March 21st Fishing Report
Here's a mid-March fishing report for Vermont, packed with insights for anglers navigating the unpredictable spring conditions:
Welcome to the uncertainty of fishing in March in Vermont. By the end of last week, rivers were in great shape, especially the smaller freestone streams in the valley with excellent flows and visibility. If you had the chance to fish then, you may have enjoyed some prime conditions. However, expect things to shift quickly as we’re in for another round of rain and snow, which could change the game.
As anticipated, the larger rivers are running high and stained from a fast snowmelt. I’d expect these conditions to persist for the foreseeable future. The extended forecast, which often proves inaccurate in spring, predicts chances of rain every couple of days, with afternoon highs in the 40s and low 50s. With these conditions, fish will likely hold in the slower, deeper sections of rivers.
For those of you who prefer tight-line nymphing, try placing your heavier fly on the dropper and a lighter nymph on point. This setup helps keep both flies in the same depth range. As water temperatures rise, switch to putting the heavier fly on point to cover different depths in the water column. Streamers can also be a great option during this time of year. Fish that are willing to move to feed are more likely to target bigger food sources, as they need to justify the energy expenditure.
Don’t forget to stop by the shop to check out the latest flies and gear. And as always, if you have any fishing questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
Previous Reports
Greetings Anglers! May the fourth be with you. For sure it’s been a wet April out there. I heard today that we got double the amount of rain we usually get in April. This has made for some interesting conditions out there on our local rivers. Tons of water for sure, but that has also meant that our local resident trout population has been getting fed pretty regularly with all the runoff! It has also created some quickly decreasing clarity on the rivers when it does rain.
Its been awhile, but I thought I would jump in for a guest fishing report, OCC update and some overall thoughts for a successful early season on the water. It is without a doubt a very exciting time of the year. With the winter months all but behind us, we are looking into the slow but sure entry into warm weather and good fly fishing ahead. I have always felt that April was the most brutal month in VT.
General fishing report for March 29, 2019. Since we’ve last spoke we’ve lost some snow, gained a bunch in the mountains and started losing some again. The extended forecast looks to keep the melt going, but it doesn’t seem that we’ll have any huge runoff issues, not yet at least. For me personally, I have not been out recently, but perhaps this weekend. The Otter is a bit high and looks like it’s rising, but if you can find some slower water (but still moving) near some deeper winter holding areas that would be a good place to start.
After a Busy weekend of guiding and personal fishing, here’s what the guides have to report and what to look forward to. First off, just two more weeks left of the regular season! If that doesn’t get you motivated to get out and enjoy some fall fishing, then I’m not sure what will! Last weeks rain definitely had the fish in an eating mood, but it was hard to pin down any one fly that did the most work. Worms worked in the more off color water, as did nymphed and swung streamers, but as things cleared, more natural bugs like October caddis patterns and Pt’s did the work.
Greetings Anglers! I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy this beautiful state that we live in! Despite the dry summer it seems that the trees don’t really care and are putting on quite the display for us. And we are getting rain, which makes the trees and us happy right? The recent spell of rain seems to have got the fish (trout) kicked into feeding mode, especially on the tribs. After a couple slow days on the Creek, I had a productive few hours on the Middlebury today, with nicely stained water and a ton of leaves to catch!
