Vermont Summer Patterns

We are in our summer patterns here in Vermont except on the main stem Battenkill. The Battenkill on Rte 313 is fishable now...FINALLY.... but instead of fishing tiny little stuff on the Kill like a normal end of July....swing streamers!!! A favorite combo is a size 14 black ant on the dropper trailed by a Shushan Postmaster Streamer...Ants, Ants and beetles are the hot fly patterns for a wetfly swing....there are BWO in a size 16 around and we should start seeing TRICOS...yes TRICOS....those little spinners that drive experienced fishermen nuts....mountain brooks are happening so are the lakes for warm water species...thanks for the view and please check back....since mother nature has straighten out her attitude:))) I'll try to post more often now

Vermont Mountain Brook Trout Fly Fishing

Vermont has a ton of small mountain brooks. Some which are teeming with native wild Brook Trout. We sampled a couple yesterday and the bite is on!!! Using a 6' 2 weight and wulff style dryflies....mountain Brookies are the jewels of the Green Mountains. Want to talk about fast....those little buggers can hit a fly twice on the same drift and never get pricked. Short rods, short leaders, short drifts.....away from other fishermen in postcard settings...the mountain brookie fishing is a nice change of pace. Alot of days while guiding, we'll spend time in the morning on the bigger water and then move to the mountains. My all time favorite fly patterns are: Ausable and /or yellow wulff

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!

Summertime patterns and conditions have finally arrived in Vermont. It looks like this coming weekend we will be able to finally get onto the Battenkill. The Mettawee and Walloomsac are perfect now. Otter is good and with the water conditions we had in June...the Black River could even be considered as a target. Lake fishing is also hot and heavy now! Trips are in the morning...the evening bite is too short to guide on. There are plenty of openings so please consider a trip and call me. The mountain brook, little rods and dryfly thing for Brookies is NOW HERE... Hot fly list: BWO 16's, Ants, Beetles, Caddis 16, dun caddis 16, rusty spinners 16 and 18, little green stones, yellow adams wulff, and as always BH nymphs but in 14 and 16's, pheasant tail nymphs, and olive wd40...IT'S SUMMER!

The levels on the Walloomsac are the best in the state BUT...there has been days it hasn't been fishable..the triangles show the historical average levels

Now the Battenkill on the other hand ...at least on Rte 313 in Arlington ...has NOT been fishable since late May....600 cfs is the ok to fish...I really like 450 to 250 cfs.... Sorry for the lack of posts this last month...but as soon as I post I am a liar...Mother Nature clearly still has her panties in a bunch...I have been fishing / guiding and catching fish....but it is a day to day adventure and I am very hesitant to make bold posts.

Vermont Water conditions in June

For my regular followers...I am sorry for the lack of posts....Water levels have been up and down(swings of up to 4 feet). We haven't had the same water level (for two days in a row) since May 21st. To say the least, its been a cruel carnival ride mother nature has thrown us lately....whoever is doing this rain dance...PLEASE STOP...ENOUGH ALREADY...

Custom Fly Tying

I had a guy call me the other day looking for Hellgrammite flies....I guess one of his buddies harvested a fish that was just loaded with big nasty biting Hellgrammites....so this is what I came up with for him...of coarse I tied a few to show the Black River fish too...If you need something special tied...please give me a call...a little notice is nice but I can usually ship stuff pretty quick.

Vermont Bug / Fly Report

Last nights thunderstorms and heavy rain has streams pretty blown out....we needed the rain and water so we finally got it! Some rivers...not all but some like the Black River...due to T.S. Irene damage really mud up fast....so it was a captain call today.... on to the bug and current hatch report. Lots of caddis tan in a 14 and a 18....apple caddis in a 14, some Hendrickson still, Red Quills and rusty spinners, some March Browns, and it won't be long before Cahills and sulfurs show....good luck people! Thanks for the view and following....I have a really good stock of flies available...so if you need feathers and fur give me a call.

Vermont Fly Fishing

The Black River outside of Cavendish Vermont continues to fish well! I do have openings this week so if you want to fish the Black River call me!

End of May and June OPEN DATES!

Currently the following dates are open and I would welcome you to book! Open dates: May 25, 26, 27....yes Memorial weekend is currently open....that Saturday I will not want to fish the Black or East creek but there are plenty of places to hide and be by ourselves...Memorial day Sunday and Monday are historically sparse pressure wise so no worries these are GREAT dates! Also Open are June 9-13....give me a call and we can discuss options!

Vermont trout fishing

We had some rain last week and some colder mornings this week which have put the trout fishing back to normal...that is a good thing! Yesterday was a good day on the Black River in sprite of having to layer up clothing wise. The Black had some Hendricksons hatching but it was hard to beat the little pink things with a hot pink dot and czech nymphs...the new sighter system is working very well!...the contrast of the different colors is very easy to see the hits.....I have a solid run of trips this week and then at the end of the month there are some VERY PRIME dates that are open....ITS PRIME TIME FOLKS!

BEGINNERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!

click on image to enlarge Want to learn how to fly fish??? This is a great time of the year to learn how....CALL ME

OTTER CREEK in Danby, VT

The management area on Otter Creek in Danby, Vt is the place to be! Make sure to pack good polarized glasses....seeing fish before you fish is VERY IMPORTANT. I fish flies dead drift WITHOUT an indicator and swing streamers....The white flashy fly with a 3/16"tungsten bead is my all time favorite. Cast well above the fish to let the fly sink to the fishes level and then strip it away from the fish....the trophy fish on Otter Creek really like stripped streamers....the upcoming weather forecast is awesome....LIFE is SHORT>>>>>GO FISHING!

It is open!

Trout season is open in Vermont! The snow in the valley is gone, ice is off Lake St. Catherine, Bomoseen and the beaver ponds, LET THE GAMES BEGIN! The forecast for today is mid 60's with sun...I am out of here shortly to scout/fish a small river in Pawlet. Time flies this time of the year....don't be left out, there are some prime Trophy dates still open and now since runoff is near complete I can book early dates with complete confidence...Lets go fishing!

2013 Vermont Trout Season

The 2013 Vermont Trout Season opens Saturday April 13th. Even though we had a pretty big winter this year, the run off is coming off perfectly! Last year, we had a really warm March and a cold April....so what happened was everything got going and then got put on hold. This year is much more normal.... I expect to see early black stones on the Mettawee and Flower Brook... black midges and blue quills on the branches...on warm sunny afternoons the Brook Trout will be rising! Thanks for the view and please stay tuned.

Czech Nymphing

"THE CZECHS ARE COMING...THE CZECHS ARE COMING" This year, I will be showing some of you , in some places Czech nymphing techniques. I WILL NOT be discarding strike indicators anytime soon but there are places Czech nymphing will be deadly. The white and pocket water on the Black River comes to mind first and foremost. Like throwing streamers, I don't plan on doing it all day. The basics of the method are high striking, tight leaders from a bunch of weight, and seeing the hits in the leader....the flies: Czech Nymphs are: HEAVY WEIGHTED,slim ,have a hard shell back with wire rib , and are tied curved caddis hooks. To help see hits on the leader a "SIGHTER SECTION" is built into the leader with bright and contrasting colors....I'm using it in the .013 and .010 sections of my normal leader recipe. Book a May or June guided trip with me and I'll show you how to do it!