University of Vermont

College Ambassador: Garrett Rice

Species

Trout: Both wild and native brook trout are littered through Vermont’s small mountain streams. Be sure to keep a rod in the car for any journey across the state as you’ll be sure to pass several brook trout streams. Vermont also has good brown and rainbow trout fishing (both wild and stocked). The wild brown trout in Vermont can be hard to fool but prove to grow quite large, with adult trout growing 18-24” in most rivers. Lake trout congregate in the fall by the thousands and can be easily accessed near rocky drop-offs around the lake. Crack some beers with your friends and enjoy getting corked by these beasts!

Landlocked Salmon: The salmon that inhabit Lake Champlain migrate into local tributaries where anglers can target these finned rockets in the fall. The Champlain salmon grow quite large, where some reach 30”. Be prepared to see your backing when a full unit takes you downstream.

Smallmouth Bass: Like salmon, trophy-sized smallmouth bass that live in Champlain migrate into local tributaries to make sweet love during the spring. Bring some friends when fishing for them and fill a net with newly sprung fiddleheads for a cheap meal.

Northern Pike: Pike are the baddest mother lovers in the whole state. Inhabiting Lake Champlain (as well as several other lakes, ponds, and rivers), the northern pike is a vicious predator that will make you lose your gord when you watch their five-gallon-bucket-mouth unhinge and inhale your fly.

Other Species from Lake Champlain: Other notable species that call Champlain home would be long-nosed gar, largemouth bass, carp, drum, bowfin, etc. Pretty much anything that swims in the lake can be caught on a fly.

Striped Bass & False Albacore: Numerous rock jetties, sand flats, and break walls line the New England coast where stripers and albies can be targeted with a fly. Nothing beats a weekend on the ocean, so assemble your crew and chase some tail on the beach!

Accessibility

Lake Champlain: Walk, bike, bus, or drive down to the waterfront (just down the hill from campus) to target bass, carp, drum, and other species that call Champlain home. Wade fish here with poppers for ditch pickles, but bring a few squirmys or buggers for carp and drum. With a car or bus, you can journey to the surrounding bays outside of the Burlington area. With a small watercraft, you will have great access to bass, pike, carp, etc.

Colchester Pond: Drive 15 minutes out of B-town you can chuck flies from the shore of Colchester Pond. This spot is chock full of pike. Though the average fish here is typically small, this is a great place to start your Essex journey. Target this spot as soon as the ice recedes from the shore and slowly inch a 4-6” fly back to shore. Hang tight and wait to rip into a green slime rocket with a mouth full of razor blades.

Winooski River: The good ole ‘nooski. This river is home to a good run of salmon, smallmouth, and a few lake-run trout right by campus. Walk or ride down to the “Salmon Hole” to hook up to a true beast. Take a car or the Montpelier-bound GMT bus up the river to the many tributaries that are home to brook, brown, and rainbow trout. Most of the Winooski River tributaries are home to both stocked and wild trout.

Otter Creek: Drive, Amtrak, or bus down to Middlebury to fish the Otter Creek and its tributaries. This river system is home to trophy-sized pike and trout. The main stem of the Otter can fit a small boat, though its tributaries can be easily wade-fished.

Community

Lucky for you, The University of Vermont has a well-established fly fishing club. Through the club, you will meet a great crew of fly anglers. The club typically meets once a week or bi-weekly. Join to hear from guest speakers and have access to our 10+ club rods, company discounts, and a Smith Fly raft. At UVM you will meet quite a few people who fly fish, though many students don’t bring their gear to school as many don’t realize how good fishing can be in Vermont. Don’t be like that. If you have a 1-12 wt rod you'll find a use for it in Vermont.

Hangouts/Shops

The UVM Fly Fishing Club is a great way to meet fellow anglers. As the UVM fly fishing community continues to grow, you can expect several backyard hangouts where you can immerse yourself in fish talk and good ole college fun. Burlington does lack a local fly shop but does have a cool bar called Esox, right across from the divorce court. If you’ve got a car, rip up to Grand Isle and pay Roland a visit at Tie by Night; the best fly shop you'll find in the northeast. Expect an old dude's garage filled to the damn brim with tying material. For a more full-service fly shop, check out the Fly Rod Shop in Stowe, or the Middlebury Mountaineer in Middlebury, VT. When you take a float on the Battenkill with the club raft, you'll also be right at the Orvis headquarters in Manchester VT.