River Salmon

[Cheerful Charlie]

It was too hot to run my bird dogs yesterday so I took 45 minutes at the end of the day to look for a salmon in a river. Figured they must be starting to show up. I had to change flies a couple of times but an old favorite, the Black Ghost, dredged up a 4lb 10oz hen from the tail of the pool. I was swinging it on a floating line with no weight. Pretty cool to see the boil on the fly and the take. Got 2 or 3 really nice jumps out of her as well.

[Matt]

Awesome! I've got a few Grey Ghost I'll be trying this weekend....where did you catch it btw? I'm surprised you got a take, the winooski was at 69 degrees today, unless it was a dif trib that was running a bit cooler. Almost a 5 LB'er on a flyrod must be such a great fight! Thanks for sharing.

[raz]

Great stuff...care to mention the trib?
Congrats on a nice fish!!!

[Cheerful Charlie]

Matt,

I don't throw a Grey Ghost much in the fall, although it's on the end of my line much of the time in the spring. My go to flies in the fall are a marabou Royal Coachman, and I tend to like it big, a size 4 or even 2 streamer. The Black Ghost is also a producer for me in the fall, also with a marabou wing. I seem to do well with white winged streamers for fall salmon. The Mickey Finn also produces at times for me. I'll have to remember the camera next time, she was a pretty fish.

[Matt]

Matt,

I don't throw a Grey Ghost much in the fall, although it's on the end of my line much of the time in the spring. My go to flies in the fall are a marabou Royal Coachman, and I tend to like it big, a size 4 or even 2 streamer. The Black Ghost is also a producer for me in the fall, also with a marabou wing. I seem to do well with white winged streamers for fall salmon. The Mickey Finn also produces at times for me. I'll have to remember the camera next time, she was a pretty fish.

Thanks for the info, I'll have to look into getting a few. I've got a couple Mickey Finns, but no Black Ghost or Royal Coachman. I'm a beginner fly angler...so I kinda need all the help I can get, lol. Can't wait for pictures next time.

[fishmaster176]

All this talk of flyfishing made me dig out my fly rod. I think I've forgotten everything I learned. It's been 13 years since I hit the streams. I trashed an ankle and bought a boat.
I have a St. Croix 6 weight and I use floating6WF. I think that's correct. I just ordered 5X leader and I'm at a loss what to use for tippet line. I usually use nymphs (gold ribbed hares ear), and zug bugs, #12's. but am thinking a streamer for salmon. I need to dig out the ole tackle bin and see what treasures await.
If you guys like to fish for Browns, try the Dog River just outside of Montpelier, and the mouth of Mill Brook in the Winooski in Williston. Once the water cools, it should get interesting.

[fishfarmer]

Matt,

My go to flies in the fall are a marabou Royal Coachman, and I tend to like it big, a size 4 or even 2 streamer. The Black Ghost is also a producer for me in the fall, also with a marabou wing. I seem to do well with white winged streamers for fall salmon. The Mickey Finn also produces at times for me.

Those are usually what I throw in the fall as well, along with some nymphs and small wet flies.

[Matt]

All this talk of flyfishing made me dig out my fly rod. I think I've forgotten everything I learned. It's been 13 years since I hit the streams. I trashed an ankle and bought a boat.
I have a St. Croix 6 weight and I use floating6WF. I think that's correct. I just ordered 5X leader and I'm at a loss what to use for tippet line. I usually use nymphs (gold ribbed hares ear), and zug bugs, #12's. but am thinking a streamer for salmon. I need to dig out the ole tackle bin and see what treasures await.
If you guys like to fish for Browns, try the Dog River just outside of Montpelier, and the mouth of Mill Brook in the Winooski in Williston. Once the water cools, it should get interesting.

I've recently gone to Mill Brook! The first falls are in a guys backyard, he was nice enough to let us fish there. My friend and I had a blast the first time we went, landing over 2 dozen Trout, and even in some small pools downstream. Nothing too big, biggest was maybe 13", but I landed a few on my flyrod and even a nice Brookie around 12". Dog river is a bit of a travel for me, but I do hope to fish it soon. Mill Brook seems to only be fishable when the water level is right. I went there when the water was low and visibility was like 6 feet. Could see every fish in the pool, and even managed to land about 5 Trout, but they shut off after that because they got spoked easy. I went again after rainfall and the water wasn't that high, just super murky. It's a sensitive stream but when conditions are right like the first time I went, it was such a blast.

[Cheerful Charlie]

If you are thinking tippets for salmon, I would go with at least 3X and 2X might be better. You have a chance to tie into a big one. I love the Dog River but it is a shadow of it's former self. I'm not sure of all the reasons, but the fishing has really gone downhill ove the last 10-15 years. I fish the Winooski a little but like the water on the Lamoille better. I used to run down and fish the Middlebury River once in a while but the town scraped and cleared one of the best stretches of pocket water after Irene. A bit of a controversy down there now but I don't know how you put a river back after you screw it up.

[fishmaster176]

Fishing the North Branch of the Lamoille through Waterville can be really good. There is a big pool just above the 1st covered bridge in Waterville that I've nailed a couple of nice Browns and the rapids above that will give you a rainbow or 2 and brookies. Even the small ones are a blast on a fly rod. With all the flooding, I don't know how any stream will be this Fall. I have 2X tippet, so I'll start with that.
Thanks

[dreamcatcher]

It was too hot to run my bird dogs yesterday so I took 45 minutes at the end of the day to look for a salmon in a river. Figured they must be starting to show up. I had to change flies a couple of times but an old favorite, the Black Ghost, dredged up a 4lb 10oz hen from the tail of the pool. I was swinging it on a floating line with no weight. Pretty cool to see the boil on the fly and the take. Got 2 or 3 really nice jumps out of her as well.

Thats a really nice fish ''Cheerful Charlie" on the fly rod and a great pull also I'll bet, thanks for shareing!

[fishmaster176]

I had planned on fishing Salmon Hole this morning but walked out to see someone had stolen my toolbox out of my truck during the night. So, my time was spent trying to remember what was in it for the police report. The toolbox was nothing special, but the $500 worth of tools hurts.
The cashier at Lowes felt bad for me when I told her why I was buying all the tools and she gave me 10% off. Every little bit helps.
Maybe Salmon Hole this weekend.

[Black Ghost (Ken)]

Great post. It must have been a real thrill. I love to fly fish with my own flies. Unfortunately I am not a good fly fisherman nor a good tier. However I am persisant.

Ken

[Matt]

I had planned on fishing Salmon Hole this morning but walked out to see someone had stolen my toolbox out of my truck during the night. So, my time was spent trying to remember what was in it for the police report. The toolbox was nothing special, but the $500 worth of tools hurts.
The cashier at Lowes felt bad for me when I told her why I was buying all the tools and she gave me 10% off. Every little bit helps.
Maybe Salmon Hole this weekend.

I know the feeling. I used to Mountain Bike before the nerves in my back caused chronic pain, and I had my $1500 bike chained up to my porch downstairs, literally the first night I left it out after a stroll around town, it was stolen. Then, one of my Frabil nets I use for larger game fish like Pike and Walleye got stolen off my porch...

People have some nerve, I swear...

In any case, I fished the Hole this morning, that water temp is a bummer...high 60's still. Fish seemed lethargic yet again. Saw a few monsters slowly making their way upriver, couldn't even get their attention with anything I was using. I made the journey under the falls, over the fence and down that 10 foot rock ledge...caught literally 30 SM's in a row, and then a few Pumpkinseed. Total Salmon for the year is almost 180 I think. Next 2-3 weeks will pull in even more, I just wish they'd start feeding sooner...I can't wait! Maybe this rain we're getting will cool things off and turn them on...

If the river isn't blown out from the rain I'll see you down there this weekend!

[Cheerful Charlie]

Tried again last night and there were 5 guys there when I arrived. I guess the word is out. Water was much lower and that makes the fish lethargic and not in a taking mood. This rain is needed to recharge the river and get the fish to pick up their spirits. Since I've likely put away the rods for the month to run my bird dogs and bow hunt I can tell you it is on the Lamoille, right below Peterson. It's the spot I usually like to fish. Getting to the island is near impossible without a boat now unless the water is very low like it was last night. I think Irene must have deepened the channel I used to cross to get there. That always gave me someplace to fish, even if there were a few guys on the bank. Got to bring my kayak if I want to do that now. On the plus side, there are a lot of fish in the river already. Some chilly weather and some rain, like we are supposed to get today and tomorrow, should pick it up. Woodcock and bow seasons open on Saturday so I'm done with the fishing for a while. If you go, there has been a guy there the last 2 nights that I think will pretty much live there until the salmon are gone. He got one 27.5 inches a few days ago. I figure it was the day before I got mine, which would make it Saturday. He said it weighed 7.5 lbs. I suspect there will be more fish that size and larger there before it's all said and done.