Fishing Report - 10/16/26
It finally feels like fall, and we’ve gotten some significant rain at last. The high water has the fish taking advantage, and the bite has been better for it.
Tomorrow looks a bit cold, but air temperatures should climb back into the 50s and 60s next week, which should warm the water back up. Water temperatures have been fairly consistent in the mid 50s across most of the water I’ve been on recently. The New Haven is at 100 CFS as I write this, but with rain continuing through the afternoon, I’d be shocked if it doesn’t bump back up to at least a couple hundred. The Otter in Middlebury is running at 900 CFS and will likely hover around 1,000 through the weekend, which is probably too high to fish the lower stretches. Down in Rutland it has dropped to 350 CFS and is in much better shape.Visibility is slightly better than I expected, with two to three feet in the tributaries, though you’ll need to stay conscious of your drifts so they land in the right slots to find feeding fish.
Fish are shifting into slightly slower holding water, so be sure to get your flies down to the middle of the water column and be persistent with your drifts and rigs in likely areas. They don't seem to be quite as opportunistic right now and may need a little coaxing. Making sure your drift moves at a slow enough pace seems especially crucial to picking up eats. I’ve had a couple of fish eat on the 7th or 8th drift in the same spot. Midday and early afternoon may be a better option than early morning or late evening, since sun on the water tends to increase bug activity and makes fish more willing to move and feed.
In late season muddy water, dark streamers, eggs, worms, mops, and other junk flies will likely be the ticket. When I fish a natural pattern, I usually go with something bright, with some added color, in a size 14 or so. If the water clears up, prince nymphs, October caddis, and smaller olive streamers have all been working for me recently prior to the rain.
Keep in mind that it’s spawning season for the browns and brookies, so please avoid stepping or casting near redds while you wade. Lookout for clean, cleared out gravel patches, especially in the tributaries. Giving them space lets the fish spawn and keeps the population healthy.
Stop by the shop at 56 Main Street if you need to pick up some flies or any other gear. If you need some recommendations about what water to target or what tactics to use, please feel free to ask. We’ve moved some of the larger packs and other fishing equipment next door to make room for winter gear, but if there’s something you’re looking for, we can help you find it over there. We’re also coming into the final two weeks of the guiding season, so if you’d like to fish in the fall foliage or pick up some late-season tactics, call the shop to book a trip as soon as possible.
Tight Lines,
Jake
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!
