Water Clarity: Clear to Muddy
Water Temperatures: 50s-75
Hatches: Golden Stoneflies, Tan Caddis, Light Cahils, Sulfurs, PMDs, Hex, Hoppers, White Flies(Epheron), Tricos, Flying Ants!!!!!
Suggested Patterns: RS2 Tricos (#20-24) More Or Less Hoppers, Micro Chubbies, KK Henberry Hopper, Quick Sight Beetle, Ants, Flying Ants, Light Cahils, CDC Sulphurs, PMDs, Pheasant Tails (#14-18) Soft Hackle Hare’s #14-16) Zug Bugs (#16-18) Caddis Emergers (#16-18) Bird Of Prey (#16) Soft Hackles-Light Yellow/Orange Zonkers, Wooly Buggers, Sex Dungeons, Muddlers, Hornbergs
The fishing over the past few days has been pretty good! The rain has brought water levels back up which is exactly what we need! Between that and the cooler temps we had been seeing at night we cannot complain! The Winooski has continued to receive a bit more rain than the Lamoille and isn’t quite ready to fish but that will only improve the fishing for the rest of the season.
The Lamoille has been fishing well, it was pretty churned up yesterday from the rain the other day but it should be in good shape for the weekend. Water temps above Morrisville have been pretty cool and the fishing has been good.Getting fish on dries, nymphs and streamers. The smaller streams have also been in really good shape. A few of the streams we fish with some consistency we’re seeing a lot more wild rainbows than brook trout on which is interesting. We got a few the other day over 12″ and they pulled like little steelhead. Lots of fun on a 2wt.
There was a Huge flying ant hatch last night in Waterbury and Morrisville, didn’t see a ton of them in Stowe but they did hatch. Over the next few weeks we should continue to see more of these awesome hatches. Definitely one of the most fun and potentially one of the most productive days of dry fly fishing of the year. It’s all about having cool water temps and ants which isn’t something that happens every year. We got out yesterday afternoon for a little bit, water was higher than I had hoped and there were no fish rising but we still managed to hook 4 or 5 fish on ants. All of the fish were on the soft side of a fast, deep run. Most of the ants I saw were #12 cinnamon but there was definitely a little bit of a mix. Be sure to have a few ant patterns in your box for the next two weeks.
For those fishing over the next few days the mid sized tribs are in good shape right now if you want to fish some bigger water without being on the mainstems. The Winooski may clear up in the next few days but it is going to get considerably warmer which may affect the water temps. All of the brook trout streams will be great this weekend too!
Good luck to everyone getting out!
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River: Winooski
Water Temp: 66am
Water Clarity: Coffee
Last Update: 8/4/21
USGS FI: 443
River: Dog
Water Temp: 61
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 8/4/21
USGS FI: 98
River: Lamoille
Water Temp:62
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 8/4/21
USGS FI: 250