Big Flies and Big Fish!

Grandma is ringing the dinner bell and the trout are headed to the table looking for a good meal and we have some good meals for them! The next few weeks can be productive for big fish on dries. I do use nymphs and even droppers but dries are my favorite and they can be very productive.

Yellow insects can be seen flying and living dangerously close to the water tempting the hungriest of trout looking for an easy meal. Caddis flies in various colors in sizes cover the back edges of rocks and swarms of midges look like a cat 5 hurricane bearing down on the coast. As you cautiously wade upstream in stealth mode you will bump into inchworms hanging from tree limbs and ants and beetles are littering the stream side doing what they do best, tying not to fall into the water and fall victim to the trout.

With our excellent water levels and good water temperatures you should make it a priority to get a day on the water to explore a mountain stream. Fish can still be taken all day but taking advantage of first light will increase chances at good numbers and good sized trout. We are still getting the typical mountain afternoon shower and occasional storm but other than that all is good.

Watch your approach and drift as these trout are spookier than a cat that has used eight of his nine lives. My number one tool is camouflage clothing and then wading cautiously. Drag free drifts are a must and for nymphs a good tight line allowing for detection of the slightest sip from a trout will increase your chances of hookups.

Leaders from 7.5' to 12' are common based on rod length and size of the fishery you are in. I like using 5x to 6.5x tippet spending on the size of the fly being cast. Sometimes a larger tippet is needed to properly cast larger flies, especially dries.

We have a great selection of flies and gear to make your day a successful one so stop in one of our two locations before hitting the water. Our expert staff will answer any question and make suggestions based on the stream you will be exploring.