All posts by Nick

More Vermont…

IMG_1547

Jess and I got back over to Vermont for the Stowe Food & Wine Festival this past weekend.  We had an amazing time trying local cuisine, wine, and beers from the area.  The Stowe Valley is home to Stowe Ski Resort and Smugglers Notch.  There is also some solid trout fishing.

IMG_1533

IMG_1552
The Lamoille River

I got up one morning to hit up a local river, the Lamoille, before the heat and humidity put the fish down.  The Lamoille meanders through the valley like a giant spring creek with long runs and not many pools.  I landed a dozen in about an hour.  A team of wet flies, a Picket Pinn and a Mini-Muddler, working down stream and a 16 high-vis Adams back upstream did trick.  All the fish were rainbows in the 10-14”.

IMG_1525
Size 14 Picket Pinn
IMG_1526
Size 10 Mini Muddler
IMG_1530
Size 14 Picket Pinn
IMG_1532
Size 16 Hi-Vis Parachute Adams

After that it was time for the festival hosted at the Von Trapp Family Lodge.  Great cooks and local brew masters provided amazing food and beverage the entire afternoon.  To wrap up the day, I took Jess back for an evening session on the Lamoille.   Since my 4wt is in the rod shop, we split time on my 6wt landing around another dozen between us; however, I didn’t mind one bit.  Jess doesn’t get out fishing with me too much, but she did an amazing job fixing her cast, working the flies, and landing half a dozen fish.  I think she will start coming out on the river more often now.  It was great to see her light up and yell that she had a fish on.  I find it more enjoyable to help someone catch a fish on the fly then catch one myself.

Audi brought their convertible for everyone to get a close look
The local Audi dealership brought their convertible for everyone to get a close look
Taco Wrap
Taco Wrap
Best dish of the festival:  Truffle Butter Gnocchi by Michael's on the Hill
Best dish of the festival: Truffle Butter Gnocchi by Michael’s on the Hill
Jess working the dangle on a team of wet flies
Jess working the dangle on a team of wet flies
Wet wading on the first day of summer
Wet wading on the first day of summer

The next day we hiked a remote mountain stream called Stevenson Brook.  It is a small tributary of the Waterbury Reservoir.  The stream is tucked away in the woods, and has many broken pockets and plunge pools.  There were small brookies behind almost every pocket.  The real surprise was the decent size rainbow that fought through several pools.  We finished the day off with trips to the Fiddlehead and Alchemist breweries on our way back to the Adirondacks.  Another great trip to Vermont.

IMG_1554

IMG_1555

IMG_1558

IMG_1556

IMG_1557

IMG_1559

The former head brewery of Magic Hat started this brewery 6 months, ago.  Keep your eyes out for this stuff!
The former head brewer of Magic Hat started this brewery 6 months, ago. Keep your eyes out for this stuff!

Vladi Worm

IMG_1464

I am big believer of throwing flies that are different from what everyone else is throwing. Fish are wise and will educate themselves to a size 14 Adams quickly. Well, the Vladi Worm is a completely different and unique fly. It was founded in Poland by Vladi Trzebunia, who 20 years ago compiled more points in the World Fly Fishing Championships then three national teams combined. Vladi has tutored many famous American fly fishermen, such as Jackson Hole’s Jack Dennis, as well as many American national fly-fishing teams.

About three years ago, anytime I would fish, I would rig this fly up. As I have gotten away from tight line nymphing, this fly has taken a back seat in my fly box. I don’t think I even tied the Vladi Worm onto the end of my line all of last year. That all changed about a two weeks ago when Zach and I hit up the West Branch of the Ausable during very high water. My first choice was for streamers but the high water and tight pockets kept leading to missed swipes from the trout. I needed to get down the water column very quickly. The correct choice was for tight line nymphing. I re-rigged, tied on Vladi Worm as my anchor fly, and crushed it while many other anglers watched in frustration. The Vladi Worm will catch trout anywhere, period. If you fly fish for pure numbers, then this fly should be your go to fly. The Vladi Worm is heavily weighted and designed for short casts with little to no false casting. The fly rides hook point up, bounces of any rock or obstruction, and will rarely get caught up. This is one of my confidence flies that I know will catch trout anywhere, and I will always have a few in my fly box.

Recipe

Hook: Daichi 1870 Swimming Larva Size 6

Weight: .025 Round Lead Wire

Thread: Pink 210 Danville

Ribbing: 4x Monofilament

Flash: Pearl Magic Shrimp Foil

Body: Pink Crown Latex Condom

Step 1:

Place hook into your vice and wrap two layers of lead wire at the back hook bend.

IMG_1471

IMG_1473

Step 2:

Start your thread at the front of the hook and continue to wrap over all the lead wire so that there is a nice thread layer down.

IMG_1474

IMG_1475

Step 3:

Tie in your monofilament, shrimp foil, and latex material.  When working with the condom, start with one condom and then cut it in half.  Take one of those halves and cut it in half again.  You can use one condom to make four Vladi Worms.

IMG_1476

IMG_1479

IMG_1480

Step 4:

Take you tying thread to the front of the hook.  Begin wrapping your latex up to the front of the hook.  When you get there, take two thread wraps around the latex.  Then wrap the latex all the way to the back of the hook again.

IMG_1481

IMG_1482

Step 5:

Pull your shrimp foil forward and secure at the the fron of the hook.

IMG_1483

Step 6:

Wrap the latex material back to the front of the hook one last time, covering the shrimp foil.  Secure latex at the front of the hook.  Cut off excess, latex and shrimp foil.

IMG_1484

Step 7:

Take your monofilament and begin wrapping the ribbing all the way to the front of the hook.  Try and pull pretty tight on the mono to create the ribbing effect.  Secure at front, clip excess, and take a few whip finishes to finish!

IMG_1487

IMG_1490

Jess's first trout from about 3 years ago off of a Vladi Worm
Jess’s first trout from about 3 years ago off of a Vladi Worm

Green Mountains Fly Fishing

IMG_1390

Jess and I got over to southern Vermont in the Green Mountain National Forest for the past two days.  We love the area and especially visiting the town of Manchester; the town has a lot of colonial history, quaint shops and restaurants, and beautiful scenery.  For the fly-fishing enthusiasts, there is a plethora of attractions.  The famous Battenkill River and its picky large browns are in the immediate vicinity.  The Orvis Company was founded and is still headquartered in Manchester; its flagship showroom is awesome as well as their trout pond with hordes of 30” rainbows.  The American Museum of Fly Fishing is located here too; it has some amazing exhibits.  This is truly great place to visit.

mt vt

I was really excited to fish the Battenkill; however, it has been raining for the past two weeks and the river is at flood stage flowing 4x its normal flow at 3600 cfs.  I decided to blue line some tributaries of the Battenkill, and it paid off.

river gauge

 

Nowhere to wade
Battenkill – too high for anything
Chocolate Soup
Battenkill – chocolate soup

The flow in the tributaries was still high but I found some nice wild trout in a remote setting among the pockets.  It was nice to be forced to fish these tributaries because I would have never done it if the Battenkill was at normal levels.  The fish were beautiful and small and colorful and wild.  I had an amazing time blue lining.  Some samples below.

cover bridge vt
Classic Vermont

trout vt

Fishable Water
Small Tributary – fishable water, brown from far pocket

brookie vt

IMG_1440

IMG_1439

IMG_1443
Small Tributary – slow oxbow
Small Tributary - still moving fast
Small Tributary – still moving fast

When it comes to rods, I am an Orvis guy.  The Helios rods are arguably the best on the market.

IMG_1449

IMG_1444
American Museum of Fly Fishing
IMG_1446
American Museum of Fly Fishing
Wish I could wet a line here
Orvis Trout Pond – Wish I could wet a line here
orvis pool vt
Orvis Trout Pond

IMG_1437

IMG_1451