Lots of bugs

Hi Folks, Spent some time on trout streams over the weekend.  Pretty weird weather with a beautiful Friday and Saturday with air temperatures in the high 60's. Sunday was a return to early April weather with air time temps. barely eclipsing 50 degrees.  Water temperatures had a wide range as well with the rivers I walked reaching 55 on Saturday to 49 degrees yesterday.  Got some much needed rain yesterday.  Witnessed a really good #14/#16 Hendrickson hatch Friday and Saturday with a few #16 caddis mixed in.  The bugs came off strong, but I did not see any fish respond to the may flies.  Yesterday, I saw a really good hatch of #20 tiny olives and a few Hendricksons and once again no fish responding.  Did lose a nice brown trout on a #8 black muddler minnow.  I think the water has just reached 50 degrees and the trout are beginning to tune into the hatches.  I have seen this before in the spring.  The olive hatch yesterday was incredible.  However, the water was slightly off colored and the level was rising.  The trout fishing is only getting better everyday and we are coming into to the time of plenty.  I have been walking streams that are only wild fish so I am not sure about the stocked areas.  Off to chase walleye this morning.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

River fishing

Hi Folks, Guided my first trout trip of the season today fly fishing a river system that experiences lake run fish.  Water temperature was a chilly 44 degrees and the water was high and off colored.  We received some much needed rain the last couple of days. This particular river gets some large brook trout in it in the early spring.  They are chasing down lake run smelt.  It seems that they typically drop out by mid May when the water warms into the mid fifties.  I can tell you the water was cold today because my toes took awhile to come back to life this afternoon.  We swung streamers all day.  Mixed it up between #8 cone headed white muddler , #8 cone headed yellow muddler, and a #6 white zonker.  The zonker was the fly of the day.  We landed 1 16" brook trout and missed 3 other fish.  Our focus was the slower sections of big pools and behind obvious cover.  Lots of casting and drifting.  Still worth it.  Not everyday in Vermont do you catch a big brook trout in a river.  Looks like the weather is about to warm.  Start looking for #14/#16 Hendricksons.  I did see a few may flies on Friday on a Lamoille tributary but I was unable to capture any and get a positive identification.  Walleye season begins this Saturday.  Now things are really starting to get going on fronts.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Good Mojo with teeth

Hi Folks, My 2016 guiding season began yesterday with my first trip of the season.  We visited a Champlain Valley hot spot for northern pike on the fly.  Nice overcast morning with in coming rain.  The day started out calm but the wind did pick up from the south west throughout the morning.  Water temperature was 54 degrees.  I think water temps. between 50 degrees and 55 degrees is ideal for northern fishing.  Big pike are truly cold water fish.  We located all of our fish in 7' to 12' of water in around downed wood, rock and newly forming weed beds.  The first hour of fishing was slow as we cast a 3/0 black and white bunny bugger.  We had no response on the fly pattern and changed to a 1/0 red and white bunny bugger cast on a 9wt. RIO pike fly line.  It did not take long before we started to see toothy critters.  We had one follow, missed one fish, and landed 5 healthy pike.  It was my clients first pike on fly.  Always fun turning people onto new species on the fly rods.  The techniques that was most productive was allowing the fly to sink and then working in slowly with long strips back to the boat.  The takes seemed to get more pronounced as the morning progressed.  Tomorrow I am off to guide my first trout trip of the season.  Looks like wet for the next couple of days.  Perfect, we need it.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Back in the Saddle

Hi Folks, Finally got my rear end on the water yesterday.  Been a long winter at the ski resort. I am now finally wrapping things up on the hill and begin my guiding schedule next weekend.  Yesterday and fellow angler and myself visited on e of my old stomping grounds in the Champlain Valley.  We targeted northern pike with the fly.  Bright sunny day with air temps. exceeding 70 degrees.  A slight south west breeze.  Does look like a cool down is in store over the next few days.  The pike are finished spawning as was evident from their stretched out bellies.  Post spawn northerns can be pretty aggressive as they are attempting to replenish their bodies from the rigors of reproduction.  We focused on newly forming weed beds, downed wood and boulders in those areas, and the first significant drop off from spawning bays.  We had 12 pike come to the fly and we landed 7 fish between 24" and 28".  Also a had few large smallmouth whack our big streamers.  A 3/0 black and white bunny bugger prompted a lot of interest.  I cast a 9wt. sinking pike line from Rio and let the fly sink to the bottom.  Long slow strips seemed to get the fish chasing.  Always fun to watch an olive torpedo accelerate onto the fly.  We saw almost every take which is exciting when sitting in canoe.  The fish we missed and lost was due to lack of strip striking.  The pike hit the fly sideways and often the hook would not penetrate their mouth without a strip strike.  A good opening day for me and with the wacky weather, things seem to be getting going sooner than normal.  Will be visiting the kingdom this week to catch a lake run rainbow/steelhead.  I hear that the steelhead run has been very good with some large fish being landed.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Thats a wrap Jack!

Hi Folks, Guided my last trip of the 2015 trout/bass season yesterday afternoon.  Halloween is the last day of the Vermont trout season for large percentage of our inland trout waters.  Still some waters to fish but it can become pretty challenging with the quickly cooling water temperatures.  The river we fished yesterday was pretty slow.  Water temperature was 41 degrees and the water was high and clear. There was a hatch of #22 midge that came off pretty well, but I did not see any fish respond to the tiny bug.  We swung streamers without any response.  I can't say I was surprised with the results after reading the water temperature.
I would like to thank everyone who hired me this past season as it was my busiest season to date in 21 years of guiding Vermont waters.  I will be working on newsletter for my website and Facebook that will be a year end summary of the past season.  I am off to do a little hunting and prepare to for ice fishing season.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Nearing the end

Hi Folks, Ran north yesterday morning to the river of big fish to chase landlocked salmon with the fly rods.  Water level was below the seasonal average flow which was had to believe after all of the rain we received on Tuesday night into Wednesday.  All of the rivers in and around Stowe were pretty high and on the way up the north there was flood water in farm fields.  For whatever reason, the river was in fine shape and the temperature was 45 degrees.  The salmon are in full on spawning mode.  I saw a 25" plus female rolling on her bed, pretty impressive.  Left her alone and only watched.  Did manage to land 3 10" to 12" juvenile salmon that I think were all wild.  No clipped fins.  Also, caught a lake run brook trout that was about 12".  Every fish ate a either a #12 double tungsten stone fly nymph or a #16 olive wire caddis.  Did see a angler land a nice 21" plus male salmon on a #12 double golden tungsten stone fly nymph.  She told me that she had a ton of casts over that spot prior to the fish eating.  Sound like late season salmon fishing to me.  The fish had a big hook jaw as it was probably seeking out a female to pair up with.  Great season on the river of big fish and good to see that fishery appears to be doing very well.  The last two days of the season and I have a trip tomorrow and it will be a wrap.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Spawning

Hi Folks, Guided up on the river of big fish with the fly rods yesterday morning.  Pretty chilly start to the day with air temps. in the 20's.  The water temperature was 42 degrees and low.  The Landlocked Salmon are now in full on spawning mode.  You can see them in the river on gravel.  Big females with aggressive males holding behind the hens jockeying for position.  You can see the females twisting and turning as they roll to lay eggs.  We leave the females alone.  We swung streamers and had a pretty good fish whack a #10 Mickey Finn on the swing.  Happened pretty early in the morning.  They come out of no where (in front and behind big rocks) to eat streamers.  After that, we could not move a fish on a streamer so we resorted to nymphing.  We hooked two good salmon a #14 prince nymph and lost both fish.  Had a few other strikes but the fishing was not fast and furious.  Pretty tough getting them to eat when they are spawning and I am not a big fan of foul hooked fish.  Does not count if you don't get them to eat the fly and remove from their mouth!  The state should probably close this fishery down in mid October to let the salmon do their thing unmolested.  Three days left in the season and I have two more days on the water.  Been a good October.  Remember to clean your gear and leave the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

winding down

Hi Folks,  Had a fun afternoon yesterday guiding on the Lamoille with aspiring fly anglers.  Water is really low.  Not good heading into winter.  We need more rain as the river is significantly lower than the seasonal average flow.  Water temperature was a chilly 44 degrees.  No hatching bugs and very few to be found on and under rocks.  Everything is pretty much hatched out for the season.  Lots of leaves in the water that can play tricks on you when drifting your fly.  We landed on fish yesterday, but it was a real beauty.  A nice 16" female brown trout that appeared to be full of roe.  On her way to spawn as we were fishing just below a tributary that is home to many spawning trout.  We got her eat a dead drifted #10 olive/black wooly bugger with a tungsten bead.  With the current water conditions, it probably not a bad idea to give the fish something big and easy to eat.  good time of yea to dead drift a streamer or even breakout a sinking tip or line to keep presentations down in the water column.  As the water cools the trout will  not be willing to move as far to eat a fly as they were apt to a month ago. One week to go in the season and I will be trout and salmon fishing with clients.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

ice in the guides

Hi Folks, Nice chilly day on the water yesterday as I guided a spin angler for trout on the Lamoille.  You know it is cold when ice forms in the guides of your fishing rod.  There was some ice in sections of back water areas off the river.  The walking in waders on the banks was a bit treacherous with a bit of snow and frost on the ground.  Water temperature was in the low forties and the level was slightly below the seasonal average flow.  Lots of leaves and junk in the foam line that catches your lures and flies.  We landed two very nice trout yesterday.  I beautiful 14" brown trout and 1 13" rainbow.  Both were wild fish that ate a small brook trout imitation Rapala.  We focused on slow deep water pools that had large boulders situated along the bottom.  Both fish elevated from the large rocks to eat the lure.  Lots of casts but worth it to catch two nice quality trout late in the season.  Looks like a bit of warmer weather  on the way with rain for midweek.  Still have few trips left and will be chasing trout and salmon.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Fly fishing in the snow

Hi Folks, Had a group of aspiring fly anglers yesterday afternoon on the Lamoille.  Was a cold day to fish with day time air temperatures barely exceeding 40 degrees.  The river temperature was 47 degrees and the level was jus below the seasonal average flow.  A few good snow squalls pushed through during our time on the water which was interesting.  Lots of leaves and junk in the water now as the foliage descends to the ground. A decent hatch of #22 BWOs, but not trout responding to the tiny may fly on the surface.  We fished slowed sections of river as the fish tend to hold in these areas as the water cools.  We swung buggers, bunny fur streamers and small #20 BWO nymphs with not a lot of action.  We missed 4 trout that ate the tiny may fly nymph.  Always slow it down when it cools.  Looks like things are winding down as the rivers cool off.  Any warmer days over the next week will be the ideal time to get on a river and chase river trout.  Not so sure the water temperature will exceed the magic number 50 degrees again this season.  Trout fishing again today and it will require some warm long johns.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Keep Jumping

Hi Folks, Guided the afternoon on the river of big fish yesterday.  Nice day with midl air tempratures and over cast skies.  Water level is slightly above the seasonal average flow.  Water temperature was 57 degrees.  A few rain showers greeted us at day's  end.  I have to say the Salmon fishing has been very good over the last 10 days.  Lots of fish in the river and lots of big ones.   It was interesting that as we arrived at the river we had multiple anglers tell us that the there were lots of fish around.  The river gets lots of pressure especially in the early morning.  Not many folks around in the afternoon.  We stuck to swinging streamers and change flies lots.  The most productive patterns were on the smaller size #10's and in shades of green and black.  The largest landed fish of the day hammered a swung streamer and then jumped 7 times.  We hooked it in a heavy riffle and it put up a great fight before succumbing to the net.  We hooked another beast on a nymph rig and client knew right away that we were not going to land that fish.  Our 4x tippet would not hold and broke about 2" above the #16 olive caddis nymph.  Nymphing can be productive for salmon, but holding these big fish on light tippets is tricky and I am not a big fan of leaving flies in a fish's face.  We did hook several other smaller fish under 20", but we travel to the river of big fish to land large salmon.  Salmon fishing should remain good for the next couple of weeks.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  have fun, Willy

Oh Baby Baby

Hi Folks, Guided on the river of big fish yesterday morning.  Due to the crazy amount of fishing pressure we left Stowe at 5am to get on the water in the dark.  Water temperature was 54 degrees and the water level was slightly above the seasonal average flow.  We swung streamers all morning as nymph rigs under indicators were not effective.  We had 4 salmon elevate to our swung presentations and hooked and landed two real beauties over 20" .  A female that was just over 20" and a really fiesty male who was all of 22".  Both salmon were silver fish that appeared to be fresh into the river.  The male salmon gave my client everything you could  hope for from of these fish.  A great take of the fly, then proceeded to jump and tail walk across the pool.  These fish like to get air time.  We used 6wt. rods with 2x tippet.  You could put some pressure on these fish to keep them in the hole.  It can be difficult to hook big landlocked salmon, but even more challenging landing them in heavy water.  I was pretty happy for my guest as he has spent some time from Maine to Vermont attempting to land a 20" plus landlocked salmon.  Yesterday was his day.  Looking forward to the next couple of weeks of fishing with BWO hatches and salmon fishing, things showed be fun.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

small flies and wild bows

Hi Folks, Guided on the Lamoille yesterday afternoon.  Big cool sunny day with air temperatures not eclipsing 50 degrees.  The water temperature was 48 degrees and my feet could feel it.  The water level was at a spring flow from the rain the previous day, but the clarity was  just fine.  One of the dilemmas this time of the year are floating leaves that the fly always catches.  We landed 5 rainbows with 4 of the fish being hard fighting silver bullet wild rainbows and one stocked trout that fought like a wet paper towel.  We missed 3 fish.  The method of the day was to swing a double nymph rig consisting of a #16 olive wire caddis with a #20 BWO nymph dropper.  Every fish eat the BWO nymph with the exception of the stocked trout who ate the caddis.  All of the takes came in riffles with the flies being swung to the end of the drift.  For the most part the takes were pretty subtle.  Interestingly, we did get a single take dead drifting an olive wooly bugger or swinging a white zonker.  Not much for hatching bugs yesterday as did see a few sporadic #16 cadddis about but no rising activity.  Water is cooling off so afternoon is the way now on a trout stream.  I am off to guide on the river of big fish. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Peak, olives, and gulping trout

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

The river of big fish and candy apple bobbers

Hi Folks, Ran up north with a couple fly fishing friends yesterday to chase landlocked salmon.  The foliage is darn close to peak in the northern part of Vermont. Beautiful day that started out pretty cool.  Water temperature was 56 degrees and the flow was up.  This particular river has one of the best runs of large of landlocked salmon in New England.  The rain from last week puffed up the river and the flows currently are ideal for moving fish.  Between 3 of us we hooked a dozen large adult salmon.  The largest fish of the day was 27" with lots of salmon in the 18" to 22" range.  The fish were all over streamers yesterday.  We swung a variety of smelt patterns and attractor streamers like a Mickey Finn and an Orange Blossom.  It turned out that the smaller patterns in dark colors were the must productive.  I did well with a black and green feather wing streamer and a black marabou streamer with a gold body. We did swing a few nymphs as there was a good number of #14/#16 caddis hatching throughout the morning.  I lost a couple of salmon on a #16 olive wire caddis.  One break off and one tossed fly.  4x tippet is too light on these big fish.  We were using 1x and 2x with the streamers so you could put the mustard to these strong jumping salmon.  I don't think there was a salmon that did not jump at least half dozen times when hooked.  The funniest fish of the day was the apple bobber salmon.  I was fishing a hole with a big eddy and in it was what appeared to be a apple spinning around.  However, when I hooked it by accident, low and behold there was a 2' salmon attached below that proceeded to jump and fight.  I lost the fish at the bank, but did recover the flies, including the 1 in its mouth and the bobber.  Pretty wild.  We also recovered some broken line that had 4 flies attached with lead weight.  Very illegal and looked like a snagging rig to me.  Let me tell you, every fish we hooked yesterday ate the fly!!!!!!   No need to snag and foul hook these beautiful creatures.  Tight line swinging the fly was the method and the takes were solid.  So, I will be trout fishing and chasing salmon for the next few weeks.  Season ends October 31.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Foliage season

Hi Folks, Leaves are starting to look pretty nice in the Stowe area.  Not so sure they will hang around long after all the of the dry weather we experienced this summer.   Guided two trips yesterday on the Lamoille watershed.  A cold Friday night really dropped water temperatures.  We got a good amount of rain last Tuesday and Wednesday that really puffed up our rivers.  It was really needed and I did not mind missing a few days in order to allow things to settle down.  The Lamoille trib. I was on yesterday morning was 50 degrees and the main stem was 54 yesterday afternoon.  The morning fishing was a bit slow.  I think it is important to let the water warm up this time of the year and fish the afternoon.  We did get a couple of trout to eat a nymph, but we made lots of casts. The afternoon was a different game. A massive number of egg laying #14/#16 olive bodied dark winged caddis were flying up the Lamoille late in the day. Found a good pod of rising wild rainbows and had some fun with dry flies.  We cast a #16 Goddard Caddis and a #16 olive bodied X-Caddis.  The trout ate the fly on the swing and on the dead drift. The fish were located on long slow flats that held lots of finger nail sized gravel.  You could see the trout eat in the film and come right out of the water to eat the caddis.  With some water in our streams it has allowed some fish to move out of summer holding areas i.e. spawning salmon and brown trout.  We could still use some more rain, but I can work with what we have currently and next couple of weeks should be good time to be on a Vermont trout stream.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Starting to like nice out there

Hi Folks, Fly fished for smallmouth with clients yesterday afternoon out of my motorboat.  Beautiful afternoon with air temperatures around 70 degrees. The surface temperature was 68 degrees. The foliage is beginning to change and looked pretty nice on the water yesterday.  When we began the day the lake was flat, by the end of day we had rain showers move in and wind pick up from the south.  We fished the surface the entire afternoon with lots of action.  We had well over 20 smallmouth come to the fly.  However, most of the fish were not large adult bass but the young guys.  Pretty fun watching the fish rise in the clear water to eat the fly.  The pattern of the afternoon was setting the boat up in deep water 20' to 30' and casting at sharp drop offs from the shoreline where there was downed wood.  Shade line was another key component.  The fly of the day was a #8 chartreuse foam crease fly.  The long profile of the fly made a difference in drawing interested as we never had one fish rise to a traditional popper.  Well, finally some much needed rain.  Looks like rain all day, perfect!  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Longing for a change in the weather

Hi Folks, Ran fly angler down on the big water of the Winooski yesterday morning.  Not a lot of options in the world of river fishing currently with the extremely low water.   Water temperature was 57 degrees at 7:00am with some fog.  It did not take long for the big bright sun to show itself.  The ginat high pressure that is enveloping the East currently is about as bad of fishing weather as you could ask for.  Not to mention a super moon and it make fishing tough.  The lunar eclipse last night was pretty cool.  I think there is a percentage of night time feeding with this type of weather of pattern.  All the same we did manage to catch 3 trout yesterday morning.  Two small wild rainbows and 1 nice colored up male 13" brown trout.  We missed two other fish and that was it.  A few caddis started to hatch about 11:00am and there is still plenty #16 olive caddis pupa on rocks.  We got our fish to eat a swung #16 x-caddis and a #20 peacock soft hackle.  Still between two accomplished fly anglers the fishing was slow.  It looks like a change in the wether today with some much needed rain on the way.  Off to run the boat for smallmouth.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

Dry as Dirt

Hi Folks, Guided on the main stem of the Winooski yesterday morning under heavy fog and then big bright sun shine and then visited a small tributary stream in the late afternoon.  I am not digging the current weather pattern and we just a lots of rain.  Bums me out that I have to still get up early to fish due to the damn sun and lack of rain.  Fishing in the middle of the day right now is not super productive. Giagantic high pressure seems to be stuck over New England.  I long for a cool damp day on a trout stream.  Water temperatures have cooled off and the Winooski was 58 degrees at 7:30am and the small brook I was on was 56 degrees.  We tangled with small wild rainbows yesterday morning hat were pretty agreeable to eat #14 Adams parachute off the top and a #14 prince nymph below the surface.  Brook trout were the fish of the afternoon and they were fairly agreeable in eating a #14 x-caddis when we did not spook them.  Water is so low and clear that stealth is critical.  With the low water the fish are extra spooky.  Still seeing a few #12/#14 Isonychia shucks on rocks, but mostly now the bugs of the day are #16 olive caddis, #18 yellow/tan caddis, terrestrials, and #20/#22 BWO's.  Off to chase trout again today.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy

wind blows from the east, the fish bite the least, not

Hi Folks, Guided two spin anglers yesterday for river smallmouth bass. Nice cool morning with a steadily increasing wind from the northeast. The water has cooled off a bit and was 65 degrees.  Still very low and clear and man really need some rain.  Leaves are starting to turn.  It seems with all of the dry weather that the leaves will drop off the trees quickly this year.  So, typically you hear anglers state that when the wind blows from the east the fish bite the least. Maybe true to a point, but weather is always a factor in fishing.  We still landed 8 smallmouth bass yesterday under bright blue skies and a northeast wind.  We did slow down our approach and the fish were fussy to a degree.  All of our takes were subtle and we had a portion of bass that dropped the Senko instead of eating it.  The 3" worm was much more productive than the 4" worm and it appeared that the fish did not want to move far to eat.  We had success drifting our presentations  in close to cover and structure like downed wood and large rocks. It is my job as a fishing guide to figure things out, even in tough weather conditions.  Does not always work out, but never due to a lack of effort.  Trout fishing over the weekend and will be getting out early due to bright sun and low water.  Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have Fun, Willy