could use some rain

Hi folks, Guided this morning for river smallmouth. Man the rivers and brooks are still wicked low and rain is really badly needed.  Pretty humid out there and if it were not for some changing foliage you would sear it was still mid summer.  On a brighter note, my client and I last night watched from the canoe a black bear swim across the lake.  It was pretty cool.  So back today.  Water was low, clear, and 68 degrees at 6:30am.  Pretty nice morning with cloud cover.  We fished the surface with 5wt. outfits casting #10 and #12 hopper patterns and a #8 black and yellow popper.  We dead drifted the flies and added movement.  The current is so slow that we literally fished some spots like it was still water.  The bass were holding in the tail outs of pools and close to any structure available in the river.  We did land any monsters but we had pretty good steady action with small fish.  Fun watching the surface take.  Off to chase bass and walleye from the boat tomorrow morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

top water dave at it again

is fall on the way?

Hi folks, Guided from the canoe last night for smallmouth bass and looked for some trout with clients on Wednesday early morning on the Winooski.  The water temperature on the Winooski at 6:30am was 67 degrees.  The surface temperature was 72 degrees on the lake we fished last night.  Pretty windy last night with a steady blow from the west/southwest.  Trout fishing on Wednesday was okay.  We tugged on a mess of Fall fish and 2 young landlocked salmon.  Saw a few #12/#14 Isonychia hatching and their shucks on rocks and in big back eddies.  Lots of #14/#16 green caddis larva on the bottoms of rocks.  We nymph fished the entire morning and the fall fish seemed to like our flashback pheasant tail nymphs and caddis pupa droppers.  Last night bassing we landed 9 fish with the largest fish a robust 3lbs.  We fished up and down with a frog colored Heddon tiny Torpedo and and 4" green with red flake Senko on a red worm hook off the bottom.  Caught fish on both rigs.  Wood and weed seemed to be the key.  Patience on the top water presentation as usual.  Off to river fish this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Still summer

Hi Folks, Been out and about guiding the last few days.  Spent Sunday morning in the boat chasing smallmouth bass in really clear water and the afternoon casting flies to river smallies.  Today, small streaming it for brook trout.  Been hot and humid with big damn sun.  Did cloud up this afternoon and it is supposedly going to rain.  We really need it!  The surface temperature of the lake I fished was 73 degrees at 6:30am and the bass river was 75 degrees at 4pm.  The trout stream I visited today was a warm 65 degrees. Pretty warm for this brook.  Incredible how low the water is in our streams.   Not very hard to locate the fish, but man can they be spooky.  Been using trout tactics to catch smallmouth in our rivers.  A #10 olive/tan grasshopper worked really well Sunday night.   Slight twitches with the rod tip during the drift prompted some big strikes.  We 5 bass on the hopper pattern.  Also, dead drifted a #8 olive tungsten bead head leech pattern under a white indicator.  Caught 4 smallmouth with this tactic and missed a few.  Pretty interesting to see the subtle takes from a big bass.  The lake fishing was a morning of covering water.  We drummed up 7 smallmouth fishing the top with a slider fly and then spin fished with olive/red flake 4" Senkos on red hooks off the bottom.  All of the bass were holding in deeper water off large points and deep milfoil beds.  Pretty interesting in clear water how often you see a big smallmouth just cruising along or have one come to the boat on a fly or lure and turn off.  Trout fishing this afternoon was pretty good.  We landed 4 7" to 9" brook trout on a 2wt. with a #10 royal rubber legged stimulator.  Probably missed 8 fish.  The water is incredibly low and clear and 1 bad false cast sends a trout scurrying for cover.  Stealth like the great blue heron is important.  Hope for rain and cooler weather.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

nice river bass

osprey, heron, and big river bass

Hi Folks, Guided fly anglers yesterday morning on the lower Lamoille for smallmouth bass.  Another hot sunny day and we still need rain.  Looks like record heat for today and we need that like a sharp stick in the eye.  Water temperature was 74 degrees and as you can imagine the water is pretty darn low.  Some good wild life viewing yesterday morning with ospreys flying over head fishing and big Great Blue Herons stalking the shallows for an easy meal.  The fishing was pretty damn good as well.  We landed 22 smallmouth bass with half the fish weighing over the 2lb class.  We cast poppers in red/white, chartreuse, and several salt waters patterns that were foam sliders.  The top water bite was good for the first part of the day as we landed several big bass off the top.  However, when we rigged rods with #8 stonefly nymphs  and #6 Bitch Creek under an indicator and  we really began to tug on fish.  We nymph fished the tail outs of pools with incredible success.  The takes were aggressive and the smallmouth were really pulling back.  Good fun with a 5wt. and 6 wt. fly rod.  Off to chase smallmouth from the boat this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have Fun, Willy

patience

Hi folks, Fly fished with guest on a lake last night from a canoe.  Still pretty darn hot out there.  We need rain big time!  Surface temperature on the lake we fished was 74 degrees with slight wind from the south/southwest.  Did see a few #14 and #22 cinnamon colored flying ants.  Lots of subtle rises from bass and perch in open water.  Had I been on a trout lake I would that it was a trout feeding on the surface.  We focused on sharp drop offs from shoreline with rock and rock face cliffs.  Add downed wood and the smallmouth were there to eat.  Patience was the key with popper.  Patience is the key to any fishing and the most difficult thing for people to exercise.  We would let the popper sit for upwards of 1 minute prior to drawing a strike.  Very slow subtle movements seemed to help draw interest.  A #8 chartreuse popper was the fly of the day.  Nothing large landed but we managed to put 7 bass in the boat.  The largest bass of the day was lost on the take due to impatience.  Always need to let the fish eat the fly on the surface prior to setting the hook.  Set to quickly and you miss the fish.  Off to chase river smallmouth this morning.  Another hot day in store. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

subtle

Hi Folks, Another stellar day in Vermont fishing with clients on the boat.  We saw a nice bald eagle today launch from a big pine tree, pretty impressive, and up close and personal.  Heavy morning fog once again.  Burned off around 8:00am.  Surface temperature of the water was  72 degrees and climbed to 74 degrees by lunch.  Flat calm morning so we worked the top water bite.  We actually found decent sized fish in pretty shallow water.  Interestingly, we found the bigger smallmouth taking lures very subtle while the smaller bass were pretty darn aggressive.  We had a 2lb smallmouth eat a fire tiger popper that we would not have caught if I had not seen it move slowly to the surface and slurp in the top water.  Really mellow top water take.  Landed several 1lb smallmouth that absolutely crushed the popper.  The surface feeding fish were holding over soft bottomed areas that had weed and down wood.  The fish seemed to be cruising and long casts with a retrieve to the boat worked well.  Once the top water fishing slowed we fished the incredible edible Senko in green with red flake and crawfish on a red off set hook.  We focused on sharp drop offs and flats with hard bottoms in 10' to 20' of water.  A measured 19.5" smallmouth landed and man did it not come in easy.  Really turned some drag.  The bass picked up the Senko and the line barely moved.  Real gentle take.  It has been the year of the bass!    Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

lots of casting

Hi Folks, Guided with spin gear from the boat yesterday morning for smallmouth bass.  Nice heavy morning fog with flat calm conditions.  Rather cool air temperatures that required some warm clothes until the sun burned through the fog.  Surface temperature of the water was 74 degrees.  We covered a lot of water and made a lot casts.  We found active smallmouth on 15' deep flats that had rubble and wood on them.  A slowly moved crawfish colored 4" Senko worked really well.  The largest fish of the day was a nice 17.5" jumping smallie.  We landed over a dozen fish with some nice 1.5lb to 2lb bass putting put in the boat.  The bass fishing over the last month has been fantastic.  Love the different methods in which these fish can be caught.  I will be chasing smallmouth from the boat again tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

up down and all around

Hi folks, Guided smallmouth bass in the boat yesterday morning and then a river wading trip in the afternoon.  Nice weather pattern presently with day time air temperatures in the mid 70's and the night time dropping into the low 50's.  Big morning fog yesterday with flat calm conditions on the lake we fished.  Surface temperature was 74 degrees.  I had 3 anglers on the boat with dad and two sons.  Dad cast a yellow popper off a 6wt. and the boys fished the deadly 4" crawfish colored Senko.  The top water bite was decent for the first few hours of the morning but really shut down by 9am.  Fishing down below with the Senkos was pretty productive until about 10 am when the sun began to show itself.  We landed upwards of 10 smallmouth and missed a few along the way.  No real pattern to the fishing.  We just covered water and focused on the first drop offs from shore and downed wood.  In the afternoon the river I guided was 75 degrees and low and clear.  We still need rain.  There were some #14 cinnamon colored flying ants landing on the water and numerous #12/#14 olive green grasshoppers.  We fished the surface initially and caught a 1.5lb smallmouth off the get go on a floating perch colored rapala.  A small natural colored rebel crwafish was also productive.  However, when the going gets tough just dead drift a 3' olive Senko on a red octopus hook and let the games begin.  We had multiple smallies on the Senkos.  The fishing certainly got better as the sun began to set.  I am off to chase bass again.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

small stream wild brown

brown trout do jump

Hi Folks, Guided a small stream this morning with a fly angler in search of native brook trout and wild brown trout.  Small stream fishing is not a big group activity and really 1 or 2 anglers is all a small brook can handle.  You have to cover a fair amount of water due to the lack of fish density and casting accuracy is a at a premium.  Vermont small streams are perfectly suited for the fly rod and spin fishing would be tough.  With that said my one fly angler took advantage of a good morning of trout fishing.  Looks like cool weather this week which will help to lower water temperatures.  The brook we fished was 62 degrees at 6:30am under heavy fog.  Water is still low and we still need rain.  Stealth is key as trout in low clear water can be awful spooky.  We worked up stream casting a #12 olive foam grasshopper pattern and then switched to a #14 orange stimulator.  We landed 4 wild brown trout with the largest fish just shy of 13" and 8 native brook trout that were fired up with spawning colors.  Probably missed another half a dozen trout.  Pretty awesome watching the wild brown trout make multiple leaps out of the water when hooked.  They put a good bend in slow action, short 3wt. fly rod.  I have not been trout fishing much lately as the water conditions have not allowed it.  Looking forward to the cool down and getting back on some big trout water hopefully.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

fog and fighting bass

Hi Folks, Guided tow aspiring spin anglers yesterday morning for river smallmouth bass.  Wow, the fishing was really good.  Water temperature was 72 degrees and there was a heavy morning fog.  Love the fog this time of year and it keeps the sun of the water for a good portion of the morning.  We moved around the river a bit fishing in 6 different holes and we caught fish in everyone.  Love river bass fishing with ultra light tackle.  5'6" to 6" soft rods with 4lb and 6lb test.  Levels the playing field instead of using the typical heavy gear associated with bass fishing.  We focused on the lower parts of the pools where there is standing wood and or large rocks.  We dead drifted 3" crawfish colored and 3" watermelon Senkos Texas rigged on red Octopus hooks.  Man we could not miss.   Always a good sign for the fishing guide when your guests catch a fish on the first cast of the day.  We landed 13 smallmouth with the largest fish weighing in around 3lbs.  We probably hooked 40 fish and lost quite a few when they jumped.  Lots of tailwalkers.  Really important to set the hook hard when fishing soft plastics.  The fishing was on!!!!!.  Looks like some cooler nights on the horizon.  Will be bass fishing and small stream fishing for trout this weekend.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

big smile big fish

signs of fall

Hi folks, Guided smallmouth bass last night from canoes with spin gear for smallmouth bass.  Pretty incredible but you can start to see the red maples starting to turn a bit.  Probably a result of all of the dry weather.  We did receive 1/4" of rain at my house in Stowe last night.  Last night we had dead calm conditions with over cast skies.  The surface water temperature was 72 degrees.  We worked the surface bite and the fish wanted to play.  Terrestrials all over the surface from bees to hoppers, to ants, to weird looking beetles.  We cast floating perch and black/silver rapalas.  Patience was the key as we let the plugs sit still and undisturbed until all of the ripples had settled down from the cast.  All of our strikes came the moment the lure was twitched.  Fun to watch the smallmouth emerge to the surface to eat.  The fish were holding on wood last night and in fairly shallow water.  We caught all of our bass in less than 12' of water.  Landed 10 smallmouth and missed another 10.  The biggest fish of the day was a solid 3lb smallie that fought really well.  True tail walker.  This summer has forced my hand to chase bass due to the water conditions.  I have been fishing smallmouth since I was a kid and love to tug on these powerful fish.  Trust me a 2lb smallmouth will out fight any stressed out trout that is currently holding in any of our streams and brooks.  Guiding bass for the next couple of days.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

time for a cool down

Hi Folks, Guided smallmouth bass yesterday with spin gear on a river system.  Nice foggy morning with high humidity.  Water level was up as we have received some recent rain from thunderstorms.  Water temperature was 73 degrees and the clarity was slightly off.  Looks like the air temperatures are going to cool off this week and hopefully our river temperatures will drop as well.  Massive hatch of flying ants in Stowe the other night.  That time of the year.  Ant patterns in #14/#16 for the female and #20/#22 for the males in cinnamon/black work really well.  I like tying my ants with crystal flash wings as it makes it easier to track them in the water.  flying ants bring everyone to the surface from trout to bass.  Too bad our big rivers are still too warm to trout fish.  The Winooski yesterday was up, off colored and warm.  Smallmouth gorge themselves on ants but they will still eat a popper.  Not necessary to cast ants to bass.  Also, in the land of terrestrials, olive grasshoppers in olive /green are all over farm fields.  So, we landed 10 nice smallmouth bass yesterday morning dead drifting 3" olive and crawfish colored Senkos on red hooks.  I think every fish we hooked came out of the water multiple times.  Bass really pull back and on light tackle are awful lot of fun.  Lots of #18 tan bodied and light green bodied caddis casings on tops of rocks.  should be a good number of caddis getting ready to launch.  Off to chase smallmouth this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

good day of fishing

Hi Folks, Really fine day of fishing for smallmouth bass yesterday as I guided in the morning and the afternoon.  got a bit wet out there , but it was worth it.  Cloudy all day and finally the skies let loose in the afternoon with some heavy showers.  So at my house in Stowe I have received a total of 1" of rain over the last two days.  Water temperatures have been holding in the mid 70's.  flat calm on the lake we fished yesterday morning and we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  I had a good spin angler who wanted to improve on some techniques.  We were set up to fish the surface and down below.  A #6 fire tiger popper on 1 rod and a 4" crawfish colored Senko on the other.  The fish were on.  We worked deep water drop offs with the boat holding in anywhere from 20' to 30' of water.  We landed a 18.25" smallmouth that took the top water popper.  We watched the fish rise up in the water column slowly and in hale the popper.  Really impressive and the fact that client was patient on the hook set was even more impressive.  We landed a lot fo other fish on the popper and Senko, but nothing like the big boy.  In afternoon I guided a river system for smallmouth and the fishing was excellent.  We dead drifted 3" watermelon Senkos and the results were great.  Landed 13 smallmouth with the largest fish measuring 17".  Rained really hard and the water level was rising and becoming off colored.  Probably had something to do with the fish being so active. Most of the fish were holding in the slow parts of pools and in and around downed wood.  Off to chase bass again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

big boy

that's a great fishing outfit

positive reinforcement

Hi folks, Guided a a group of aspiring fly anglers yesterday morning on a brook trout stream.  Water temperature was 62 degrees and the water level was still low.  We did have some pretty good thunderstorms move through Stowe yesterday afternoon and I have received 3/4" of rain at my house.  Looks like more rain over the next few days which is greatly needed.  I had to cancel my afternoon trip yesterday due to the weather.  One good thing that has come from all of the hot dry weather is that I have not had to cancel many trips this season.  All up stream fishing yesterday in the clear mountain stream.  The Brook trout were all over #12 and #14 green and orange stimulators.  Pretty interesting how you would get a strike on the first cast and drift in a pool if there was a brookie at home.  It gives you a heads up as far as paying attention when the fly hits the water.  Brook trout are the perfect fish for folks new to fly fishing as they are user friendly and help build confidence to the aspiring fly angler.  Off to chase smallmouth this morning and this afternoon.  Probably will get wet.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

put a bend in the rod

Hi folks, doubled up the guiding yesterday spin fishing for smallmouth bass.  In the morning I took a group rive fishing for smallmouth bass and in the afternoon I floated the canoe for some smallie action.  The river temperature was 72 degrees yesterday morning at 6:30am and the surface temperature of the lake I fished in the afternoon was 76 degrees.  Saw a good wild life yesterday as we saw in the afternoon a moma beer with cubs, a family of otters, lots of loons, and the ever present beaver.  The morning fishing was outstanding as we fished several large pools that are just loaded with feisty smallmouth.  We swung a 3" watermelon Senko attached to a red worm hook and just clobbered the bass.  We landed 14 smallmouth and probably lost and missed another dozen fish.  Dead drifting the Senko with a tight line and then slowly retrieving it was the method.  Really important when getting s trike on soft plastic that is Texas rigged to really set the hook.  A big sweep upwards with the rod.  Keeping pressure on the fish is just as imperative and the rod should always be bent.  In the afternoon we covered some water to find fish who wanted to play.  No rhyme or reason as to a pattern where the bass were holding.  We fished top water baits exclusively and a Heddon tiny Torpedo in frog colors worked pretty well.  The fishing really picked up towards sun down.  I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to remove any slack line when fishing a top water bait.  It is tough to get a good hook set when the surface strike comes with slack line.  We had 15 smallmouth come to the surface and we did a lot of long distance releasing last night.  Keep a bend in the rod.  Off to chase brookies with the fly this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Pulling back

Hi Folks, Guided a group of spin anglers on the lower Winooski yesterday afternoon for smallmouth bass.  The thunderstorms from two nights prior had dirtied up the Winooski.  I had noticed earlier in the day the Lamoille was up and off color as well.  Water temperature was 79 degrees (Ouch!!!).  Could be awhile before we get back on the either the Lamoille or Winooski to trout fish.  Just too hot.  Water clarity was good enough that you could see your wading boots in the river and the smallmouth had no problem finding our lures.  The fishing got better as the sun laid down off the river.  It was pretty darn hot for the first couple of hours of fishing.  We cast perch colored rapalas and revel crawfish into large riffles to pools.  The fish were holding on inside seems off the main riffles.  Short casts and letting the lure swing in the current drew a bit interest.  We landed 10 river smallmouth that really put a bend in the rod.  Lots of fun with light tackle and river smallmouth are strong little devils.  With the current weather fishing in the morning is the way to go.  I will be chasing river smallmouth bass this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Looking for the big boy

Hi Folks, Guided with the boat yesterday morning with spin gear for smallmouth bass.  A pretty good weather front pushed through from the previous night bringing sunny skies and a stiff north/northwest wind.  Surface temperature of the water was 77 degrees and the clarity was slightly off from the previous nights rain.  We still need more rain.  tough fishing conditions yesterday but good anglers and guides figure out how to catch fish in a wide variety of conditions.  We started fishing the surface and did manage to pick off a 1 smallmouth bass on a blue/white popper.  However, the top water bite was not happening so we got down and dirty with crawfish colored Senkos in 4" and 5" and a a baby bass colored Senko in 5".  Rigged them weightless with a red worm hook.  We managed to land 3 more smallmouth on the Senkos but no large fish. We did have multiple strikes and hooked a few more fish, but I can only assume most of them were from the same 2 to 3 year old class smallmouth.  We covered some water and worked for the fish we caught.  The wind did not make it any easier as line control is imperative when finesse fishing with soft plastics.  Well we did catch some fish but not to my standards from a size point of view.  I guess better than a sharp stick in the eye.  Never deterred and I will be river fishing for smallmouth this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

drying up

Hi folks, Guided a small mountain brook yesterday and the low water level was kind of scary.  Water temperature was 63 degrees which is warm for this little brook.  We did receive some rain last night and at my house in Stowe the rain gauge is measuring .5" of precipitation.  Any rain is good, but we need a few days of sustained rain.  Pretty easy locating where the trout will be holding as many spots simply do not have enough water.  Primary pools with over knee deep water held fish.  We could see the brookies dart from under neath rocks to grab the  dry fly.  A #14 orange stimulator and #14 royal rubber legged stimulator were the flies of the day.  Awful pretty fish are brook trout and their colors are getting better by the day.  Off to chase smallmouth bass this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

small water fly fishing

Hi folks, Guided a small stream yesterday in pursuit of wild brown trout and native brook trout.  Water temperature was 62 degrees which is warm for this particular brook.  The blazing heat outside has certainly affected all of our streams and you would be hard pressed currently to find any streams where waders are required.  I have found water temperatures to be above average thus far this season.  Very little rain and warmer than average air temperatures.  We worked up stream on this little brook as it is low and clear.  We learned a good lesson on the first spot of the day when we spooked a decent brown trout with too much false casting.  Position, approach, and presentation are all very important.  As it turned out we had over 20 fish come to the fly and did land several nice wild brown trout and native brookies.  A #14 orange and green stimulator was the fly of the day.  Never had to change patterns.  Good fun watching fish rise in the water column to grab the dry fly.  Short accurate casts were in order and a good up stream mend.  We did have several fish deny us due to a poor drift.  Good mending is always in order.  Nice morning of trout fishing and I am going to do it all over again this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species art home.  Have Fun, Willy

first light

Hi Folks, Guided smallmouth bass yesterday morning in a big river with the fly rods.  Water temperature was 74 degrees and the levels are still low.  Low water is really not a problem where we were fishing as it makes the wading much easier and reading the water.  Water temperatures in the low to mid 70's are perfect for smallmouth bass fishing, but certainly too warm for trout fishing.  When began yesterday morning under low light and the top water bite was excellent.  We hooked a 2lb smallmouth on the very first cast of the day.  A #6 red and white foam popper worked really well.  We focused our efforts on a long slow section of river and cast to the main channel edges within the realm of the foam line.  Dead drifting poppers and then g\working them aggressively back drew some good strikes.  Smallmouth and very large fall fish were on the top water bite for the early part of the morning.    As the sun came up we moved into some heavy pocket water and big giant riffles to pools.  The bright sun puts the fish down.  With the current weather pattern early morning fishing is the key.  Sleeping in is a mistake and standing in the hot sun casting is not a lot of fun, especially if the fish are being fussy.  So, we changed tactics and fished below the surface with a #4 olive/yellow Clauser minnow and a #8 tungsten head olive wooly bugger.  Lots of crawfish where we were fishing and the all of the bass look stuffed with craw daddies in their bellies.  If I can't catch smallmouth off the top then the Clauser minnow is an excellent sub surface fly pattern.  I think any fly in olive, brown, black, and even white will catch a smallmouth.  If they are feeding then they are not overly fussy and analyzing fly selection is foolish.  Keep the fly in the water.  We tugged on another half dozen smallies with the sub surface flies and missed a few.  Off to brook trout fish this morning.  Even the small mountain streams are getting warm and wet wading is certainly in order.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

soft plastics

Hi Folks, Guided smallmouth bass with the spin gear yesterday morning in a local river.  Still oppressively hot and humid out there.  The early morning is the time to fish without questions and the fishing has been pretty darn good until the sun gets high in the sky.  Water temperature was 72 degrees and the water is still low and clear.  Over the last two days my clients have landed over 30 smallmouth bass  in the river system we have been fishing.  Every hole seems to hold fish.  We have been pounding the smallies with 3" and 4" Senkos rigged on red hooks.  Natural colors in craw fish and watermelon have been fantastic.  Dead drifting the Senkos has been really effective.  I have never seen smallmouth eat an artificial bait like this.  I have guided spin trips for almost 20 years and I really impressed how well these fish eat up this soft plastic baits.  The key ingredient with any soft plastic that is rigged Texas style is to really set the hook when you get a bite.  Well today I am changing directions and fishing with the fly rods for brook trout.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

fish that pull back

back to the well

Hi Folks, Well, when it s hot and muggy why not go bass fishing.  I took spin anglers  river fishing for smallmouth bass.  Nice morning for fishing with calm conditions and over cast skies.  Pretty humid out there and the water temperatures held at 73 degrees.  We still need rain.  The bass fishing was pretty darn good yesterday.  We landed 19 smallmouth bass from 1/4lb to 2lbs.  Lots of fish in the 1.5lb class and they were full of piss and vinegar flying out of the water after being hooked.  We fished large pools  and found fish holding in the large eddies and the head of the pool.  River smallmouth are lazy and tend to hold in the slower sections of the river, but still in relation to the foam line.  We cast a natural colored rebel crawfish and caught several nice fish retrieving lure in a stop and go fashion.  The lure of the day was a 3" watermelon Senklo rigged Texas style on a red worm hook.  You could not miss.  We fished the Senko very slowly along the bottom.  In addition to the bass we caught a 12" emaciated rainbow trout, several fall fish, and even a large white horse sucker.  Pretty interesting how fat and stuffed the bass are presently.  Looks like they have been feeding pretty well.  Fun morning of fishing.  I am off to river fish for smallmouth again.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Hot Summer

Hi Folks, Took an aspiring fly angler out yesterday for an instructional trip and man was the weather nasty.  Maybe, I am getting soft with age, but I do not like the heat and humidity.  Big bright sun is never good.  However, I do like humid weather for top water fishing for small mouth bass.  We were learning on a trout stream where the water was 68 degrees and moved to 70 degrees at the end of our trip.  Water levels are still low and we still need rain.  Lots of #18 tan bodied caddis on tops of rocks in their casings and looking ready to hatch.  Tons of olive green to tan bodied #12/#14 grasshoppers in the fields we walked across to the stream.  We nymph fished with a #16 flashback hare's ear nymph and a #18 tan caddis pupa.  We had 3 fish eat our flies.  Pretty slow going in my opinion.  I am not shocked as the water is warm and it was awful bright outside.  Bass fishing will still stay the best option and I am off to take folks river fishing for smallmouth this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy