take a walk

Hi folks, Pretty muggy out there today.  I took the day off from fishing.  I guided a small mountain stream on Sunday morning that was beautiful.  We had a pretty impressive light show with thunderstorms yesterday afternoon.  I only received 1/4" of rain at my house in Stowe.  We still need rain and our streams are pretty low.  The trout we were on was a nice 60 degrees.  Pretty easy to locate the fish.  Anything over knee deep had a brook trout holding in it.  Lots of walking involved, but well worth it.  Pretty interesting how many larger brook trout I have guided this season.  All due to a mild winter and less winter kill.  More big ones still around to catch.  I am pretty convinced that red in any dry fly makes a difference on whether you get a take or not.  I have been doing a little experimenting with flies and it appears red triggers more response than other colors.  Mix up Stimulators of various sizes and colors and see what happens.  Anywho, the brook trout are fired up with color right now and we could not miss with a #12 rubber legged royal stimulator.  Smallmouth fishing is still the best bet in town and some small trout streams have been holding temperature and water.  off to small stream fish tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

still popping smallmouth

mixing it up

Hi folks, Guided with the fly rods yesterday in the morning and afternoon in two very different environments.  Fished from my boat in the morning for smallmouth bass with a 7wt. fly rods and in a small brook in the afternoon with 2wt. and 3wt. fly rods.  All top water fishing as we caught smallmouth on poppers and native brook trout on large dry flies.  Surface temperature on the lake we fished was 74 degrees and it was calm flat.  We fished over flats that were in 10' to 15' of water.  We landed several 2lb plus smallmouth on a #8 frog looking popper.  The fish came from fairly deep water to eat the popper and we found that moving it aggressively prompted the deep water strikes.  Never underestimate how far a smallmouth will move to take a surface presentation.  Covered a lot of water and had lots of small bas coming to the fly.  In the afternoon the brook we fished was 60 degrees and low and clear.  We still need rain and lots of it.  We worked up stream with a #10 olive grasshopper pattern and a #12 royal rubber legged stimulator.  Lots of little french fry brook trout coming to the fly.  We did have a few decent sized fish eat the fly but mostly the little guys.  Stealth is still the key on the small streams and always working up stream and keep the false casting down to a minimum.  Off to fish a small trout stream this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

SMB

running the boat

Hi Folks, Had the boat out with clients yesterday as we chased smallmouth bass with spin gear.  Fished from my 16' side consul Grumman.  With the low and warm water this season it seems that I have been guiding from boat more than ever.  We still need rain as our rivers and lakes are still low.  The surface temperature of the lake we fished yesterday was 73 degrees.  Calm conditions initially and then a slight wind from the west picked up as the morning progressed.  We fished a crawfish colored Senkos on red hooks and once again the smallmouth were all over the soft plastic bait.  We had fish chasing the bait back to the boat.  Found most of our smallmouths holding in deeper water off rock points and rock faces.  The trick is to let the Senko sink to the bottom and reel it back really slowly.  It is incredible how the smallmouth gobble it up.  The fish give you every indication that they have eaten the bait.  I am off to fish smalmouth bass from the boat again this morning and then trout in a small brook this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

getting wet

Hi folks, Spent yesterday morning and and afternoon guiding in the rain.  Nice change of pace from the previous weeks hot and humid weather.  Our rivers are up a bit and off color.  The small streams are in good shape level wise and clarity is not an issue.  The Lamoille was 72 degrees yesterday morning and the lake I was on in the afternoon was 73 degrees on the surface.  Not much for a top water bite in the morning on the Lamoille.  So, we changed out approach and fished soft plastic baits.  A small perch swim bait was the ticket and a 4" crawfish colored Senko.  We fished big pools, large eddies off the pools, and deep seem lines off the main current.  A steady retrieve with the swim bait prompted most of the strikes.  We caught river smallmouth bass and walleye.  Matter of fact we caught 3 nice eating size walleye and brought a couple home for dinner.  Not too often in my guiding operation that I keep and eat what we catch.  However, pretty hard to pass up a fresh walleye dinner.  The walleyes were in the 2lb to 3lb class and the perfect size to keep.  We also did land 4 smallmouth bass with one fish weighing in the 2lb class.  Not a bad morning of fishing under a pretty steady rain.  The afternoon fishing was pretty darn good.  Flat calm with very little wind to speak of.  Threatened rain the entire time it but it never materialized.  We pounded shore line with a fire tiger rapala and it appeared that the bass where everywhere.  No rhyme or reason to where they were holding except over a hard bottom with downed wood and the occasional weed bed.  Lots of good surface takes and the fish were even following the plug back to the canoe.  Nice day on the water andit helps to have good rain gear.  I am of to guide from the boat this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

river walleye

getting down and dirty

Hi folks, Guided from my boat yesterday morning for smallmouth bass using spin gear.  Pretty hot and muggy and the air temperature was 72 degrees at 6am.  The surface temperature of the water was 78 degrees.  That has all changed now as we had a major front push through last night that dumped 2.5" of rain at my house in Stowe.  Air temperatures have cooled a bit and no humidity.  Well, back to fishing. Not much for a top water bite yesterday morning so we resorted to the 3.5" crawfish colored Senkos on red octopus hooks.  We fished the Senkos slowly off the bottom reeling them back from 3' of water dropping down to 15' of depth.  We could not miss!!  It was incredible as the fish were all over the Senko.  We hooked some many smallmouth I could not keep track.  Pretty interesting in that the fish were everywhere we cast, but they just did not want to move to the surface.  I had to take hooks out of the back of and down in the tongue of a few smallies.  They were gobbling up the Senkos like they were bait.  I am sure other jigs that imitated a crawfish would have worked, but I am not sure they would have worked as well.  Still, the bass were holding off rock faces, ledges and long deep points.  Off today from fishing and back at it tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy

looking for the big boy

Hi folks, Guided from the canoe last night on a quiet lake with the fly rods.  Water temperature was 77 degrees and with a slight north breeze.   We fished shady shorelines and found the lee from the wind.  Lots of action on the #8 rubber legged chartreuse popper last night.  Just no large smallmouth bass.  We must have had 20 bass from 5" to 11" come to the fly.  We could not drum a big fish.  Even changing the fly and putting on bigger popper with a deeper concave face did not make a difference.  Pretty much caught all of our fish on rock face shelfs that plunged into deep water.  Fallen trees in these spots definitely held a bass.  My guess is the bigger fish were holding tight to the bottom and just did not want to move to eat off the surface.  Well, off to do it agian this morning from the boat.  Looks like afternoon thunderstorms.  We need rain.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have Fun, Willy

small stream brookie fishing

top water smallie

smallmouth bass

Hi folks, Been guiding the last few days from my boat and canoes for smallmouth bass.  Tons of fun.  Water conditions have been perfect with very little wind and water temperatures holding from 73 degrees to 77 degrees.  Nice thick morning fog has kept the sun off the water until at least 8am.  We have been casting small #8 chartreuse poppers and #8 frog pattern poppers.  In my opinion the top water smallmouth bass fishing for the next 6 weeks is some of the best of the season.  I have been locating active bass on sharp drop offs  from the shore line.  Ledge rocks with over hanging trees have been prime locations.  Really like these spots when you have a downed tree that extends out to the deep water.  The smallies will be set up on the outside edge.  We must have had over 20 smallmouth come to the fly yesterday morning.  Lots of fish in the 1 year old to 3 year old class.  The larger fish were a bit reluctant to eat off the top.  We did cast a chartreuse streamer that moved some of the larger fish to eat.  I think the bright sun slowed down the top water bite from the big boys.  We still need big time rain and our streams are very low.  I have been staying off the trout water as much as possible.  The big rivers are too warm and the little brooks are pretty low and clear.  Smallmouth fishing is fun and can be done in a number of lakes, ponds, and river systems in Vermont with fly or spin gear.  Plenty of opportunity to tug on one of Vermont's more powerful jumping game fish.  I am off to guide smllmouth this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

morning fog

Hi Folks, Guided the last couple of mornings for trout in a northeast kingdom lake and on the lower Winooski this morning.  Nice cool nights again with air temperatures in the high 40's to low 50's.  Pretty good am fog that keeps the sun off the water until mid morning.  Yesterday morning was interesting with being on the water at 4:30am (too early for a sleep deprived new dad and fishing guide).  Surface temperature of this lake was 72 degrees.  The water temperature was was significantly cooler several feet below the surface.  We set up over several reefs and humps that came up out of 50' to 60' of water.  The humps rose to 25' which is a pretty decent contrast in bottom contour.  We cast 1/4oz. jig heads tipped with smelt imitation swim baits.  We did not land a lake trout but did have several fish eat our presentation.  The fishing pretty much shut down by 7am when the fog burned off and the big bright sun showed itself.  Jigging lakers with braided line is interesting and it is a real finesse technique.  Not easy as the takes are pretty subtle.  This morning the Winooski was 68 degrees at 6am.  Pretty streadt breeze right out of the east.  Good hatch of #16 olive bodied mayflies with 2 tails and a blue dun wing.  No rising fish, but lots of #8 golden stone fly shucks on the rocks.  We nymph fished all morning with #8 Montana Stone fly pattern, #16 hare and copper, and a #16 flash back hare's ear nymph.  Caught wild rainbows between 6" and 11" on 3 fly patterns.  Lots of fall fish in the mix which kept rods bent in between searching out the trout.  Most of the fish were holding in heavy riffles which makes sense considering the warm water temperatures.  The fishing slowed by 10am when the sun became real bright over head.  Off to fish smallmouth with fly this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Times are changing

Hi Folks, Guided the last couple of days from boat chasing smallmouth bass.  Got blown out by a big thunderstorm on Tuesday night that did happen to deposit 3/8th" of rain at my house in Stowe.  A large cold front pushed through giving us relief from the oppressive heat and humidity.  Lake temperatures on the the 3 different lakes I have visited over the last 2 days have varied from 74 degrees to 79 degrees.  The smallmouth bass fishing was pretty darn good the day of the big weather front.  Calm conditions with some rain showers and the entire lake to ourselves.  The fish were on the top water bite.  We cast a #6 fire tiger popper all morning and never changed the lure.  Lots of takes and we landed well over a dozen smallies from 6" to 15".  Most of the fish were holding over and on the outside edge of submerged wood in anywhere from 5' to 15' of water.  I saw a lot of fish coming from a ways away to eat.  Pretty aggressive.  Yesterday afternoon after the front had passed we worked for our bass.  Sunny skies with a strong north west wind.  We cast a sun fish colored rapala and a blue and white popper.  Really clear water where we fished and you could spot the bass coming to the top water presentation.  Problem was they would charge the lure and turn off.  We did land a nice 2lb smallie and some small pickerel.  Hooked a few other fish and at the end of the night we the wind laid down we put on the a huge smallmouth that erupted on the popper.  Made a big jump and broke the line.  4lb test on a light spinning reel.  Real shame to have that fish break us off, but such is fishing.  Did not catch a lot of fish but every one we saw was a good sized smallmouth.  Off to fish for lake trout.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

incredible edible ant

Hi  Folks, Guided a small brook yesterday with the little fly rods for wild rainbows.  We have received a little bit of rain of at my house in Stowe.  My rain gauge had collected 1/10th" over night.  The small stream we fished did not seem to be impacted by the meager rain fall and the water is still low and clear.  Water temperature was 62 degrees.  We worked up stream and started out casting a #12 green stimulator and a #12 yellow foam fly.  Neither fly produced a fish, yet we did see a decent rainbow turn off the foam fly and deny us.  So, on goes the #16 foam black ant and things changed pretty quickly.  The trout that denied us ended being a beautiful 12" wild rainbow that ate the ant instantly.  We had several other smaller wild rainbows take the ant pattern as well.  I can only figure that with the low and clear water on this wooded trout stream that terrestrials were the ticket.  We had one fish that took the ant so deep it was difficult removing the fly from its throat.  I do not think I had ever seen fly inhaled so deeply by a fish.  We did fish a couple of large plunge pools with an indicator and a #18 black copper john and missed trout in each spot.  Stealth is the key in these small brooks and covering lots of water.  Scaling back fly patterns size and profile is never a bad idea when the fish are not biting.  Off to chase smallmouth bass. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

magic

Hi folks, Spent a lovely morning chasing brook trout with a client using the light little 2wt. fly rods.  Fished a mountain brook that was cool and clear.  Water temperature was 60 degrees and the water was low.  All of the brookies were holding in primary pools.  We fished up stream with a #14 royal rubber legged stimulator.  I think we encountered a fish every spot we cast.  Beautifully colored brookies that with bright orange bellies and beautiful blue dots of their mottled flanks.  Lots of fun watching these little buggers come up to eat the dry fly.  We had a few that just launched onto the fly.  Really good action.  Small brooks are a good bet for fishing right now with our current weather pattern of hot and dry.  Just remember to work up stream, wear earth tone clothes, and think about the spook factor.  Smallmouth bass fishing will remain steady and the top water bite has been excellent.  By the way I saw 4 fly anglers standing at the mouth of the Little river confluence with the Winooski river yesterday around 3pm.  Now, trout are a cold water species and they will move great distances to find cooler water.  The Little River is a tail water that releases regular spurts of cooler water.  The main stem of the Winooski is way too warm to fish for trout right now.  So river confluences like this are natural places for trout to hold when it is hot. they get stressed.  Fishing for them in this dynamic is wrong and there is not catch and release.  Give them a break and find some where else to fish.  Fishing at cold water feeder streams into warm water in  the summer is often illegal in certain states (not Vermont) because the trout are thermally stressed.  It is like shooting fish in a barrel.  Just my two cents worth.  Off to fish small brooks again tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

bass bite

Hi folks, Guided a large body of water for smallmouth bass with the fly rods last night.  Started late in the day and fished into dark.  Pretty darn hot out there and the sun is big and bright.  Looks to stay that way for a few days.  The surface temperature was a really warm 80 degrees.  slight breeze from the west which laid right down towards dusk.  Good conditions for top water fishing though really warm water temps. have to make a percentage of the fish lazy.  We fished a #6 frog popper.  The yellow bottom is the key.  I do really well with any yellow bottomed or chartreuse bottomed popper this time of the year.  Must kind of look like the profile and color of the Hexagenia and other large may flies that have hatched out in recent weeks.  We fished rocky islands that were surrounded by lilly pads.  We focused on the outside edges.  Landed 2 really nice 2.5lb smallies that literally jumped higher out of the water higher than we are tall.  One strike was really aggressive and I thought at first it was a big pickerel or pike.  The second take was a slurp and I thought it was perch until the line came tight.  Lots of perch last night and few bass we missed.  For a hot day, pretty good fishing.  the smallmouth fishing should remain steady.  Just pick an choose your times and go early and late.  Trout fishing is getting more tricky with the low water and warming temperatures.  We need rain and a cool down.  Off to fish at dusk again tonight.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

skinny water and tiny flies

Hi Folks, Guided with the fly rods on the upper Winooski yesterday morning.  The cooler night over the last few days have helped immensely n keeping water temperatures down a bit in the morning.  The Winooski was 66 degrees at 6:30am.  Moved to 70 degrees and beyond around lunch time.  Man, the water is wicked low and river fishing is becoming tougher by the day.  We need rain!!!!  Looks like more damn heat over the next few days.  Saw a decnet number of #20 tan bodied micro caddis yesterday morning and even a couple of rising fish very early.  Lots of #6/#8 golden Stone fly shucks on rocks.  Stone flies around here hatch out after dark and the winged adults you sporadically at dusk laying their eggs.  We had 14 wild  rainbows eat our flies yesterday.  We fished 2 rods with being rigged with a #18 caddis nymph and the dropper was a #20 peacock herl soft hackle.  We hooked fish in every riffle we fished.  We did have several younger fish eat a #10 orange bodied stimulator.  Once the sun got high over head the fishing shut down.  No shocker.  Smallmouth fishing is a good option in our lakes right now.  Late afternoon to dark and early morning can be good.  I will guiding bass the next few days.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

low water and sun tan lotion needed

Hi folks, Guided yesterday morning with the fly for smallmouth bass on the lower Lamoille.  Man, we really need some rain.  Our rivers are really low and the fishing in them is becoming tougher by the day. It appears as if some small brooks are literally drying up and going under ground. The water temperature was 74 degrees at 7am and I am sure it warmed to 80 degrees by late day.  The sun has been scorching and you really need to find shade.  Morning is time to fish.  We could not get a smallmouth to take a surface fly yesterday morning.  We tight line drifted large #8 stone fly and hellgrammite patterns in heavy riffles.  Also, a #10 tungsten olive wooly bugger worked pretty well.  We caught 3 little smallmouth and a handful of fall fish.  Pretty slow and I am sure the heat and sun contributed to the slow fishing.  After my trout trip this morning I will be focusing on lake fishing for smallmouth.  With the current weather pattern of more heat and sun I think the river fishing will be tough for a while.  Leave the trout alone when the water temperature reaches 70 degrees.  Keep your thermometer handy.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy

top water smb

glass

Hi Folks, Guided with the fly yesterday morning for smallmouth and then did another trip in the afternoon for trout on a small stream.  The smallouth fishing was pretty good and the trout fishing not so good.  We really need some rain.  Tired of being cooked by the sun and watching out streams dry up.  Surface temperature on the lake we fished was 74 degrees.  The main stem of the Lamoille was 72 degrees at 5pm and the brook we fished was 63 degrees at 6pm.  There was not a breath if wind yesterday morning and lake we fished was like galls.  In the morning we cast a #6 black and a #8 black and yellow popper.  Worked hard bottom areas with weed beds.  Sharp drop offs from the shore line with downed trees seemed to be some of the more productive water.  We landed 12 smallmouth on the fly and had one fish break us of and a large pickerel slice the tippet on the take.  Once again all about covering water and making lots of casts.  The afternoon was awful bright and sunny.  Saw a few large #6/#8 stone fly shucks on rocks and some egg laying winged adults dipping their abdomens at dusk.  Saw lots of #18/#20 micro caddis with tan bodies.  Nor rising fish nor were they very interested in our flies.  We fished some heavy pocket water up stream but the trout were asleep.  We rolled 4 fish who lazily looked at our flies and said "I do not think so."  Trout fishing will stay tough until we get some rain or the big bright sun goes away.  Off to chase smallmouth this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

cool nights and big bright sun

Hi Folks, Guided the lower Winooski this morning with the fly rods.  The weather front that passed though Sunday brought some cooler air temperatures (low 50's at night) and bright sunny days.  big high pressure.  The river temperature was 65 degrees at 7:00am.  Not awful for July.  We moved around a bit before we found some fish that wanted to play.  A few large #8 golden stone fly shucks on rocks and lots of #18/#20 micro caddis in tan all over the stream side brush.  No rising fish but I am not surprised considering the sun.  We landed a wild rainbow and a stocked  brown trout in heavy riffles nymphing with a #12 prince nymph and #18 tan caddis pupa dropper.  The fall fish were ever present as usual on the lower Winooski.  Early morning and late in the day is the time to fish right now.  Chasing smallmouth in the morning and trout in the afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

back to reality

Hi Folks, Guided up in the kingdom on a river that runs north yesterday with the fly rods.  Water level was pretty darn low, but the temperature was decent holding steady at 62 degrees.  This stream has excellent cover and lots tress along its banks for shade.  Holds all 3 species of trout.  It appeared to me that it had been pretty blown up by a storm. Some pools had filled in and lots of debris throughout the river.  We worked hard for fish and covered lots of ground.  We cast 1wts. and 3 wts. between 6' and 7' in length,  had to due to all of the tree canopy.  We ended up landing all 3 species of fish including brook trout, wild rainbow trout, and juvenile wild brown trout.  All of our fishing was working up stream and we still managed to spook a few decent fish.  Incredible how the fishing was so good the previous day and more difficult and challenging today on a better trout stream in my opinion.  Never think that you have trout fishing figured out or else you will get humbled.  Small #14 green stimulators were the fly and we did have several fish eat a little #18 copper john nymph as a dropper.  Taking a day off to be with family and will have a full slate of guiding this week.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at  home.  have fun, Willy

Small streaming it

Hi Folks, Guide the last 2 days on a Winooski tributary and today all  day on a Lamoille tributary.  Water levels and temperatures have been okay.  Recent isolated thunderstorms seem to have helped levels and we had a few cool nights on to of it.  The main stem of the Lamoille looked like chocolate milk this morning when we drove over it at 6:30am.  Water temperatures have been 60 to 61 degrees in the early morning and reaching 64 degrees by midday.  Still I have been fishing pocket water and on streams that have a good tree canopy.  Makes a difference in the summer.  All tight line fishing with very little slack and up steam approaches.  Saw a few #8/#10 stone fly shucks on rocks the last few days and midday there was a hatch of a small #20 may fly.  Maybe some type  of olive, quill, or paraleps. would be my guess.  We have been fishing #10 orange stimulators with droppers and a yellow foam rubber legged thing I tie.  Small #18 copper johns in black and copper have worked well. Most of the brown trout we landed today ate the dropper nymph.  We had 26 trout come to the fly today and landed 10 wild brown trout and native brookies.  A few of the browns just looked stuffed like they had been eating well.  Yesterday we caught all brook trout including a really nice 12" male brute.  Pretty good trout fishing for July.  Hot night so I am not so sure things will cool off much.  Trout fishing in the am.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy

Top water Alex

Fireworks

Hi Folks, Guided from the boat yesterday morning with spin anglers and the fishing was pretty darn good.  Nice calm morning with little or no wind and some early morning showers.  Good cloud cover and a surface temperature of 75 degrees made for excellent top water fishing.  The color of the day was any top water in fore tiger color.  That orange belly on the popper really draws some interest.  Also, crawfish colored soft plastics were very effective.  We landed 20 smallmouth bass and missed a few.  Lots of fish in the 2 to 3 year old class.  No real big girls caught yesterday, but lots of steady action.  We moved a bit and found fish in 15' of water and less.  Seemed as if the bass were really holding off the first significant drop off from the shore.  Nice way to spend the fourth of July.  Off to small stream fish this morning.  Evening thunderstorm dumped a 1/10th" of rain in Stowe.  We need some cool nights for the trout fishing.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy

river bass

Hi Folks, Guided last night on the lower Lamoille for smallmouth bass.  Nice evening with perfect air temperatures and cloud cover.  The river temperature was 75 degrees.  There were craw fish all over the shallows and you could watch them dart everywhere as you waded around the stream.  Crawfish might be one the number one forage items for a smallmouth bass.  Still, we fished poppers with the fly and did not have to use any sub surface patterns to trick he smallmouth.  You always like as a fishing guide when your guest catches a fish on their first cast.  First cast of the afternoon produced a nice 1.5lb smallmouth.  We landed a dozen smallies last night with a couple fish pressing 2.5lbs to 3lbs.  Really strong fish that jumped and did not give up easily.  Really put a bend in a 6wt. outfit.  We focused on big eddies that adjoined large pools and any spot that appeared to be dead water off the main current.  River fish are energy efficient and smallmouths will hold in the slower water of the main current.  Lots of big rocks where we fished which provides excellent cover.  We had some really explosive strikes on the popper.  The fly of the night was a #8  chartreuse popper with rubber legs.  Never changed flies.  Off to run the boat with guests to chase smallmouth in a lake.  Happy 4th of July.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

top water river smallmouth bass

Not bad for July

Hi folks, Took out the boat last night with guests to chase smallmouth bass and this morning I guided for trout on a Lamoille watershed tributary.  The wind was a pain in the ass last night blowing hard from the north/northwest.  I had to find the lee and flat water in order to fish the top water bite with the fly.  The wind did let up for the last hour of sun light.  Surface temperature was 74 degrees.  Saw a few #6/#8 Hexagenias hatching with trout eating them over 30' of water and bass and panfish were starting to gobble them up in the shallows.  We cast yellow bodied poppers and had young smallmouth eating the fly.  We landed 2 smallies and a pickerel and really the best fishing was at dark and was when the action really picked up.  This morning on the trout stream I visited the the water temperature was 64 degrees at 6am.  Water was pretty low and clear but perfectly defined.  We did really well.  landed 9 wild rainbows and missed or lost another 5 trout.  Lots of good jumps from the larger fish.  We worked up all morning casting a #14 prince with a #18 green soft hackle dropper.  There were a few small #18 caddis hatching.  No rising fish.  Due to low water levels I have noticed over the last few days that the fish are really only holding in the deeper runs and pools.  I have not been seeing any fish in the secondary water, no problem.  Seeing more and more #6 to #10 stone fly shucks on the rocks.  Small yellow/tan bodied caddis in the morning.  Might as well be casting ants, beetles, hoppers and the sort   in smaller wooded brooks and streams.  Stimulators seem to always work in orange, yellow, and green. Chasing smallmouth tomorrow.  Keep your thermometers handy on the trout streams and pay attention to your approach.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

sight fishing spooky trout

Hi Folks, Been guiding small trout streams in the morning and chasing lake smallmouth bass in the afternoon.  Our rivers and brooks are pretty low presently and the water is certainly clear.  The two streams I have guided the last tow mornings have been fairly cool.  Water temperatures have been between 60 degrees and 63 degrees.  We have particularly careful to work up stream and we are still spooking fish.  You can watch the dark shapes dart away while approaching the water or after the first false cast.  We have been working small #14 green bodied stimulators with a #18 copper john dropper nymph.  Also, a #14 royal wulff has been working well.  Catching some nice wild rainbows and large native brook trout.  I have seen two legitimate 10" plus brookies the last two days.  We could see several trout today on the wilderness stream we fished including several large brown trout we could not catch.  Still fun to see the fish in their environment.  Several large plunge pools required a up stream cast with a #14 tungsten prince fished under a indicator.  Very effective technique into depper pools where the larger trout will not rise.  good fun.  the smallmouth fishing has been consistent and the wind has been the biggest hindrance.  finding clam water and casting a #8 chartruse popper or frog popper to rocky shoreline with weed and wood has been good.  Love top water bass fishing.  Off to chase bass from the boat  this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy