Water Clarity: Clear
Water Temperatures: Low to mid 60s AM
Hatches: Black and Brown Stoneflies, Olive and Tan Caddis, Quill Gordons, BWOs, PMDs, Light Cahils, Sulfurs, Brown Drakes
Suggested Patterns: Pheasant Tails (#12-16) Copper Johns (#14-16-Chart) Hare’s Ears (#12-18) Montana Prince Nymphs-Black (#12-14) Kaufman Stoneflies Black and Gold (#10-14) Anderson’s Bird of Prey_Olive (#14-16) Taylor’s Gut Instinct (#14-16) Tan X Caddis (#12-16) Olive Elk Hair Caddis (#16-18) Adams (#12-16) Light Cahils (#12-14) Blond Wulf (#12-14) Royal Wulf (#12-14)
We’re finally getting some rain! Doubt it will be enough but anything at this point will help. The rivers are super low right now, not sure if we’ve ever seen flows like this this time of the year before. Today will help cool the water off and maybe add a little water to the systems, we’ll see. Having said that we’ve still been getting into fish, definitely been a little trickier but we’ve been making it work. Nymphing, dries and swinging soft hackles have all taken fish over the past couple of days. Been finding fish in the faster moving water which makes sense given the low flows. With the water being super low and clear, downsize indicators if you’re going to use them at all, right now would be a great time to run a euro style nymphing rig as well and ditch a bobber all together. Dry/Droppers will also work great in the right kinds of water, a bushier stimulator with a hares ear of caddis pupa below it would definitely get some fish. We’ve been getting fish on the smaller streams but be careful, they are super spooky right now, I hiked up one little stream the other day and although I didn’t get any brookies I got 5 brook trout sized browns. For every fish I caught I probably spooked two, and I was trying to be pretty careful. Stay out of the water, use smaller flies longer leaders and make longer casts. Also avoid any brightly colored clothing and you’ll stand a chance. Avoid casting over the pools before you lay your cast down too, cast along the edge and when you present it then lay it over the water.
The Winooski and Lamoille have been in low-mid 60s in the am, they should cool off a bit today and into tomorrow but it looks like it might get a little toasty over the weekend. If you hit the trout streams this weekend bring a thermometer with you and fish early! Tomorrow will probably be the pick of the week from a trout fishing standpoint. The bass fishing has been pretty good as well so that would be a solid option for the weekend. If hitting trout in the next few days have a little bit of everything with you. If the nymphing game isn’t happening don’t be afraid to throw a small soft hackle into the really fast water, might be surprised as to what happens…
Good luck to everyone getting out over the next couple of days.
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River: Winooski
Water Temp: 64
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 6-14-2018
USGS FI: 154 @ Montpelier
River: Dog
Water Temp: 62
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 6-14-2018
USGS FI: 29 @ Falls
River: Lamoille
Water Temp: 63
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 6-14-2018
USGS FI: 195 @ Johnson