Thursday, August 26, 2010

trophy fish

Hi Folks, guided the Lamoille yesterday morning and evening.  Great fishing weather with overcast skies all day and cool air temperatures.  The water temperature was 65 degrees at 7:00am and 68 degrees at 5pm.  Water level came down all day as the power company shut off the flow.  Don't understand how the manage the flows but I know the fish are not a concern.  In the am we encountered a good number of flying ants.  Size #14 to #22 flying ants were carpeting the water.  We found specific rising fish and cast a #14 foam bodied flying ant pattern I tie.  Most of the fish were eating the ants in slow flats down stream from riffles.  We landed 4 wild rainbows and 1 wild brown trout.  Missed another half dozen fish.  Real explosive strikes to the fly.  You could anticipate the strike when a good cast and drift was made you knew the trout was going to eat the fly.  In the afternoon I guided a group of spin anglers on the Lamoille down river from where we fished in the morning.  We cast rebel crawfish lures and a rapala imitation brown trout plug.  We landed 11 rainbows between 8" and 14" and then the brown trout.  Maybe one of the largest brown trout I have ever seen in the Lamoille.  You could tell pretty quickly that my client had a big fish on the line when i saw his line ripping up stream.  It was a beautiful male brown trout with a big hook jaw that measured 22" .  I guess it would have weighed 4lbs.  We released this beast, but I think it would not have been a bad fish to have mounted.  A trout that size is on his last leg and he probably eats a fair number of young fish.  Pictures to come.  Not every day you see a wild resident river trout of this size.  Pretty exciting.  Not much for ants last night or rising fish. Lots of #12 isonychia shucks on the rocks along with some #10 stoneflys.   Off to chase trout this am.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy