Dog Days of Summer

Hi Folks, Been guiding on the bass front the last two mornings.  Warm and muggy again with summer returning.  Thunder showers have kept water levels up a bit, but clarity has not been an issue.  Temperatures have climbed again with our big rivers eclipsing 70 plus degrees.  No trout fishing to be had under these temperatures in the Lamoille or Winooski main stems.  Even in the early morning the water is still 70 degrees plus because the nights have not cooled off.  Small stream fishing and high gradient brooks are where its at if you want to catch trout presently.  So, water gets warm, let tug on smallmouth.  I actually prefer hot humid for bass fishing.  Just want to get out of the sun.  Been river fishing for smallmouth and averaging 6 to 12 landed fish an outing.  Probably miss or lose twice that number.  Why?, we fish Texas rigged rubber worms and the hook set is really critical.  It is weedless and the hook is buried in the soft plastic.  Often we have a fish on that is not even hooked.  They just really hang on to the salt and flavored impregnated rubber baits.  Finesse fishing with dead drifted rubber is really effective on highly pressured fish and fussy smallmouth.  They do not want to always chase a popper and or actively worked fly or lure.  Well. terrestrials everywhere currently, hoppers, ants, beetles, you name it.  #12/#14 Isonychia season is upon us.  Carry your Pheasant tails, Zug bugs, Iso nymphs, and Prince nymphs.  Complete each drift as the Isonychia is a swimming may fly. The old Leisiring(sp?) lift is a very effective techniques currently.  On the dry fly front a #12 Grey Wulff or Adams or Adams parachute imitate the Isonychia really well.  A crippled #12 grey colored dun is not a bad idea on fussy fish.  Still plenty of caddis out there with a #14/#16 olive bodied x-caddis being my first choice and then  an assortment of #18 to #20 micro caddis.  Keep cool and keep the rods bent.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy