Mad River Vermont Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly 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 with
holdovers)
Brook Trout (native)
Rainbow (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Size
Small to Medium
Location
Northern Vermont
Nearest Towns
Moretown
Waitsfield
Season
Mid April – October
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Vermont
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The season follows the standard Vermont trout season -see season on the left.
Spring:
There are many hatches that occur in the Spring but high water can be a problem.
Summer:
The upper area of the Mad River stays cool all Summer long and the fishing remains good.
Fall:
Early Fall is a great time as well as a beautiful time to fish the Mad River.
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.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Mad River Vermont
The Mad River begins in Warren Vermont in the Green Mountains. It’s a freestone stream that’s a tributary of the Winooski River. Fly fishing the Mad River is greatly improved by the beautiful scenery of the Green Mountains. If there’s any problem with fly fishing the Mad
River, it’s the tourist in the area. There’s plenty of water and you can always find a secluded location to catch trout even when it seems there are a lot of visitors.
The river is formed by the confluence of Stetson Brook, Austin Brook and Mills Brook. These are small brook trout streams and so is the upper part of Mad River. In the area of Waitsfield you will find the river gets larger, changing from a small fast, pocket water stream to sections of riffles, long runs and large pools. Brook trout are replaced with brown trout. There’s also rainbow trout in both these sections of the stream. It has somewhat limited access in Waitsfield area but there’s still an adequate amount available.
Downstream of Moretown, the Mad River gets larger and flows through a valley of beautiful dairy farms. There’s plenty of access in this area of the stream all the way to
the Winooski River. Mill Brook in Fayston, one of the tributary streams of the Mad River, is also a good small stream to fish. It can be accessed from state highway #17 that runs out of Irasville.
The Mad River’s headwaters can be accessed from state highway #100. It follows along the river from Moretown to the Green Mountain National Forest. State highway 100B follows the river from Moretown downstream to Middlesex.
The Mad River has plenty of aquatic insects to feed its trout. Most all of the mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies that are in the Green Mountains are found in this river. It
also has plenty of terrestrial insects in the lower section where it flows through pastures and open fields. Grasshoppers are plentiful in this area as well as beetles and ants. Don’t overlook using a streamer, especially after rains when the water is a little off color.