Saturday, August 8, 2015

When the sun goes down

Hi Folks, Guided on the Lamoille yesterday afternoon with the fly rods.  Nice day that felt very much like Fall.  Water temperature was 67 degrees and the level was about at the seasonal average flow.  Not a bad temperature for the Lamoille in the afternoon considering that it is August.  I would prefer to fish the morning always this time of the year as the water would be 5 degrees cooler and the fish a lot more active.  Saw my first #12/#14 Isonychia shuck on a rock.  The Isonychia is a significant may fly hatch that will occur for the next 6 weeks.  A constant food source for our river trout.  Good to carry a few Isonychia nymphs in your box as well as a few Grey Wulff patterns to imitate the dun.  We swung #14 Zug Bugs initially yesterday and had 5 fish eat the fly.  Also, a #18 olive wire caddis was effective on the swing.  The fishing picked up at dusk with multiple insects hatching and the trout began to rise.  There were 3 different types of may flys hatching as well as two different sized caddis.  Took a little deciphering to determine what the trout were eating.  There was a few #10/#12 Epherons and #18 Sulphers hatching, but the fish seemed keyed into the small #18/#20 caddis that was coming off.  The trout were coming right out of the water to eat.  It appeared that they were eating emergers in the surface film and their momentum was carrying them out of the water after rising to eat.  We postioned ourselves up stream after failing to get a take on a dead drift and began to swing a #18 tan bodied x-caddis.  We got several trout to eat with this method.  The takes were fairly obvious as the fish would eat the fly as it was swung with a tight line.  It can be tough at dark with rising fish and being able to see the fly let alone detecting a take.  Still worth the challenge as the river really came to life.  Off to chase smallmouth this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy