Hi Folks, Interesting time of year to be a fishing guide. Lots of opportunities for fishing. June is a month where an angler can fish for everything that swims in Vermont. Whether you want to wade a stream, cast from a bass boat, or troll our deep water lakes, there is a fishing opportunity for everyone! Currently, I have been running my motorboat for bass and wading rivers and brooks for trout. The lake fishing has been excellent. Water temperatures have ranged from 61 degrees in the early morning to high sixties late in the day. The wind has been a bit challenging, but it has been laying down early and late in the day. The smallmouth and largemouth bass has been excellent. It appears the largemouth are pretty much done spawning and the smallmouth are in spawn and post spawn mode. I have been guiding fly and spin anglers for bass. We have been working in shallow water. Flats that are littered with wood rock and weed in 2’ to 5’ of water. The largemouth have been holding on downed wood and lots of stumps. Casting beyond the wood and retrieving your presentation has been very successful. We have been casting #6 Clouser Minnows in chartreuse and white with the fly rods and presenting 5” watermelon red magic Senkos with the spin gear. Most of the smallmouth action has come on rocky shorelines and rip rap areas. On the trout front, I would have to use the word inconsistent. One moment the fishing is good and the next it is very challenging. Tons of bug activity right now. All sorts of #10/#12 stone flies hatching and egg laying at dusk last night. Plus, a decent number of hatching #14 caddis. Not many mayflies last night though I did see a few #14/#16 Sulphurs coming off but not in significant numbers prior to dark. On the Lamoille, the caddis hatches have been bonkers. Lots of egg laying activity at dusk with fish rising. Plus, I found a ton of #10 Brown Drake shucks on the water way down stream. Lamoille water temperatures have been a bit warmer than Winooski. Late day river temperatures have been 64 to 66 degrees. I have yet to have a client land a wild trout on the Lamoille. All stocked fish being caught. On the Winooski, the wild rainbows are fantastic. They can be tricky to catch if they are not in feeding mode. We have have been swinging and drifting #14 olive electric caddis, #14/#16 wire caddis, and a Slaughter #14 olive caddis pupa. A #14 green bodied X-caddis has served well as an adult caddis and egg laying caddis. Rusty spinner from #12-#16 has been effective at dusk imitating egg laying mayflies. A #12 red threaded prince nymph, a #10/#12 tungsten stone fly nymph, #14/#16 soft hackles, #14/#16 pheasant tail nymphs, a #8/#10 olive/black and all black wooly buggers have all been effective for subsurface fishing. Lots of fishing options currently. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy
