back at it

Hi Folks, Back guiding today after a couple day lay off.  Was a weird day for me as all I could think of was the flood and how many people are still dealing with the reality of the situation.  Incredibly my afternoon trip was on a river in the Stowe area and we caught fish.  Guided this morning over towards Burlington on a small lake for northern pike.  A lot of flooding damage in the Waterbury to Richmond area.  Not sure the Winooski drainage will be fished anytime soon as many of the tribs and the main stem just got wrecked!!!  I could not believe the destruction along route 2 and how high the water came up. Surface temperature was 69 degrees and I would like to see it a bit cooler.  Slight north breeze with good morning fog.  We spin fished and pounded the water.  The water clarity was not great, but this particular body of water is always off colored.  We landed one northern on a large Husky Jerk.  Missed one other fish and that was that.  As the water cools off the pike fishing will get better.  Water levels in lakes are still pretty high and that should settle in a few days.  This afternoon the river we fly fished was 66 degrees down low and 62 degrees up high.  Water level was up and slightly off colored.  Still hard to believe that we are river fishing 3 days after the flood.  Our rivers took a beating it was interesting to see the changes in certain spots.  Still the stable pools that did not change held fish.  We landed a beautiful 10" wild rainbow that looked stuffed full of food.  Also tangled with some fall fish and a smallmouth bass.  When we moved up stream we fished for brook trout and brown trout.  Missed a few fish and I am not sure what species they were.  Did land a fat brightly colored brook trout on a stimulator.  Pretty incredible that the trout were rising in these river flows.  We focused our casts on the pools and soft water areas.  Lots of wood blown around and nice undercut banks for a big fish to hide in.  Off with the boat in the am to chase smallmouth bass.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Flood

Hi Folks, Been pretty crazy in Vermont the last 48 hours.  Extreme flooding in the southern half of the state and the western portion.  There are still towns down south that are cut off due to roads and bridges being wiped out by flooded streams and brooks.  We were somewhat fortunate in the Stowe area as I received almost 4" of rain in 24 hours.  Other towns and areas took on 7" to 10" of rain which caused most of the major flooding.  I really feel for the people who have lost everything.  I cannot complain about the wet basement.  Hard to think about fishing will all of the devastation around us.  The Winooski is 10' over flood stage, though it has crested and is beginning to come down.  The Lamoille is in better shape and is within its banks.  I walked along the Lamoille above Morrisville today.  The water is high and dirty and it was obvious where it had come over its banks.  River fishing will not be an option on the Winooski for some time and the Lamoille maybe by week's end. A lot of good trout water got hammered from this storm and surely there will be a negative impact on the fisheries in some cases.   However, our river fish have survived floods before and they will again in the future.  I will be doing more exploring in the days to come.  Small streams around here are dropping like a stone and I know a couple I could fish tomorrow.  Nice weather forecast for the week with not much precipitation.  Should allow things to dry out.  Cool days and even cooler nights.  Lake and pond fishing will be a good option.  I resume guiding again on Wednesday and will be chasing northern and smallmouth from canoes and my boat.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

pocket water

Hi Folks, Guided the morning and the evening yesterday for trout with the fly rods.  Fished a Lamoille tributary in the morning and the Winooski in the afternoon.  Nice morning fog yesterday that burned off around 9:30am.  Water temperature on the small stream we fished was 66 degrees.  Not much for hatching bugs and I saw no rising fish in the morning.  We nymph fished with a #14 tungsten prince and #18 olive caddis pupa dropper.  We fished classic riffles to pools early with no results.  Not sure there were many fish in those areas to be caught.  Probably had moved out during the summer heat and had not returned as of yet.  Pocket water on hot day has more dissolved oxygen which the trout prefer and provides good cover from the sun and predators.  We landed 2 wild rainbows and missed and lost another half a dozen fish.  Nice feisty bows that got into the air.  Did see few other anglers which I have not encountered much lately.  Here is a tip for them, no white shirts and red hats on trout streams.  You really stand out to the fish.  Wear subdued colors.  I had to clean my equipment thoroughly prior to my afternoon trip as not move Didymo around.  Helps when you have lots of wading boots.  Afternoon fishing on the Winooski was decent.  Water temperatures were a bit on the warm side as I got readings from 68 degrees to 70 degrees.  We nymph fished some heavy pocket water with a #14 tungsten prince and a #18 black wire caddis pupa.  Landed 2 stocked brown trout and 2 wild rainbows on the wire caddis.  All of the fish were holding in heavy water and the strikes were fairly subtle.  I attribute that to the warm water temperatures.  My afternoon guest had to leave a little early and around 6:45pm in Montpelier there were flying ants everywhere.  Needless to say I took advantage of the situation and went and tugged on some trout myself.  Found a good pod of young rainbows rising and put a #16 crystal flash ant on them.  Pretty easy pickings.  Nothing too large landed, but good fun on a 3wt.  Looks like after today, the fishing might be shut down for a few days from Hurricane Irene.  I hope everyone weathers the storm well.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Leisenring lift and Isonychia

Hi Folks, been guiding on the big water the last couple of days splitting time between the Lamoille and the Winooski.  The early fall weather has lowered our rivers water temperatures.  I have been recording water temperatures between 66 degrees and 68 degrees.  A welcome change from the hot weather of the summer.  Saw a pretty decent #16 dark bodied caddis hatch yesterday accompanied by rising trout.  The fish were aggressively coming out of the water to eat emerging caddis.  A #16 olive bodied x-caddis and a #16 goddard caddis fooled the young wild rainbows.  The fish were rising in riffles, eddies, and slow boulder strewn pools.  All wild rainbows between 7" and 11".  More of the same today on the Winooski with fish rising throughout the day.  Nice overcast conditions with on and off rain showers.  Did see a few #12 Isonychia hatching and the nymph shucks on rocks.  Fished a #12 Isonychia nymph and used the Leisenring Lift to perfect to hook several wild rainbows.  We cast up stream and dead drifted the nymph past ourselves and begun to raise the rod tip and wiggle it horizontally at the same time.  A great method for imitating a swimming may fly or emerging caddis.  Did get a few fish to eat a #14 foam ant that could have been perceived by the trout to be a caddis fly.  Looks like no much for rain tonight, but that will change by Sunday.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

morning fog

Hi folks, Been pretty foggy the last couple of mornings on the water.  My clients and I visited the Winooski yesterday morning well below the Bolton Dam.  Water temperature was 67 degrees and there was a nice amount of fog over the water that kept the sun covered up.  We found a few rising trout early on that seemed to be sipping  small #18 black caddis.  We caught 1 stocked brown trout and lost one other.  A few fall fish in the mix and that was that.  Once the fog burned off the fishing really slowed down.  Still some #12 stone fly shucks on rocks, #12 Isonychia shucks as well, #14-#22 spent flying ants, micro caddis, and a  wide variety of terrestrials. I am off to guide the Lamoille this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

some where over the rainbow

Hi folks, Guided 2 extremes yesterday.  Fly fished for brook trout in a small mountain stream in the morning and spin fished for smallmouth bass in the afternoon.  The small brook we visited was 58 degrees and just above its seasonal average flow.  The brook trout are really colored up right now in preparation for the fall spawn.  We cast terrestrial patterns and a large #10 stimulator.  The fish were not fussy, but they made us cover some water in order to catch them.  The surprise of the morning was a 9" brown trout that ate a hopper pattern.  Had not seen brown trout in this location previously.  In the afternoon I guided a large group for smallmouth bass.  We experienced some fast moving rain showers that produced an incredible double rainbow.  A cold front that pushed through yesterday has lowered air temperatures and will cool off the water.  Lots of heavy wind yesterday but it did lay down towards dusk.  Water temperature in the river we fished was 68 degrees and it was above its average flow.  We moved around a  bit prior to locating some bass, but when we found them we made them pay the toll.  We landed 7 smallmouth and missed and lost just as many.  A fire tiger rapala and a beetle spin were the ticket.  We literally found the gold at the end of the rainbow as we caught all of our fish in one large pool.  Off to do it again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

happy camper

best of both worlds

Hi Folks, Did a double dip yesterday and fly fished with clients in the morning for wild rainbow trout and then smallmouth bass in the afternoon.  Nice morning fog greeted us yesterday in the Winooski where the water temperature was 68 degrees.  The fog lifted around 9:00am.  Water levels were excellent for fishing.  Saw #12 Isonychia shucks on rocks as well as a few hatching and #10 golden stonefly shucks on rocks.  There were a few #18-#20 micro caddis hatching as well and the cedar wax wings were pounding the insects in the air.  Sporadic rising activity by the fish when we arrived prompted us to cast a dry fly dropper rig.  I saw a lot of spent #14 to #22 spent flying ants in water puddles on rocks next to the river. A #12 Hare's parachute with a #18 olive caddis pupa was the rig.  We nymphed with #12 and #14 prince nymphs and #14 zug bugs.  We did not land a lot of fish but the ones we did were really nice.  The first fish of the day was male rainbow in the 14" class that sipped the parachute pattern before coming tight on the line.  The fish of the morning was a measured 16" wild female rainbow that put up a really nice tussle.  Both trout were the largest fish my clients had caught in Vermont with a fly.  The fish looked to be in excellent shape and weather the hot summer well.  We missed several other fish and lost a couple.  The bite really slowed once the fog lifted and the bright sun showed itself.  In the afternoon, I canoe fly fished for smallmouth bass.  Lots of people had the same idea and there was a considerable amount of fishing pressure.  The surface temperature was 73 degrees with a slight breeze from the north.  We worked a lot of water and mostly focused on weed bed edges that had a hard bottom and dropped into deeper water.If you are only going to land one fish, you might as well make it a good one.  Fish of the day was a 3lb smallmouth bass that really put a bend in the 6wt. rod.  Several great jumps and the fish just did not want to be landed.  A fine smallmouth bass on a popper.  The fly of the day was a #4 chartruse snook slider.  We missed several other fish including a couple of decent sized pickerel.  Pretty exciting when a pickerel takes a fly off the top. The water level in this body of water had come up a foot in the last week and I was wondering if that had not affected the fish to a degree.  Anywho, always nice catching big fish off the top, the best of both worlds for trout and bass fly fishing.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

summer is back

Hi folks, Just when I thought things were really beginning to cool off, the heat and humidity returned yesterday.  I guided a family for a bank fishing excursion where we were fishing with spin gear for smallmouth bass.  The surface temperature of the water was 76 degrees and the clarity was okay.  The area we fished is heavily fished and we had to work around some other folks who had the same idea as us.  We cast jointed floating rapalas in chartruse, blue, and perch color.  Even with all of the fishing pressure we managed to land 3 smallies off the surface and miss a couple.  Love hearing and seeing the push of water created by a bass we it eats off the top.  The surface fishing fishing for smallmouth has been dynamite the last week.  I think the changing in the light levels, flying ant hatches, and some humidity has the smallies really looking up.  Look for flying #14-#22 ant hatches in the afternoon, #22-#26 tricos still in the morning, and #12-#14 isonychia throughout the day as well the #14-#16 green rock worm.  Do not count out beetle, and, and hopper patterns as well.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

popping for bass

Hi Folks, Spent a really nice evening with a long time repeat guest guiding smallmouth bass from my canoe.  We visited one of my secret little smallmouth ponds that is off the beaten path.  Surface temperature was 75 degrees and water was pretty darn clear.  You could see the bottom in 10' of water.  A slight breeze initially ruffled the water's surface, but then things laid down for nice calm conditions for surface fishing.  We had 20 smallmouth come to the fly last night.  Pretty aggressive feeding off the surface.  There were a fair number of #22 male flying ants on the surface of the water, but I do not think a 3lb smallmouth is going to expend too much energy eating such a small morsel of food off the top.  We cast a #4 chartruse snook slider fly for most of the night and at dark switched to a #6 black and yellow popper.  I am not so sure the fly change made a difference as the fish were on.  We worked rock piles, points, and fallen timber over rocky bottom shoreline areas.  Most of the fish were holding off the first drop off from shore.  We did not land a lot of the fish who came to the fly.  Sometimes in fishing you get psyched out and can't get the hook set after missing a few.  The hardest part of  fly fishing is getting the fish to eat the fly, not hooking and landing them.  My guest is a  fine fly angler and it just was not his night for landing fish.  The strikes all came from the time the fly hit the water to the first 10' from where it landed.  Letting the fly sit for a bit after it landed was important and working the popper aggressively triggered responses from the smallies.  Hook setting with a 15lb tippet must be aggressive.  No trout sets as we are not using 6x tippet.  Well, off to do it again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

rain and flying ants

Hi Folks, Finally got he rain we were looking for.  I received almost 2" of nice steady rain at my house in Stowe from Monday night to Tuesday morning.  Our rivers are full again and the Lamoille and Winooski are coming down fairly well and they should be ready to fish by day's end.  Of course temperature could still be an issue.  Got rained out on Tuesday with my river trip, so I will be bass fishing today.  Saw a ton of flying ants yesterday afternoon.  Large #14 cinnamon female flying ants and small #22 male flying ants.  The flying ants are late summer early fall event around here that typically happens late in the afternoon and especially after a rains storm. The swarm is moving the nest and they get pushed onto the water and the trout and smallmouth bass go nuts.  Matter of fact, the fish will be single minded in their feeding and only eat the ants and sometimes key in on the really small males.  Do not leave home without some ants patterns in your vest this time of the year.  Ant hatches really get fish looking up.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy 

much needed rain

Hi Folks, Looks like some wet weather.  Nice day of rain would be fine by me.  Guided a small brook last night towards the valley and was on the Winooski main stem this morning.  The mountain brook last night had a water temperature of 58 degrees.  It was really low and clear.  Watched a lot of fish dart off prior to ever casting to them.  Great attention had to be payed as to how we walked up the river so as to not spook fish.  Longer than normal casts were required and a little longer leader.  Usually I like a 7' leader on a brook trout stream.  Last night we used a 9' leader on a 6' rod and just directed the leader and fly with the rod tip through each pool.  Never putting fly line on the water's surface.  Also scaled back the fly size with a more natural looking pattern.  How about a #14 foam bodied ant.  Lots of brook trout between 4" and 8" and with even more spooked and lost.  Pretty steady action and missing and scaring a few fish did not matter.  The Winooski this morning was 69 degrees and low.  Good numbers of stone fly shucks on rocks that looked freshly hatched from the previous evening.  Seeing more and more #12/#14 Isonychia shucks as well.  There were trout rising this morning and they appeared to be eating small caddis.  We got them to eat a #12 hare's ear parachute.  Looks like a Isonychia dun that is crippled and blown onto the water.  All wild rainbows today between 9" and 13".  We did nymph fish with a #14 flashback pheasant tail under indicator as well as a red head #14 prince nymph.  Both nymph patterns hooked fish.  Found lots of #16 Rhyacophila caddis or the green rock worm crawling around on rocks.  Isonychia and Rhyacophila will be the dominant bugs available to our trout in big rivers for the next month or so.  Good to have few of those patterns in your box.  Well if we get a 1" of rain or so it will be good for the whole, but maybe not so good for river fishing tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

nice cold front

Hi Folks, Been enjoying the weather the last few days after a nice little cold front pushed through.  Beautiful with clear cool nights and comfortable sunny days.  Fronts do effect fishing and I think we felt the brunt of it on Friday while guiding smallmouth bass.  Visited the Winooski which was still slightly up and off color.  The water temperature had dropped to 70 degrees.  Good spinner fall of #22 tricos with numbers of fall fish eating the tiny may fly.  Saw some larger mayfly spinners #12 that could have been Epherons, but I never captured a sample.  We spin fished for the bass and managed to catch one small bass on a fire tiger rapala. Bright colored lures seemed to be the way to go with the water color.  Everything else landed was a fall fish.  Did miss one big smallie that we rolled on a soft bait that imitated a crawfish, but that was it.  I just think the river level and fishing on the back side of a front slowed things down.  Yesterday I headed due north and fly fished some small brooks and did a casting clinic and fly fishing class at a northern ski resort.  The stream I was on was 63 degrees and the water was really low.  Not hard to find the brook trout, but you had to watch your approach.  Spooked a fair amount fish before we were able to cast to them.  Still landed a number of 4" to 8" brookies on a 2wt. with a #14 simulator pattern.  At dark we cast to rising stocked rainbows in a snow making pond.  Pretty easy pickings as the fish were rising everywhere.  A #16 goddard caddis worked really well.  You watch a fish rise and figure out the direction it was moving and then lead it with your cast.  Let the fly sit and the fish would just engulfed it.  Nice change of pace from river fishing for trout.  Well looks like some rain on the way which we could really use.  I will be guiding a small stream this afternoon and in the morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

on the surface

Hi Folks, Had a lot of fun today guiding in the morning and evening because the fish were looking up.  I always have fun guiding, but it is really fun to catch trout and bass on the surface with flies and lures.  The small brook we fly fished this morning was 59 degrees and the water level had come up and down significantly in the last 24 hours.  Received an 1" of rain at my house in Stowe from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.  Much needed and our rivers and streams came up and are already receding. The Winooski might take a little longer to settle due to higher rain amounts in central Vermont.  Water clarity was fine today.  Brookie fishing was steady with 4" to 8" brook trout grabbing big #10 and #12 stimulators off the surface.  Regardless of the size of the brook trout, how cool is it to see a dark shape materialize from under a rock to eat your dry fly in gin clear water?  This afternoon I guided a little bigger water and we fished with spin gear for smallmouth bass.  Water temperature was 70 degrees with good cloud cover.  Low light is preferred in top water fishing.  You know things could be good when a big smallmouth crushes the jointed floating rapala on the first cast.  Really nice steady bite all afternoon.  We landed 11 smallmouth bass using brightly colored rapalas.  Probably missed and lost another dozen and a half.  Not bad.  Well after them again tomorrow and looks like a nice cool down which will bode well for our rivers.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

birds of prey and bass

Hi folks, Been guiding down low on the Winooski the last few days.  Water levels are low and water temperatures are between 70 and 75 degrees.  Pretty easy to read the water right now and get a feel for the riffles and pools and where to fish.  Could use some rain and hopefully we get some in the next few days.  Saw a bald eagle today as well as osprey, broad band hawk, and red tail hawk.  Just one of the many benefits to fishing.  The difference in fishing today and Sunday in low light versus yesterday in the sun is worlds apart.  I cannot emphasize enough how much better the fishing is in the early morning and right at dark.  Smallmouth fishing with poppers has been pretty solid right at dark and into dark.  It seems like the bigger fish do not turn on until the sun sets.  Makes sense when it is hot and bright.  The smallmouth bite has been good and steady.  Landed a dozen fish this morning working big giant pools.  Love watching smallies jump.  Not too many surface strikes as almost all of our fish were hooked on the retrieve.  We did catch some very large fall fish between 15" and 20".  Matter of fact the 20" fall fish had wound marks on its flanks that looked to be the work of a bird of prey.  When it has been sunny the only thing biting has been fall fish.  When there is low light the smallmouth seem to really turn on.  Still lots of #10 to #12 stone flies on rocks and have been seeing #22 Trico spinners every morning.  Some #16 Caddis hatching as well and some #14 Isonychia shucks on rocks.  Looks like a decent weather week for fishing with a cool down on the way.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

rising trout in the middle of the day

Hi folks, Guided a full day on the lower Winooski yesterday with folks learning to fly fish.  Water temperature was 68 degrees in the early morning and moved to 70 degrees by midday.  I think there must of been a tail water release from the Littler River prior to our arrival that lowered the water temperatures.  So, a decent  number of #18 tan bodied caddis hatching in the morning and then some #14 isonychia sadleri during the middle of the day.  A large number of isonychia shukcs on rocks as well as #10 to #12 golden stone fly casings.  Interesting spot where we fished as you could catch smallmouth bass, stocked brown trout, wild rainbow trout, and fall fish.  We tussled with all 4 species.  What was really cool was eating lunch on a big rock above the water and looking down into a giant pool where we could see smallmouth and rainbow trout swimming around.  We watched one smallmouth come up in the water column over some rocks that was easily one of the largest bass I have sever seen in a river.  Certainly over 20" and could eaten the trout and smaller bass we saw in one bite.  A lot of fun for my guests to see a rainbow swimming in a big eddy eating just below the surface.  Always a good idea to find a high vantage point in a river a look into the water.  Good viewing with lessons to be learned.  Unfortunately, it was virtually impossible to cast to the fish we were watching as you would have spooked them while approaching and you could not get into the river and cast from the opposite side.  The fly pattern of the day was a #12 hare's ear parachute.  The stocked browns were all over it as well as the fall fish.  We nymphed with a #12 Montana stone fly, but most our work was with the dry fly.  Fun day on the water after all of the recent heat and it was nice to have over cast skies in the afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Need some rain

Hi Folks, Been guiding every day this week and we really could use some rain.  Our rivers have become a little stale.  Mostly chasing smallmouth bass and brook trout.  Did lake fish twice this week for bass and lost one morning due to engine problems with the boat.  Getting pretty good at learning how to fix my boat motor.  So, river temperatures in our big rivers are still in the seventies and surface temperatures in our lakes are high seventies.  Small mountain streams have been maintaining in the low sixties.  Seen lots of #10 to #12 golden stone fly shucks on rocks.  Lots and lots of #16 free form green caddis below rocks and #18 yellow bodied caddis in casings on top and the bottom of rocks. Also, #22 to #24 tricos have been hatching in the morning.   Do not rule out terrestrial patterns from ants to beetles to hoppers.  The fish of the week was 17" 3lb smallmouth bass that ate a surface presentation.  Been working hard for fish and the only consistent fishing has been for brook trout.  August is always a challenging month to fish in Vermont due to water temperatures and light levels.  Lack of rain does not make it any easier.  Will be river fishing all day tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Getting skinny

Hi folks, Guided yesterday afternoon and this morning on small streams.  We could use some rain.  As the water levels drop and especially in clear water, the fish can get tight and spooky.  Think about your approach.  Both small streams we visited were 60 and 61 degrees.  With skinnier water levels and warming water temperatures, the brook trout have been holding in riffles versus some the slower pools.  Small flies have been working.  A #14 yellow and green foam caddis as well as light elk colored #14 stimulator were producing lots of action.  Did mess with some smallmouth this morning right off the get go and got 3 smallies to eat trout dry flies.  Got the bass to eat #10 foam bodied adult stone fly pattern and a #10 hornberg fished on the surface. The water temperature in the bass stream was 71 degrees.  Some a pretty decent #22 trico spinner drop.  No fish rising except a random fall fish and I am not so sure smallmouth bass eat itty bitty trico may flies.   Good fun catching a 10" smallmouth on a 7' 3wt. rod.  Lots of #10 to #12 stone fly shucks on rocks and numbers of #16 olive green caddis pupa under rocks in riffles.  Well some cool nights in the 50's for the next couple of days will hopefully keep water temperatures in check.  Smallmouth fishing in the morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

boat fishing and man over board

Hi Folks, Been out and about on my boat the last few days guiding and fishing.  Mixed up the still water fishing and chased lake trout and smallmouth bass.  Water temperatures have in the mid to high seventies on the surface.  Been fairly calm in the morning with a west wind increasing as the day progressed.  Whether fishing for smallmouth or lakers we have been setting up on structure.  Fishing submerged humps and islands that come out of deep water.  Incredible how fish relate to a lonesome piece of rock or debris on the bottom of a lake.  If that is the only piece of cover on the bottom and the surrounding area is featureless, then the bait fish and the predators will be holding there.  We have been jig fishing with swim baits that imitate emerald shiners for the lakers and 3.5" craw fish looking tube jigs for the smallmouth.  Heavier jig heads in deeper water and lighter jig heads in shallow water.  Good steady action, but nor real large fish until this morning.  Mostly lakers and smallmouth in the 1lb to 2lb class.  However, this morning my client did hook a monstrous smallmouth  on a popper and the fish immediately jumped out of the water and then wrapped itself all through some submerged wood.  We could see the big bass in the wood wrapped up and my client promptly jumped over board to attempt to free the fish from the wood.  Unfortunately the fish got free.  That was the first time in 17 years of guiding that I have ever seen someone jump out of the boat to go after a fish.  Pretty funny.  Well, morning is still the most pleasant time to be on the water.  Trout fishing in the small brooks is still steady and the big rivers are still too warm.  I will be guiding a small brook on the fly this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy