Fly Fishing Brown Trout in Battenkill River

The Battenkill River rises in Manchester Vermont, flows 80 miles into New York, and then combines with the Hudson River. Battenkill River is known for many things, but it's most popular for its fishing, more specifically, its Brown Trout fishing. Anglers come from across the country to fly fish, Brown Trout. For fly fishermen, there may not be a better place to hone your skills than the Battenkill. While the best fishing is usually found from the middle of May to the end of July, any day can be great for fishing, especially if you come prepared for a challenge. Throw in a variety of different lures and lies, and you will be ready to face the difficult fishing that is the Battenkill River. With Brown Trout Fly Fishing on the rise, these anglers need an expert guide that knows the river and the fish.

Meet Expert Fly Fishing Guide, John Rogers

Fly fishing is in John's blood - his father hailed from Western North Carolina with 3 generations of fly fishermen. John's Mother was from Manhattan along with her father who built a small cabin by hand on the banks of the Beaverkilll in upstate NY. John's first trout was taken at an early age on this famed NY river. As much as John loves Vermont fly Fishing and fly fishing brown trout in Battenkill River, he's brought several thousand more to hand in Western Carolina, New Hampshire, and places beyond over the years. As time went by and opportunities presented John pursued trout across the globe, from the Western American rivers, creeks, and high altitude lakes. Notable spots that John has fished are the Green River, Connecticut River, Yellowstone River, Salmon River, Black River, Lake Memphremagog, and more. John has fished the rivers and streams of Labrador, New Zealand, and Europe. Some of his escapades and fish have been chronicled in the Orvis News and American Angler Magazine.

John offers years of expertise and knowledge that he loves passing on to other anglers. John enjoys sharing a story of one of these fishing trips along the river where his expertise and knowledge came in handy to help a group he was guiding.

"I was going on this trip with a group of clients from Texas, all of which were beginners. The first mile or so went as expected, with plenty of instruction and a few missed opportunities at fish. Because the water was cold and the sky was full of rain, I rigged up a client with a streamer. As we started to drift into the second mile of the six-mile-long float, all of the clients were fishing fairly well but we could not seem to get a bump at all. Once we rolled into a high-quality spot, our luck would quickly change. This area was a classic Battenkill riffle that had a slow-moving section, a big pool, and plenty of overhanging structure. We decided to get out and wade the section so that we could thoroughly cover it. I started the young man on the riffle with a nymph rig and the young lady on the pool. She fished it really well but ended up with nothing.

As soon as she finished fishing the pool, we moved her to the undercuts while her husband gave it a try. Before he started, I switched out his nymph with a #10 double bead headstone before returning to his wife to help her with a tangled line. After a few casts, I hear him yell out and see his rod bowing to the water with a fish on the line.  I knew right away that it was a good fish because of its initial run that peeled off sixty feet of line in a few short seconds. It went straight down to the bottom, but luckily the kid stayed calm. Like big brown trout will do, it was not giving up without a long, hard fight!

After three more big runs, the fish was finally starting to tire. We were 8 minutes into the fight, and the fish was holding tight in the middle of the pool. Luckily, I remembered an old steelhead trick and told him to start walking backward out of the water, even up the bank if he needed to. This worked like a charm, and he was able to gain line and start to move the fish into the shallows.  It was not long after this that we got our first glimpse of the fish, realizing that it was indeed a good one. After a few more small runs, we were finally able to net and land the fish. With a careful fight, he finally brought in a beautiful male brown trout that was in full spawning colors with its belly being a very pumpkin color. The fish taped right at 21 inches and was released after plenty of pictures."

Thanks to the way this river is managed, anyone can go out and have the same experience that John and his group had on that cloudy October day. This river gets its start from springs rising out of marble bedrock, and because of that stays cold all summer long. Anyone looking to fly fish, rivers like this must also be aware of busy seasons. The summers can be a bit crowded from the canoes, kayaks, and inner tubes. Places like Battenkill River, Lake Champlain, White River, Yellowstone River, Black River, Farmington River, and Madison River are all amazing places to fish, but depending on how busy the waters are will affect your fishing for the day.

Knowing the seasons, rivers, and habits of the surrounding communities is another great reason to bring along an expert guide like John. John says "There is no one simple trick to a fly or fly fishing that will always work, and the trout are very smart. Some anglers may not enjoy this type of fishing, but others will find joy in figuring out what the fish are eating, matching it, and presenting it properly to fool these wary old brown trout."

If you are looking for some variety in species or change of scenery John can oblige you with that as well. Have John take you out so you can wade the upper stretches of the Green Mountain tributaries for Wild Brook Trout. Or fish one of the five epic Southern Vermont Rivers for Rainbow Trout. If Trout isn't your preferred species, John can take you sight fishing in the flats for Carp or any other wild fish you want to try for. 

John offers a truly remarkable experience and is a guide you will want to fish with again and again.  If you're ready for fun and adventure, you can't go wrong with Vermont Fly Fishers!