Hi Folks, I’m getting after it on a daily basis. Guiding all over the place. Water conditions are changing rapidly. We really need rain. Our rivers are going to dry up if something does not give. Not really, but man I would love to see some sustained precipitation. I’m done fishing Lamoille and Winooski River for trout until things cool back down. The Lamoille was 67 degrees early Saturday morning. The only feasible time to fish either river would be early morning after a cool cool night. I’ve been running the boat lake fishing where surface temperatures have been between 70 and 75 degrees. The small Brook I guided today was 61 degrees. The bass fishing has been consistent. My fly clients have had success with surface fishing at low light times casting frog poppers, a Krelux ( new one to me) and foam crease flies. Fishing slow has been the key. A #6 Clouser minnow in olive and white has been consistent below the surface. All of the smallmouth have been over rock bottom with sharp drop offs. Man, I do enjoy watching a big smallmouth launch out of the water. The largemouth have been holding amongst forming weed beds in holes in water between 2’ and 7’ in depth. Had a client reeling in a small Rock Bass the other day and very large Bowfin came up to the boat in an attempt to eat the panfish. Love stuff like that! Lots of bugs still around. Saw some large #10 Potamanthus on lower Lamoille the other day. Still a decent number of #12 green bodied caddis with a mottled wing and huge attenae egg laying in the evening. Big splashy rises from trout periodically as the bugs dipped their bodies into the river to lay eggs. A #12/#14 olive x-caddis is money. Sulphurs from #16 /#18 at dusk, #18 Black Caddis and pay attention for big Drakes on our lakes. You can’t go wrong nymphing a #12-#16 olive caddis on either of the big rivers. Hex time is upon us! Crawfish had been all over the edges of the Lamoille. Molting for reproduction. Filet Mignion for a large trout. You can’t go wrong with a #8/#10 olive/black heavily weighted Wolly bugger dead drifted. Small stream fishing has been okay. Our little brooks need more water. The fish are tight. Slow approaches and good casting is required. I prefer smaller patterns in these conditions. #14/#16 Royal Trude (was the winner today), #14/#16 Royal Wulff, #10-#14 Goddard caddis, #14 Cal Birds Pocket water, and a #14/#16 parachute adams. Don’t be afraid to give the fish meat in some plunge pools. A #8 Whitlock Sculpin ripped out the plunge does induce some big takes! Love small stream fishing. Most of the trout coming up to eat have emerged from rocks. Almost holding under them as the water is low and clear. Starting to shift gears towards river smallmouth fishing, small streaming, and Stillwater opportunities. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
