August Happenings

by: Nicolay Bell

Current fishing conditions

Here in the mountains of Western North Carolina we are back to a little stretch of summer heat.  The cold snap we had was a nice reprieve but back to reality for now!  The extended forecast shows temps slowly dipping back down with spotty afternoon storms popping up in the region.  Even with this recent spike in temperatures, water temps have stayed low enough to keep fishing productive.  For the most part the afternoon storms have been light or short enough to not affect water flow or clarity all that much. August 20th is our meteorological peak of summer heat, so we hope we have seen the last of the 90s for a while!

Overall, fish are still eating primarily sub surface across the region and you should have success on small stoneflys, drowned terrestrials, and perdigons.  You can still get into fish on top however, especially early in the morning.  This past week has had good reports on dry fly action throughout the Smokies and on the Lower Nantahala when the water has been off.  Not awful picky on the pattern but something that rides flush with the water surface vs a fly that’s propped up with a lot of hackle seems to work best.  Lighter colored flies such as Parachute Yellow Sallies, Tan X Caddis, and Parachute Adams are great options.  If fishing a dry dropper rig I recommend using a foam beetle or small chubby as your dry fly/indicator.  It’ll float in rougher water and can be something a little more natural looking than a bobber style indicator.  

Travel update

Justin is back from Wyoming!  As I mentioned in the last blog, Waynesville manager Justin has been in Wyoming hosting a group to the Wind River region.  If you prefer wade fishing and a trip out West is on your bucket list I would not miss out on this one.  The following is verbatim from Justin, and to me perfectly sums up the experience… “The fishing was great, but it’s hard not to talk about the scenery.  Every time you look up you see a postcard.  The trout are everywhere and the place is gorgeous.”  We only take a small group on this trip so make sure and get your deposit in for next year!

Product Highlight

Wading staffs.  Love them or hate them, one things for sure they help keep you upright on the river.  Here in the shops we have several options across various price points.  Starting with Simms, their entry level wading staff comes in at $149.99.  Built out of aluminum, this staff is a no frills durable tool.  Simple to deploy and collapse, this staff comes standard with a sheath to attach to your wading belt as well as a retractor.  The next offering from Simms is the Pro Wading Staff with a price of $229.99.  Here we have a staff constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum along with a comfortable cork handle.  Added benefits of the staff include the ability to adjust the height and the self deployment mechanism.  Now this is where this staff really sets itself apart from the other.  With the Pro Wading Staff you have the ability to put the staff together with a couple of shakes.  Doesn’t get much easier than that!  This staff also come standard with sheath and retractor.  Similar to the Simms Pro Wading Staff, the Orvis Wading Staff is built out of carbon fiber and is also quick to shake together with the self deployment mechanism.  Additional features include a sheath, retractor, and the ability to adjust the height.  At $198.99 this staff offers a lot of value for the features that it offers.  Simply put, wading staffs create a 3rd point of contact to make your life easier and safer while wading The Tuck this Fall.  And undoubtedly will come in handy when you forget to check the generation schedules!