General Fishing Report for May 28, 2021

Greetings out there anglers!  As we head into this weekend, it feels like a good weekend for fishing.  Cooling trout streams, overcast skies and the possibility of rain; what else could an angler wish for?  These conditions should really benefit the trout streams and that is where this weeks report will focus.  We've had many trips out this past week, both in the Otter drainage and the White.  All were into a bunch of fish, both stocked and wild.  One guide reported that on a full day trip on the white, his client probably got into 40-50 fish, landing less than half but still landing double digits of fish!  This was over on the White and it seemed like the wild fish were all about the Caddis dry, while some wild and stocked fish took Sexy Walts worms, mops and white buggers.  In the Otter drainage fish have been hitting Caddis nymph/pupas, Frenchies and some other attractor nymphs.  I would recommend that if you run a two fly rig, that one be some type of Caddis nymph or pupa.  The Walt's worm can suffice for the nymph and I tend to lean towards pupas with some soft hackle in them.  Could be a pupa, could be a drowned adult.  Also, with fish being active, swing out some of your drifts and hold on!  If you find that the fish prefer the swung fly, it is a good idea to bump your tippet size up a bit.  Swung fly takes tend to be aggressive, as can our hook sets, leading toward more broken off fish. 

Water temps are doing great now, even on the larger rivers like the White and Otter.  I fished for 45 minutes this morning on the Otter and it was 66, probably decreasing as the day and night go on.  I had a little bit of action, mainly on prince nymphs, about a size 12.  Lots of Caddis adults around, in various sizes and colors. I did not however, see anything actively hatching in the short time I was out. The Otter in/around Middlebury is at a great flow right now; easy to pick out and apart the pockets and not so high that wading is treacherous.  Even with water temps in good shape throughout the day, the amount of sunlight is still a factor.  We have noticed that, surprise, the fishing slows a bit when the sun is strong.  I guess the one exception would be shady Brook Trout streams.  IF you have the opportunity plan your trips accordingly.  

Looks like the week ahead bodes well for stream angling too. Nothing too crazy as far as high temperatures go, and some real good possibility of rain later this weekend and late next week.  As always, feel free to drop a line dave@mmvt.com or call up the shop (802)388-7245 for current conditions.  Steve is still stocked with all your fly-fishing and gear needs.  Thanks for supporting us and have a great weekend!  

Dave