matters. Overall though, there is still plenty of cool water around, and the big rivers should be ok in the early am during those warm days. I've got few openings left for the latter half of September, so don't hesitate in looking me up to book a trip! Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
The last time we got rain, the Lamoille valley got it all and the Winooski got barely any. Well todays cold front is giving the Winooski and its tribs south of I-89 a needed drink of water while the Lamoille is not getting anything. Addison and Rutland counties are getting slammed and expect to see most of the waters in those counties to be blown out for a day or so. The best thing to come out of this weather system is cool air, which looks to be staying with us for awhile. No 80's in the extended forecast! Fishing by the end of the weekend should be very good on the big rivers. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, BWO's #20-24, Tricos (pretty weak this season) #22-26, Caddis #14-18, Stoneflies #6-12, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, and terrestial like hoppers #8-14, ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
The bright hot sunny weather today makes me always think of fishing gorges in these conditions...looking for that shady, deep water! We've got a cold front approaching from the west that will be over us on Thursday, and while it does not have alot of precip with it, it does have some cooler air which the big rivers could really use. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I guided on a small trib of the Lamoille this evening and we did pretty well despite the bright warm weather, landing all three species, all wild, all on dries. Water temps were 63-64 degrees between 5-8 pm. The big rivers continue to be warm, and we actually could use some rain from the Winooski watershed south; northern Vt. is ok for now. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the trib of the Lamoille I guided on this morning were a cool 61 degrees at 11 am. Fishing contuinues to be good on the tribs of the big rivers, while the Lamoille is still muddy below Johnson; and both the Lamoille and Winooski are running a bit warm in the pm hours. These conditions will continue until Thursday when we have a cold front push thru with some showers and cooler temps for the end of the week and weekend. Prime September dates are getting booked up, so look me up if you'd like to get a prime date! Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I had a real fun time this evening with a very good angler on a wild trout stream in Central Vt. We caught about 6 browns and bows 10-13", all on dries, and hooked many more. We also had opportunities at bigger fish that we saw but couldn't quite reach. Water temps were 65-67 degrees at 5:30 pm. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, Tricos #22-26, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, some Caddis #14-18, Stoneflies #6-12, and lots of beetles, ants and hoppers #12-20. Good luck on the water!
We had surprisingly good fishing this am after such a warm night. The trib of the Winooski I was guiding on was 63 degrees at 7:30 am. Flying ants must have been all over the place last night, because even this morning, there were THOUSANDS of them on the surface of the river. A small downpour knocked down our Trico hatch, but it was no big deal with all the ants around. 5 wild bows 11-13", hooked 3 large bows 15-18", landing one of 17", and a couple of smaller fish. We're expecting some pretty strong t-storms this evening, which is good for our water levels. The big rivers, despite the flying ants everywhere, are really too warm to fish, with temps through the low to mid 70's. It will be a bit cooler Sunday, but the big rivers will take a couple of days to cool off. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
We've got some needed rain on the way this evening, hopefully it doesn't fall apart over the next 3-4 hours. Water levels are about average for this time of year in the northern half of state, but I've gotten reports down in southwestern Vt. that levels are getting real low. Water temps on the big rivers will be skyrocketing tomarrow thru Sunday with the approach of some hot sticky weather; lows Friday night will only be on the upper 60's to low 70's. Small streams should be fine. As my September bookings are filling up, I want to remind everyone of the Salmon fishing in the NEK in later September and October, and to look me up to do a trip up there if interested. I have a pretty good success rate up there, and have landed Ounaniche up to 7.5 lbs.; so what better way to finish the season than with a big landlocked salmon! And don't forget about those float trips on the Winooski and Lamoille also. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the stream in Central Vt. I guided on this am were a chilly 56 degrees at 7:30 am. We got a handful of wild bows up to 12", and we sight fished to a big brown of 18", which we hooked, but the client broke him off...oh well. We've only got about .10-.25" forecast over the next 2-3 days, and progressively warmer weather reaching the mid 80's on Friday, which means mornings will be best. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
As this week slowly warms up and we lose our cold nights, the big rivers will be hitting the 70+ mark during the pm hours, so carry that stream thermometer with you. Mornings will be a-ok all week, and small stream fishing should be great too. Hopefully we'll get a bit of rain from Wed.-Friday as things are starting to get a bit boney in places. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the Winooski below Bolton Dam was 66 degrees at 4:30 pm. We had great hatches, Isonychias, Epherons, Lil Yellow Quills, BWO's, some Caddis...it was a typical Winooski potpouri. Fish were rising once we arrived, then we had a lull between 6:30-7:30, and then the fish went bonkers again on epherons and junk feeding in general. If you're interested in doing a float trip on either the Lamoille or Winooski this fall, look me up, it's a great way to see and cover alot of water in great conditions. Hatches consist of Isonychias #12-14, Epherons #12-16, Lil Yellow Quills #16-18, BWO's #20-24, Tricos #22-26, Caddis #14-22, Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials like hopers #10-12, ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
The Lamoille is still a bit dingy down by Jeffersonville, but otherwise river conditions all around are in great shape for the time of year. This week looks cool and dry until Wednesday when we'll start to see some rain, which by then we'll need. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Sotrm totals in N. Underhill were .88"...a nice soaker. I've never seen so much polarity between the Winooski and the Lamoille in terms of rainfall from a big front like that. The Lamoille is high and dirty, 900+cfs, while the Winooski barely got anything and is still runnning at a bit over 200 cfs in Montpelier. Needless to say which one will fish better this weekend! There are some other smaller blown out rivers in south central Vt. and in the NEK, but all in all we've got plenty of water to fish and conditions will be cool and productive. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
As of 5pm we're at .25" and climbing fast in heavy t-storms. Looks like the northern 2/3rds is going to get hit the hardest. My suspicion is that we'll see the Lamoille and Winooski blown out for a day or so in sections that get hit the hardest. Great timing for the rain though with real cool weather coming on the heels, our tribs will be pumping COLD water into the big rivers, and they could use that. The forecast thru Wednesday calls for weather in the low 70's and low 50's, and pretty dry after Friday, so we should be in great shape for this time of year. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
It's really nice when you get a good angler who can capitalize on good fishing conditions. After some am rain that dropped .25" in Underhill, we hit a small Lamoille trib that was 58 degrees and caught all wild fish, mostly browns 8-13" on dries, and missed a few more. Then we got back together and did an evening trip on the Lamoille and found some nice 65-66 degree water with a decent Isonychia hatch and got 10 bows, 4 stocked, 6 wild, up to 14" also on dries. Good stuff! Conditions are really nice right now, and hopefully we don't get heaps of rain from the t-storms forecast Thursday pm. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
On my morning trip we found the Lamoille in Jeffersonville 68 degrees at 8 am, with a few fish rising. I was doing instruction, so we went to a small trib and hooked a few fish. In the pm I guided on the lower Winooski (73 degrees at 5pm) for Smallies and we had a great time, landing about 15 or so up to a couple of pounds. Conditions should be good through the next week or so. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Here in N. Underhill we got about .65" of rain last night, and Moretown in the Mad River Valley got .80". Nothing has gotten dirty from the rains, and it has topped off our waters nicely. We've got cooler than normal weather for the next week which will make fishing conditions outstanding. Water temps range throughout the 60's though some waters could be a bit warmer in the far south. Fall bookings are filling up surprisingly fast, so If you're looking to get out a bit later this season, drop me a line. Hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, Tricos #22-26, BWO's #20-24, Epherons (the White mayfly) #12-16, Caddis #14-22, Stoneflies #6-12, and Terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
I went up to the Big C for the first time since I found the Didymo, and after the recent heavy rains, the Didymo was knocked back big time, to perhaps less than 10% of what I saw during the end of June. This is not too surprising to me, as high, muddy water events are mother natures only "checks and balances" keeping Didymo from a perma bloom status. Flows were up quite a bit, but my wife and I landed a number of fish up to 15", and I hooked a huge wild bow that went 20"+, and quite honestly the largest brown trout I've ever seen in New England came up and tried to hit my Stonefly dry but in the choppy, heavy water, I couldn't maintain my drift long enough and he followed it, lifted and missed the fly before I could even strike. Based on my N.Z. experiances with big trout, I'd say he was a solid 5lb. We're in for some great fishing conditons over this week...no hot weather, a bit of rain but not too much, and really cool nights. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the Lamoille this morning were 63-64 degrees at 8am. We did well, catching a bunch of wild and stocked rainbows up to 14". This evening I taught two 16 yr. olds how to fish and we did the casting instruction on the Lamoille below Johnson...at 5:30 the water there was 70 on the nose. Needless to say we went to a small brook to catch some brookies since the Lamoille was too warm. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I did two nice trips today; the first was on a trib of the Winooski in the am, I had a very nice family of 4 that needed instruction from the ground up. They did very well, landing a handful of wild and stocked rainbows from 10-13" on dries. The evening trip was on a trib of the Lamoille and we hooked a bunch of fish, wild browns, brookies, and rainbows, also on dries. Both rivers were in the low 60's throughout our time on the water. Conditions look good for the next few days, water levels are good, cool nights should make the big rivers fishable in the am, and small streams are at very good levels for this time of year. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Fortunately, the big rains forecast for the northern half of the state today did not materialize and most of the real heavy stuff stayed south. We did get a bit over .50" here in North Underhill, but many parts of the Winooski watershed saw less than .50". As a result, rivers are not in bad shape other than the big ones being a bit warm, and maybe a little bit of dinge. Small streams are in great shape. Noteworthy hatches consist of Isonychias #10-14, Tricos #22-24, BWO's #20-24, Caddis #14-22, Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20. The Green Mtn Troutfitters have Korkers wading boots with 3 different kinds of soles included that you can rotate as needed; 1 aquastealth, 1 knobby ribber, and felt. They're a bit cheaper than Simms or Patagonia, being only $119.95. If I were to get them, I'd use the felt only on your one favorite/most visited stream and keep them dedicated to that one waterway. I'll be putting in another order of the Nomad2go portable pressure washer early next week, so drop me a line if you'd like one. Good luck on the water!
Flows were great on the trib of the Lamoille I guided on this am., and the water was in the low 60's all morning. The highlight was a beautiful 17" wild brown caught on a big dry in heavy water! Looks like we're in for big rains after midnight tonight and most of Wednesday (1-2"+), so I expect the big rivers to be really stuffed for a few days now. The small streams will be best over the next few days. If you're interested in purchasing the portable pressure washer I've got to help clean gear for didymo, drop me a line at lawtonweber@pshift.com Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I guided on a trib of the Winooski this am until heavy rains drove us off. We did pretty good considering how heavy it was raining, landing 3 wild rainbows, and hooking a couple more. Water temps were in the low 60's, and with cool air temps today and pretty widepsread decent rains (.50" at 11:30am in North Underhill, and the Winooski Valley got atleast that), this is the break the big rivers sorely needed. Tomarrow will hot and sticky, but then we have off and on showers forecast thru the weekend. Isonychias have gotten going all over the Lamoille and Winooski valleys, along with BWO's #22-24, Trico's #22-26, Caddis #14-22, Stoneflies #6-12, and ants and beetles. I have not seen many hoppers yet, but they should be around soon. The Epheron (White Mayfly) #14-16) should be starting with a week or so. It's best #'s are in the lower big rivers, Otter, Lamoille, and Winooski. Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the trib of the Winooski I guided on this am were 64 degrees at 10am. We did pretty well after a slow start, getting a 15" wild brown, and a 16" wild bow along with a few smaller wild bows. On a side note, I was wondering if anyone out there knows who put up the Didymo prevention signs on the Dog river recently. The posters only say FFF (federation of Flyfishers), and the EPA. While I truly appreaciate the good intentions, the info on the posters for effective cleaning techniques is largely inaccurate regarding soluble gear, and has some illogical assumptions in terms of angler use. At the bottom of the sign it says " wade downstream, blah,blah, in order to not spread it upstream". Well, here's the deal: the Dog is not currently effected with Didymo, and most flyfisherman fish UPSTREAM, and if you were to say, fish the way the sign wanted you to (downstream) on two different sections, wading downstream on the upper section would spread it downstream anyways. Good intentions, but not logical, particularly for a river currently unaffected. I would say that for travelling to two different waterways (which would obviously include tribs of a main river), you should clean your gear in transit. On that note, I have found a product that can really help us prevent the spread. The "Nomad2go" is a portable pressure washer that plugs into your car lighter, has 3.5 gallons of water in its resevoir, and sprays at 90 psi (pounds per square inch). It will only take the 2% bleach solution (which has been found to be very bit as effective as the detergent, and at 2% clothing/fabric should have no issues). It has a 20' hose, and is one tidy setup. I got a couple the other day, and found them to be great. I would be fairly confident that with that kind of water pressure, one could get the solution into the fabric and felt of your boots no problem. They retail for $169.95, and I will have few for sale real soon. I think it's a great tool, will clean canoes, rafts, etc. very fast, and has lots of other outdoor uses, like cleaning up "yourself", as well as camping stuff, bikes, etc. Drop me an e-mail if intersted, You can save the postage if you live in the nearby Winooski and Lamoille valley or Chittenden County, as I'll personally meet up and deliver one to you. Think about it! Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the trib of the Winooski I guided on were about 66 degrees at 7:30am. Despite the bad weather, we got two big trout to eat our dries, one brown was about 15", and the rainbow was a monster in the 18-20" range. We saw them, but missed the hookset, which, was due inpart I believe to the onset of a bad case of heat stroke my client got this morning. Feeling dizzy and faint in waders is not fun, so we pulled the pin a bit early. Fishing is never more important than ones health, let alone in this brutal weather! The big rivers will stay warm thru the weekend, as the warm water backed up behind the dams takes awhile to fluch thru and cool down. So far, there's been no rain in either the Winooski or Lamoille valleys worth noting, but boy do we need it. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Brutal weather today made me a bit happy I didn't have to take anyone out in what can only be considered pretty poor trout fishing conditions. Another warm night and day tomarrow, some scattered rain showers, and then things cool down a bit, but probobly not enough to cool the larger rivers. Small stuff will be the way to go for awhile, along with Smallmouth fishing on the lower ends of the big rivers. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
After checking the latest forecasts, it look like the brutal weather will continue thru Friday. On Friday we have a pretty good shot at some much needed rain but I don't think everywhere will get it; more of the bits and pieces variety we've seen so much this summer. The big rivers are simply too warm to trout fish right now, but the Smallie action is very good right now. Hatches consist of BWO's #20-24, Tricos #22-26, some Blue Quills #18-20, Caddis #14-22, Stoneflies #6-12, a few Golden and Yellow Drakes #8-10 (mostly on the big rivers, which are too warm anyway), and terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the stretch of the Lamoille I guided on this morning were 66 degrees at 7 am. We did pretty well, getting a bunch of rainbows on dries and nymphs. It's going to be real warm over the next few days, so please stay off the big rivers in the pm. We could use some rain but it does not look to be in mix much over the next 7 days. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
We're in for a warm, dry week so the best fishing will be in the early am hours on most every water. The big rivers will be in the 70's all week so please stay off them, and try for some smallies on the lower ends instead! Not much else new to report, hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Thankfully, it appears so far that the algae found in the Little river yesterday is not didymo. It's being tested still, but at this point does not appear to be rock snot. Lots of pockets of rain throughout the state right now (3 pm), and if you're not getting hit now, there's a good chance you will be in a couple of hours. I'm off to guide this evening, we'll see how things pan out. Hatches consist of Blue quills #18-20, BWO's #22-24, Some Trico's (mostly in the south so far) #22-26, Yellow and Golden Darkes #10-12, Caddis #16-22, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Not much new to report on the fishing/river conditions front from yesterday; the big rivers are too warm, the small streams are fine, and we'll be getting some potentially big rains from tonight thru Sunday. Now for the bigger, potentially not so good news: around 2 pm today I got an e-mail w/ a picture attached of what could very well be DIDYMO IN THE LITTLE RIVER BELOW WATERBURY RESEVOIR! The picture WAS NOT conclusive to me (ya really need to see it in person), but I've contacted the Didymo front man for the F&W department, and he's on the road now to take a sample. Needless to say folks, this how it spreads, and the Little is perfect habitat for it. Please clean your gear after EVERY FISHING TRIP YOU DO REGARDLESS OF WHAT STREAM YOU FISH. I can assure you all, whether it's in the Little or not, IT IS in other Vt. waterways, it'll just be a matter of time before it becomes visable to the human eye. Be dilegent and good luck on the water!
The hot weather has turned the big rivers off for a bit, but the smaller rivers and streams seem to be holding up a-ok. We've got a pretty good chance for rain over the next 2-3 days which will help cool things off and atleast keep the smaller waters in great shape. The big rivers may get blown out, we'll just have to wait and see where the t-storms develop. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
A bright hot one today will bump the big rivers in to the 70+ "too warm to fish" temps in the evening hours. Dawn will be the way to go over the next couple of days. Friday pm thru Sunday am we'll be seeing some shower activity and a potential for bigger rains Saturday night in Central and Southern Vt. On these warm days, don't forget that I do trips on the lower ends of the big rivers for Smallmouth Bass, which can be outstanding with good #'s of 1-3 lb. fish. As for trout fishing, stick to small shaded waters during the day and fish early and late on the bigger waters. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps on the small mountain stream in the Winooski watershed I was guiding on this afternoon were 59-63 degrees. Lots of brookies hitting the dry! The Winooski should be in in a-ok shape by tomarrow, though below Bolton Dam is still pretty high with Little River water. The Lamoille is in a-ok shape from head to toe. Temps will be hot the next 2 days, so the big rivers will be hitting 70 or so. The tribs should should deal with the heat ok since they have good flows. Hatches consist of Blue Quills #18-20, BWO's #22-24, Caddis #16-22, Stoneflies #6-12, a few Sulphurs #18-20, a few Golden and Yellow Drakes #10-12, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
The trib of the Winooski I guided on today was 59 degrees at 10am, which is great for this particular stream. I had 2 raw beginners and they did pretty well getting a few rainbows on nymphs. Some were also rising on flat pools, but were much harder to entice for them. The big rivers are still high, though the Lamoille is in better shape than the Winooski, which has lots of high releases from Wrightsville and Waterbury Resevoirs. Things should settle down soon with a dry forecast for the week. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I'm back from Newfoundland where I had a very nice time and had some pretty amazing small stream wild brownie fishing. I guided on a small wild trout stream this evening and the water was 63-65 degrees throughout the pm. Flows were above average for sure, but we still found some willing fish up top, and got some nice wild browns and rainbows. Quite frankly, I'm quite burned out about the Didymo thing (interviews, interviews, interviews), I'm happy to do them in order to get the word out, but it's been a bit of a bummer for me, and us all I suppose. I think everyone who reads this site, or listens/reads the news knows about what to do in terms of cleaning,etc. My only task with Didymo is getting my TU chapter to make up our signs and post them in our "district" waters. As for current conditions, the big rivers are pretty stuffed, and look to be for another day or two. The small streams are in great shape, and should carry thru for a week or two even without much rain. Hatches consist of Blue Quills (P.Mollis) #18-20, BWO's #22-24, Caddis #16-22, Hexagenia's (lakes, and there were tons of them on the windows of the Border patrol in Highgate Springs from Lake Champlain!), Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials i.e. ants and beetles #12-20. If anyone is interested in booking a trip for the upcoming Trico hatch in August, I still have some openings, and there is always some good dry fly action, so drop me a line. Check, clean, and dry, and good luck on the water!
Well, I left the Didymo meeting about 1/2 way, but I'm 50/50 on whether the state will be as procactive as they COULD be. That being said, Didymo IS in the White, and I would say that we should just plain avoid fishing the White altogether until we see how much it has spread. Also, the concensus is Felt boots are bad,bad,bad. Get some Rubber wading boots, they do work, and you'll "reduce" your chances of spreading it. Ya still have to clean the gear as I've mentioned before. The other thing folks can do is contact the Agency of Natural Resources, and tell them you want to see the mainstem White closed for the remainder of the season. I'm off to Newfoundland until July 22nd, and with all the rain and high water, I don't think I'll be missing much! If you're interested in booking a trip for after 7/22, send me an e-mail, as I'll be checking it from Newfie. More rain forecast, good luck on the water!
Rivers in the middle two-thirds of the state are mostly at record highs for the date and the bigger waters will be blown out for a few days atleast. smaller waters to the north and far south are in better shape for fishing. I knew there'd always be a few people who just enjoy stirring the pot and selectivly retaining the information they read and hear, but after a absurd e-mail I just recieved this afternoon, I'm going to reiterate what I have already told the state, the Burlington Free Press, The Rutland Herald/Times Argus, and anyone who has "tactfully" inquired...I have been going to New Zealand for almost 10 years now; since 2002 when I bought my cottage down and BEFORE Didymo was discovered in N.Z. (2004), I have kept a seperate set of waders, boots and fly rods at my cottage. The reason for this goes far beyond spreading Didymo: When you fly into Auckland Airport EVERYONE must hand over their waders and boots for fumigation at the Biosecurity checkpoint. Simply put, it's a hassle if you have a close connecting flight, and since I know I go down every year, I decided back in 2002 just to leave set of everything down there. (Additonally I don't use felt soles and EVEN IF I had brought gear back, it sits DRY for 3 months in a dark room) So for those of you are just looking for someone to "blame"...ya got the wrong guy. This person who wrote the e-mail obviously failed to retain in his brain the fact that Didymo has been found in Quebec, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Caralinas. I can't help of course but to take this a bit personally, as if I truly didn't care about what I spread around, why would I have alerted the state to the Didymo, and have gotten so involved? Most of you who know me or I have guided know me better, but for those of you who don't, I suggest we start looking at ourselves in the here and now rather than trying to find a cop-out. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Rain, rain and more rain! Flood watches and warnings out for most all of Vt. With river levels as they are and saturated soil, we're gonna see some pretty crazy flows on the big rivers over the next few days. And with more rain forecast late in the weekend and next week, we may see a prolonged unfishable phase for the big rivers and some marginal fishing for the mid-sized waters. The small streams will fish best, since they clear the fastest. Personally, despite some short-term lost business, I'm fine with this weather as it's keeping most anglers off the water which buys us some time to form a state policy on Didymo. I'll be participating in a meeting on Friday with folks from the state, feds, and N.H., Mass., and Ct. (Since the Big C runs thru all of them). I think, think...that we may see a pretty pro-active effort by the "officials" to get the word out. I wasn't as optimistic until today, when I talked with some more state folks, and it appears reality is sinking in for them. The newsletter is out, so if you'd like a copy drop me an e-mail at lawtonweber@pshift.com Hatches are fairly meaningless in this stuff, so fish deep and and dark, Check, Clean, Dry, and good luck on the water!
Yesterdays rains have clobbered the Lamoille, Winooski, and White River watersheds big time. The big rivers and their larger tribs are blown out, but the small streams are coming clean enough to fish. The White River does indeed have Diymo, and it would be a safe bet that it is now going to show up in other rivers pretty soon since the White gets fished alot, and anglers were not aware of Didymo until the last week or so. That being said, while the rivers are muddy and blown out, what better time to get your didymo "cleaning system" organized and ready? Clean EVERYTIME after you go out, it's our only chance. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #16-20, Caddis #16-20, BWO's #20-24, Golden and Yellow Drakes #10-12, Stoneflies #6-12, and ants and beetles #12-20. Check, Clean and Dry...and good luck on the water!
Well folks, here we go...I've just heard that Didymo in all liklihood has been found in the White River from Cleveland Brook downstream in Bethal. Official testing results are not yet in, But the description is spot on. At this point, I'm going to tell everyone what I'm doing to prevent myself and clients from spreading Didymo: I have a huge plastic bin on the deck, in it well over 5% dishwashing detergent/hot water solution. I top it off daily by taking a lobster pot and take a pot full of cooled down water out, and adding a pot of BOILING water, that brings my temps up plenty. I've also added so much detergent that when I put my boots (AQUASTEALTH!) on yesterday, as I walked down the road, my boots turned white with suds!! I soak my stuff for atleast 40 minutes, usually overnight. Once you're set up, it's not that tough to do. You should also dunk your butt section of your rod and reel in solution for atleast 3 minutes or so. Remember the backing and inner line can get Didymo on it too. We'll see how pro-active the state is going to be on this. My suspicions are not good however with very apathetic leadership at the Agency of Natural Resources. The prior Secretary thought of Agency policy was one of lets see how business friendly we can be without doing much to protect the environment; I'm skeptical of these new guys too. They're welcome to prove me wrong! Ok, fishing...well, the areas that needed the rain most got it bigtime today. We've gotten about .66" so far today, but the Winooski valley got slammed with inches of rain. Big blowout, so everything in that valley is stuffed. Same goes for the Lamoille too, though not near as bad. The Kingdom got away with not much so far, but we're all under the gun thru Wednesday for potential big downpours. www.biosecurity.govt.nz Hatches are the same as previous days, check, clean and dry, and good luck on the water!
I got out to do some fishing this evening for a bit on a trib of the Winooski that was running clear enough to fish after the rains. It was a bit slow, but I found a nice 20" wild brown and missed the hook set in about 12 inches of water. Landed a nice 14" wild bow that took a dry, and got couple of smaller guys on dries also. Water temp was 60 degrees at 6pm. The Winooski and Lamoille came up quite a bit and are off-color, but not super muddy. We do have more rain in the forecast over the next 24+ hours, so things may stay status quo for a bit. You'll want to check water temps in the big rivers if they are clear enough,we'll have a pretty warm muggy week ahead. Newsletter will be finished tomarrow and be out by midweek; I had to update it with Didymo stuff...Check, Clean, and Dry!!! Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Folks, I've just checked the latest info from Biosecurity New Zealand and they now have newer more stringent measures for cleaning gear. While my recommendations earlier apply to non-absorbant gear, things like felt and neoprene need longer soak times. For the direct info, everyone please go to www.biosecurity.govt.nz From there you'll find info on Didymo. The Burlington Free Press did a horrible job in telling the public about cleaning gear, it involves more than what they said in their article. Thanks and get the "right" word out!
Well folks, I really wish it hadn't come to this, but the algae I found on the Big C was indeed "didymo". Evidently it was on the radio this morning. I cannot understate what this could mean to Vermonts trout streams. This algae forms an ugly "mat" of yellowish brown algae that looks like wet toilet paper, yet when you pick it up it has the consistency of wet sheeps wool. When it gets into a stream you WILL NOT get a drift of the nymph or wet fly that will stay clear of this stuff. It also smothers the rocky streambed so invetabrates (trout food) cannot sustain their populations, which in turn means less trout, less wild trout, and then horrible fishing. Folks, this is the single biggest threat to our quality of trout fishing one could imagine. It scares the crap out of me personally. If you fish the Big C OR ANY OF THE TRIBS TO THE CT. RIVER PLEASE CLEAN YOUR GEAR WITH ATELAST A 5% DISHWASHING DETERGENT SOLUTION IN HOT WATER AND LET IT SOAK IN A BUCKET OR A BIG TUPPERWARE TUB FOR ATLEAST 3 MINUTES. There is no effective treatment as of yet, and we will only have oursleves to blame if it spreads. This is an open question for everyone who reads this site...how would you feel if you didn't clean your gear and weeks/months later you found it in your favorite trout water? It could be your fault, so don't pass the buck..please. I'm wishful that both Vt. and NH will be on the ball with this, and get the signage out on the streams along with cleaning stations at popular pull-offs and F&W access points, but we can't rely on the state, it's up to everyone of us. For less than 10 bucks you can get a cheap tupperware tub and some dishwashing detergent and less than 5 minutes of saoking you'll be clean and clear! To use the current campaign used in New Zealand right now..."Check, Clean, and Dry". I have been in contact with outfitters and guides along the Connecticut River Valley this morning, and they seem to understand the impact. I mentioned it before, but one other preventitive option is doing away with the felt soled boots. In N.Z. they have found Didymo spores in felt boots WEEKS after they were last used. While the didymo will still be in the fabric of your boots, the felt is the real harbinger, so why not go to an "aquastealth" type boot? Orvis, Patagonia, Simms, and L.L. Bean all make a rubber soled wading boot, and some have models with steel studs for extra grip. Personally I've been using Aquastealth rubber soles for years, they last longer, and as a guide I've found most folks fall down getting in and out of the river, not while they're in the river, and in that case rubber is far better on wet grass and mud than felt soles. Get the word out to as many anglers as you know about this, education and awareness are the cheapest, best way to prevent it's spreading into Vt. waters. For those of you who interested in learning more about Didymo check out Biosecurity New Zealands website www.biosecurity.govt.nz and find the links to Didymo. When you see it, you'll know you don't want it here! Thanks everyone for listening and check, clean, and dry!
Once upon a time a wild brown trout was born in a small mountain trib of the Lamoille. It spent it's first 3-4 years learning the ways of life as a wild trout...what to eat, how not to be eaten, where to hide, where to stay cool. 2 years ago "Lil Betty" became "Big Betty", a beginner client of mine caught her when she was a nice big 14" small stream trout. Last year, I had another raw beginner fish the same pool, and there she was again, this time she was 17" and big enough to terrorize most of the small trout that tried to share the pool with her. Well, this evening I had another beginner on the same pool. We had to dodge out of a t-storm for about 20 minutes and sit in the truck, and then we went back to the pool. About 5 minutes in both of us noticed a mustard-brown flash near the head of the pool. I noticed it again a minute later. I told my client to fire his nymph upstream a bit higher...boom! I am absolutely sure this was the same fish...tiny head indicative of a female; same profile, and in the same pool, on a stretch where there is no big trout habitat for hundreds of feet above and below the pool. This time she taped out as one of the biggest trout of the season, and certainly the biggest I've seen in this stream...19", 2.5 lbs.!!! I took some photos which will go up on the website towards the end of the season. We also got a sweet 13" wild bow that tore around river like it had never been hooked before. We also got some "mere mortals". Water temps was 63 degrees at 6pm. I also guided on the Mad this am and found fish rising everyhwere in 64 degree water (10 am). Mostly stockies, but they seemed in good shape, and where not pushovers in clear flat pools. More unsettled weather in store for the state thru next week. Once again, the southern third of the state got slammed with most of the rain today. We got anywhere from nothing/trace to maybe .25" in the northern third. Overall though flows are decent for this time of year, with the exception of some Winooski tribs which are still low. The Winooski was 65 below Middlesex Dam this am. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #16-20, Light Cahills #12-14, Caddis #16-20, Stoneflies #6-12, Blue Quills (P. Mollis) #18-20, BWO's #20-24, and ants and beetles #12-20. I know, I know, I'll have the newsletter out early in the week! Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the Lamoille in Jeffersonville was 65 degrees at 9 am. We found some fish junk feeding on the surface, browns and wild bows. We received around .50" of rain in N. Underhill last night, but nothing today. Unsettled weather is now forecast thru next Thursday, which is great news. No hot spells! Water levels have come up a bit which is also nice. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
I guided some raw beginners this am on the Winooski below Middlesex dam and the water was a nice 62 degrees at 6:30 am. By 9:30 it had bumped up to 64. At that pace, the Winooski (and Lamoille) will probably touch close to 70 late this afternoon. We caught a couple of wild bows, and hooked a few others, but with beginners you usually can't expect much. Forecast is looking better now, with around .50-.75" of rain from Wednesday pm thru Thursday, then continued below average temps and another possible shot at more significant rains Sunday night/Monday, but that's far enough out that I'll believe it when I see it. We got about .30" of rain here in Underhill last night, and it looks as though the Winooski below Montpelier got about the same...good stuff. My apologies for not getting the newsletter out, but I've been slammed with last minute bookings, 7 trips in 4 days, so it'll be a few days yet before things settle down. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
The small stream in the Northeast Kingdom I guided on today was 58-62 degrees during the late afternoon. We did well, fishing dries only, and managing a couple wild rainbows in the 11-12" range along with a bunch of smaller wild bows and brookies. These small showers are certainly better than nothing, but we really need a soaker. Water temps on the Winooski below Bolton Dam last evening were around 69 degrees, and the fishing evidently was not too flash, atleast for my buddies. Mornings are still the best way to go. Forecast continues to be good in terms of air temps, and we have showers in forecast most every day from Wednesday thru Monday, but no soakers. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #16-20, Blue Quills #18-20, BWO's #22-24, Caddis #16-22, some Isonychias #12, Stoenflies #6-12, and terrestrials like ants/beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
You can't get much better weather to fish in July. Water temps range from the 50's thru the upper 60's, which is nice, but we're really drying out in many areas in the state. The National Weather Service announced that June was 2.7 degrees warmer than normal, and -1.02" for rainfall. I think the fishing in June reflected that for the most part, with warm water on the big rivers, and low spooky conditions. From Rte. 4 south in the state, things are a bit better for rainfall but not by much. Forecast for the upcoming week is good for July, cooler than normal, and our best chance for a good region wide rain for awhile comes on Wednesday night-Thursday. The Lamoille is in a bit better shape level wise than the Winooski, and both will still fish best in the am this week. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Despite the cool weather last night and today, theres still ALOT of very warm water behind the dams on the Winooski and Lamoille. The Lamoille came up alot last night and is running a bit dirty in Jeffersonville. But atleast there's some water, on the Winooski things are rough. I just got a call from a reliable source that the Winooski just above the rte. 2 bridge in Waterbury was a fish-killing (if you fish to them) 77 degrees, thats about 2-3 degrees from killing trout period. Another night of cool temps should help matters and even better would be if the Winooski got a bit of rain that is forecast for Stuarday. It's only a slight chance of light rain, but it'll help. The Hex hatch on the lakes should be starting now, usually starting on Eligo and Caspian first and then moving northeast over the next week. Big bugs, right at dark. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #16-20, BWO's #22-24, Blue Quills (P. Mollis) #18-20, Lt. Cahills #12-14, Golden/Yellow Drakes #10-12, Tan Caddis #14-20, Stoneflies #6-12, and terrestrials like ants and beetles #12-20. If you fish the Connecticut River at all, please clean your gear with a 5% dishwashing detergent solution before venturing on Vt. waters, lets keep Didymo out of Vt.! Make sure to check water temps on the big water before fishing, it'll save your time and the lives of wild trout. Last call for signing up for the seasonal newletter, drop me a line at lawtonweber@pshift.com Good luck on the water!
The small stream I guided on this morning was 62 degrees at 6:30 am. We did very well, especially for a beginner, landing 14 wild brookies and browns, up to 13" all on dries! We've only gotten .33" of rain as of 11am today, but there is a narrow line of rain and t-showers pushing our way as of noon. Jeffersonville got almost .75", while Moretown only got .20", so it really depends on where you were. Water levels overall are still very low, except for the Lamoille which got enough rain to bump it up a bit, and made it a bit dingy in Cambridge. The next 3+ days should be great fishing. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Another record breaker today, and fish are having a tough time on a lot of waters. I was helping some grad students do some coldwater fisheries research this afternoon, and we were seeking out springs on a trib of the Winooski. At one, which was about 2 ft wide, we found a 20" wild brown and a 17" wild brown sitting in less than a foot of water where the spring came in. They seemed to be fine, and the main river was 68-69 degrees, but it goes to show the lengths wild fish will go to stay cool. T-storms once again seem to have hit mostly from Addison County south, and we're still waiting for our share in the Lamoille Valley. Water levels are getting real low. Tomarrow will still be too warm on the big rivers, as tonight is only supposed to be in the upper 60's, and it will take another night of cool temps (40's-50) on Thursday night to start making a difference. The weekend looks great though. I think Friday will be a nice evening to be on the bigger water and it only should get cooler thru the weekend. Hatches are the same as previous days, with the addition of some Yellow/Golden Drakes #8-12. Good luck on the water!
Water temps on the trib of the Lamoille I guided on this morning were a surprisingly cool 62 degrees at 9 am. We did well, catching stocked and wild browns, and wild bows. The big rivers will be in dire shape today thru Thursday, so please give the fish a break there. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Water temps in the Lamoille around 9 am were 65 degrees in Cambridge. We've got some record warm temps forecast for the next 2 days, so please stay off the bigger rivers as the fish will be under quite a bit of stress. The smaller streams should be ok, though they may hit 70 or so on the lower/warmer stretches. On a sad note that ALL anglers in Vermont need to be aware of, I discovered an invasive algae this past weekend on the Big C. I've contacted the state and they're in the process of testing the algae, but having seen this nasty algae in New Zealand over the past 4 years, I'm all but certain about what I saw. This algae resembles cardboard colored toilet paper, and clings to rocks where it can cover the rocky streambed of rivers and streams. It tends to prefer clear, infertile streams, which means most all of Vt. would qualify. It hangs up on your nymphs, and spin anglers can get clumps of it on almost every cast. It seemed quite widespread from Lyman Brook downstream on the Big C (which means the spores are ALL the way downstream on the Big C). As I told my fellow TU members this past weekend, we have to clean our gear after we fish the Big C. A 5% bleach solution, 5% saline solution, 5%+ of laundary detergent all in hot tap water and dunked completely for atleast 2 minutes. This means your waders, boots, and your reel if you plan on fishing soon after hitting the Big C. Just because you don't fish for 3+ days, does NOT mean your felt soles are dry enough to kill Didymo. All it takes to spread this algae is 1 part per million! So, everything in contact with the water should be cleaned. If this were to get into our more clear, infertile water like the Mad and White rivers, instead of seeing gin clear water down to a light colored rock and gravel bottom, you'd see a cardboard brown bottom which would make the river look dingy. The streambed would be covered in a mat of this crap. I've seen it in N.Z. and they're taking it very seriously. It has been found in Quebec, B.C., Tennesee, the Dakotas, and some rocky mtn. states, and I believe some mid-atlantic states. Please, please do not be complacent on this, clean your gear after fishing the Big C! We'll only have ourselves to blame otherwise, and speaking from experiance fishing in it in some streams in N.Z., you don't want to deal with it. I actually leave a seperate set of boots and waders at my place in N.Z. so I don't spread it anywhere. One good option to start is considering buying a pair of boots with a rubber "aquastealth" sole; it by NO means gives you a free pass not to clean, but it does reduce the risk as the inner part of a felt sole can stay damp enough for days on end. Ok, that being said, fish early and fish late, and keep your thermometer handy. Good luck on the water!
Well, it looks like we got about .66" of rain this weekend, along with cool weather it has put the big rivers in pretty good shape. On my way home from the Big C, I noticed that the Gihon was dirty from East Johnson downstream, and this has made the Lamoille off color for a few miles downstream. The Lamoille in Cambridge is fine at the moment. The Big C was good, though you had to work for your fish. My highlight was a sweet 19" wild rainbow, along with a bunch of wild bows from 11-15". Hatches were ok, but not great. Looks like we're in for another big warm-up Monday-Wednesday, and then another cold front will come thru and bring things back down to 70s/50s late in the week. I will be getting out my seasonal newsletter at the end of the week, so if you'd like to recieve it, drop me a line at lawtonweber@pshift.com. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #14-18, Lt. Cahills #12-14, BLue Quills #18-20, BWO's #22-24, Tan Caddis #14-20, Stoneflies #6-12, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Well, I have to admit I was not completely right in saying the big rivers will be blown out today. It turns out the rains did not come down heavy overnight (.20" more, 1.1" total from storms in Underhill, most places got less), but the big rivers did become off color a bit. So I guess we still need rain! Guided a father and his 12 year old son today, the kid was GOOD, real good. They got about 20 browns this morning 8-12", mostly on dries. Water temps range throughout the 60's and into the low 70's on the bigger, warmer water. I'm guiding on my way up to the Big C tomarrow, and I'll be up there all weekend, so my reports will continue on Sunday pm. Expect some pretty darn good conditons for summer; cool, cloudy weather will make early morning and "at dark" fishing very good. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #16-18, Lt. Cahills #12-14, Cream Cahills #12, Tan Caddis #14-18, Stoneflies #6-12, BWO's #20-24, and ants/beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
As of 7 pm, we've gotten just under 1" of rain and more is on the way later tonight. I expect the big rivers to blow out, though the Winooski has not gotten slammed as of 7pm. We've got a much better forecast for the next 3-4 days, with cooler than normal, cloudy conditions with more showers/t-storms. Good timing to deal with these hot long days. Water temps on smaller rivers and streams range from the upper 50's to low 70's depending on stream size, elevation, and location in the state. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Low and too warm for the big rivers, and low and spooky for the small stuff is making things tough right now. Hopefully the strong cold front coming on Tuesday pm will bring a solid amount of rain region wide. We could get 1-2" during heavy downpours. This will muck up the big rivers, but they need the water. With this kind of weather, comes the onset of the "night fishing season". For those interested in the "dark art of night fishing", I'll be doing trips from 7-11 pm for those of you interested. It is a well known fact that the biggest browns and bows become nocturnal during warm weather in order to chase baitfish, crayfish, and sculpins. True night fishing really does not get going until after 11pm, but I can understand that most folks don't want to hit the water in pitch black, so the 7-11 is a good compromise, as we'll get in on the hatches coming off at dark. For those who have not yet signed up for my seasonal newsletter which comes out at the end of June, drop me a line at lawtonweber@pshift.com Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Not much new to report for Vt. conditions since my last update on Friday. Rivers continue to be low and getting warm. We did get about .60" of rain today, but it appears many areas missed out. I was spending my wedding anniversary over in Lake Placid this weekend, and I got to fish the West Branch of the Ausable a bit, and the experiance really made me realize aside from the pretty thick hatches they have, we're pretty lucky around here. Last night we went down to the W.B. after dinner to watch the Green Drake Hatch. There were 12 anglers within 150 yards of water! I had a cold one and waited for the right moment to drop in the water in between the anglers above and below. I was on the tricky tail of the pool nobody seemed to want. I did well, and it was pretty fun watching big drake spinners fall onto the water. I landed 12 fish and hooked a few more in less than 90 minutes, but you know what? They're ALL stocked fish, all species, and many looked as bad or worse(!) than Vt.'s hatchery product. And there were so many folks on the water. I wouldn't trade our situation here in Vt. for their better hatches. We have hatchery fish like they do, less anglers, more types of water, and the best part...we have some nice wild trout streams! I don't want this to sounds like I'm bashing Adirondack fishing, but I don't think there's any doubt we have better trout fisheries. The W.B. is about half the size of the Lamoille yet it recieves more the twice the number of stocked fish. Our neighbors to the west are also dealing with low, warm water; perhaps lower than in Vt. The W.B. of the Ausable was 69 degrees at 2pm near Whiteface on Friday. As for the upcoming week, I expect to start seeing more Light Cahills now, and with warm temps thru Tuesday, the big rivers will be off limits except at dawn, and on the Winooski below Bolton Dam, where Little River releases are keeping it pretty cool. Things are supposed to cool off later in the week, but no serious rain is forecast other than a strong front Tuesday pm. The Big C is in great shape right now, cool water, good levels. Hatches consist of Sulphurs #16-18, Light Cahills #12-14, Tan Caddis #14-18, Stoneflies #6-12, Tiny BWO's #22, and terrestrials like beetles and ants #12-20. Good luck on the water!
Pretty much the same conditions we've had the past 2 days, rivers are getting lower, and are hitting the 70 degree + mark in the pm. The Lamoille was 68 degrees at 9 am just below the Brewster, which means the mainstem down stream would be 1-2 degrees warmer. We do have another cool night for tonight, but these long sunny days really do a number on things. Hopefully over the next few days everyone will get a bit of rain from the forecast of scattered showers and t-storms, but chances are prettty low on that one. The F&W Department has really screwed up on the stocking this year. Now that the Winooski has hit 70, which puts trout under a bit of stress, they stocked BROOK TROUT in Marshfield yesterday! Now, for those of you not familiar with that stretch of river, it gets over 68 pretty much every day now, and often gets to over 70. Those 500 brookies won't last past next week with the forecast of Tuesday hitting 90+. These yearlings cost over $2.25 apiece to rear and transport, so thats over $1100 of fish wasted. The Winooski above East Montpelier still has not been stocked with rainbows either and the water there has already hit 70+. The North Branch and the Gihon in the Lamoille valley also have not been stocked with browns yet, and they are well into the 60's now also. Putting fish in this late is risky at best; throwing $ literally down the drain at the worst. I'm beginning to wonder if we laid off more employees at the departement, and they can't get the job done. One source at the department told me "they had a slow start with many ponds frozen later in April that prevented stocking." While my source has no policy-making on when they stock, I find that pretty absurd, shoot, last year they were stocking some brookie waters WAY too early when the water was only in the low 40's, and as for ponds, I've seen them stock them as soon as there's a 10 ft. square of open water at the boat ramp or roadside. So, whatever the case, they've really screwed this one up. Not to get too socio-political, I think the best proposal to fund our cash-strapped depaartment (and there is no question they are understaffed and underfunded), is the concept of a 1/8 of 1% of sales tax going to fund the department. This would be the best alternative for a number of reasons. First, it would mean folks who use the departments resources would finally contribute to it (i.e. "Hello? yes, a bear is in my yard under my bird feeder because I decided to ignore the warnings and left it up" or the recent exotic animal round-ups in the press lately), and while we can all agree that nobody likes new taxes for much of anything, (even though they find a way, whether it's a price increase at the dump, to new DMV surcharges), the interesting thing about this proposal is that it is focused solely on funding the F&W Dep't. So we know where are $ is going. I'm sure if they had the funding, we would not be still stocking fish in 70 degree water. Our non-outdoorsman governor has stated he won't create a new tax, which is typical, but we need to do something. Talk to your legislator, e-mail the Governor, talk to whoever you can. When we wonder why the state can't do this fishing management tactic, stocking, hunting management, boat ramp repair,etc. it's usually because of one thing...$ If this tax happened, the department would be receiving enough to handle thier needs, and folks like kayakers who use the resource but don't pay anything, would be. Just some food for thought! Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
Looks like the next 36 hours will be pretty cool which will help keep the big rivers from getting too far out of hand. That being said, in many stretches of the Winooski and Lamoille water temps will still hit 70 during the afternoons. Night fishing and early morning will be the way to go from here on out except when we get rains and cool spells. If you're interested in signing up for my seasonal newsletter which comes out at the end of June drop me a line at lawtonweber@pshift.com Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!
The streams I guided on today were 62 and 65 degrees respectively, and that was during the afternoon. We had a big t-storm while we were out, but we still managed to get some very nice fish in fairly small water. Wild bows of 9",12",13",14", one wild brown 13", and a few 6" class wild brookies and browns. Well to me it's official...we need rain! Forecast is not good with sunny dry weather for the next week, and we'll be dealing with 70 degree water on the bigger warmer rivers. Rememeber, a trout in 72 degree water has only half the oxygen available to it as it does at 63. What that means is one, when it's slow in the afternoon and evening, it's because the trout are concerned with breathing not eating; and two, if you do hook one, they're overworking their system during the fight, even though you release them, there's a good chance they won't survive...which does not make us catch and release fisherman in it's truest sense! Hatches consist of Sulphurs, #14-18, Tiny BWO's #22, A few March browns #10-14, Grey Drake spinners #12, Tan Caddis #14-18, Stoneflies #6-14, and ants and beetles #12-20. Good luck on the water!
We're really getting into summer-like conditions now. The Winooski managed to stay under 70 today, but only just. The water coming out of Middlesex Dam was 66 at 6 pm, but the Mad had water temps of 70 on the nose! Fish weren't doing much until the hour before dark, which is pretty standard fare. it is time for me to start the early am trips as the water is at its coolest, and there's more time to catch active fish. We could use some rain, which we may get tomarrow in bits and pieces, but after that it's pretty dry for the next 5-7 days. Hopefully that weather pattern doesn't stick around for awhile. Hatches are the same as previous days, good luck on the water!