Hot Patterns for April in southern Vermont

These are the patterns you need for fly fishing in southern Vermont.

1. tungsten bead head hares ear sz.10, 12, 14
2. hendrickson nymph unweighted sz. 12
3. pheasant tail sz. 14, 16
4. black hares ear (if water is dirty)
5. Shushan postmaster streamer
6. thunder creek dace
7. cone head flashy muddler
8. blue quill usual dry sz.16
9. hendrickson usual dry sz. 12, 14
10. ausable wulff
11. kashner black midge sz.18
12. black stone or caddis sz 16

I like a 9 foot leader with a 4x tippet. Best times to fish are 10am to 4pm.

Manchester Vt. Fly fishing

The fly- fishing in Southern Vermont the last couple days has been a nymphing game. Fish are starting to chase flies down and across. Hatches are between 1 and 4 pm still. Black caddis, midges and blue quill. Beaver ponds in river systems have produced the most dryfly action.
The weather forecast for this coming weekend is for sun and 70's! Things are going to explode. Tree buds will start to pop, turkeys will be gobbling and hendrickson will be hatching on the branches of the BATTENKILL.

Next week the Vt. fisheries dept. will start stocking the trophy areas. Let the games begin! I do have some prime open dates still.

Alewife Fly patterns

Alewifes are a new bait fish food source here in Vermont. They have over taken Lake St. Catherine and are spreading heavy in Lake Champlain. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife has stocked St. Catherine with Brown Trout to control them and have created a really good new fishery. Lake Champlain already gets enough fish but their diets are changing from smelt to alewife. So this winter my flyshops needed an Alewife Pattern. You can find my Alewife fly patterns at the following shops:

Joe Jones at Great Outdoors, 219 Woodstock Ave. (rte. 4 east) Rutland Vt. 802-775-9989
This is a great shop and they carry my full line of trout flies. They also carry fishpond, rods, reels, tippet...etc....everything you need to fish in Vermont.

Vermont field sports in Middlebury 802 388-3572

Dattilio's in Burlington 802 862-5516

Lake St. Catherine Brown Trout

I put the boat in today for the first time. Lake St. Catherine is minutes away, so it makes sense to test it there. Spent about 3 hours trolling a wide variety of lures but no takers. It was very sunny and flat....water temp 48 to 50. The whole time I was out... I was thinking about all the custom fly orders I still need to build for clients. So, I really didn't give it my all. Also, I wanted to do a bug check on the New York side of the Mettawee. Didn't see any Hendricksons over there but it will be any day now. Aquatic insect hatches are funny....a hatch will start in the headwaters and on the lower sections and move towards the middle of the drainage. Back to the tying bench!!! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Past and present client feedback

If you would like to comment on Chuck Kashner's guide service. Please post it on this thread.

Southern Vermont Trout fishing

I spent some time today looking at the Walloomsac River in Bennington, Vt. This is one of my favorite Vermont rivers to guide flyfishing on. It's too early to fish the Walloomsac although it was in good shape. As a fishing guide, there is alot of walking and looking....and not as much fishing. In the afternoon, I spent time on the Battenkill looking for hatch activity. Blue Quills are the primary food source. Most of the Trout today were picking out nymphs in the surface film trying to emerge. But if a dun did get in the drift...it was eaten. Will be Lake fishing for Brown Trout tomorrow. Over the winter, I created an Alewife trolling pattern I need to fish. Lake St. Catherine has been producing alot of Brown Trout and I've seen several over 5 lbs. Stay tuned!

UPPER BATTENKILL DRYFLY ACTION!!!

With two really nice days in a row of sun and high 50's....we saw our first mayflies and rising trout of the 2009 season. It was limited target wise. Saw early black stones, more black midges, some blue quills and even a handful of hendricksons! We didn't expect it, so we really didn't have alot of time on the right spots. Caught fish on adams 18, blue quill usual 16, hendrickson usual 14, and when surface action slowed we caught them on a size 14 tungsten bead head. It is only going to get better with the weather forecast. Today is going to be high 50's and tomorrow in the 60's....It has begun! Vermont fly fishing for trout in southern vermont.

Upper Battenkill Fly fishing

Yesterday was a return to normal April temperatures. April fly fishing in Vermont is an afternoon game ending a little after 4pm. With the current weather forecast, we should start seeing black caddis, midges and blue quills this coming weekend. Today on the upper Battenkill was again a chuck and duck nymphing affair. As for water conditions, run off and water temps. we are in great shape!!! There is no rain in the forecast with temps in the mid 50s. Let the fly fishing in Vermont game begin.

Easter Sunday

The air temp. yesterday never got above 35 and there was a tough north wind.....BUUUUUURRRR! Took some stream walks, cut a little brush on some bounce trails but had no need or desire to put waders on. Currently, its 48 at 9:30 so thare will be some Vermont fly fishing this afternoon.

Opening Day of Vermont Trout Fishing

It was COLD this am....33 when I got up....we left at 9am to fish...first stop Flower Brook in Pawlet. The river was clear, cold and just a touch high to fly fish. So, Nick drifted some "garden hackle"...hit a couple holes and split to hit some brook trout stuff. In Dorset, we hit one of our favorite little Brookie holes. After 3 or 4 missed hits, Nick scored 3 in a row....Nice Brookies 8 to 10"ers. Off to Manchester and the branch of the Battenkill. 8' 4 weight temple fork in hand and Dad on his shoulder... we caught 5 more brookies and a brown. Today (as for the next week) was all about finding current seams and reduced current about waist deep with broken bottom (rocky) . Then using Tungsten BH hares ears with indicators....getting a dead drift...DEEP...to catch fish in the early season you need to lose some flies....if you aren't getting hits....add weight or increase the length of your tippet between indicator-fly... We ended the day back at Flower brook in Pawlet to catch a rainbow and complete a trout grand slam. The Mettawee/ Flower rainbows are thinking more about spawning than eating but we did manage a 10" bow to complete the slam. Just a great day overall...fishing was ok, was great to get back on the water and like every opening day....it was a quality day fishing with my son.

Tomorrow is opening day

Vermont trout season opens tomorrow!!! My son and I are going to fish hard. Looking to spend time on every small stream from Pawlet to Manchester, Vermont. Today, is a hardcore prep day...got to load up my new fish pond vest.....scary a new vest....will need alot of practice finding stuff.

Getting ready for opening day

I tied trolling flies, hornbergs, bead heads, put the motor on the boat, spooled line on several reels....very busy, not near enough time to complete todays "to do" lists