Don't like the weather??? just wait a day!

Vermont has been a roller coaster weather wise....last week we had a HEAT WAVE which kicked off the lake fishing! Check out those details on www.vermontspinfishing.blogspot.com
Now this week, its back to somewhat normal weather 30's to mid 50's....I am thinking this will slow things down because we were getting way to advanced for the season...I have been seeing lots of reports on crazy good bass fishing on Champlain which is unreal for March....even the Wild Turkeys are confused...I really hope all the gamebirds don't start lying yet....the end of this week beginning of next I plan to spend some time on some of my favorite Brook Trout spots....got a new pair of LaCrosse hip boots and need to trim some trails and back cast lanes....Call me if you want a date! I do have a bunch of prime dates....it is 19 days till we are casting to WILD BROOK TROUT!

UNREAL WEATHER

I took a walk around a small pond and down at the LSC state Park today...The Vt Fisheries Department was stocking Brown Trout in Lake St. Catherine today!! I saw frogs, salamanders, bluegills, small Bass rising, a midge hatch, heard peepers, and watched a Tom Turkey showing off for his girl friends....Its sunny and about 70 here in Southern Vermont today....UNREAL....I would bet my last buck there are blue quills hatching on the branch right now and Brookies are rising to eat them...

GOT FLIES????

Beadhead Hares Ear nymphs in sizes 10 through 14 are the dropper (weight) fly of choice...tie to the bend of the hook with a foot or so of tippet to add the trailer fly of choice.

Hendrickson Nymphes are my FAVORITE trailer fly in April and May

Red Earthworms are a hatch matcher in the spring when it rains and "garden hackle" is getting washed into the brook

McEggs....Glo-bug egg flies...Rainbow Trout LOVE them in the spring

GOT FLIES???? NEED FLIES???? CALL ME or EMAIL ME....Its going to be an early spring....and Trout season is only a few weeks away here in Vermont and is already started in many states....Its Spring and I'm loving it:)

South Branch

I was in Bennington, Vermont yesterday and did a drive by my favorite section of the South Branch:)....it was perfect! I have heard rumors that the section in town has changed a bunch because of Irene...but my favorite beat looks pretty much unchanged...trout season opens in 4 weeks but I plan on fishing open water for Perch, Crappies, Pike and Lakers this week on Lake Champlain

The 2012 Vermont Trout Season

The opening day for Vermont Trout fishing is Saturday April 14th. With the warm weather, lack of snow and ice we are going to have an EARLY SPRING! Ice out will happen any day now on local lakes. Lake Champlain is open north of the bridge. There are fishing opportunities right now for non Trout fishers....Northern Pike, Perch, Crappies and Bullheads are all possible early spring species...Thanks for following....Think Spring!

VERMONT HOT EARLY SEASON FLY PATTERNS

These are the patterns you need for fly fishing in southern Vermont.
tungsten bead head hares ear sz.10, 12, 14
hendrickson nymph unweighted sz. 12
pheasant tail sz. 14, 16
black hares ear (if water is dirty)
Shushan postmaster streamer
thunder creek dace
cone head flashy muddler
blue quill usual dry sz.16
hendrickson usual dry sz. 12, 14
ausable wulff
kashner black midge sz.18
black stone or caddis sz 16
McEggs in pink, spawn and mellow
I like a 9 foot leader with a 4x tippet. Best times to fish are 10am to 4pm.

Chuck Kashner's Leaders

Knotted Leaders
I use and tie my own knotted leaders. This is not really a cost saving plan. Instead, I believe its a more effective way to manage clients leader issues. I tie a stock leader being a 9' 4X leader. From this I can add 3' of butt section to make a 12' or better leader to fish the Battenkill. Or I can cut the butt back to make a short leader to fish mountain brooks. For lighter tippets...5 or 6X....I cut the 4X tippet on the stock leader and add more or lighter tippet. Here is the leader formula I use:

Knotted 9 foot 4X leader:

Butt 36" of .019
16" of .017
12" of .015
6" of .013
6" of .011 (0X)
6" of .009 (2X)
tippet 26"of .007 (4X)

Replacement mono or spools of mono I have in my vest for leader repair or tinkering:
.019, 0x, 2X, 3X, lots of 4 &5X, 6X and in August 7X.

Best bet if you are going to build some leaders is to buy a leader tie kit. Another advantage to tying some of your own leaders is the practice at knot tying....will help you on the water.

Chuck Kashner's Crystal Ball

IT IS GOING TO BE AN EARLY SPRING....which means good Brook Trout fishing in April, and we will be having some dryfly fishing this year on the trophy areas like the Black River. The Black River gets the best Hendrickson Hatch in all of Vermont and Sulfurs also start in the end of May....when we have lower than normal water levels, we do caught these 14 to 19" Black river fish on DRYFLIES....thanks for the view...I'm back on this blog so stay tuned!

BACK TO TALKING ABOUT FLY FISHING:)

Major Hatches in Vermont:
APRIL: Blue Quills, Black Stones, Hendricksons
MAY: Red Quills, Tan & Olive Caddis, Gray Fox
JUNE: Sulfurs/Cahills, Caddis, Rusty Spinners
JULY: Yellow Drakes, BWO, Dun Caddis
AUGUST: Tricos, BWO, Evening Duns
SEPTEMBER: Tricos, Fall Caddis, Flying Ants
OCTOBER: Fall Caddis, BWO, Midges and BIRD HUNTING
NOVEMBER: Smelt and Alewives for Lake Trout
Jan though March: Icefishing