General Fishing Report June 2, 2023

General Fishing Report for June 2, 2023
Sorry for the lack of fishing reports recently, I hope that you all have been getting out and enjoying the local waterways. Despite the interesting spring, with seemingly less rain fall, but cooler overall temps, the fishing has been great. This week has changed things some with the heat, but next week looks great as well. Clouds and rain, should at the very least give the fish a chance to avoid the sun! Hatches have been strong on our local trout water, with mostly caddis and some larger mayflies (March Browns). I know a few days ago, the spinners were heavy and although they were not dropping eggs yet, the fish were keyed in. Nymphs with slender profiles and the right size and color to match the naturals produced for me. Look for those bigger mayflies to start trickling off, leaving plenty of caddis, and in our more oxygenated stretches, yellow and green sally stoneflies. I have seen a few of the larger stonefly shucks, but they should be on the move now. Techniques are all over the map now too. Nymphing tends to pay the bills and can get you into those deeper spots, but dry fly and dry/dropper action is on and should stay that way for the rest of the summer. I have not been fishing much with streamers, as I tend to use the stripped fly when water conditions dictate that larger more predatory trout are on the move; think stained water after some rain, or low light conditions.
Moving forward, it seems like most area trout rivers have received their stocking, so look for a mix of wild and stocked fish showing up. Clouds, rain and cooler weather should improve the trout fishing next week. Also, as this week has shown us, it is time to start checking water temperatures before fishing. We typically look for water cooler than 68-70 for catch and release trout fishing. Generally mornings are the best and further up in the watershed tends to be cooler. Many of our Brook Trout streams are options all summer long. I had a chance to kill some time in Bristol earlier this week, and with the water temps creeping into the high 60’s, I found myself perched on a great viewing rock above a run. Looking around, I saw maybe 5-6 fish of various sizes doing their thing. It was quite educational, as I saw fish facing different directions in the pool, all either facing into the current, or hiding under structure with the current flowing in front of them.
As far as flies go, have some dirty water nymphs and streamers around, should water levels fluctuate with any upcoming rain. Typically, mayfly nymphs and caddis nymphs/pupas will be on the menu until we get into the middle of summer. Just size your imitation to the naturals. Thread Frenchies, iron lotus and other slim bodied mayfly imitations are great, caddis pupa and sexy Walt’s worms are great as well. I like good floating dries for my dry/dropper and brook trout fishing. Corn-Fed caddis, front end Loaders and Stimulators cant be beat. Take the time to dry them out every now and then, or carry a few to keep swapping out. I also look for dries that I can see on the water. This doesn’t have to be a big wing, but sometimes just a small splash of color to pick it up in the drift. If the water stays more clear than stained, also consider lengthening your leader set-up, downsizing your fly selection, using flies with less flash (including bead colors) or working in stealth mode. Sometimes it takes all four plus some to tilt the table in your favor.
The shop is well stocked with all the essentials and Steve usually has more up to the minute conditions to report. We’ve got a bunch of trips headed out over the next week, so we will have some good intel. Fishing reports should become a more frequent thing, but feel free to check with Steve at the shop or drop me a line dave@mmvt.com with any thoughts or questions. Good luck on the water.
Cheers,
Dave
Previous Reports
Just a few days away from the IF4 and OCC15 and all things considered, I don’t think that we could be asking for a better set up into the weekend. Based on all my indicators this is looking to be one of the better fishing condition OCCs. If you’re still considering participating in the events, now is the time to get signed up because the fishing should be quite good this weekend.
Wahoo! Just a week until the Otter Creek Classic 15! We are kicking off the weekend event with the International Fly Fishing Film Tour at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. This is an inspiring event to really kick off you fly fishing season. There will be some swag raffles and give aways at the film so come check out exciting fly fishing films from all over the world. Tickets are still available here: https://www.showclix.com/event/if42023middleburyvt
We are officially 2 weeks out from the OCC15 and IF4 Film tour! Make sure you secure your tickets to the IF4 at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury on Friday the 14th. Doors at 6, Showtime 7:30. Also head over to the website for information on the OCC15.
The 15th Annual Otter Creek Classic is just a few weeks away. Make sure you get your tickets for the International Fly Fishing Film Festival at Town Hall Theater on April 14th as well. More information at:
As we look towards February and slowly lengthening days, we find ourselves in the center of the winter months. The next few weeks will probably determine what our sustained snowpack will look like, so despite the desire to want spring fishing conditions, think snow. Overall, this year’s milder weather has offered what feels like more days to get on the water that are above freezing. The challenge has been working around the changes in water levels and turbidity related to melt and rain. Even with those hurdles we have still found some productive fishing locally.
RIVER CONDITIONS: Water levels are in very good shape and will continue to drop and warm over the week. The warm weather the next few days should push water temps into optimal fishing temps, though without rain the clarity may make for some challenges in the high sun. It looks like the Otter in Middlebury will be below 1000cfs which is a rarity during the OCC. This should open allot more good fishing options for the event.