Hi Folks, I have guided in two completely different environments over the last couple of days. Spent yesterday on a small mountain stream fly fishing for native brook trout and wild brown trout. I was not in Stowe and can't tell you whether I went north or south. However, the tactics are the same regardless of where I small steam fish in Vermont. High gradient streams coming off big elevation (i.e ski mountains) are nice cool places to be on hot summer days. The water is low but the temperatures are perfect ranging from 56 degrees to 58 degrees. All up stream fishing i the clear water. Important if you do not want to spook too many fish. We landed 17 brook trout yesterday on a #14 Royal Wulff and two wild Brown trout on a #16 X-caddis. Interesting to watch the difference in how the brook trout aggressively engulf the dry while the brown trout rose more cautiously and sipped the fly. Took patience in not sitting the hook prematurely when you knew and could see the fish elevate to the dry. Decent number of #14-#22 fly ants out and about this evening. This morning we fly fished big water for smallmouth. The water is so low that you can wade to pools that probably almost never get fished. Still the wading in the big rocky rivers is gnarly. Need to be on your game. We landed 18 smallmouth. Nothing on a top water. Nice foggy morning and the water temperature was 72 degrees. Swinging #6/#8 olive cone headed bunny buggers, #8 white zonkers, and #6 white clauser minnows all drew interest. Most of the takes were fairly subtle. The smallies were holding in and around big rocks of main current seams in at least waist deep water. Important to keep the fly moving but not too fast but not too slow. Steering it around suspected holding areas. Could use some rain. Hopefully the night will stay cool and the fishing will continue to be steady. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
