The Timing Couldn't Have been
Better
By Bill Rogers
.jpg)
It was the end of September, only one week after hurricane Jeanne swept across
Florida with her destructive winds and drenching rains. The temperatures were
still reaching the low 90's in the Tampa Bay area. The humidity was oppressive
and residents were mentally and physically recovering from what had so far been
a very active hurricane season. After spending the better part of the last six
weeks preparing for hurricanes that were forecast to make land fall
uncomfortably close to my Bradenton home, the timing could not have been better
for a fall trip to the Lake Champlain, NY region for a little rest and
relaxation.
Manchester, New Hampshire was the starting point of my retreat. The first few
days I would be attending a technical conference at the Radisson Hotel in
downtown Manchester while my wife Shaun played tourist. The later part of the
trip would take us on a road trip through the Green Mountains of Vermont to the
eastern shore of Lake Champlain We’d then proceed northward along the lake's
eastern shore and across the St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal Canada. The return
would take us back down the west side of Champlain to the Adirondack mountains
and Lake Placid, New York . Finally we would ferry across Lake Champlain from
Port Kent to Burlington, Vermont and ultimately back to where we started in
Manchester.
.JPG)
The temperatures were noticeably cooler upon our arrival. It was a refreshing
change from what we left behind at the Tampa airport. It had gotten down into
the upper 40's the first night and that was the warmest overnight temperature we
would see. The drive from Manchester to Burlington through the Green Mountains
was spectacular. The cool overnight temperatures had turned the mountainsides
ablaze with colorful leaves of red, orange, purple, gold and yellow. It was very
breathtaking and a treat for the senses and soul. As we approached the greater
Burlington area, The Winooski River was occasionally visible from the
interstate. Between the brilliant colors and the sunlight glaring off the moving
river waters it created a picture postcard image that was unforgettable. The
Winooski River was to be the second stop of the fly fishing trips that I had
scheduled.
As I drove past I wondered if any of the visible waters would be where I would
be fishing when I returned. It made me think of something Henry David Thoreau
wrote. "Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish
they are after." As I imagined myself casting a fly on the waters of the
Winooski River, I realized that even though I would be fly fishing, it wouldn’t
necessarily be fish I was after.
My first fishing trip was scheduled for the middle of the 2nd week on the
legendary West Branch of the Au Sable River located in the Adirondack's majestic
High Peaks area near the historic Olympic village of Lake Placid New York. I
pulled into one of the available parking spots in front of the Lake Placid
Visitors Bureau adjacent to the Olympic Arena where the USA hockey team's
"Miracle on Ice" took place during the 1980 winter Olympics. I was here to meet
my fishing partner for the next day. Steve Piatt, the Communications Director
for the Visitors Bureau who graciously agreed to guide me on the Au Sable river
was waiting for me.
After chatting for a little while we decided since it was going to be cold in
the morning that there was no need to get an early start. We agreed to meet at
the office at 10:00 AM. It was pretty cool when I arrived in the morning. Steve
informed me that there was a hard overnight frost and the temperatures had
dipped down to the upper 20's. On the drive to the River I could see evidence of
snow in the high peaks. Steve said that we were near the end of the season and
there were no active hatches occurring at the time. He suggested we tie on a
White Zonker to imitate the small minnows that inhabit the river. He also
cautioned to fish slow and deep because of the cooler water temperatures.
With a 5-weight outfit I cast for hours working this section of the river. The
fishing was so close that I never actually cast any of the fly line and never
loaded the rod. It was quite a bit different than the flats fishing that I am
used to where long casts of 70 feet or more are normal. It was an absolutely
beautiful “Chamber of Commerce” day, but the fish didn’t appreciate it as much
as I did. They didn’t cooperate. I recalled again the words of Thoreau and I was
entirely satisfied just to be surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains during peak
foliage season. The gurgling waters of the famous Au Sable River sang me a song.
When I returned to Lake Placid, Shaun had spent the day browsing all of the
quaint gift and specialty shops along main street and didn't miss me a bit! The
next day we’d pack it up and make the trip to Vermont. And I’d check in for the
next fishing trip!
When I arrived in Colchester, just outside Burlington, I called Mike Dessormeau.
Mike, born and raised in Vermont, was to be my fishing partner. After a brief
chat we decided that head to Montpelier to fish a stretch of the Winooski River.
Then, if the fishing dictated, we’d head up towards Stowe to fish in Sterling
Brook not far from Mount Mansfield. It was cool but not quite as cold as it was
in Lake Placid.
.JPG)
Mike checked the water temperature at the Winooski. At 50° Mike was a happy
angler. The temperature hadn’t changed since he was there only a week previously. He had
been successful then and was confident that the fish would cooperate this time
as well.
We started out casting into runs and drifting nymphs past the pockets
that were likely to hold fish. I caught the first fish, a beautiful rainbow, on
a size 14 Bead-Head Prince. Mike quickly caught his first for the day and, as
far as I was concerned, the day was already a huge success! We caught a few more
before deciding to hit the second phase of the days adventure.
After lunch we arrived at a remote section of Sterling Brook where it
was no wider than my fly rod was long. We had switched to #16 Royal Wulff and
Ausable Wulff dry flies with 2 weight outfits and it wasn't long before
we found some cooperative brookies. We worked numerous runs and
pockets as we made our way upstream and managed at least a couple of
rises from the brookies at almost every stop along the way. We finished
the day off at a picturesque water fall where Mike landed the biggest rainbow trout of the day on a size 14 Royal Humpy dry fly.
We'd managed
several rainbows up to around 17-inches and brook trout to around 9-inches. A few days later we were back in Tampa. The weather had cooled
off considerably since we left and there were no hurricanes in sight. The timing
could not have been better for an early October get away!
