General Fishing Report for April 10 2020

Greetings Anglers.  Hoping this finds everyone well as we are on the cusp of the opener of the 2020 regular fishing season. Rivers look to be in decent shape for the weekend; tribs are a bit high righ now but should come down into fishable levels as the weekend progresses.  It does look like another healthy slug of rain for early next week (such is spring), so get out while you can.  I would recommend to follow all guidelines for being in public spaces, especially for opening weekend, as it usually is a busy time out there.  At some point, we will all be able to have a laugh and a beer together in close proximity, but now is not the time for that.  

The online shop is getting great support!  Thank you!!!  If you need anything, call the shop, leave a message for Steve and he will get back to you asap.  He is offering a free pair of Darn Tough socks with an order of $50 or more online. If you are local, you can choose curbside pick-up or for everyone, free freight on an order of $75 or more.  Fly selections are moving well, but if you have some specific flies that you would like or a specific leader set up, just let Steve know.  There should soon be some fresh, locally tied streamers available as well. Thanks Craig!

If you do get out in the near future, some patterns to have on hand are early season staples for these parts: Stoneflies, worms, mops, streamers (both actively retrieved and nymphed) and as the water clears a bit some more natural looking mayfly-ish patterns like Frenchies, Princes, and the like.  Again, I find that fish will still take the stone with clearer water, but will hit the worm with less frequency as it clears up.  I was able to hit a small part of the Otter recently that wasn't super high and had some luck on small 12-14 dark general patterns, like the purple reign prince and some brown lotus.  The early stones were out and about, so I'm guessing that my offerings were close enough to get some looks.  I'm still focusing on areas with some current, but usually finding fish just on or off the seam.  With the warmer days recently, the fish will have gotten a bit more active, and although it has cooled down, experience has showed that fish will still take well presented offerings, even with the cool down. 

If you get out and the fishing is slow, consider picking up some riverside trash; its a great way to give back to rivers that provide us so much enjoyment throughout the season.  This has been a big part of our OCC opening weekend, but with that postponed you can, on your own, help the rivers out.  Any trash you pick up will not be counted towards your OCC scorecard in September!  Please practice safe techniques if you choose to do this and you are responsible to dispose of what you find properly.  As always, feel free to give us a shout if there is anything we can do for you.  I am at dave@mmvt.com Steve is steve@mmvt.com and the number for the shop is (802) 388-7245.  

As we get out onto different waters this week, expect some more detailed fishing info in reports to come and via our social media platforms. Stay safe out there, practice social distancing and good luck on the water. 

Dave