Photos: Late-Season Dry Flies on the Battenkill


This wild brook trout fell for a blue-winged olive imitation fished on a long, fine leader.
All photos by Robin Hill

It’s been a tough fall for anglers on the Battenkill, as drought conditions include extremely low and clear water. But last weekend, my friend Doug Lyons found that cooler temperatures had made the fish plenty active:

The trout were acting like normal trout for a change. Good olive hatches, lots of risers. They were as snotty as usual but were poking their noses out of the water.

I don’t know anybody who loves a river as much as Doug loves the Battenkill. You may remember his post about a recent electrofishing survey on the ‘Kill. Doug’s pal, Robin Hill, took these great photos. Check out Robin’s blog, Brookside Hillbilly, to see more of his work.


Doug Lyons keeps low to avoid spooking the riser in front of him.

A Battenkill brown trout inspects a natural.

Doug travels three hours almost every week to fish his beloved Battenkill.

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