If this heat keeps up it will be having an effect on fishing overall. For now there are still plenty of fish in the East Outlet. Caddis hatches are now spotty throughout the day. You find a few hatching or laying eggs here and there. Good hatches come first thing in the morning and late in the day.
It’s not uncommon to find 4 or five different species of caddis around. Lately it’s been small brown caddis (West Branch caddis), tan caddis, (Goddard caddis) and tiny black caddis are beginning to show. Skipping caddis about is crucial to enticing fish that aren’t actively feeding and emergers are working as well as dries. One shining star is stonefly hatches are in full swing and fish are beginning to come to bigger stone fly imitations. Bigger fish that are welded to the bottom of the deepest runs that refuse to come to the surface for a tiny caddis will make the trip up for something substantial like a Stimulator, and when they come they mean business so stay focused, cover every inch of water and keep your finger on the trigger because those big fish are only going to grab your fly once. Maybe try dropping a caddis pupa a couple feet behind your big fly. Often a big dry gets a fishes attention and the pupa gets the fish.
The Green Drake (Hex) hatches are now in full swing on a lot of the small ponds and even on some of the lakes. When you first get to your favorite trout pond have a look along the windy shore for last evenings shucks. They float and are easy to spot. If there are none it hasn’t happen just yet, if there is only a few the hatch hasn’t kicked into high gear, if there are a lot then fish are probably more likely to take an emerger or nymph than the dry because they have fat bellies. It’s also wise to take along two rods if possible. Drakes don’t usually begin to show until after sunset but fish begin looking for nymphs emerging from the mud long before they start showing on the surface. A sink-tip line with a Maple Syrup fished subsurface can put some extra fish in the net long before you start seeing adults hatching.
If you are planning on fishing the East Outlet in the next couple weeks you may want be head to the dam between 9:30 am – noon. Our fisheries biologists are monitoring the fish ladder almost everyday. The public is welcome to watch and learn. As lake water temperature rises to the high 60’s both salmon and brook trout begin exiting the river for colder water in the depths of the lake and begin feeding on smelt. Fish climbing the steps of the ladder are caught in one of the chambers where biologists can net and tranquilize them so they can be easily handled without doing any physical harm to the fish. They are collecting data regarding weight, length, evidence of hooking and general health of both brookies and salmon. After they are finished with a fish it goes into a recovery tank of fresh water to recover then but into the lake where they were headed before their brief examination. If you want to have a look at some beautiful fish and see our fisheries scientists keeping a watchful eye on our fishery, make a point to stop by. The reason our fishery is in such good shape is because of these guys doing what they do best.
Back along we spend a day with the guys and but together this Video for you to watch. It will give you a glimpse of what they are up to.
Have a wonderful 4th of July week.
