wretched fall fish

Hi folks, Spent the afternoon with a client on the lower Winooski yesterday. The lower Winooski to me is from Bolton Dam down to Essex.  Water temperature was 68 degrees ouch!!! Water level is below the seasonal average flow and it was easy wading for big water.  A few #16 sulphurs hatching, but not much for bugs.  We resorted to one of my favorite Winooski tactics, swinging flies.  Position at the top of riffles and swing double nymph rigs with a tight line and let it drift all the way to a stop.  The Winooski is big and dirty and you do not spoke fish with this tactic like could happen on a smaller clear trout stream.  We did land two wild trout on a #16 yellow soft hackle dropped off a #12 tungsten Prince nymph.  One wild bow and a rare wild brown below Bolton.  Generally you catch lots of stocked brown trout in the Winooski in this stretch. This brown trout with cherry dots and big pectoral fins was no stocked fish.  Unfortunately we caught tons of the dreadful fall fish.  Too damn many.  I have to wonder what impact they have on the trout fishery.  Would make good pike bait.  Off to the kingdom today for some trout fishing.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy