Hi folks, Finally putting the drift boat to work the last few days. Rivers levels and temperatures are good presently and the fishing even better. Been on the Lamoille the last three days with the boat. The upper river has maintained temerpature. Cool nights really help. Water temperatures have been 60 to 62 degrees in the early am. Still lots of #18-#20 micro caddis hatching and fish rising. The rising activity has been better prior to the sun hitting the water. A swung #18 yellow soft hackle in riffles has been consistent. Lots of young rainbows and even browns hammering the swung fly. Makes sense since caddis come off in an explosive fashion after drifting a great distance in the surface film as a pupa trapped in a gas bubble. The trout look great and really healthy. July has been a freak month for being cool and wet. Perfect! The fishing yesterday on the lower Lamoille was really good! Lots of big smallmouth hammering poppers. Water temperature was 71 degrees, The fish were coming out of the water and back down on the fly. The fish would miss the fly and on the next cast eat it. Really strong fighting fish that looked pretty well fed. We did in the fray catch a nice trophy brown's put in by the state. In addition, in a crazy spot had a wild brown trout eat a bass popper. Would not have believed it if I had not seen it myself. Really did not change fly patterns for most of the day. For sub surface patterns a #8 white wooly bugger with a black bead head and #6 dumbbell eye olive bunny bugger picked up the fish that did not want to rise to eat. Big eddies seemed to hold the most fish, but I think there are smallmouth all through the river. Well, more river fishing tomorrow. Looks continued nice weather. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
