return to summer

Hi folks, Nice late summer day yesterday afternoon with sun and warm air temperatures. Beautiful day to be on the water with the foliage beginning to turn.  Had a group of aspiring fly anglers visit the main stem of the Lamoille.  Water temperature ranged from 58 degrees to 60 degrees.  The level is still above the seasonal average, but a fine flow for fishing.  I have to say after over 20 years of fishing the Lamoille and 17 years guiding on it, the fishing has not been very good this season.  The tributaries have been excellent and producing lots of wild trout, but the main stem has challenging.   The stocked fish are not part of the equation and I have to assume that they have been flushed with the various high water events of the year.  It shows how few wild trout really exist in the Lamoille.  Another factor I have to believe is the introduction of northern pike into the Lamoille below Cadys Falls.  The group I guided yesterday had a van transport them to the river and the driver spin fished above where we were fly fishing.  He caught a 24" pike and had another chase his lure.  Not good in trout water and what will happen is it will cull the population of trout.  Probably the strongest and biggest will survive, but the impact of northerns in a trout river can not be good.  Pike are the top line predator in this state and their ideal forage when becoming adults is a soft finned bait fish i.e trout.  Oh well, back to the fishing.  Some #20 BWO's hatching and we did find one fish rising in a back eddy that was impossible to put a good presentation to.  We nymph fished with #14 copper johns and #14 prince nymphs as well as swung a some #10 olive buggers and #12 olive leech patterns.  Trying to imitate craw fish.  We hooked a total of 3 trout and missed 3 more.  Did not land a fish, but that I attribute to my anglers learning the ropes of fly fishing.  Still, we should be hooking more trout than that this time of the year.  Off to chase trout again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy