Hi Folks, guided on the lower Winooski yesterday afternoon under cloudy skies with occasional rain showers. Perfect fall fishing weather. With cool damp October days come big hatches of tiny #20-#24 BWO's. They come off mid afternoon and typically in areas where the stream gravel is fingernail sized. They love to collect in big giant eddies and large trout love to swim in circle and gobble up the little may fly. Water temperature was 51 degrees and the level was up a bit from the 1/2" of rain we received the previous night and in the morning. It looks like all of our rivers came up even more last night as the effect of the rain was slow to raise our river levels. We swung cone head muddler minnows in yellow and black with a #20 BWO dropper attached. All of our fish eat the tiny nymph. Had one really big rainbow chase the streamer right to our feet only to turn off. We hooked 7 trout and landed 3 fish. Once you hook a trout on tiny fly it typically does not come off unless your tippet breaks. The trick is getting the fish stuck. We located several nice fish rising in eddies gulping BWOs. Really tough fish to catch as you need to feed your fly line in the eddy to get a proper presentation and then time the trout as it swims in a circle feeding, good fun. The rain has only helped our streams as it moves fish around. Fishing is best now in mid afternoon unless you are chasing lake run fish. The foliage looks to be pretty much at peak. The next few days should be good fishing as things warm a bit. For those who are lake fishing currently, pay attention to bird hunters as duck and goose season is now open. Birds mostly move early and late so work with the hunters and fish midday. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
