Water Clarity: Clear
Water Temperatures:Low 60s- Mid 70s
Hatches: Golden Stoneflies, Tan Caddis, Light Cahils, Sulfurs, PMDs, Hoppers, White Flies(Epheron), Tricos, ISOs, BWOs, 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
Things got pretty hot this week. We focused most of our efforts on the smaller streams and still had great success despite the steamy air temps. Water temps on the brook trout streams we fished on ranged from 58-62, we could definitely use some rain as they were getting pretty skinny by the end of the week. We had some success on a few of the mid sized tribs on early morning trips. Temps on those ranged from 62-66 in the AM. With the lower water, all of the fish were located tight to the heads of the pools in the faster flowing water. The depth wasn’t important, what was important was the faster flow and oxygenated water. This applied to the smaller streams as well. We’ve had some good days targeting smallmouth mainly on the Lower Lamoille river as well. From Fairfax Falls downstream to Lake Arrowhead is a great stretch of water to float or wade. Lots of fish ranging between 12″ and 14″ with fish up over 18″ around. Even the 12-14″ river smallies pull harder than just about any trout you’re going to run into this time of the year. Terrestrials have worked well in most situations for the bass as well as the trout on the mid sized tribs. If you fish good looking water and nothing is shaking don’t be afraid to go back through with a subsurface fly. We’ve been picking up trout swinging small, sparse yellow, white and cream colored soft hackles as well as dead drifting smaller nymphs. On the smallmouth side of things, drifting a larger girdle bug or another stonefly nymph would be a great plan b to a big bushy hopper or even a popper.
The forecast over the next week is looking pretty good at the moment. Drier than we’d like to see but way cooler-hopefully that holds true. Warm tomorrow and Monday but then lower 70s and we’ve even got a couple days that are looking to only be in the high 60s. These temps paired up with the cooler night time temps will drop water temps quite fast on the bigger rivers which were cooking a few days ago. If we get a thunderstorm or two and some rain, which looks like it’s not out of the question for the next days the fishing this coming week could be excellent! In the meantime, until that happens focus on the small to mid sized streams and be sure to keep a thermometer with you and check the water temps as you go.
Good luck to everyone getting out! Lets do a rain dance! Fall is so close we can smell it!!!
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River: Winooski
Water Temp: 74am
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 8/28/21
USGS FI: 108
River: Dog
Water Temp: 66
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 8/28/21
USGS FI: 47
River: Lamoille
Water Temp:72
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 8/28/21
USGS FI: 81