Monday, October 10, 2016

weather is changing

Hi Folks, Been a busy weekend of guiding for the catfish.  Mixed it up from lake fly fishing for bass and pike to fly fishing for trout on the Lamoille watershed.  Water temperatures are really starting to drop as the winter approaches.  Cold nights now have the Lamoille and its tributaries reading water temperatures in the low to mid fifties.  The lake I guided Saturday was a pleasant 64 degrees.  The wind was a factor all wind as it swirled from various directions.  Was a challenge lake fishing on Saturday.  With the wind comes downed leaves in rivers which can be a bit of a pain.  Still seeing lots of #20 BWO hatching midday day to late afternoon as well as sporadic #14/#16 caddis mid morning to mid afternoon.  We have found sone sipping trout who have been more than willing to eat a #20 spotlight emerger and as well as a #20 BWO parachute.  Bass fishing Saturday involved lots of casting.  The fly patterns of the day were a #6 orange and yellow Lefty's Deceiver and a #6 Sculpin head bugger in yellow and white with rubber legs.  We located a good pod of largemouth bass in 1' to 3' of water among dying off weed beds.  Had a few smallmouth bass chase out of deeper water but not commit to eating the fly.  One decent pike ate a fly and promptly broke us off.  Good number of fish but no real big boys.  Trout fishing yesterday on a Lamoille tributary was very good once we located the fish.  Due to the drought, the fish were stacked up in a big plunge pool.  We did not have many fish come to the fly until we got on the bigger piece of water.  Then it was game on as we had 6 nice trout eat our nymph rig.  Landed two strong fighting fish with the best being an almost 15" wild rainbow.  The rig was a #8 olive bead head wolly bugger with a #18 olive green cooper john nymph.  Both flies got responses.  Interesting was how some of the takes were subtle and some very aggressive.  Depended on where in the pool the flies were cast as the eddy fish took the fly very gently and the the trout in the heavier water crushed it.  Certainly a lot colder today with frost warning now in effect.  Off to trout fish.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy