smallmouth bonanza

Hi Folks, had been shut out of fishing the last 2 days with the rain.  More rain was the last thing we needed, but we still took on another 1/34" of rain at my house in Stowe from Monday through Wednesday.  Our rivers are up and the Lamoille and Winooski are not approachable presently.  I have been exploring some tribs. on both rivers and thought they are high, they are very fishable.  Tonight I took a long time guest spin fishing for smallmouth out of one of my canoes.  We fished a high elevation lake that does not allow motorboats.  I think we were the only people on this body of water.  Nice foliage starting especially from the soft maples.  Dead calm on the water with a surface temperature of 69 degrees.  My guest was dialed in tonight and the fishing was excellent.  We never change lures as we stuck with a fire tiger colored floating rapala cast on a light spinning rod with 4lb test.  The first cast of the night produced a violent surface strike.  Usually a good sign.  We landed 15 smallies between 1/10thlb to almost 4lbs.  We landed 3 fish over 3 lbs.  My guest only missed a few takes and he really took advantage of his opportunities.  We lost a couple of decent fish, but all in all we brought a good percentage of fish to hand.  The pattern of the night was wood.  The water level is way up and the fish were in close to shore hanging off fallen timber.  We only had one long submerged rock point where fish were stacked up, but for the most part it was wood tonight.  We did have 2 very large smallmouth chase in smaller bass we had hooked.  Not sure if they were chasing the fish out of their area or attempting to eat them.  The bass tonight were just stuffed.  Big, fat fish full of piss and vinegar.  Some really good surface takes with lots of jumping.  I think it is safe to say that the smallmouth are preparing for the big cool down and are on the feed.  I will be chasing them again in the morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

humid fly fishing for trout

Hi folks, guided a full day yesterday with the fly rods on the Lamoille and one of its tributaries.  Water temperatures did not change much from the Lamoille to the tributary we visited.  The water temperature was 66 to 67 degrees.  Pretty muggy day with heavy air and we had to hold up under some soft woods for 15 minutes at lunch time due a quick moving thunderstorm.  I though the water levels were perfect for fishing.  We nymph fished for the most part and my guests were fine fly anglers who could handle a rod.  We did see a few #12 Isonychia hatch but only a couple of random rising fish.  We drifted a #14 zug bug with a #18 olive caddis pupa under and indicator.  Also threw a prince nymph in the mix and caught fish on both fly patterns.  We picked up fish dead drifting as well as swinging the fly.  At days end we tried a #14 green foam terrestrial pattern with a caddis pupa dropper and caught a wild bow on the dry.  All wild rainbows yesterday with 1 brook trout in the mix on the last cast of the day.  All said we landed 13 fish and missed or lost just as many.  We did do some walking and cover some water.  No really big trout, but lots of fish between 7" and 12" and good fun on small stream fly rods.  The fishing seemed more consistent in the tributary we visited versus the Lamoille.   Looks like the muggy weather will push out of here but not before we receive some heavy rain today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

180 degrees

Hi folks, Guided with my boat yesterday morning with spin gear and then in the afternoon I took a large party fly fishing on the highest brook trout pond in the state.  Beautiful conditions yesterday morning for surface fishing with the surface temperature at 73 degrees and overcast skies and no wind.  We pounded a lot of water and kept the boat moving.  With spin gear and a variety of poppers we were able to land 8 smallmouth bass, but no large fish.  We missed another 12 fish with several larger fish not being hooked who came to eat off the top.  No pattern to the fishing yesterday morning as the fish seemed to be fairly dispersed throughout the lake. We tried a a wide variety of tackle including jigs and the surface plugs were the winner.  The most consistent color was fire tiger and a brightly colored perch plug.  Large fish do not always show themselves and when given the opportunity it is important to have your focus and make the connection.  I think a lot of times people do gauge how good the fishing is based on how many fish come to their lure or fly.  I cannot hook the fish for you and 20 opportunities on any given day is good fishing, especially with a surface bite.  Been pretty muggy around here the last couple of days and the hike to the pond in the afternoon was a sweaty affair.  Still nice and calm on top of the mountain and the surface temperature was 58 degrees.  Real tannin colored pond due to the surrounding organic matter.  Dark water, but clear.  We just worked around the perimeter of the pond and cast large terrestrial patterns.  We did find a few rising fish, though I have no idea what they were eating.  We had 6 takes off the top within a few feet of shore.  The Littoral zone is always the place to explore on a pond.  It is where a good percentage of the life lives.  Nice experience and a good change of pace for me.  Off to guide a fly trip today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

on the big water

Hi folks, Guided the Lamoille main stem and a Lamoille tributary yesterday.  Water levels are coming down slowly but surely and the water clarity is improving.  The Lamoille yesterday morning was a spring level.  Similar to fishing it in May.  Water temperature was 63 degrees.  Saw a few random #14 olive bodied caddis hatching, but no fish responding.  There was a fair amount of #12 Isonychia shucks on rocks.  We dead drifted heavy nymphs with and with out an indicator.  We hooked 2 trout all morning and lost one and landed one.  If you are going to catch 1 fish in a day, might as well be a good one.  We landed a really healthy looking measured 16" male rainbow trout.  The old boy ate a #10 tungsten bead head olive/black wooly bugger.  Awesome hook jaw on this fish and I would guess it weighed about 2.5lbs.  In the afternoon I ventured on to a Lamoille tributary where the water temperature was 61 degrees.  It was interesting to see the effects of Irene on the streams and good to see that they held up.  Most of the stable pools that I have seen the last few days on our streams look to be intact.  Something to be said for keeping buffer zones along river banks and not removing gravel.  Lots of green grasshopper action in the surrounding area where we fished so we tied on #12 green grasshopper pattern and began to hooks fish after fish.  Nice brook trout action with fish in the 5" to 10" rage eating the fly.  Well looks like nasty weather on the way so I am off to fish from the boat this morning and and pond in the afternoon.  Hope the weather holds.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

casting into the trees

Hi Folks, Spent yesterday morning guiding from my boat for smallmouth bass.  Lots of water in the lake where we fished as the level was way up.  Surface temperature was 70 degrees with very little if any wind.  Pretty much had the place to ourselves.  We cast surface flies for the bass.  We had a fish in the boat within our first few casts and we thought that we were going to really catch a lot of fish.  As it turned out we did land 8 smallmouth with no over 12", but we made lots of casts.  It seemed that we came into hot and cold areas and we had to keep moving to find fish that wanted to play.  I can only attribute this to the high water where we literally made some casts into trees that were flooded.  The water color was slightly off so making noise with the popper was important.  It needed to be worked aggressively on the surface.  Bright colored flies were in order.  In the afternoon I worked a small brook that is part of the Lamoille watershed.  Water levels were high and the temperature was 59 degrees.  Clarity was good and we were able to fish stimulator patterns and get native brook trout to eat.  Lots of action.  The brook trout are currently preparing to spawn and their colors are incredible right now.  I am off to guide trout this morning and will be fishing on the Lamoille watershed.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

back at it

Hi Folks, Back guiding today after a couple day lay off.  Was a weird day for me as all I could think of was the flood and how many people are still dealing with the reality of the situation.  Incredibly my afternoon trip was on a river in the Stowe area and we caught fish.  Guided this morning over towards Burlington on a small lake for northern pike.  A lot of flooding damage in the Waterbury to Richmond area.  Not sure the Winooski drainage will be fished anytime soon as many of the tribs and the main stem just got wrecked!!!  I could not believe the destruction along route 2 and how high the water came up. Surface temperature was 69 degrees and I would like to see it a bit cooler.  Slight north breeze with good morning fog.  We spin fished and pounded the water.  The water clarity was not great, but this particular body of water is always off colored.  We landed one northern on a large Husky Jerk.  Missed one other fish and that was that.  As the water cools off the pike fishing will get better.  Water levels in lakes are still pretty high and that should settle in a few days.  This afternoon the river we fly fished was 66 degrees down low and 62 degrees up high.  Water level was up and slightly off colored.  Still hard to believe that we are river fishing 3 days after the flood.  Our rivers took a beating it was interesting to see the changes in certain spots.  Still the stable pools that did not change held fish.  We landed a beautiful 10" wild rainbow that looked stuffed full of food.  Also tangled with some fall fish and a smallmouth bass.  When we moved up stream we fished for brook trout and brown trout.  Missed a few fish and I am not sure what species they were.  Did land a fat brightly colored brook trout on a stimulator.  Pretty incredible that the trout were rising in these river flows.  We focused our casts on the pools and soft water areas.  Lots of wood blown around and nice undercut banks for a big fish to hide in.  Off with the boat in the am to chase smallmouth bass.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Flood

Hi Folks, Been pretty crazy in Vermont the last 48 hours.  Extreme flooding in the southern half of the state and the western portion.  There are still towns down south that are cut off due to roads and bridges being wiped out by flooded streams and brooks.  We were somewhat fortunate in the Stowe area as I received almost 4" of rain in 24 hours.  Other towns and areas took on 7" to 10" of rain which caused most of the major flooding.  I really feel for the people who have lost everything.  I cannot complain about the wet basement.  Hard to think about fishing will all of the devastation around us.  The Winooski is 10' over flood stage, though it has crested and is beginning to come down.  The Lamoille is in better shape and is within its banks.  I walked along the Lamoille above Morrisville today.  The water is high and dirty and it was obvious where it had come over its banks.  River fishing will not be an option on the Winooski for some time and the Lamoille maybe by week's end. A lot of good trout water got hammered from this storm and surely there will be a negative impact on the fisheries in some cases.   However, our river fish have survived floods before and they will again in the future.  I will be doing more exploring in the days to come.  Small streams around here are dropping like a stone and I know a couple I could fish tomorrow.  Nice weather forecast for the week with not much precipitation.  Should allow things to dry out.  Cool days and even cooler nights.  Lake and pond fishing will be a good option.  I resume guiding again on Wednesday and will be chasing northern and smallmouth from canoes and my boat.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

pocket water

Hi Folks, Guided the morning and the evening yesterday for trout with the fly rods.  Fished a Lamoille tributary in the morning and the Winooski in the afternoon.  Nice morning fog yesterday that burned off around 9:30am.  Water temperature on the small stream we fished was 66 degrees.  Not much for hatching bugs and I saw no rising fish in the morning.  We nymph fished with a #14 tungsten prince and #18 olive caddis pupa dropper.  We fished classic riffles to pools early with no results.  Not sure there were many fish in those areas to be caught.  Probably had moved out during the summer heat and had not returned as of yet.  Pocket water on hot day has more dissolved oxygen which the trout prefer and provides good cover from the sun and predators.  We landed 2 wild rainbows and missed and lost another half a dozen fish.  Nice feisty bows that got into the air.  Did see few other anglers which I have not encountered much lately.  Here is a tip for them, no white shirts and red hats on trout streams.  You really stand out to the fish.  Wear subdued colors.  I had to clean my equipment thoroughly prior to my afternoon trip as not move Didymo around.  Helps when you have lots of wading boots.  Afternoon fishing on the Winooski was decent.  Water temperatures were a bit on the warm side as I got readings from 68 degrees to 70 degrees.  We nymph fished some heavy pocket water with a #14 tungsten prince and a #18 black wire caddis pupa.  Landed 2 stocked brown trout and 2 wild rainbows on the wire caddis.  All of the fish were holding in heavy water and the strikes were fairly subtle.  I attribute that to the warm water temperatures.  My afternoon guest had to leave a little early and around 6:45pm in Montpelier there were flying ants everywhere.  Needless to say I took advantage of the situation and went and tugged on some trout myself.  Found a good pod of young rainbows rising and put a #16 crystal flash ant on them.  Pretty easy pickings.  Nothing too large landed, but good fun on a 3wt.  Looks like after today, the fishing might be shut down for a few days from Hurricane Irene.  I hope everyone weathers the storm well.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Leisenring lift and Isonychia

Hi Folks, been guiding on the big water the last couple of days splitting time between the Lamoille and the Winooski.  The early fall weather has lowered our rivers water temperatures.  I have been recording water temperatures between 66 degrees and 68 degrees.  A welcome change from the hot weather of the summer.  Saw a pretty decent #16 dark bodied caddis hatch yesterday accompanied by rising trout.  The fish were aggressively coming out of the water to eat emerging caddis.  A #16 olive bodied x-caddis and a #16 goddard caddis fooled the young wild rainbows.  The fish were rising in riffles, eddies, and slow boulder strewn pools.  All wild rainbows between 7" and 11".  More of the same today on the Winooski with fish rising throughout the day.  Nice overcast conditions with on and off rain showers.  Did see a few #12 Isonychia hatching and the nymph shucks on rocks.  Fished a #12 Isonychia nymph and used the Leisenring Lift to perfect to hook several wild rainbows.  We cast up stream and dead drifted the nymph past ourselves and begun to raise the rod tip and wiggle it horizontally at the same time.  A great method for imitating a swimming may fly or emerging caddis.  Did get a few fish to eat a #14 foam ant that could have been perceived by the trout to be a caddis fly.  Looks like no much for rain tonight, but that will change by Sunday.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

morning fog

Hi folks, Been pretty foggy the last couple of mornings on the water.  My clients and I visited the Winooski yesterday morning well below the Bolton Dam.  Water temperature was 67 degrees and there was a nice amount of fog over the water that kept the sun covered up.  We found a few rising trout early on that seemed to be sipping  small #18 black caddis.  We caught 1 stocked brown trout and lost one other.  A few fall fish in the mix and that was that.  Once the fog burned off the fishing really slowed down.  Still some #12 stone fly shucks on rocks, #12 Isonychia shucks as well, #14-#22 spent flying ants, micro caddis, and a  wide variety of terrestrials. I am off to guide the Lamoille this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

some where over the rainbow

Hi folks, Guided 2 extremes yesterday.  Fly fished for brook trout in a small mountain stream in the morning and spin fished for smallmouth bass in the afternoon.  The small brook we visited was 58 degrees and just above its seasonal average flow.  The brook trout are really colored up right now in preparation for the fall spawn.  We cast terrestrial patterns and a large #10 stimulator.  The fish were not fussy, but they made us cover some water in order to catch them.  The surprise of the morning was a 9" brown trout that ate a hopper pattern.  Had not seen brown trout in this location previously.  In the afternoon I guided a large group for smallmouth bass.  We experienced some fast moving rain showers that produced an incredible double rainbow.  A cold front that pushed through yesterday has lowered air temperatures and will cool off the water.  Lots of heavy wind yesterday but it did lay down towards dusk.  Water temperature in the river we fished was 68 degrees and it was above its average flow.  We moved around a  bit prior to locating some bass, but when we found them we made them pay the toll.  We landed 7 smallmouth and missed and lost just as many.  A fire tiger rapala and a beetle spin were the ticket.  We literally found the gold at the end of the rainbow as we caught all of our fish in one large pool.  Off to do it again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

happy camper

best of both worlds

Hi Folks, Did a double dip yesterday and fly fished with clients in the morning for wild rainbow trout and then smallmouth bass in the afternoon.  Nice morning fog greeted us yesterday in the Winooski where the water temperature was 68 degrees.  The fog lifted around 9:00am.  Water levels were excellent for fishing.  Saw #12 Isonychia shucks on rocks as well as a few hatching and #10 golden stonefly shucks on rocks.  There were a few #18-#20 micro caddis hatching as well and the cedar wax wings were pounding the insects in the air.  Sporadic rising activity by the fish when we arrived prompted us to cast a dry fly dropper rig.  I saw a lot of spent #14 to #22 spent flying ants in water puddles on rocks next to the river. A #12 Hare's parachute with a #18 olive caddis pupa was the rig.  We nymphed with #12 and #14 prince nymphs and #14 zug bugs.  We did not land a lot of fish but the ones we did were really nice.  The first fish of the day was male rainbow in the 14" class that sipped the parachute pattern before coming tight on the line.  The fish of the morning was a measured 16" wild female rainbow that put up a really nice tussle.  Both trout were the largest fish my clients had caught in Vermont with a fly.  The fish looked to be in excellent shape and weather the hot summer well.  We missed several other fish and lost a couple.  The bite really slowed once the fog lifted and the bright sun showed itself.  In the afternoon, I canoe fly fished for smallmouth bass.  Lots of people had the same idea and there was a considerable amount of fishing pressure.  The surface temperature was 73 degrees with a slight breeze from the north.  We worked a lot of water and mostly focused on weed bed edges that had a hard bottom and dropped into deeper water.If you are only going to land one fish, you might as well make it a good one.  Fish of the day was a 3lb smallmouth bass that really put a bend in the 6wt. rod.  Several great jumps and the fish just did not want to be landed.  A fine smallmouth bass on a popper.  The fly of the day was a #4 chartruse snook slider.  We missed several other fish including a couple of decent sized pickerel.  Pretty exciting when a pickerel takes a fly off the top. The water level in this body of water had come up a foot in the last week and I was wondering if that had not affected the fish to a degree.  Anywho, always nice catching big fish off the top, the best of both worlds for trout and bass fly fishing.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

summer is back

Hi folks, Just when I thought things were really beginning to cool off, the heat and humidity returned yesterday.  I guided a family for a bank fishing excursion where we were fishing with spin gear for smallmouth bass.  The surface temperature of the water was 76 degrees and the clarity was okay.  The area we fished is heavily fished and we had to work around some other folks who had the same idea as us.  We cast jointed floating rapalas in chartruse, blue, and perch color.  Even with all of the fishing pressure we managed to land 3 smallies off the surface and miss a couple.  Love hearing and seeing the push of water created by a bass we it eats off the top.  The surface fishing fishing for smallmouth has been dynamite the last week.  I think the changing in the light levels, flying ant hatches, and some humidity has the smallies really looking up.  Look for flying #14-#22 ant hatches in the afternoon, #22-#26 tricos still in the morning, and #12-#14 isonychia throughout the day as well the #14-#16 green rock worm.  Do not count out beetle, and, and hopper patterns as well.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

popping for bass

Hi Folks, Spent a really nice evening with a long time repeat guest guiding smallmouth bass from my canoe.  We visited one of my secret little smallmouth ponds that is off the beaten path.  Surface temperature was 75 degrees and water was pretty darn clear.  You could see the bottom in 10' of water.  A slight breeze initially ruffled the water's surface, but then things laid down for nice calm conditions for surface fishing.  We had 20 smallmouth come to the fly last night.  Pretty aggressive feeding off the surface.  There were a fair number of #22 male flying ants on the surface of the water, but I do not think a 3lb smallmouth is going to expend too much energy eating such a small morsel of food off the top.  We cast a #4 chartruse snook slider fly for most of the night and at dark switched to a #6 black and yellow popper.  I am not so sure the fly change made a difference as the fish were on.  We worked rock piles, points, and fallen timber over rocky bottom shoreline areas.  Most of the fish were holding off the first drop off from shore.  We did not land a lot of the fish who came to the fly.  Sometimes in fishing you get psyched out and can't get the hook set after missing a few.  The hardest part of  fly fishing is getting the fish to eat the fly, not hooking and landing them.  My guest is a  fine fly angler and it just was not his night for landing fish.  The strikes all came from the time the fly hit the water to the first 10' from where it landed.  Letting the fly sit for a bit after it landed was important and working the popper aggressively triggered responses from the smallies.  Hook setting with a 15lb tippet must be aggressive.  No trout sets as we are not using 6x tippet.  Well, off to do it again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

rain and flying ants

Hi Folks, Finally got he rain we were looking for.  I received almost 2" of nice steady rain at my house in Stowe from Monday night to Tuesday morning.  Our rivers are full again and the Lamoille and Winooski are coming down fairly well and they should be ready to fish by day's end.  Of course temperature could still be an issue.  Got rained out on Tuesday with my river trip, so I will be bass fishing today.  Saw a ton of flying ants yesterday afternoon.  Large #14 cinnamon female flying ants and small #22 male flying ants.  The flying ants are late summer early fall event around here that typically happens late in the afternoon and especially after a rains storm. The swarm is moving the nest and they get pushed onto the water and the trout and smallmouth bass go nuts.  Matter of fact, the fish will be single minded in their feeding and only eat the ants and sometimes key in on the really small males.  Do not leave home without some ants patterns in your vest this time of the year.  Ant hatches really get fish looking up.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy 

much needed rain

Hi Folks, Looks like some wet weather.  Nice day of rain would be fine by me.  Guided a small brook last night towards the valley and was on the Winooski main stem this morning.  The mountain brook last night had a water temperature of 58 degrees.  It was really low and clear.  Watched a lot of fish dart off prior to ever casting to them.  Great attention had to be payed as to how we walked up the river so as to not spook fish.  Longer than normal casts were required and a little longer leader.  Usually I like a 7' leader on a brook trout stream.  Last night we used a 9' leader on a 6' rod and just directed the leader and fly with the rod tip through each pool.  Never putting fly line on the water's surface.  Also scaled back the fly size with a more natural looking pattern.  How about a #14 foam bodied ant.  Lots of brook trout between 4" and 8" and with even more spooked and lost.  Pretty steady action and missing and scaring a few fish did not matter.  The Winooski this morning was 69 degrees and low.  Good numbers of stone fly shucks on rocks that looked freshly hatched from the previous evening.  Seeing more and more #12/#14 Isonychia shucks as well.  There were trout rising this morning and they appeared to be eating small caddis.  We got them to eat a #12 hare's ear parachute.  Looks like a Isonychia dun that is crippled and blown onto the water.  All wild rainbows today between 9" and 13".  We did nymph fish with a #14 flashback pheasant tail under indicator as well as a red head #14 prince nymph.  Both nymph patterns hooked fish.  Found lots of #16 Rhyacophila caddis or the green rock worm crawling around on rocks.  Isonychia and Rhyacophila will be the dominant bugs available to our trout in big rivers for the next month or so.  Good to have few of those patterns in your box.  Well if we get a 1" of rain or so it will be good for the whole, but maybe not so good for river fishing tomorrow.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

nice cold front

Hi Folks, Been enjoying the weather the last few days after a nice little cold front pushed through.  Beautiful with clear cool nights and comfortable sunny days.  Fronts do effect fishing and I think we felt the brunt of it on Friday while guiding smallmouth bass.  Visited the Winooski which was still slightly up and off color.  The water temperature had dropped to 70 degrees.  Good spinner fall of #22 tricos with numbers of fall fish eating the tiny may fly.  Saw some larger mayfly spinners #12 that could have been Epherons, but I never captured a sample.  We spin fished for the bass and managed to catch one small bass on a fire tiger rapala. Bright colored lures seemed to be the way to go with the water color.  Everything else landed was a fall fish.  Did miss one big smallie that we rolled on a soft bait that imitated a crawfish, but that was it.  I just think the river level and fishing on the back side of a front slowed things down.  Yesterday I headed due north and fly fished some small brooks and did a casting clinic and fly fishing class at a northern ski resort.  The stream I was on was 63 degrees and the water was really low.  Not hard to find the brook trout, but you had to watch your approach.  Spooked a fair amount fish before we were able to cast to them.  Still landed a number of 4" to 8" brookies on a 2wt. with a #14 simulator pattern.  At dark we cast to rising stocked rainbows in a snow making pond.  Pretty easy pickings as the fish were rising everywhere.  A #16 goddard caddis worked really well.  You watch a fish rise and figure out the direction it was moving and then lead it with your cast.  Let the fly sit and the fish would just engulfed it.  Nice change of pace from river fishing for trout.  Well looks like some rain on the way which we could really use.  I will be guiding a small stream this afternoon and in the morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

on the surface

Hi Folks, Had a lot of fun today guiding in the morning and evening because the fish were looking up.  I always have fun guiding, but it is really fun to catch trout and bass on the surface with flies and lures.  The small brook we fly fished this morning was 59 degrees and the water level had come up and down significantly in the last 24 hours.  Received an 1" of rain at my house in Stowe from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.  Much needed and our rivers and streams came up and are already receding. The Winooski might take a little longer to settle due to higher rain amounts in central Vermont.  Water clarity was fine today.  Brookie fishing was steady with 4" to 8" brook trout grabbing big #10 and #12 stimulators off the surface.  Regardless of the size of the brook trout, how cool is it to see a dark shape materialize from under a rock to eat your dry fly in gin clear water?  This afternoon I guided a little bigger water and we fished with spin gear for smallmouth bass.  Water temperature was 70 degrees with good cloud cover.  Low light is preferred in top water fishing.  You know things could be good when a big smallmouth crushes the jointed floating rapala on the first cast.  Really nice steady bite all afternoon.  We landed 11 smallmouth bass using brightly colored rapalas.  Probably missed and lost another dozen and a half.  Not bad.  Well after them again tomorrow and looks like a nice cool down which will bode well for our rivers.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

birds of prey and bass

Hi folks, Been guiding down low on the Winooski the last few days.  Water levels are low and water temperatures are between 70 and 75 degrees.  Pretty easy to read the water right now and get a feel for the riffles and pools and where to fish.  Could use some rain and hopefully we get some in the next few days.  Saw a bald eagle today as well as osprey, broad band hawk, and red tail hawk.  Just one of the many benefits to fishing.  The difference in fishing today and Sunday in low light versus yesterday in the sun is worlds apart.  I cannot emphasize enough how much better the fishing is in the early morning and right at dark.  Smallmouth fishing with poppers has been pretty solid right at dark and into dark.  It seems like the bigger fish do not turn on until the sun sets.  Makes sense when it is hot and bright.  The smallmouth bite has been good and steady.  Landed a dozen fish this morning working big giant pools.  Love watching smallies jump.  Not too many surface strikes as almost all of our fish were hooked on the retrieve.  We did catch some very large fall fish between 15" and 20".  Matter of fact the 20" fall fish had wound marks on its flanks that looked to be the work of a bird of prey.  When it has been sunny the only thing biting has been fall fish.  When there is low light the smallmouth seem to really turn on.  Still lots of #10 to #12 stone flies on rocks and have been seeing #22 Trico spinners every morning.  Some #16 Caddis hatching as well and some #14 Isonychia shucks on rocks.  Looks like a decent weather week for fishing with a cool down on the way.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy