Memorial Weekend Report

I hope everyone reading this is able to take advantage of the good fishing Vermont has to offer at the moment.  You can't go wrong whether you hit a big river, small stream, lake or pond.  We will have to watch what river levels do over night, and too much rain in one area could dictate where you fish Saturday, but everything should be in play for Sunday and Monday.  

We have had a rollercoaster of weather as usual lately.  Big rivers hit 70 degrees plus two weekends ago for an afternoon or two.  Thats the earliest I can remember that happening.  Only a few days later I was cancelling float trips and fishing small streams in high, cold water.  This past week has put up big numbers of fish for clients and myself. River temps and flows have been ideal and the bugs are coming off. Trout have responded by eating heavily all day long.  We have been catching them in all water types this week from shallow riffles to slow deep pools and flats.  Most of the fish have been in the deepest water in or just below a riffle.  Not a lot of stocked fish in the skinnier heavier stuff but that's where you're more likely to find a wild fish.  

Fly selection has certainly mattered this week.  For instance on my Tuesday guide trip the fish were all over a size 12 CDC PT with reddish collar, but when I fished back through the same water in the afternoon the bulk of the fish wanted a size 18-20 perdigone.  Conversely, Yesteday's float caught fish all morning on a natural sized 16 PT but large stones and attractor flies in the afternoon.  I have begun to see more risers during the day and we had a few nice dry fly eats under bright sun in the middle of the day this week.  I've seen trout trying to grab large March Browns off of the surface.  

Going into the weekend and beyond, please have your stream thermometers handy on the rivers and move up the watershed if its above 70.  

On the lakes Bass are spawning and some have already spawned.  We have seen largemouth on their beds and caught a few nice ones in 3-7 feet of water that were chasing baitfish.

We have some availability mid week, evenings and weekends in the next month.
I will be getting my ankle and foot reconstructed on June 27 thanks to years of soccer injuries, and will be on crutches for 6 weeks.  I'm hoping to be back on the water for September.  I will have guides available all summer long so don't worry!