fishing by ourselves

Hi folks, I guess the wet weather scares anglers off and away from the water.  No one fishing on the lake I guided this morning with the boat.  Pretty peaceful and quiet.  Water was pretty calm and the surface temperature was in the high 60's.  Low light with heavy clouds and a couple of light brief showers.  We spin fished the surface for smallmouth bass with a jointed blue and silver floating rapala.  Worked rocky points and ledge rock areas.  The bass were holding off the deeper parts of the points and very well could have been suspended.  The first fish of the day was 16".  Caught 5 more smallmouth in the 6" to 12" range and then the big boy.  The top water bite slowed a bit by mid morning so we changed to a deep diving craw fish pattern crank bait and immediately hooked and landed a 19" smallmouth.  Really nice strong looking fish that was full of piss and vinegar.  Not a bad morning of smallie fishing.  Really important to be dialed in when fishing the surface as you just never know when a strike will occur.  More rain today has my range gauge in Stowe measuring close to an 1" over the last 24 hours.  Our streams are high and dirty again.  Will be fishing small streams this weekend as the Lamoille and Winooski will take a few days to calm down.  Remember to clean you gear

wet again

Hi Folks, Looks like rain for the next couple of days.  Showers on and off and nice cool air temperatures.  If we avoid thunderstorms, our streams and brooks should stay fine.  Guided the Lamoille this morning and fished on a Winooski tributary yesterday afternoon.  I have found water temperatures between 58 degrees on the small stream to 62 degrees on the main stem of the Lamoille.  Not too much for insect activity.  A few random #14 yellow sallies yesterday and this morning a few #18 Blue Winged Olives.  Lots of #16 to #18 olive bodied caddis and tan bodied caddis encased on large boulders.  No rising fish.  Last night a #14 light green stimulator drew a fair amount of attention from 4" to 8" wild rainbows and brook trout.  A lot of walking between knee deep holding water, but good fun watching the fish come to the fly.  Really enjoy seeing the fish eat.  This morning we nymphed with a #16 olive caddis and #18 peacock herl soft hackle as a dropper.  Rigged the the two flies under indicators and dead drifted several pools.  We tried a blindly fished #12 ausable wulff and #16 usual, but no takers.  We had 11 trout eat the fly and we landed 2 fiesty wild rainbows on dropper fly.  Saw no stocked fish.  They must have really taken a beating on the Lamoille during the high water.  Well, I fine by the weather as long our streams do not get too high or dirty.  Off to fish smallies in the am from the boat.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

longest day of the year and great fishing

Hi folks, Really nice weather pattern for fly fishing our trout streams currently.  Cool nights into the 50's and cool mornings with bright sunny days warming into the high 70's.  The morning trout fishing has been outstanding.  I guided a Lamoille tributary yesterday morning where the water temperature was 60 degrees at 6:00am.  Nice #16 tan bodied caddis hatch all morning as well as some #18 caddis hatching and #14 rusty mayfly spinner was egg laying.  We found fish rising subtly to the spinner and good splashy rise forms to the caddis.  The rig of the day was a #16 parachute caddis with a #16 caddis pupa dropper.  We landed 5 stocked brown trout and 3 wild rainbows.  Probably hooked and lost another 7 fish.  We found adult fish rising in big primary pools and younger smaller trout rising in the riffles.  I was introduced to an interesting method of fishing yesterday by my guest.  He had a Tenkara rod which is a  form of fishing used in Japan.  A long telescoping rod without a reel with a fluorocarbon leader attached to the tip of the rod.  No reel what so ever.  The rod was 11' and the leader was slightly longer.  You could false cast this rig and it was really slick for short drifts and casts.  Reminded me of a bamboo cane pole I used as a kid to catch bream and crappie. We did land a couple of fish using it and and lost a few.  Pretty interesting and I think I will be looking into the Tenkara set-up.  With the bright days, I prefer fishing in the morning as the afternoon has a limited window of opportunity when it is so bright.  Right at dusk basically.  Will be chasing trout in the morning tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

Father's Day weekend

Hi Folks, Spent the last two days guiding for trout and smallmouth bass.  Nice weather front has cooled things off, but also presented some wind issues yesterday.  River water temperatures have remained in the low sixties and levels are still slightly higher than the seasonal average.  The lake I was on yesterday morning with the boat was 68 degrees on the surface.  Saturday the trout fishing was pretty decent as we fished a river that holds lake run fish.  We landed 3 rainbows with 2 of the fish being wild trout.  The largest of the bunch made some spectacular leaps out of the water.  Streamer fishing was in order with no bug activity and the fish unwilling to eat nymphs.  A crawfish pattern seemed to be the ticket. All of the fish were holding in deeper pools and rose to eat the streamer fly.  The smallmouth fishing was pretty darn good yesterday morning before the wind really began to blow.  We were on the water fishing by 5:30am and fished surface flies the entire time.  We found smallmouth in usual places like big rock points and humps.  The fish were holding on the deeper sides of the points.  Also, fished some old wood that was abutted by random large boulders on a drop off.  You could see the smallmouth come up in the water column and eat the fly.  A blue and white foam slider was the most productive fly and most of the strikes came when the fly hit the water or after the first movement of the fly on the surface.  Good surface takes with lots of jumping.  We landed 9 smallies and missed or lost another 7 fish.  No monsters yesterday, buts lots of action.  I am taking today off from fishing after a week straight and will be back after the trout tomorrow am.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

working for trout

Hi folks, Guided a double yesterday starting on the upper Winooski in the morning and then finished the day on the Lamoille.  Yes, I did change wading gear and make sure that I did not move anything from one watershed to another.  Water temperature on the Winooski was 60 degrees and the water was almost twice the seasonal flow average.  The color of the water was slightly off or even say dingy.  Not much for insects hatching and no rising fish.  We nymphed and worked a few streamers.  We covered a fair amount of water were able to land 5 wild rainbows all under 12".  Even at a young age the rainbows all got air time.  A #10 olive and black heavily weighted wooly bugger accounted for one fish.  A #12 tungsten prince and a #16 olive caddis pupa accounted for the other trout. We did not find any consistency in the fishing and the trout were holding in heavy water as well as slow pools. Last night on the Lamoille the water temperature was 65 degrees and the water level was above the seasonal average.  Saw a number of #16 to #18 caddis hatching at dusk as well as #16 sulphers.  We found a few rising fish, but they were all young rainbows.  Nymphing a #16olive caddis pupa with #18 pheasant tail under an indicator produced 1 landed wild rainbow and several missed or lost fish.  We were able to get the rising trout at dusk to eat a #16 the usual and #16 parachute sulpher.  Still no larger fish showing their face.   Considering the conditions, the fishing was not fast and furious.  Nice overcast day with cool air temperatures, you would have thought we would have caught a ton of fish.  We did have the rivers to ourselves, that is always a bonus.  I think the higher than average flows had an impact on the fishing yesterday, but who knows.  You can only catch them if your fly is in the water.  Off to tug on trout today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

dusk and dawn

Hi folks, Nice weather finally.  Really enjoying the dry spell with the sun.  Of course these big bright sunny days change the prime fishing times, but who cares about getting up at 4:30am to go fishing?  Been guiding in the morning and evenings.  Right now you want to fish either very early or late in the day to dusk due to light levels and water temperatures.  This morning we chased smallmouth bass from my boat with the fly rod and spin rod.  Surface temperature was 64 degrees with no wind.  We worked large rocky points that dropped into deeper water with a surface popper that looked like a frog and a floating rapala.  Both the fly and lure were equally productive and we landed 15 smallmouth bass between 6" and 16".  We covered a lot of water and made lots of casts.  The trout fishing has been crazy right at dark.  Fish rising everywhere eating sulphers, egg laying caddis, and even saw a few drakes.  The last hour of dark seems to be the magic hour for rising fish.  Trout fishing in the morning has been steady as well, just not as much rising activity.  Flies right now, olive and tan bodied caddis between #16 and #18, sulphers between #14 and #18, and drakes between #10 and #12.  I have been mostly using an #16 x-caddis, #16 pheasant tails, and #12 white wulff.  The fish have not seemed overly fussy.  Make a good drift and good things happen.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy

wet weather

Hi folks, Been guiding for trout the last two days in some nice cool damp weather.  I did two trips on the Lamoille yesterday and the water temperature dropped from the morning to evening.  It was 62 degrees at 5:30 am and 59 degrees at 7:00pm.  I was up stream in the afternoon and we did receive almost 3/8" of inch of rain between my trips.  Last night brought another 1/2" of rain and it is raining now.  The small stream I fished this morning was 56 degrees.  Might as well get used to the higher than average water levels.  It seems like it will be that way for awhile.  Good for the fish.  We saw a few #15 olive bodied caddis hatching yesterday morning but only a few rising fish nothing with regularity.  We caught 4 stocked rainbows and 1 wild bow with a #14 orange bodied usual swung in the current and a #16 olive wire caddis.  The afternoon brought on a great hatch of #20 BWO's, but we found absolutely no rising trout.  I think the rising water level from the afternoon rain put the fish down.  We did see a few #16 sulphurs hatching at dusk, but not in great numbers.  We landed one wild rainbow that ate a #12 ausable wulff, go figure.  This morning was a nice small stream expereince for brook trout.  Man, are they user friendly and willing to eat big silly dry flies.  Good fun with a 2wt.and 3wt.  Looks cool for the next few days, so rivers temperatures should stay nice.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

stocked trout

Hi folks, Spent a full day guiding on a Lamoille tributary yesterday.  Thunderstorms the previous night had dropped a 1/2" of rain at my house in Stowe and all of our rivers came up.  The Lamoille was up and off color.  Where we fished the clarity was fine, but the water level was high.  Nice day to be outside with cloudy skies turning to sunny skies by mid day and a nice cooler air temperatures.  Water temperature was 62 degrees and we saw a few #16 olive bodied caddis hatching.  Found a few rising fish, but not many.  We mostly nymphed in the morning with a #12 prince and #16 caddis pupa dropper.  We missed a few fish and worked for strikes.  By mid morning we changed 2 a dry dropper rig and really started to pick up some fish.  We caught a lot of stocked brown trout on the dry and and wet fly.  Loads of fun and pretty easy action.  All of the fish were holding intow big stable pools.  Off to chase trout his am.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

getting warm

Hi folks, Been hot and muggy over the last couple of days and our trout streams are already heating up.  Guided on the Lamoille today and the water temperature was 68 degrees and moving towards 70 degrees.  Water level is still higher than average, but the clarity is fine and the fish do not seem to care.  Pretty interesting seeing all of the bank erosion and damage from the high water events of the spring.  Turned over a lot rocks in several riffles and I did not find a ton of insects.  A fair amount of caddis, but few stoneflies or mayflies.  We spin fished for trout today casting a natural rebel craw and a small brown trout imitation.  We had 4 rainbows take the plugs with two fish being wild and two stocked.  Pretty interesting watching how much harder the wild fish fight.  Real jumpers.  Looks like thunderstorms are moving through the Stowe area and the fishing should be very good this weekend with the air temperatures cooling off.  Water temperatures will cool down and it looks like some cloudy conditions.  Perfect, I will be on the water the next few days.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

silver king

Time is now to be on a trout stream in Vermont

Hi folks, Now is the time of the year that you want to be everywhere at once to fish.  The fishing is stellar presently and I just returned from trip up north for Landlocked Salmon.  Water levels are still high, but the clarity is excellent and there are a wide variety of hatching insects.  Water temperatures have ranged from 58 degrees to 64 degrees over the last couple of days.  Saw a few #12 March Browns blast off today, a number of #16 olive bodied caddis hatching, and a few #14 rusty spinners landing on the water.  A few small fish were rising.  We targeted landlocked slamon with streamer patterns and nymphs.  A #10 black ghost and #8 magog smelt were the early morning flies and drew a little interest except for 1 mid size salmon that jumped and pitched the fly.  A #10 red head tungsten prince nymph with a #16 olive wire caddis under indicator was the ticket.  We found spawning smallmouth protecting beds in big back eddies and very slow currents.  We left them alone for the most part. Not the target species though we did land several including a fine 18" specimen on a 5wt.  The salmon were holding in the heavier water and we landed a solid 4lb 22" male salmon.  A real silver bullet.  Hooked another salmon that was even larger but the tail walk across the pool created separation from the fly rod.  The 22" measured salmon was chased down stream almost a football field through really nasty heavy water and still stayed hooked.  Man do landlocked salmon fight.  We landed one salmon per and a 15" salmon.  Lots of fall fish in the mix.  The best part of the morning was having the river to ourselves.  Get out fish, either early or late in the day.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have Fun, Willy

Lamoille looking good and fishing well

Hi Folks, Just returned from an early morning fishing trip on the Lamoille.  Water temperature was 55 degrees at 6:00am.  The water level is still about twice the seasonal flow average, but the clarity was excellent.  No hatching insects, but I did find a few random rising trout that appeared to be eating #14 mayfly spinner.  Had 4 different trout attempt to eat a orange strike indicator.  Landed a couple of stocked rainbows in the 10" to 12" class and missed or lost another 4 fish.  A #12 Ausable Wulff drew a few random strikes.  A double nymph rig with a #12 flashback pheasant tail and #16 olive wire caddis produced some interest as well.  The big water certainly had the trout spread out a bit and I think the flow prohibited some fishing from moving too far to eat.  Afternoon to dusk probably would be the time to fish on a day like today due to the cool  morning.  It was bit chilly out there before the sun hit the water.  Look for #14 to #18 sulphurs and #14 to #18 caddis presently.  Still some random #12 March Browns hatching and it will not be long before the Drakes.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

post spawn smallmouth

Hi Folks, Guided on my boat again yesterday and we dodged thunderstorms once again.  Really big light show at 5:30am that forced us off the water temporarily.  However, my clients and I waited it out and we got back after the smallmoth bass.  The water temperature on the surface 66 degrees and the clarity was off color.  Still a lot of debris in the water and we had to watch out with the boat not to hit anything.  Fished with spin gear and worked top water rapalas in the morning before the wind picked up from the south and the sun began to shine.  Mid morning we changed directions and jig fished with crawfish colored tube jigs on 1/8th oz. jig head and also used a green 6" zoom lizard.  We landed several small bass on topwaters and missed a few lunkers.  The jig fishing produced a lot of action and we landed several fish in the 14" to 16" class.  All of the bass were holding off of rock points and humps.  Lots of wood on the bottom so we texas rigged our jigs.  Not a bad day of fishing and it appeared that every fish we caught was post spawn.  Big cold front has descended upon us and our rivers are coming down.  Small streams look decent and I am looking forward to trout fishing in a river.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy

hey! the sun

Hi Folks, Put the boat in the water early am today guiding bass and northern.  Water was extremely clear even though we have received over 3.5" of rain in the last week.  Surface temperature was 64 degrees in the morning and the sun shined brightly all day.  A little north breeze, but not enough to influence anything.  We pounded shoreline with poppers and sliders for smallmouth and largemouth bass.  You could see some abandoned spawning beds as well as occupied spawning beds.  Spotted a lot of smallmouth, largemouth, and panfish cruising in really skinny water.  Tough fish to catch and long casts were required due to the clarity of water and lack of wind.  Trust me, the fish can see our big profile in a boat with conditions like today.  We left the spawners alone.  We ended up landing 7 smallmouth on surface flies.  We changed directions and cast for northern pike in deeper water off forming weeds bed adjacent to good depth transition.  Landed two decent northern between 22" and 28" as well as one of the largest black crappie I have ever seen.  Red and orange, red and white, and black and chartruse all drew interest.  Red and orange has been the best color combo this year for me while guiding.  Will be in the boat early am.  The Lamoille and Winooski are stuffed presently, though some small streams looked clear but high.  One of these days we will trout fish in the rivers.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy

smallmouth and wet weather

Hi folks, The fishing gods were shining on me once again yesterday as I was able to take my clients out on my boat without getting rained on.  We fly fished on a large body of water for smallmouth bass with the fly rods.  Surface temperature was 61 degrees in the morning with overcast skies and very little wind.  We stayed to shoreline cover and worked large rock points and rocky shorelines.  The first cast of the day produced a 12" smallie on a frog pattern popper.  You never know how the fishing will be from the point on, you could catch a lot fish or not see another.  We fell in between.  We saw few other decent sized bass come to the fly as well as several larger pumpkin seed.  We changed flies from surface poppers to a bright chartruse  subsurface snook fly  and started to see large fish after the fly.  The fish of the day was a egg laden female who measured slightly over 17"  Fly fishing can enjoyed on a wide variety of species is not only for trout.  Our rivers are still high and dirty from 3 days of thunderstorms.  Looks like the weather is going to change and dry up.  In the mean time I will continue using my motorboat for guide trips catching bass and pike.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

smallmouth the fly

cating flies to pan fish

Hi folks, Guided a full day yesterday on small lake where we waded and fly fished.  Surface temperature was 63 degrees and there was a slight south breeze.  Still pretty muggy and warm and we were able to dodge the thunderstorms once again.  With a large group and our rivers being unfishable wading a lake was a good option.  We were able to walk out on a firm bottom and cast parallel to the shoreline and out to the first drop off.  Ever notice that shore anglers cast as far out into a lake as possible and that boat anglers cast as far to the shore as possible?  Anyhow, we had a lot fun tugging on pumpkin seed, rock bass, blue gill, and perch.  We did not catch any northern or smallmouth.  For beginner fly anglers it was a lot of fun and a great way to learn about casting, working a surface fly, hooking a fish, and playing a fish with a fly rod.  Never underestimate what lurks in the shallow margins of a lake, especially this time of the year. You do not always need a boat to catch fish.  Off to chase smallmouth this morning.  Hopefully, we can dodge the weather again and I glad I have a boat.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

fly fishing from the boat

Hi Folks, Got away with another guided trip yesterday prior to the massive thunderstorms.  Glad I have a motorboat during these times when are rivers are not even approachable.  We have received almost 2.5" of rain at my house in Stowe over the last 48 hours.  Stream fishing is not an option presently.  The lake we fished was 63 degrees on the surface and there was a steady breeze from the north.  We worked shoreline weed beds in about 5' to 10' of water.  We made a lot casts for 2 northern pike we landed on the fly.  The color of the day was red and white and chartruse and white.  Missed a couple of takes from pike and also landed some large greedy yellow perch.  Letting the fly sink to the bottom and working  back with long slow strips produced strikes.More thunderstorms in order for today so pay attention to the weather and be safe.  I am off to guide pike and smallies once again.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

more smallmouths

Hi Folks, Guided yesterday midday prior to the torrential thunderstorms that swept through the area.  We fly fished a river that dumps into a lake and is influenced by lake run run fish like rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, suckers, fall fish, and yellow perch.  Water temperature was 59 degrees and slightly above its seasonal average flow.  Clarity was decent and we saw a few #14 Grey fox mayflies hatching.  No rising fish.  We dead drifted #10 olive wooly buggers and swept a bead headed white winged zonker through the primary pools.  No trout, but we did land a 17" smallmouth and a 12" smallmouth.  Loads of fun on a 4wt.  Unfortunately the big rain last night (1" at my house in Stowe) has shut down our rivers for a few days.  Looking forward to May ending and all of the damn rain.  Will be guiding all weekend and it looks like the focus will be lakes and ponds.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

perch, pike, smallmouth, and the rusty spinner

Hi Folks, Really  have been mixing it up the last couple of days.  Some old school and catching different types of fish on the fly.  Remember fly fishing is not all about trout, merely some of its origins.  Visited a local lake river system with a friend the 2 days ago in search of big yellow perch for fish sandwiches.  Nothing better than garden hackle for catching fish to eat.  Water was 60 degrees, a little off color, with a nice early morning mist.  Did see a Bald Eagle, pretty cool. We used light spinning rods with small #10 red octopus hooks and bloobs of worms from our vegetable gardens.  Long casts and then working the bait back towards the bank from a deeper channel produced a wild rainbow, a native brookie, a sucker, a fall fish, a smallmouth bass, and yes enough large yellow perch for fish sandwiches. By the way, we did not hook anything deeply and were able to release the trout and bass with out any issues.  Today I guided in my boat all day with a very good father son fly angler combination.  We started the morning in pursuit of northern pike and spent the afternoon chasing prespawn smallmouth bass.  Bright colored flies were the order of the day.  Red and Orange and Red and Yellow seducers and deceivers worked well on the pike.  Chartruse seemed to be the color for the smallies.  Beautiful weather day with early morning clouds and afternoon bright sun.  Water temperatures ranged from 60 to 64 degrees by late afternoon.  Nice mix of fish today and we even caught a large bullhead on a fly (first for me as a guide), yellow perch, and sunfish.  Tonight I attended the Lamoille River Anglers Association meeting on the Lamoille River with Fish and Wildlife Comissioner Pat Berry.  The Lamoille was twice it s normal flow for this time of the year and the water temperature was 62 degrees.  Water clarity was good with a Hendrickson Spinner fall and numbers of #16 egg laying caddis.  Found a rising fish in the main current of the tailout of a giant primary pool.  Eating spinners at dusk.  So, #12 rusty spinner and little patience produced a beautiful jumping wild rainbow.  Good day of fishing.  Off to do it again tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-natives at home.  Have Fun, Willy