Hi Folks, Another flood in Vermont. WTF??? I am very sorry for all the people who have been adversely impacted by the recent flooding. Tragic. Unfortunately, this not the last time this will happen in Vermont. These flooding events show where we humans have messed with Mother Nature. Climate change and warming ocean temps. are the culprit. However, the damage caused by these forces of nature are magnified by human folly. Instability has been created by we the people. We have built in flood plains, destroyed riparian buffer zones for agriculture and development, rip rapped countless streams, removed tons and tons of gravel from rivers and brooks, straightened rivers out to build highways and roads, pinched rivers with roads, undersized culverts, and recreation trails that parallel streams. Water has to have somewhere to go. Unfortunately, the solutions are not easy and expensive to correct. The damage was done long ago.
Still, the stable brooks and rivers survived the floods.Ive guided the last two days on high elevation trout streams. Water comes up quickly, but also drops quickly. Water temps. have help between 60 and 62 degrees. We are catching lots and lots of native brook trout on dry fly patterns. #10-#12 orange bodied, green bodied, purple bodied, and royal chubbies, #10 rubber legged royal trudes, #12-#14 Goddard caddis, and a #12-#14 Royal Wulff have worked. On the bass front, river fishing is shut down for a few days until the Lamoille and Winooski drop and clear. Boat fishing has been okay. Surface temps. have ranged from 71 to 75 degrees. Most of the fish g has been on the bottom. Sharp drop offs with weed, wood, and rock, have held smallmouth. The top water bite has been slow. The best fishing currently is early morning and late day. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
