lots of winter still

Hi folks, Been on the ice a couple of times over the last week.  Still feels like winter out there with it snowing just about every day in Stowe and a good 18" of ice under my shanty.  There is a fair amount of snow on the ice presently and snow shoes are not a bad way for getting around.  Been slow on the trout front and mainly catching yellow perch and a handful of smelt each time.  We have been having more success catching perch on tip ups dressed with small fat head minnows or small golden shiners than jigging.  The perch have been suspended over 50' of water down about 20'.  I put clothes buttons on my tip up lines so I can see exactly what depth my bait was set at.  Very effective when fishing in different parts of the water column.  Still chumming for smelt and small Hali jigs have been the ticket.  Most of the smelt are also suspended and I have been locating them in 25' of water down about 15'.  Only a few weeks to trout fish so I will try to get my licks in before now and then.  have fun, Willy

getting my perch on

Hi Folks, Been guiding the hard water the last few days.  Lots of ice out there now with over 18" where we fished yesterday afternoon.  Decent snow pack on the ice and snow shoes are not a bad bet.  Pretty mild on the ice the last few days but a steady west wind makes thing a bit more chilly.  Not much luck catching game fish as we have been pursuing northern pike on one lake and trout on another.  However, the pan fish have been fairly cooperative.  Chumming chopped on live bait seems to be very effective in keeping schools of perch and smelt in close proximity to our holes.  I have noticed with the yellow perch that small minnows are producing bigger fish and maggots mainly get interest from the little dinky perch.  Also, brightly colored lures and glow in the dark lures have been the ticket.  Hali jigs in fire tiger, chartreuse, and orange have all been effective.  For the smelt anything in silver/ gold/bronze complimented with green or blue have been consistent.  Tip up fishing for me has been slow, but then again ice fishing is all about patience.  We did get broken off yesterday jig fishing by a pike.  Will be guiding this weekend and not sure what direction I will be heading.  Stay and warm and have, Willy

jig fishing for pike

Light line pike fishing

Hi Folks, Guided on the hard water yesterday for northern pike and yellow perch.  A good solid 14" of ice and we drove my truck on the ice.  Nice winter day with air temperatures hovering just above zero and a slight wind from the south.  We had my heated portable shanty yesterday and it was pretty comfortable inside.   We fished on dead weed beds in 10' to 12' of water. We set 15 tip-ups with large dead suckers and smelt.  We did not have one flag.  The folks fishing next to us did catch two small pike on tip-ups and they were using live bait.  All of our action came with the jig sticks.  We chummed our holes with fat head minnows and chunks of yellow perch.  It brought in the pike.  We missed a couple of fish, lost a good pike at the hole, and landed a solid 24" northern on 2lb test.  We were using light jig sticks spooled with light line and fire tiger Hali jigs.  Really exciting.  Another group of folks fishing did catch a large smallmouth bass.  Lots of action yesterday jigging and especially with little perch.  We caught a few decent perch but to avoid the small ones we had to resort to tipping our jigs with minnows and not maggots.  Fun morning.  Remember to not move water around and spread non-native species.  Have Fun, Willy

Fog, wind, and big weather change

Hi Folks, Went to my ice fishing shanty last night and guided today.  Crazy weather with a record warm front followed by a big cold front pushing in.  Last night the fog was so thick on the ice that I used my compass to make sure I did not get turned around.  The ice was a solid 9" of black ice with lots of water on top.  You definitely needed good dry boots.  The edges were sketchy with lots of standing water and caution was needed.  The fishing at night in the fog was decent for smelt.  Found a school of smelt suspended in 25' of water.  Caught them with a glow in the dark Hali Jig tipped with maggots.  The fishing today was pretty slow with big wind blowing for most of the day and air temperatures dropping throughout.  We caught a handful of smelt and perch, but no trout.  Matter of fact we did not have any flags.  Will be trout fishing again on Saturday morning.  The ice should firm up again with cold weather in the forecast.  Have Fun, Willy

shanty on the ice

Hi folks, Finally got my shanty placed out on my local trout reservoir.  Moved the shanty last night on one of the coldest nights of the year.  Air temperatures were a chilly -15 degrees with a steady northwest wind.  Oh well, at least there was plenty of ice.  A solid 10" of black ice with little snow cover was perfect for pushing the shanty out.  My shanty is sitting over 25' of water off a point about a 1/2 mile from the boat launch.  Great spot to jig smelt and set tip ups for brook trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.  Will be on the ice chasing trout this up coming week and the ice should only get thicker with the cold weather continuing through the weekend.  Be safe and stay warm.  Have Fun, Willy

walking on thin ice

Hi Folks, Finally got on the ice yesterday afternoon.  Been a slow start to the ice fishing season with a good old fashioned January thaw.  My local lakes that I like to ice are just coming around.  My local pike lake has 6" to 8" of solid black ice though the edges need to be watched.  I like to put my fixed shanty on a local trout reservoir and their I found 4" of good black ice, though the ice edges were open and or had thin ice.  I had to walk in water to get onto the ice.  Need good dry boots for that maneuver.   I jigged for perch in about 15' of water on the first drop off from the shore.  A little scary being by myself on thin ice.  I had some success tugging on some small yellow bellies.  I used a cream colored jig with orange and a red hook tipped with live maggots.  I have been using more and more red hooks and they seem to make a difference.  Trout season opens tomorrow and hopefully with the cold snap upon us I will be able to get my shanty on the ice in the next few days.  Use good judgement out there on the ice and remember there is no room for error when dealing with thin ice.  Carry your safety stuff like a ice pick lanyard, rope, life preserver, and tell someone where you will be fishing.  Have Fun, Willy

ice fishing 2012/2013

Hi folks, Hope everyone is well and bracing for winter.  Been away for a bit from fishing while I spent time in the Vermont woods chasing game.  I visited a local pike lake yesterday to find thin ice.  Been a fairly cold early winter and late fall in and around Stowe, but we still have had some warm weather and wind.  I measured less than 1" of ice on the lake.  There had been a 3" early in the week but it all broke up with the most recent warm spell.  It will not be too long before we have some ice to walk on.  Just remember to carry all of the safety gear early in the season like rope, ice picks, life preserver, and let some one know where you are heading.  My early season ice fishing will focus on northern pike and yellow perch fishing.  Trout season does not begin until the third Saturday in January.  Looking forward to getting out on the hard water.  Have Fun, Willy

End of the season

Hi Folks, Happy Halloween and the last day of trout fishing season.  I went up north on Monday to chase Landlocked Salmon.  Water level was about average for this time of the year and clarity was excellent.  Water temperature was 53 degrees and the wind was howling from the east.  Wow, the fish were everywhere int he river.  It was like looking in an aquarium as you could salmon in just about every pool with gravel.  The fish were in full on spawning mode.  We saw fish from 2lbs up to 10lbs. doing there thing.  Big females on spawning beds who were rolling.  Numbers of male salmon lined up behind the females getting ready to drop their load and competing for each female.  Saw one very large male just about eat a small male who got in the way.  We left the spawning fish alone and chased male salmon.  Swinging #8 mickey finns and a variety of nymphs was challenging.  Fish did not want to eat due to spawning.  Every so often after about a hundred drifts you would get one to open its mouth.  We  landed several very large fish and lost a few.  The good old red thread prince nymph seemed to be the most effective.  Good end to the season and off to hunt until ice fishing season.  Have Fun, Willy

going out with a bang

Hi Folks, Guided the main stem of the Lamoille yesterday afternoon.  Had the entire the place to ourselves with the exception of a flock of Turkeys that were begging to be shot in a corn field.  Water temperature was 51 degrees and the water clarity was excellent.  Saw two rising fish but they did not come up consistently and I am not really sure what they were eating.  Not really any hatching bugs.  We found trout in every pool we fished.  The fish were holding in the deeper slower parts of the pools. The fish of the day was awesome 18" wild rainbow that got out of the water multiple times.  Notice in the picture the big claw marks in it's back.  Got lucky and escaped a predator and then we released it after catching it.  I do think that the trout are overly fussy as to what they eat right now, they just are not going to work to hard as they water temperature cools off.   Dead drifting nymphs or casting streamers on a sink tip will all work.  Off to chase salmon tomorrow and then see what Hurricane Sandy brings.  The trout season concludes on Halloween.  Hopefully the does not get blown out, but we will see.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

really nice fishing day

Hi Folks, Guided a Lamoille tributary yesterday on a perfect fall day.  Nice sunny warm afternoon with no wind.  Water temperature was 50 degrees and the level was about average for this time of the year.  No hatching insects or rising fish, but plenty of hungry wild trout.  We nymph fished with double rigs under indicators.   We had a #14 copper john with a #18 olive nymph.  We landed a dozen wild rainbows between 6" and 12".  Dead drifting the flies worked best and the fish were holding in the slower parts of pools.  I think every pool held a fish.  No brown trout yesterday or giant fish, but I think that was a product of the bright sun.  Off to chase trout again today.  Today and tomorrow could be it for trout fishing with the imminent arrival of Hurricane Sandy.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

trying to finish off with a bang

Hi Folks, Winding down my fall guiding schedule.  Guided a Lamoille tributary yesterday afternoon.  Beautiful day to be on the water with air temperatures reaching the mid 50's.  The water temperature was 47  degrees and clarity was excellent.  Everyone seems so consumed with catching big fall spawning brown trout, but I like wild rainbows and they way they fight.  Yesterday afternoon we tangled with a handful of nice looking wild rainbows who looked like they handled the summer heat no problem.  We fished trout patterns that looked like a young brown trout and young rainbow trout.  Fun watching the large fish materialize from a deep pool to eat.  A week left in the trout season and a couple of trips left for me.  Been in the woods hunting a lot lately.  Really nice and quiet and pretty productive.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species art home.  Have fun, Willy

Winding down

Hi Folks, Guided yesterday for river trout with the fly.  Beautiful fall day out there with warm air temperatures and sunny skies.  Water temperature was 48 degrees and the clarity was fairly decent considering all of the recent rains.  Lots of debris in the water as the most of the leaves have now come off all of the trees.  Took my boat out with clients the other day and the surface temperature of the water was 47 degrees and we got snowed on.  Been blowing hard for most of October and boat control has been difficult on the lakes.   Fishing has been slow.  Not seeing much for fish.  Hatches have been non-existent.  Weird fall for fishing.  My focus is shifting to hunting, not guiding, but for my enjoyment.  Have a couple more trips prior to ice fishing season.  Will be chasing birds and going on a moose hunt. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

large river cannibals

Hi Folks, Guided a Lamoille tributary yesterday afternoon under cloudy rainy conditions.  Water level was up but still down for this time of the year.  Temperature was 53 degrees and the clarity was excellent.  Fished with light spinning rods and trout imitation plugs.  Still lots of debris in the water but that is a product of the season.  We worked half a dozen pools casting into banks and towards visible structure in river.  Letting the plug swing in the current and then retrieving it slowly off the seam worked pretty well.  We hooked 7 wild trout yesterday afternoon and landed 2 nice wild rainbows.  Had one really large rainbow to our feet and lost it.  It was great to see the fish came out of no where to slam a rainbow trout imitation plug.  Lost two other jumping bows and had a very large brown trout attempt to eat a brown trout imitation plug.  Big trout eat little trout.  It was fun watching fish chase down the lures.  Water clarity and polarized sun glasses help.  Windy and cool the next few days.  I will  be in the boat.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

the big cool down

Hi folks, Been guiding from the boat and the in the Lamoille water shed over the last few days and Columbus Day weekend.  Finally cooled down out there and the leaves are really starting to blow off the trees.  Lots of junk in the rivers when drifting the fly.  Water temperatures in the Lamoille have been in the mid fifties midday and the lakes I have visited have been between 51 degrees and 54 degrees.  Still been pretty darn windy.  Water levels are up with all of the recent rain.  The fishing has been slow for my guests.  Working to hook a fish or two in the river but the trout are not coming to the net very easily.  Pike fishing has been the same.  The lake fishing has been tough due to the wind.  Been awful windy this fall.  Still no rising fishing in the rivers and hatches have been sparse.  Will be off to chase trout later today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

wet one

Hi Folks, Guided a group of spin and fly anglers on the Lamoille yesterday afternoon.  Nice drizzly day  for fishing.  Still pretty warm out there and the water temperature has only dropped to 59 degrees.  Saw a few #18/#20 BWO's hatching and actually saw a couple of rising fish.  Water level is still up but the clarity is fine.  We swung a #14 copper john with a #18 BWO nymph and missed a couple of fish.  The spin guys had a bit more luck landing 1 wild rainbow and a nice 15" wild male brown trout.  It still seems that the trout suffered in the Lamoille this summer as the fall river fishing has been slow in the main stem.  The Lamoille tributaries have been vey good for wild fish but the big water has been challenging.  I usually count on the massive hatches of BWOs this time of the year and I just have not seen it or fish for that matter.  I am not interested in stocked fish and I am referring to wild fish.  Working hard for a few trout each time out.  Will be changing directions over the next few days and chasing pike and bass.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Peak

Hi Folks, Guided for the day yesterday on a Lamoille river tributary.  Big pocket water with wild brown trout, wild rainbow trout, native brookies and the occasional stocked brown trout.  We received almost 3/4" of rain on Sunday and into Monday and all of our streams are puffed up.  The Lamoille was unfishable yesterday and the stream we were on was high but clear.  The foliage is at peak right now and just sensational.  Air temperatures seem warmer than normal and it has been really pleasant on the water.  Water temperature was 59 degrees.  We fished two rigs yesterday with one rigged with a double nymph dropper rig and dry dropper rig.  We caught wild trout on both.  4th cast of the day produced a 15" hook jawed wild brown trout that ate a #18 copper john.  We lost an even bigger fish int he same hole about 12 casts later.  I had a client catch a nice wild brown on this same hole at this time last year.  Pretty cool.  We landed 2 other browns on the day and 3 wild rainbows.  We did lose a 3 fish and miss two.  We had a couple of wild rainbows and 1 brown take a #12 orange bodied stimulator.  Fun watching a fish materialize from in front of a large rock to eat.  Will be off to chasing trout this afternoon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

chasing salmon

Hi Folks, Guided with the fly rods up north yesterday for landlocked salmon.  We were not the only ones who wanted to catch salmon as the river was pretty busy.  More anglers than I like to deal with generally.  Water flows are incredibly low and the temperature was 62 degrees.  We fished two rods with one rigged with a large #8 Royal Wulff and the other with #8 prince nymph with a #16 olive flash back hare's ear nymph under an indicator.  Caught two smallmouth bass on the dry fly rig and rolled a salmon.  The prince nymph caught 4 salmon and a wild rainbow trout.  Love the way the salmon jump and fight when hooked.  No fish over 20" yesterday but there are plenty of fish in the river.  More flow and less fishing pressure would be good.  Off to chase trout today on the Lamoille watershed.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have Fun, Willy

damp, drizzly day, perfect for trout fishing

Hi Folks, Guided a Lamoille tributary yesterday afternoon with the fly rods.  Nice wet day with constant drizzle.  Water levels are a still low and we could still use more rain.  Water temperature was 55 degrees.  Saw a pretty good hatch of #16 caddis yesterday.  Not much for rising fish but we did have fish coming to our dry fly.  We fished 3wt. outfits with dry dropper rigs.  A #16 Goddard caddis with a #18 olive copper john was the most effective set up of the day.  We landed 4 wild brown and rainbow trout and had another  7 fish come to the fly.  A lot fun watching larger browns and rainbows stick up their noses to eat the Goddard caddis off the top.  You see the trout flash at the nymph below the surface.  Lots of up stream drifting with very little fly line on the water.  One of the better afternoons of trout fishing i have seen thus far this fall.  Off to chase salmon this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

fall fishing

Hi Folks, Been guiding trout the last couple of days under beautiful fall foliage.  It seems like the leaves are changing ahead of schedule.  Good topic of debate.  Water levels are still somewhat low but temperatures are excellent.  Found water temperatures between 58 degrees and 62 degrees.  I have been guiding on small brooks for wild trout.  Lots of clear water.  The trout fishing has been tough this fall.  Generally this would be magic time and it has been just the opposite.  Really working hard for a few fish.  Not much for hatching insects.  Seen a few #18/#20 BWO's and some #16 olive bodied caddis but that is about it.  We have been working the small streams I have been guiding with  #12 orange stimulators with a #18 olive cooper john and a #10 yellow rubber legged foam fly with various small dropper nymphs.  Still spooking some fish in the clear water and approach and how you are dressed is important.  No bright colors.  Yesterday was pretty cool as we sight fished for wild brown trout.  Spotted several fish holding in and around wood in long pools off big riffles.  Great feeling when you make the prefect cast and watch the fish move to take the fly.  Landed 4 browns yesterday on the dry fly and nymph.  Missed another 3 fish.  Thursday we did not land a fish but had half dozen wild rainbows come to the fly.  Still working hard for fish.  Will be chasing trout once again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy