River Conditions: 3/16/16

Water Clarity: Clear to stained

Water Temperatures:  Upper 30’s Low 40’s

Suggested Patterns:  San Juan Worms, Egg Patterns, Black and Brown Stoneflies, Red Copper Johns, Wooly Buggers, Zonkers, Sculpin Patterns

With trout season in about a month it’s time to get fired up! We’ve been experiencing such a warm spring that the year round trout fishing opportunities should be better than most years. Fishing this time of the year can often be a real struggle but this year may not be the case with much warmer and lower flows than normal. Another thing to be doing right now is steelhead fishing on several of Champlain’s tribuataries that are open year round. The steelhead are definitely in right now and they’re a ton of fun on a fly rod. For steelhead make sure you have plenty of egg and worm patterns along with black and brown stoneflies and other nymphs such as copper johns and pheasant tails. For trout fishing on the Winooski or Lamoille right now be sure to have one rod rigged up with a streamer and another rod rigged up with a nymph. You’ll be able to fish each run much more efficiently if you don’t have to constantly switch rigs. As far as flies go in the rivers for trout, pretty much the same selection of flies as for the steelhead. As far as streamers go, be sure to have white and black colored flies along with more natural colors such as olive. Wool Buggers and Zonkers work really well. Be sure to have a couple of huge streamers just in case you end up in a spot where you know there’s a big one… Good luck to the anglers hitting the water over the next few days, we’ll try to keep you updated now and then until trout season starts at which point we’ll start writing the river reports everyday or two. Good luck, tight lines and wade safe!

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