Hi Folks, It has been a good May on the water. The fishing has been consistent. However, it is very dry and we really need rain. Currently, the big blue skies and hot sunny weather is making the fishing tricky. The best time on the water has been early or late day. Our rivers are low and it is scary what the future could bring if it stays dry. Luckily, water temperatures are still good as we continue to have nighttime air temperatures in the 40s and 50s. The Lamoille has been between 60 and 64 degrees. However, with the dry weather and the hot sunny days, river temperatures will rise. The hatching activity of insects has been great. Every night the trout have been rising for the last hour eating spinners and egg laying caddis. #14 Sulpher dubs have been hatching on the Lamoille like gang busters and the spinners have been dropping right at dusk. My clients have been casting to stocked and wild rainbows gulping the mayflies. I have seen a a few #14 Grey Fox hatching early afternoon. There are crawfish all over the shallows. A fair number of caddis have been hatching in the morning. A #14-#16 dark bodied caddis. They have been gathering at dusk for egg laying. Patterns we have been presenting have been a #14 Flashback Pheasant tail nymph, a #16 olive caddis pupa, a #14 hare and copper, a #12 Prince Nymph, #10 olive/black wooly bugger, #12-#16 Rusty Spinner, #14 x-caddis, #14/#16 peacock soft hackles, a #14-#16 Adams parachutes. We have chased northern and smallmouth with the fly as well. Lake surface temperatures have been right around 60 to 63 degrees. The smallmouth are in the middle of spawning. Males are protecting beds. I prefer to leave them alone. We have been finding pike holding tight to bottom with the current bright sunny weather. Deep drop offs adjacent to a shallow bay. A sinking line with a fire tiger game changers, olive and yellow Clouser minnows, and Half and Half patterns in chartreuse and white have all produced fish. May was good, let’s hope June offers up of some fine fishing. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
