Hello Friends and Anglers,
For those of you that have been out on our local rivers recently I am sure you are all seeing the same things that I am - rivers are low, clear, and very warm. Even though conditions are not what I would consider to be ideal - we still have many of great opportunities for fishing in our area. This is a great time of year to grab a dozen or so flys and stick them in a shirt pocket and head up into the hills with light tackle to chase brookies and small rainbows. Fish are very willing to come up to the surface right now and crash dries. This is also the time of year that I will start tying on large grass hopper patterns trailed by a heavy nymph underneath it - the good ol' hopper dropper combo is an extremely effective way to fish this time of year. Don't be afraid to crash the water with the hopper, bank it off rocks, or land it right over a trout's holding area - sometimes the splash triggers the trout to devour these terrestrial insect imitations. As far as what has been working - on the surface, elk hair caddis, ausable wulff, adams, and small hopper patterns have produced many smaller fish over the past few weeks. Sub-surface the mayfly still seems to be king. I have produced more fish on a size 16 frenchie than any other pattern over the past few weeks. Other patterns that have produced have been small stonefly imitations(#12-14) , prince nymphs (#10-14), Walt's worm (#14-16), rainbow warrior (#16). I am continuing to see many stonefly shucks on the rocks of varying sizes, so be sure to pick a few up and compare them to what you have in your box. I have seen shucks that dwarf a size #1 hook, and others that are no larger than a #12, so be prepared out there, these can be a big meal for a trout an they will start to key in on these patterns in the coming days of rain. As far as bug action I have seen many small yellow sallies popping off the Middlebury river, along with several small green stoneflies coming off.
Looking ahead - with some rain in the forecast this week I am looking forward to some fishing opportunities that we haven't had since the early days of June. With some rain will come higher water levels, as well as the potential for some off-color water to move in. In my experience this has often provided the best fishing experiences, especially after a long drought of no-rain. In these conditions I always make sure to have plenty of larger, heavier flies to get down in the water column quickly and into the feeding zone. Large girdle bugs, prince nymphs, and larger bead head pheasant tail patterns can work extremely well in these conditions. I often find myself using more attractor style patterns as opposed to natural imitations when the water becomes high and dirty. Sometimes a hot spot at the head of a fly or a brighter body color can make all the difference in your catch rate.
Most importantly I would like to stress that with rain coming, it does not mean that the water temps are going to get any cooler. The forecast isn't calling for many nights below 60* and most day-time temps still in the 80s, which will make for very warm water temps as soon as the water spills into the valleys. Please - if you are fishing for trout, take a temp before you wet your line. If you see 68* or above just move further up the river system to find cooler water. Our fisheries are incredibly delicate in VT and practicing good catch & release habits is one of the many ways we can keep our river systems full of beautiful wild fish.
If you are interested in booking a trip with us, this week would be a great time to get out to target some larger fish in the off-color water. Give us a call at the shop, or feel free to shoot me an email at devinwendel@gmail.com for more information. Tight lines everyone!
-Devin
