Clyde River, Vermont Fishing Report Updated 04/19/24
Conditions are good. Let us help you get your flies and gear ready for trout. Send us an email and let us help your plan that next Clyde River fishing trip. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly and gear recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout (wild and stocked)
Brook Trout
Landlocked Salmon
Size
Small to Medium
Location
Northern Vermont
Nearest Towns
Newport
Season
Mid April – End of October
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Vermont
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Water Data:
USGS Station at Newport:
Seasons:
The fishing season opens in the middle of April and closes the last of October.
Spring:
Late spring can be very good. Early
spring depends greatly on the weather which varies greatly. Summer:
The summer is a good time to fish for the brook trout.
Fall:
Early autumn is an excellent time to catch large brown trout and for the landlocked salmon fishing.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Options For Selecting Flies:
1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.
2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need.
3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.
All orders are shipped free in the
U. S. Orders over $100 are shipped via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Clyde River Vermont
The Clyde River consist of several different types of water as well as different species of fish. Its landlocked salmon section, located in Newport, is only about a mile and a half long. It runs from Lake Memphremagog to just below Clyde Pond Dam.
Above the dam, the river runs through a long valley. The streams flows in and out of several ponds making its way through the valley. The Brown trout is the main species you will encounter in the lower part of this thirty-five mile long section of the river.
The section downstream of Island Pond is brook trout and brown water that flows through marshes and swampy like areas. It is best fished from a canoe. The outflow from Echo Lake and Seymour Lake add water to the Clyde River near the little town of East Charlestown. There are some rainbow trout and landlocked salmon in the run from the dam that forms Charlestown Pond to Salmon Lake.
The section of the Clyde River above the valley is mostly brook trout water. The Pherrins River above Island Pond, a tributary of the Clyde River, has excellent brook trout fishing. The brook trout are large, growing up to three pounds or so.
The lower Clyde River is the historic spawning grounds of the Landlocked Salmon. At one time, people came from everywhere to catch the salmon. The fishing was destroyed by the operation of the dam either flooding spawning waters or dewatering the stream.
Trout Unlimited members and other organizations fought to stop the problem the operation of the dam was causing and got help from above when a flood breached part of the dam in 1994. After more battles to prevent the dam from being repaired, the fight was won and the dam was destroyed. The salmon are now returning in good numbers.
The river is especially good in the fall during the month of October. It is artificial lures and flies only fishing and the salmon must be released.
Fly fishing the Clyde River requires many different techniques and different strategies all depending on the section of the river your fishing and the species of fish you are pursuing. It is a very diverse river. Water types vary from section to section and is influenced by ponds and lakes as well as tributary streams.
You will water ranging from fast, pocket water with conflicting currents, deep runs, short riffles and deep pools to slick flowing, slow moving water in large pools connected by short riffles. Most of the time, nymphs will outproduce dry fly fishing but during times of the Clyde River’s heavier hatches, dry fly fishing can be terrific and very productive.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Clyde River
The methods, strategies, and techniques used for fly fishing the Clyde River depends entirely on the species you are pursuing, the area you are fishing, and the season.
Since there is a diverse fishery and a wide range of the types of water and species to fish for, the flies and gear used also varies considerably. The upper sections of the Clyde holds a combination of wild, and stocked brown and brook trout.
You will find rainbows and salmon mixed in the middle section of the river from about East Charlestown to Clyde Pond.
The lower section of the river that is upstream from the mouth has both spring and fall runs of landlocked salmon and rainbow trout from Lake Memphremagog.
Near East Charlestown, near the mouth of Echo Lake, the stream increases in speed and becomes pocket water with pools, runs and riffles. The bottom changes from silt to rock ledges, and plunge pools and boulders offer fast water fishing opportunities.
Fishing the slow moving water of the stream and lakes is one thing and fishing the fast pocket water in the section I just mentioned is completely different.
Fishing for the landlocked salmon in Newport in the spring when they are eating smelt requires yet another method of fishing, flies and gear. Fishing for the landlocked salmon during the spawning time with streamers is also completely different.
Fishing for the brook trout requires even a different method of fishing. Unless you want to confine your fishing to one particular scenario, you are going to need to carry a lot of fly fishing gear and equipment and a huge selection of flies.
This is truly a diverse fishery with about as many types of fishing as possible for one stream. We haven’t mentioned some of the small tributaries and fishing the ponds and lakes. They offer even more fishing
Clyde River Hatches and Trout Flies:
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Clyde River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.
Hatches also vary greatly depending on whether you are fishing one of the ponds, the slow flowing river, the tailwater or the fast pocket water sections of the stream.
In late April and May, the Blue-winged Olives hatch and then again in the early fall.
You may find a big hatch of Grannoms or Little Black Caddis in late April. Quill Gordons hatch in the fast sections of some areas in May. The Hendricksons follow them but in the slower to moderate sections of some areas of the stream.
March Browns hatch from the end of May to the middle of June, mostly in the faster water sections.
June brings about hatches of both Pale Evening Duns and Sulphurs which last into the first week of July. Slate Drakes and Light Cahills usually hatch from mid-June until mid-July.
From mid-July to the middle of August you will find some Golden Drakes. Tricos will hatch in the slower water sections from August through September.
Other than the Little Black Caddis there will be hatches of Green Sedges from the middle of May until the middle of July. These are found in the moderate to fast water sections.
Cinnamon Caddis hatch from mid-June through the month of July. Dark Blue Sedges hatch the last two weeks of June. Some large Great Autumn Brown Sedges hatch in September.
There are some stonefly hatches in the faster sections of water. Little Yellow Stoneflies hatch in June and early July. There may be a few Golden Stoneflies in some fast water areas. Little Browns hatch in May and early June.
Don’t forget flies to match the smelt if you are going to fish for the Landlocked Salmon. You will probably also want a variety of other streamers for the salmon and brown trout.
Clyde River Fly Fishing Report:
03/03/2020 The season opens soon but
for now, let us help you plan that next trip.
Email us at sales@perfectflystore.com
04/11/20 Season opens in four days. Now
is the time to get your flies and gear
together. We are shipping and ship free.
05/07/20 Salmon and trout can be
caught. There are good hatches taking
place. It should be better after the current
cold snap.
05/18/20 The river is still a little high and
stained. Midges.BWOs.little black caddis,
brown stoneflies and Quill Gordons are
hatching. Hendrickson should start this week.
06/03/20 The stream levels are in good
shape just a little below normal. We are
getting good reports from customers.
06/12/20 Stream levels are very low so be
careful not to spook the trout. We are still
getting good reports.
06/23/20 Stream levels are still low. We
continue to get good reports on trout from
customers. There are multiple hatches
taking place.
07/04/20 The trout fishing is great with
good stream levels, lots of hatching
insects, and good all a round conditions.
07/16/20 Stream levels are normal and
good number of trout are being caugh
by our customers.
07/29/20 Conditions are very good and we
are getting som good reports from
customers. Brook, browns and rainbows
are being caught in good numbers.
08/14/20 Stream levels have been in good
shape much of the time and we continue to
get good reports from customers.
08/31/20 We continue to get some very
good reports from customers. Fish the
middle and upper sections of the stream.
There are still some good hatches.
09/21/20 The river is in good shape
with salmon in the lower river and good
trout fishing opportunity in the middle
and upper river.
10/12/20 We are getting good customer
reports on both salmon and trout. There
are good hatches taking place.
10/30/20 The season ends today.
03/27/21 The season is closed. You
can send us an email and let us help
you plan that next trip..
sales@perfectflystore.com
05/01/21 The season is open but we haven’t received any reports from anyone fishing yet. Stream conditions are good but the water is still very cold.
05/07/21 We are getting reports of both salmon and trout being caught. There are good hatches taking place. Shoot us and email or call us for fly and gear recommendations.
05/16/21 The river is in okay shape and both trout and salmon are being caught. We are getting good reports from customers. There are good hatches of Quill Gordons, Hendricksons, Blue quills, American March Browns, little Brown stoneflies and Little Black Caddis.
05/22/21 We are still getting good reports from customers. Green sedge caddis, and some other insects are starting to hatch in addition to the above. Send us an email or call us for a recommended fly and gear list.
06/07/21 The stream is turning out some very good catches for our customers fishing for trout. There are lots of insects hatching. Call or write us for a recommended fly and gear list.
06/17/21 The stream is very low. Fish the upper sections for brook trout for the best results. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
06/27/21 The stream level remains very low. You have to use caution to stay hidden from the trout to catch them. Fish the upper sections of the river for the best results.
07/18/21 Stream levels are low again but we are still getting good reports from customers. Stay low and as hidden as possible and you can catch plenty in the upper middle and headwaters.
07/22/21 Good conditions exist. The river is in good shape with salmon in the lower river and good trout fishing opportunity in the middle and upper river.
07/29/22 The river remains in good shape with some good catches of salmon and brook trout being reports. This action should continue. Good hatches are taking place.
08/08/22 Stream levels are still high. There are places it can be fished in the upper sections but we recommend giving it a little more time to drop and clear.