Water Clarity: Clear
Water Temperatures: 50-60
Hatches: Small Caddis, BWO, Tricos, Hoppers, Flying Ants, ISOs
Suggested Patterns: P Tails, Zug Bugs, Birds Nest, Soft Hackles, Hare’s Ears, Frenchies, Parachute Adams #10-18, BWOs, Hoppers, Ants
Finally! A little bit of rain!! It didn’t really do anything to the rivers but it was still a very welcomed sight. The fishing over the last few weeks has been ok. The water levels are incredibly low, and lots of sections of water don’t have a ton of fish. We’ve been spending most of our time on the Winooski and Lamoille rivers. We’ve been running into a mix of rainbows and browns, mostly wild fish, a few stockies here and there but far more wild fish. The fishing has been far better on the cloudier days. The sunny days have been ok first thing in the morning and later on in the evening but the fish seem to slow down a lot mid day likely just due to the really low, clear water and the bright sun. We have been seeing some good BWO hatches along with some sporadic ISOs. The fish have been willing to eat a dry when those hatches are coming off, but have been pretty spooky. A good presentation and lighter tippet has been key. We’ve been running 5.5x or 6x in most dry fly situations. During non hatch periods we’ve been able to pick up some fish swinging soft hackles and drifting smaller nymphs.Water temps have been good, mid to upper 50s most days, throughout the entire day. Maybe 62-63 on the warmer days in the evenings but still in good shape!
For those getting out over the next few days, plan on hitting the bigger rivers. The small streams are far too low, and the brookies are beginning to spawn. Take advantage of the low water, go explore some new spots, or wade to those spots you’ve always been eyeballing from the road but have been unable to get to due to water levels being too high’
Good luck on the water!
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River: Winooski:
Water Temp: 57
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 9/24
USGS FI: 77
River: Dog
Water Temp: 55
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 9/24
USGS FI: 10.4
River: Lamoille
Water Temp: 58
Water Clarity: Clear
Last Update: 9/24
USGS FI: 74