trick or trout

Hi Folks, Last day of the trout season and I have to say it was pretty darn good. 

Always seem to have better success catching trout at the end of the year versus the beginning of the year.  Water temperature was 48 degrees and on a beautiful warm fall day with air temperatues in the high 60s.  A steady wind and on and off showers had a impact on casting and rising activity. 

One of my regular October beats had a steady number of trout and large trout rising in skinny water.  I could watch from a high vantage point trout sipping small insects in the surface film. It was like looking into an aquarium and watching rainbow and brown trout between 8" and 18" do their thing eating small bugs.  Landed a nice jumping 16 wild male rainbow on a #22 peacock emerger pattern.  Hooked several other fish on the same emerger and a #20 BWO parachute. Really subtle takes with  good casting and drifts were in order. 

Nice way to end the trout season casting a 12' leader with a 15" dropper and getting nice fish to eat.  Time to get the ice fishing gear together. 

Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.

Have Fun, Willy

still chasing trout

Hi folks,  Guided yesterday afternoon on a Winooski tributary and early in the week on the Lamoille.

Water levels have been pretty decent as they have been slightly above the avergage flow for this time of the year.  However, it appears that the flows are about to significantly increase with an incoming front that could deposit 1" to 2"'s of rain.  Water temperatures have not change much with the range being from 39 degrees to 42 degrees.  All of my fishing has been midday when the air temperatures have been the warmest.

Guided spin trips this week and we have worked for fish.  Catching a trout here and there, but not landing large numbers of fish.  I suspect the cold water has slowed the bite a bit and the fish are not willing to move to far to eat.  Saw a good hatch of #18/#20 BWOs yesterday afternoon, but did not see any fish rise to eat the tiny mayfly.

Landlocked salmon and brown trout are spawning presently and should be left alone when found on beds.  Give them a chance to spawn as they are our future.

Scheduled to guide today and we will see what the weather brings.

Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.

Have Fun, Willy

rising trout in skinny water

Hi Folks, Guided the Lamoille yesterday afternoon under partly sunny skies and cool air temperatures. 

We moved around as our first stop on the river we found 40 degrees water temperatures (ouch!!).  So we moved below a small tailwater influence and found 44 degree water temperatures and rising trout.  Water level is perfect and the clarity is outstanding.  Saw a pretty decent hatch of #20 BWO's and some #16 egg laying caddis.  The trout were eating mostly emergers though we did see a few large snouts stick up and suck in small mayfly duns.  We literally saw fish rising in less than a 1' of water.  No thermal issues this time of the year so the trout can be more widely dispersed though the do have to relate to the foam line for feeding purposes.  We saw a lot of dorsal tail rise forms which indicate trout eating in the film.  We cast a #20 BWO parachute with a #20 BWO emerger pattern.  We had fish eat both flies.  Had a 8 trout come to the fly and landed 2 wild rainbows.  So some pretty decent fish rising and I will be chasing this pod again.  It was imperative to make long casts and good drag free drifts in the slow glassy water.  Certainly not fly fishing for a beginning caster.  How we moved in the water was important as well as sending a wake onto the water would put the trout down.  A very different fishing day than the previous day.  Not bad fly fishing considering the water temperatures. 

Will be guiding trout the next couple of days.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.

Have Fun, Willy

still cold

Hi Folks, Guided the Winooski yesterday afternoon and it is still cold out there.  Air temps, in the low 40's and the water temperature was 42 degrees.  My waders have been leaking for the last few weeks and I think my last foot is still numb.  Not much for hatching bugs yesterday as we saw a few #20 BWOs, but no rising fish.  We nymphed a lot of water and dead drifted buggers without a lot of love from the fish.  Had two strikes all afternoon.  Pretty slow afternoon as the cooling water temperatures seems to have slowed down the trout in our streams.  Slow presentations in deep slow pools are the way to go right now as I can't imagine the trout will move too far to eat with the cold water.  Still look for trout rising on long slow flats to tiny BWOs.  I will be guiding this afternoon and we will see what happens.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have Fun, Willy

fishing the cold water

Hi Folks, Spent a fun afternoon fihsing the Lamoille with firends that I work with at the Stowe Mountain Resort in the winter.  I was fly fishing and they were using the spin gear.  Water temperature was 43 degrees at 3:00pm and the level was slightly above the seasonal average.  Cloudy and over cast yesterday with a very sparse hatch of #20 BWOs.  We fished large primary pools with stability and even spots were trout will hold for the winter.  Slower water versus the fast riffles was were found trout.  Landed 6 trout yesterday with 5 being wild fish and 1 being a stocked rainbow.  The fish of the day was a 16" wild female brown trout with  beautiful spawning colors.  She was pretty fat and probably still holding eggs.  The fly of the day was a #10 tungsten prince nymph and the lure of th day was a yellow rooster tail.  Pretty good fishing considering the water temperatures.  Looks the rest of the season could be cold fishing as there is no warming trend in the near future.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. 
Have Fun, Willy

cold weather fishing

Hi Folks, Been guiding the last couple of days for trout in the Lamoille watershed and it has started to get cool out there.  Snow is falling this morning and looks to be a nasty day.  Water temperatures are now in the high 40's with lots of leaves in the water.  The leak in my waders is finally starting to get to me.  The #20 BWOs are still hatching but did not see many rising trout the last two days.  Wind and bright sun might influenced the lack of rising activity and not super large numbers of bugs on the water's surface.  Been dead drifitng wool buggers in black and olive and some heavy nymphs with little success.  Things will pick back up in trout fishing with a few warmer days.  The landlocked salmon fishing is still going on,  but you need to deal with a crowded river.  Will be taking the day off be fishing again tommorrow.  Remeber to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have Fun, Willy