Change of pace, change of venues

Hi Folks, It has been a busy June on the water. I have mostly guided trout trips. We have been wading and using my drift boat to fish the Lamoille and Winooski. It appears with the incoming heat wave that water temperatures in the big rivers will become too warm for trout fishing. The Lamoille and Winooski have been hovering in the low to mid sixties over the last week. They will both go over 70 degrees this week. Now is the time to fish the smaller mountain streams. Many of our wild trout reside in these small brooks and streams. They maintain temperature due to their source, good tree canopy, lack of sun exposure, occasional spring influence, and stability. They are great venues for dry fly fishing for trout. Fly patterns that catch fish in these environments are #10-#14 Royal Chubbys, #10-#12 Royal Trudes, #10-#14 Wulff patterns, #12 Peacock Caddis, #10-#16 parachute Adams, #14-#18 copper John’s, #14-#18 olive and tan caddis pupa, #10-#16 red thread tungsten beaded prince nymphs, #10-#14 tunghead stone flies, and #6-#10 black and olive wooly buggers. For hatches lately, I have witnessed mostly caddis. #14-#18 Tan and olive green bodied bugs that have been hatching in the morning and egg laying at dusk. At dusk there were some #10 Brown Drakes that the fish were gobbling up voraciously. That hatch is done. Yet it is only the  beginning of drake hatches on many of the NE kingdom lakes and ponds. Seeing a few #18-#20 Sulphurs at dusk as well. On the bass front, the fish are done spawning and in post spawn mode. I have guided a few spin forays wading and on my boat for bass. All of the lake fish have been holding in shallow water. Less than 10’ of water. The good old 4” and 5” green water melon red magic Senko just catches fish. The 4” and 3” Senko in the same color caught lots of river smallmouth a couple of days ago. With the big water trout fishing slowing down, my focus will also turn to chasing bass. Floating Wednesday for river smallmouth. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home. Have Fun, Willy