——————————— Volume: 3 Issue: 9 Circulated: 09/05/2012 ——————————— Mount Norris Boy Scout Camp One of the programs we conducted out of The Fly Rod Shop this summer was the Fishing and Fly Fishing Merit Badge classes at the Mount Norris Scout Reservation in Eden, Vermont. This was the first year The Fly Rod Shop taught these Merit Badge Programs and the first time in recent years these Merit Badges had been offered at the Mount Norris Reservation. We ran this program for 4 weeks this summer, and had a total of 34 participants, 17 for each program. The basic Fishing Merit Badge class was conducted on Mondays for those 4 weeks this summer. Some of the requirements that were necessary to receive the badge were; knowing the equipment and how to set it up, tying certain knots, knowing different fish species and regulations, fisherman safety and several others. After spending the morning raising their fishing IQ, we also got to spend some time out on the lawn doing some practice casting for distance and accuracy. Then, before we hit the water to fish and put our new skills and knowledge to the test we stopped by the small stream near the reservation to check out the aquatic life. On the small stream we collected some bug samples, talked about a fishes diet, when and where they like to eat, and where the fish can be found in a river. Once we got to the lake to fish the kids set up their own rods, baited their hooks, and even caught fish!

The Fly Fishing Merit Badge class was taught on Tuesdays this summer, many students who participated in the Fishing Merit Badge also earned their Fly Fishing Merit Badge. This program had a similar outline to the Fishing Merit Badge, with a few differences. The kids were still required to learn about all the equipment, fish identification, fishing laws, and fisherman safety. In addition to these the kids also had to tie several more knots, including the clinch, surgeons, perfection loop, arbor, and nail knot. We also spent time discussing the different types of flies such as streamers, nymphs, dries, terrestrials, and poppers. In addition to learning about these flies the kids even got to tie their own Wooly Buggers! After learning about all the equipment and how it differs from that used for spin fishing, we spent time practicing both the roll cast and false cast in a nearby field. Just like the Fishing Merit Badge class, at the end we spent time studying a small stream and then hit the lake where we still caught fish on the fly! This was the first year we taught the Merit Badge programs at the Mount Norris Scout Reservation, however we teach a similar Junior Fishing Program here at the shop every week throughout the summer. If you have kids or know some that attends the Mount Norris Scout Reservation in the summer make sure to tell them about the Fishing and Fly Fishing Merit Badge programs, or if you know kids that want to learn more about fishing call the shop to sign them up for our Junior Fishing Program! The following sponsors helped to make the Boy Scouts possible for this summer: Hunters Anglers and Trappers Association of Vermont (HATAV) Central Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited Lake Champlain International (LCI)

——————————— Volume: 3 Issue: 8 Circulated: 08/05/2012 ——————————— August News

August is a month when trout fishing can become very difficult. If you’re not out at the crack of dawn chances are you’re going to get skunked unless you head up a small mountain stream for wild brook trout. Now is a good time to target Smallmouth bass. These fish are some of the most willing to bite fish around and are some of the best fighting fish around. There is nothing better than hooking up with a 3-pound Smallmouth bass on either a fly rod or spinning rod. These acrobatic fish are sure to put on an aerial show for you, flying out of the water many times trying to spit your hook. Bass prefer gravel bottoms and water with lots of cover. They will stay around steep drop offs as well waiting for a school of bait fish to swim by. This time of the year they will also be seeking out cooler water so the fish are going to be in deeper water as well, sometimes over forty feet. This time of the year the most productive spots are going to be near steep shale drop offs and shelves. Other good spots include cold water streams, deep water structures such as submerged logs and trees and even underwater gravel bars and humps. One of our most productive spots on a local lake is on a gravel hump that is forty feet deep where the surrounding water is well of 60 feet deep. For those of you targeting bass with a fly rod, this time of the year can be the most difficult but most productive. The most important thing to do is get in the same column of water as the bass are in. Lots of bass fly fishermen mainly stick to bass fishing on the surface with poppers and other dry flies. This is good for when you are in an area that has cooler water such as the upper part of a reservoir where the water will still be cooler from the inlet. However, this is only good in the early morning and late evening throughout the night. If you’re in a different area where the water is much warmer you will need to go sub-surface. You will need heady weighted flies such as bead head wooly buggers and other flies with weight wrapped up the shank of the hook. On top of this you need at the least a 5 foot sink tip leader. You would be better off with a full-sinking line though. This is the most important part of fly fishing for bass: if you’re not at the right depth for the bass forget it; you may catch some small ones but you won’t get many over 12 inches. Next is fly selection. Smallmouth bass are not very picky about what types of flies you throw because they are very opportunistic feeders. The most productive flies are flies that imitate leeches and minnows. Bead head olive wooly buggers in size 4 or size 6 work very well, fished with a very slow steady retrieve. Montana Mouthwash Streamers are the most productive bass streamer in this area. It is similar to a wooly bugger but has rubber legs, barred marabou and red eyes. This is also great fished with a slow steady retrieve. Other flies that are good are Zonkers, Clousers and Crayfish. For those looking to catch bass on spin tackle your best bet this time of the year it to fish soft plastics. Texas rigged Curly Tails and Yamamoto Senkos work very well if they are fished very slowly across a gravel bottom or along a steep shelf or any major difference in the bottom of the lake. Jigs work well too, both deer hair and curly tails bounced along the bottom can be stellar at times. The most important thing about bass fishing this time of the year is putting your bait, lure or fly in front of the bass. They are very aggressive and will bite just about anything provided it is in the same water column as they are. A lot of the time this will go against many bass fishermen’s first instinct, which is to cast to shore. We always stay the normal distance from shore but instead of casting towards shore we cast away and fish it back into the shallower water until we find the depth that the fish are at.

——————————— Volume: 3 Issue: 6 Circulated: 06/05/2012 ——————————— Fly of the Month: Soft Hackle Bead Thorax Pheasant Tail Here is one of my favorite flies for the summer months. It performs especially well on the Lamoille and the Upper Connecticut. I’ll use it as a dropper in a tandem rig or as a dead drifting nymph under a yarn indicator or float. After the dead drift, always allow this fly to swing across and up in the current to directly downstream of you. In this method it may appear to be an emerger and thus gets hit just below the surface. Hook: Mustad 3906B, Tiemco 3761; size: 14-18 Thread: Brown Uni 8/0 Bead: Copper, Regular or Tungsten Tail: Fibers Center Pheasant Tail Body: Fibers Center Pheasant Tail Rib: Copper Wire Hackle: Partridge Summer Programs Summer is finally here! Kids are finishing up with the school year and the family vacations are starting, and if you are coming to Vermont for your vacation you better leave a day open for fishing! Starting in June our family fishing programs are up and running, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on these great family fishing adventures. We provide all programs with a guide and any necessary fishing gear, all you need to bring is weather appropriate clothing, snacks, water, or anything else you might need for a day outdoors. Pre-registration is required for all programs so call The Fly Rod Shop and book your trip today! Starting June 10th we will be running our “Family Gone Fishing” program Monday-Saturday so there is plenty of availability to work around your schedule. This program provides a half-day instructional spin fishing tour for $40.00 per person at one of our secret fishing holes. On the river you will be targeting warm-water fish such as Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseeds, Brown Bullheads and others! We meet here at The Fly Rod Shop and you can join us in our transportation van or follow behind in your own vehicle to our fishing spot. It is about a 5 minute walk along the riverbank from the parking area so you will also get the chance to possibly see some wildlife along the way! If you are interested in one of our more scenic programs then check out our Kayak Fishing Tours starting on June 25th on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This 3 hour program is done in cooperation with Umiak Outfitters who provide the kayaks for these trips. Join us for a float down one of our local rivers to see some great scenery and also to chase after Rainbow, Brown, and Brook Trout! This trip is $129.00 per person; a guide and spin fishing gear is all provided. There must be a minimum of 4 people total for this trip to go out and participants must be 14 years of age or older. Parents, if your kids are showing an interest in fishing but you aren’t sure what to teach them, bring them by The Fly Rod Shop for one of our Junior Fishing Programs. This programs runs every Thursday starting June 21st from 9:00am-12:00pm. This class focuses on teaching the fundamentals of “Having Fun Fishing”. We will teach them the basics of spin fishing such as knot tying, fish identification, parts of the rod & hook, the types of bait & lures, and how to cast! At the end of the class the kids can put their new skills to the test as they are brought out to the stocked pond here at The Fly Rod Shop to try and catch a Rainbow or Brook Trout! June Fly Fishing & Tactics Without a doubt June is one of the best times for fly fishing in Vermont. As a norm, river flows and temperatures are optimum, and hatches are more prolific. By the end of this May, dry fly action in the evening picked up in a big way on the Lamoille and to a lesser extent on the Winooski. Caddis flies, yellow sallies and March Brown spinners filled out the late day menu. So now with June well under way, we should be seeing Sulphur fly action, various Caddis species, some March Brown/Gray Foxes and Light Cahills, etc. Also with the ushering in of warmer weather, terrestrials will become an important food source for trout. Anglers often ignore these morsels, which is unfortunate because drifting an ant pattern along grassy banks can pay off big time. Come this time of the year when I hit the medium size rivers or moderate stretches of the larger ones, I’ll often rig a tandem rig comprised of a dry fly and nymph. Since I’m getting up there in years and my eyesight is not what it use to be, the dry fly/indicator is usually a Wulff style pattern, Stimulator or Hopper with red or yellow wings or with added hi-vis material. Sizes 14 to 8. Below the indicator fly, I like to use pheasant tails, zebra midges, prince nymph or the thorax bead pheasant tail (see below) for the dropper placed about 12 to 18 inches below the dry. Sizes 20 to 14. Generally I fish the rig with a directly upstream presentation or angled to the quarter upstream and drift in a classical dry fly method. I’d say the nymph gets hit more often than not, except when I’m drifting along banks and under trees, where the dry appears to be the morsel of choice. Now if any of you are interested in learning about tandem rigs of all stripes, you can increase your skills and knowledge at one of our special seminars or with an on-river instructional half day trip specific to using tandem set-ups. Hope to see you on the water. Learn more about our Fly Fishing Instructional Tours on our website.