Black River, Cavendish Vermont

**ezflyfish** · 05-28-2008, 10:17 AM

Spent the Memorial Day weekend in Vermont. Fished Friday, 5/23 & Saturday 5/24 on the Black River. This is a very scenic piece of water that flows along Scenic Highway 131.

There is a 2 mile stretch that is "Trophy Trout Water". The fish are 2 year old stocked Rainbow & Brown Trout. This are is challenging to say the least. There is a little bit of everything, long runs, plunge pools, riffles and pocket water. Very slippery footing.

You will fish next to bait guys and they are fishing for dinner. Regs say 2 fish limit, but I saw a guy with more. It's a shame that a beautiful area can't be regulated correctly. If they made it fly fishing only or C & R, more fisherman would know about it & travel to the area. In other words tourist dollars would flow into a state that needs the help.

The two days that we fished were a mixed bag. The first day we spent time learning the water and we got a few stocked 'bows. The second day we caught some more. These fish were all over 15" and one was close to 18"

A word of caution. This is a mountain stream. It is affected by snow runoff early in the season and low water in the summer.

**Brookie** · 05-29-2008, 12:59 AM

I fished the Black once last year. You fared better than I did! Beautiful stretches of water, but I didn't get any. Perhaps it was just the day, or me, or both.

So much water to fish in VT, so little time, and you can't beat the pastoral scenery.

Have you fished any other streams up there? I usually go a couple times per year. The Mettawee is probably my favorite thus far.

**ezflyfish** · 05-29-2008, 07:41 AM

You have to catch the Black in May. That's the only time to fish it. As I said low water in the summer and high water from snow run off in early spring. Also in the 2 mile stretch we only fish certain areas that we know.

I have been fishing Vermont for 25 years. I love the Mettowee. The Battenkill was good a long time ago but now it has very few fish?

I find it fun to take my 7 foot rod & fish the upper stretches of some mountain streams. I fished the Dog River up north last year & got nothing in 2 days.

But you're right, the scenery is great & I love the small towns with their "General Stores".

I'm planning to travel up to the headwaters of the Connecticut River. I understand it's great.

**Brookie** · 05-29-2008, 09:02 AM

The upper CT river - I fished it about 10 years ago on 4th of July weekend. I don't know how it is now, but back then, it was loaded. I got some landlocks too, so prepare yourself for that. Big brookies are always a possibility too. How far up are you going? We fished around the lake Francis area.

Last time I was up in VT, was last July, probably not the ideal time to go. I looked at the Dog, but never fished it. I was surprised by all the Didymo poster that the state has up. They do a lot better job with awareness than Ct does, that's for sure.

Try the Winooski - it's a big watershed with lots of places for fish to holdover. It's good.

**SlowNDeep** · 05-29-2008, 02:28 PM

The Upper CT is really nice.

Be prepared to clean everything you own really well, the Upper CT is a confirmed Didymo site. Or accept the inevitable, didymo will be everywhere it wants to be really soon.

**Nymphmeister** · 07-01-2008, 07:03 AM

I was talking to Tom Ames recently (author of "Hatch Guide for New England Trout Streams") who lives in VT, and he said that when the heat wave hit in early June this year, most of the trout in the Black were floating belly up. Good thing you fished before then! Too bad there aren't more trout rivers that stay cool in the Summer. Development by man and warmer weather patterns aren't helping either.

**Brookie** · 07-01-2008, 07:44 AM

Torrey -
It's ALWAYS hot in the summer, it's not just a recent trend. High of 79 today. Not too bad for July 1

[quote author=Nymphmeister link=topic=1738.msg13074#msg13074 date=1214910182]
I was talking to Tom Ames recently (author of "Hatch Guide for New England Trout Streams") who lives in VT, and he said that when the heat wave hit in early June this year, most of the trout in the Black were floating belly up. Good thing you fished before then! Too bad there aren't more trout rivers that stay cool in the Summer. Development by man and warmer weather patterns aren't helping either.
[/quote]