Hi Folks, The summer rolls on and I have been guiding daily. It has been one of the nicer weather summers I can remember in a long time. Yes, it has been dry and we need rain, but air temperatures have been consistently cool. I love the nights when it drops into the low fifties and high forties. Great form keeping the trout water cool. The brooks I have been guiding have averaged between 59 and 64 degrees. The bigger bass water has averaged 71 to 75 degrees. The lake I guided yesterday was 72 degrees. On the trout front, we have been walking lots of small water. Catching native Brook Trout, wild brown trout, and wild rainbows. With the low water, the fish have really been holding tight to cover. Short accurate casting with perfect dead drifts has been required. No slack fly line in the equation. Any drag and the fish simply will not rise to eat. We have casting a #14 green foam hopper, Goddard Caddis in #12-#16, #12 Orange and green bodied stimulators, a #12 rubber legged Royal Trude, and #14 Royal Wulff. Another technique we have been employing with success has been casting a heavily weighted #8 olive sculpin or #10 black wooly bugger into plunge pools and stripping the fly very quickly back towards ourselves. The results have been violent strikes from some nice fish. If you want to catch wild trout in Vermont, the small brooks are where it is at! Seeing lots of green bodied hoppers, #16/#18 tan bodied caddis, #8/#10 stone fly shucks on rocks and adults egg laying as well #20 Sulphurs at dusk and #20-#24 Tricos in the early am. On the bass front, the top water bite has been fantastic! Early morning and late day is best. All of my fishing has been early and late. If choosing to fish the middle of the day, then I feel like you are practicing. With low river levels, the smallmouth are easy to locate. Big primary pools that have lots of cover. With the fly rods, we have exclusively been casting #6/#8 popping bugs. My spin guest have been casting floating rapalas, poppers, and dead drifting 4” watermelon red magic Senkos. The bass fishing has been silly good. Well, we need rain. At least it is cool and you can feel Fall coming on. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.Have Fun, Willy
