What nymph should I use?

 

The first consideration in selecting which nymph pattern to use should be the bottom composition.

With silty muddy bottoms or during high water periods after rain...Black rules! Steelhead guys who often face stained water love purple/blue uv highlights. Here in New England, a black hare's ear is a go to April fly.

With sandy bottoms you should consider tan hare's ear nymphs to be your first choice. Especially if your hatches consist of pale colored mayflies like cahills, sulfurs or yellow drakes.

Weedy bottoms calls for olive nymphes! I dye gray squirrel fur with yellow rite dye and a shot of vinegar to produce this pattern.

Rocky bottoms which are the mainstay here in New England call for a dark brown nymph. Those who have looked inside my chest box will tell you, this is my GO TO nymph. The dubbing is a red squirrel base with

assorted uv highlights.

It's wise to have size 10, 12, 14, and 16's in the color the fits your situation. The bigger flies carry more weight which will get deep faster. Thank you for the view and please stay tuned. I plan to try to make sense out of the different european techinques, where and how they may apply here. Take care and let's go fishing!

 

Top 10 Battenkill dry flies

My top ten “go to” guide dry flies for the Battenkill region.

1. Deer hair no hackle caddis 2. Yellow adams wulff

3. Spirit of Pittsford Mills 4. Ausable wulff

5. Dun usual compradun 6. Rusty usual compradun

7. CDC trico spinner 8. Rusty hackle wing spinner

9. Sulfur hackle wing spinner 10. CDC BWO

Tie one on! If they work here, they WILL work there!

UGLY BUGS & How to tie them

 

The UglyBug is a pattern I develped over the last bunch of guide seasons! 

Tie some, they are deadly, easy to tie and materials are easy to source.

Materials: 3/0 Danville (from NH) waxed color to match body

Squirrel dubbing from gray, red and fox with UV highlights. 

When collecting roadkills or bird feeder pests I freeze whole and shave

with a barber buzzer. The UV use little of this and that but REMEMBER:

LESS is MORE! 

Soft Hackle can be woodcock as shown, hungarian or hen pheasant 

Thorax/head a dark brown squirrel blend with black peacock uv

 Build up a thread base, the waxed thread helps hold the dubbing.                                         Dubbing loop and ruff it up to get that buggy look. If you get the dubbing right,                        the flash & fibers look very much like the air bubble on a hatching caddis pupa! 

 

Tie the soft hackle tip end first...wrap forward and then wrap thread back over the hackle

to fold back. All feathers have a natural bend, an inner & outer side...don't work against it.

Loose dub a head / thorax and wrap a couple thread wraps through it to firm up. 2-3 wraps

RUFF IT UP!!!! Don't be shy

The blend is like asking your grandmother for a recipe:) its a pitch of this and that

Keys>  small coffee / herb blender and a barber buzzer for 20 bucks. Frozen critter! 

UGLY BUG ~ TIE ONE ON!

Father Son trip

   "Hey Chuck, Thanks again for taking us out, had a great time and learned alot!

We'll definitely let you know when we're back in the area for some fishing." Eric S.

"NO BIG ROCKS OR STEEP BANKS"

 No problem, we can do that! If your mobility is limited it should NOT stop you for going with a guide....BUT a strong word of advise: TELL YOUR GUIDE IN ADVANCE.

2021 FISH FLOP FRIDAY WINNER!

 The 2021 FFF Winner is longtme client James K....beware they are slippery buggers!

NO FISH WERE HARMED! I watched the fish rocket right back to his lie.

2021 in Review

Vermont Fishing Trips had a soft reopening in 2021 running limited trips with regular longtime clients.

After the closed year, this spring was all about making good with clients from the closure.

 In the coming 2022 season, all trips will be half days (4hrs) only.

Thanks for the view and the continued support!

Vermont Fly Fishing Instruction & Guide Service

Vermont Fly Fishing for Trout is HOT! Daily half day morning trips in July and August, all gear is provided, Beginners are welcome. 

Please call  Chuck Kashner at 1-800-682-0103 for reservations

Vermont Fly Fishing Instruction & Guide Service

The 2019 Annual Father's Day Classic was EPIC! 

Vermont Fly Fishing Instruction & Guide Service

May and June were AWESOME! Fly fishing for trophy trout has been excellent. Daily trips start in Manchester,Vt. Call 1-800-682-0103 for reservations. Beginners are welcome! All gear is provided.

Wet vest deep and surrounded by Brown Trout.

Come to Vermont & Learn to Fly Fish with Vermont Fishing Trips

Private groups (you and yours),  hands on instruction, all gear is provided

Beginners are welcome

Call Chuck Kashner 1 800 682-0103

First fish caught on a fly are special!

Email for openings cdkashner@gmail.com

Top 10 Wild Trout Brooks in the Vermont Green Mountains

Vermont is blessed with an abundance of mountain brooks that have sustainable populations of wild brook, brown and rainbow trout. List below is alphabetical 

1. Bromley Brook, Tollgate Rd in Manchester, Vt
2. Big Branch, Brooklyn Rd / FR#10 seasonal in Danby / Mad Tom
3. Deerfield River,  NFR# 71 Somerset, Vt
4. Mad Tom Brook, Mad Tom Rd. East Dorset, Vt
5. Neshobe River, Rt. 73 Forest Dale
6. North Branch Cold River, Aitken State Forest
7. Roaring Branch, Kelley Stand Rd in  East Arlington, Vt
8. Roaring Walloomsac Branch, Molly Stark Trail / Rt 9 Bennington, Vt
9. Utley Brook, Landgrove Rd, Weston, Vt
10. West Branch Tweed River, Lower Michigan Rd, Pittsfield, Vt

The 2019 booking season has begun, don't be left out!

Beginners are welcome, Chuck has been an instructing guide for 27 yrs.

Call Chuck Kashner at 1 800- 682-0103 or locally 1 802- 645- 0009

email questions or comments to cdkashner@gmail.com 

Thank you for the visit and please share with your friends

8 reasons to visit Southern Vermont

1.  Jan to March: Ice fishing for Northern Pike and Bass on Lake St. Catherine Vermont Ice Fishing trips

  

2. April: Trout season opens the second Saturday in April. Small water for wild Brook Trout. Chuck likes to book afternoon half day trips on upper branches of the Battenkillto take advance of early seson hatches of Midge, early stones, blue quill and hendricksons. Vermontfishingtrips.com

3. May: Vermont Trophy Trout Program is in high gear. Target areas are East Creek in Rutland, Walloomsac River in Bennington and Otter Creek in Danby. These are very popular trips, prime dates are limited....these are really nice fish averaging from 16 to 24 inches.

4. June: What a GREAT month! Everything is fishing but the top choice are: the Walloomsac, Otter Creek and the Battenkill. I like to run either three quarter or full day trips.

5. July and August: Trout fishing is a morning affair. Targets are the Walloomsac, Battenkill and Mettawee. I also start running mountain brook trips

6. September: Is the time to fish the BATTENKILL...she is not for everyone but she is a gorgeous river.

7. October: BIRD HUNTING for Woodcock and Ruffed Grouse. Trips are limited.
Vermont Bird Hunting Trips

8. November: Weather pending year around trout fishing opportunities on East Creek, Otter Creek and      Walloomsac river.  The 2019 booking season has begun, don't be left out!  Thank you for the visit
BEGINNERS ARE WELCOME! Chuck has been a full time guide for 27 years..call him at 1 800-682-0103 or email cdkashner@gail.com