Fishing Reports

11/13/15 - Welcome to the other side. With two weeks of the "off-season" past we are all settling in to the slightly more limited fishing options. But I think most of you who are still taking advantage of the fishing will agree, that the fishing has been nothing short of very good. The last few weeks of 50 to 60 degree weather has kept the Otter at a great temperature and it has given us anglers some really good opportunities. The fishing is much more like the beginning of October than it is like mid-November. There is no doubt that the winter will come, but for now we are happy that we are getting such great fishing. I will dive a bit more into to this in a moment, but first I wanted to take a moment to THANK everybody who has been involved with our shop and/or guide service this year. It's a real pleasure to be able to share this experience with all of you. Thank you for supporting the shop, reading the reports and using our guide service. We are very appreciative. We are very lucky in Vermont to have a budding fly fishing culture, with so many great people and contributors. Thanks for a memorable year, here is to many more.
I don't think I remember a November that has been this mild. having our water levels at such and ideal spot as well as keeping the water temps up, has been a great mixture for keeping the fish active. Typically the water temps are lower and many of the browns are coming of the spawn. It can make fishing challenging. That just isn't the case this year. Looking at the forecast, it looks to continue in this trend. With the temps staying warm, the bug activity has still be present. We are still seeing Caddis, Baetis and Midge hatching here and there, though the numbers are certainly getting sparse. While I have been getting action on nymph imitations of all of these patterns, the prince still seems to be the top choice for the fish. Streamer fishing on the Otter has been good as well. Keep the flies moving slower, now that we are getting later in the season.
There are options for migratory fish as well. Locally a few of the lake Champlain tributaries have developed runs of LL Salmon. Reports are saying that this fall is yet another record year for fish returns, especially out at the Grand Isle Hatchery. We have been hearing of fish in the Winooski and Lamoille. I personally haven't heard much about the lake run Rainbows yet. I know that there has been some pressure for those fish, but I still haven't heard of a confirmed catch. Several people are traveling to the Lake Ontario and Erie tribs of opportunities at Steelhead. This is a good time of the year to do that, as the crowds of Salmon anglers are starting to thin.
If there isn't going to be snow on the ground, then the fishing might as well be good. I hope that you all find some time to get out and get some fishing in the coming weeks while its still warm out. Good Luck and Have Fun!