Beautiful spring weather on tap for today and throughout this weekend.
The river levels are high but temps are warming into the fifties and even
one report of a 60 degree reading above the monuments. 
Still not much bug activity but warmer temps have fish moving for the fly.

Runoff is the culprit for the higher levels as we haven't had any rain and the 
woods are dry and fire danger remains at a high level. Wildflowers are popping, 
buds are swelling, the first black fly bite of the year can't be far behind. 
Actually, all right on schedule. Enjoy it!

The Ausable is at a high level as the runoff from rain and snow melt has begun to work its way out of the mountains. The Ice cover is still complete on all but the most shallow backwaters and waters that have current moving through them. The ice has darkened nicely and perhaps this weekend we will have some open ponds to wet a line in. There is still snow in the woods, especially on the north facing slopes and the frost is not out of the ground but we are definitely headed in the right direction. Ice out between the 18 and 23 of April is more the long term norm, so this spring is "normal" but that doesn't make it suck any less.

If you are interested you can check out the pictures of the ice on Lake Colby over the last four days on our facebook page, granted it's not that exciting but you can get a sense of the local conditions.

Well on Monday I said the river was at a resonable level, well, it was. Tuesday and Wednesday brought warmer temps and above freezing nights and added quite a bit of water to the volume. It cranked right up to 2000 CFS. It has cooled back down and seems to have started to fall. Today we are expecting a cooling trend with some freezing rain and snow tonight and tomorrow. This is getting old! 

Opening day was officially last Monday but today feels more like it. Night time temps have warmed to around the freezing mark finally. The West Branch is at a reasonable level but is on its way up with the warming temps. Expect the cycle of daily raises to continue as we go through this week. At least the day time temps will be in the upper forties and low fiftes. Stone fly nymphs and bead head caddis accounted for some fish from hearty anglers who were out over the weekend. Mid to late day is the time to get out there as the water may warm at that time, unfortunately it may cool as runoff is added to the flow.

We have a lot of snow to runoff and there is still some ice along the edges but conditions are decent for early April and much more typical of our "normal" spring. Some stocking has occurred along the east branch and around Ausable Forks and most of that done by the Essex county hatchery.

Ice out on the ponds and lakes is a long way off. The Dog sleds on Mirror Lake were out there in force all weekend, boo. But yesterday there was some puddles and actual wet spots on the sufrace. The color of the ice is still very white but hopefully a few nights of above freezing temps will start to turn it to the darker gray that signals the turn from hard water to softer and happily, much more fishable water.

Last year at this time we were practically swimming but this year, as they all are, is different, very different. Get out and give it a try, be aware and be careful. Good Luck!

Saturday March 23rd, marks the return of the Fly Fishing Film Tour to Lake Placid. This annual event is a fund raiser for the Tri Lakes Chapter of Trout Unlimited. It is a great chance to see some exciting new films, catch up with friends or meet some new ones and get ready for the upcoming season. There will be great prizes donated by area business available for raffle. Tickets are available for $12.00 in advance of $15.00 at the door. They are for sale at the shop or you can purchase them online. For more info check out this link. www.flyfishingfilmtour.com . Hope you can make it!

 

We have been finalizing a few trips for early spring, and planning the calendar for the season ahead. The winter has been, well, winter but its been a good one for the trout and allows us to look forward to a more normal spring. The steelhead trip has been planned for March as well as our fly tying classes, For more info check out the pages for each on our blog. Stay tuned as we finalize the dates for our fly fishing schools and our free fly fishing 101 classes. We are also working on a goose hunt/ salmon, steelhead cast and blast for both September and November. I think you're going to like this one!

Questions call 518 523 3468 or email us at info@jonesoutfitters.com

Well it has been a busy month since my last post. The trout season has closed with the exception of the catch and release areas and several area lakes. The water remains on the low side but today is a dandy and very worth your while if you can get out. Overall a good season with the summer proving difficult due to low water and warm temps. The fall was a bit of a throw back to more normal fall conditions. Cold and rainy but hey thats what fall is supposed to be like, I think we have gotten used to mild snow free Septembers and Octobers and this one hasn't been like that.

As trout season closes we switch our focus to the marshes and uplands and begin chasing ducks , geese and upland game in earnest. So far so good, we have been blessed with plentiful game and good dog work and look forward to more of it in the coming months. To that end we have decided to bring in some of the finne products for hunting from Orvis, stop by and take a look.

We also will be offering some great steelhead trips on the Salmon River in November. This is a great fishery and fishing with one of our guides will simplify and demystify how to go about the steelheading game. It has been a great start to their season and should continue until you just can't feel your fingers. Get in touch with us if you would like to find out more about it.

Fifty five for a high today and a hard freeze warning for tonight. Talk about a cool down. The river is at a low level but better than it was a few weeks ago. Isonychias and olives are on the menu and streamer fishing should produce as well. Seventies on Monday but this cool down hopefully sets us for good conditions for the rest of the season.

Yesterday we recieved several inches of rain and it brought the West Branch up from 250 cfs to almost 5000 cfs.  It will make things tough for a few days but as it drops it will move the fish around and recharge the river. It bodes well for the next few weeks. What to do today? Well the ponds and lakes remain a good option and if you like it, the smallmouth fishing has been good to great. 

The seasons are changing and the colors are really starting to show. With the dry summer we've had I don't know what to expect, it seems alot of the trees and shrubs have not really changed as much as withered. Hopefully this rain will get some moisture back into the soil and set up the foilage show that we all look forward to this time of year.

The heat has broken somewhat and the river temps have dropped into the sixties. Fishing has picked up on the West Branch. Tricos in the am with isonychias taking over the later day action. Hoppers and other terrestrials are working and the flying ants are sure to be on the menu soon.

Lake trout fishing is still pretty good and the bass action is as good as it gets, no matter how you are fishing for them.

The conditions should continue to improve so get out there!