Hi Folks, Been staying out of trouble guiding and storming around Vermont trout streams. It feels more like the end of May rather than the end of June. The weather has been inconsistent and weird. Beautiful and sunny one minute, pouring with thunder and lighting the next. Our rivers are full of water and temperatures are really nice. The two little brooks that I fly fished yesterday were 53 degrees and 56 degrees. A larger river today I guided was 62 degrees. I'll take it. As long as nights stay cool, the water temperatures should hold for a bit. The small stream fishing has been interesting. Been fishing dry flies as well as dry dropper rigs. A #10 foam royal true, a #12 royal wulff, and a #12 elk hair caddis. Been mixing a few small dropper in because the trout have not been all over the dry flies. A #18 peacock herl soft hackle and a #16 olive caddis pupa. I would say 60 percent of the strikes from brook trout came on the dry and 40 percent on the dropper. Due to the higher and cooler water, the fish have been holding in some slow and soft water and pockets. Most of the takes have been methodical on the dry fly, within the exception of one crazy brookie who launched out to eat the dry. Saw a great hatch of #16-#18 sulphurs last night on a tribe. of the Winooski. A lot of bugs coming off and a fish rising. Happened right around dark as was still going strong after dark. The fish were rising, but mostly smaller rainbows. Tough when you cant see your #18 parachute sulphur pattern. It appeared that a lot of the trout were eating emergers in the film. Been seeing #16 and a #18/#20 Black caddis hatching mid afternoon the last few days. Lots of #14 chartreuse Yello Sallies hatching on the small brooks. On the spin front, it is Senko time in the rivers. Dead drifting 3" to 4" natural colored Senkos is a pretty sure bet for catching a river smallmouth and occasionally a trout. Should be a good few days of fishing ahead. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home, Have Fun, Willy
