General Fishing Report July 31, 2022

Hello out there!  Despite the heat and general lack of consistent rain, the local trout fishing has been ok.  As long as you keep in mind a few things:  take the water temperature consistently, especially as the day progresses.  Brook Trout streams are typically cooler, but you should still be taking temps up high in the watershed. Time of day you are out is going to make or break your trout experience right now.  The best fishing is happening from first light through the next few hours.  With the low, clear water, any amount of sun is going to affect the trout.  If you happen to catch a cloudy day, or near a thunderstorm, fishing should be better, even for Brookies.  Obviously, staying safe around any storms should be your top priority.  As is typical this time of year, and especially with water conditions, fly selection has seen us using smaller and less flashy nymphs (think #16-18) and usually of some type of mayfly nymph.  Because these nymphs are typically slender, our imitations match that and usually achieve a better sink rate than bulkier offerings.  Smaller dries for Brookies seem to be getting more looks.  One tip if you are having trouble seeing a smaller dry for Brookies, is to run a double dry set up, with the larger dry basically acting as an indicator for the smaller offering.  

If you are interested in fishing all day, the afternoons are best spent chasing some warm water fish, like smallies, fall fish or pike.  If I am targeting fall fish no bass, I usually run a dry dropper set up.  Fall fish are not too picky and have been hitting small hopper patterns and small mops as the dropper.  It can be some fun, consistent action.  Look for conditions to remain similar in the near future, hopefully with some more consistent rain.  I trust you all are having a great summer!  Feel free to reach out to me dave@mmvt.com or Steve at the shop with any fishing related questions.  The shop is still well stocked with all of your outdoor and fishing gear needs. On another note, I've been able to spend some more time with The Diamondback 10' 2 weight and am enjoying it.  Very sensitive, but with enough power to fight larger fish.  I know both Steve and Min have been enjoying their 1 weight and 3 weight respectively.  And thanks to Min for helping out with some intel for this report.  

Dave