July Update from Nicolay

July Blog

Well we are definitely moving into the dog days of Summer.  It’s been pretty warm up here in the mountains with air temperatures at sunrise hovering around 70 degrees and topping out around 90 degrees midday in the lower elevations.  And on top of that, afternoon humidity has been high from almost daily scattered afternoon thunderstorms. So, what’s that mean for the fishing here?  Fortunately, it can still be pretty good for the most part.  If you’re planning a day on the water I would suggest getting out at sunrise.  That’s when you’ll find the most active fish and comfortable heat index.  Once the streams start to get direct sunlight on them as the day goes on it will slow the fishing down considerably.  While not necessary to get too picky with your fly selection, I would however focus on nymphing and spending your time on deep and more oxygenated areas.  Wild waters will see better success with a more natural looking fly but areas with mix of wild and stocked can be fished with more attractor style patterns.  A tight line setup or fishing a dry dropper will give you more success than a big indicator rig.  Dry fly action can still be had on a variety of terrestrial, Caddis, and yellow mayfly and stonefly patterns but you’ve got a pretty tight window of productivity.  Most importantly while you’re out there be mindful of the health of our trout this time of year.  These warmer water temps can really stress trout.  So focusing on those cooler early morning hours and quickly landing and releasing fish will greatly increase chances of survival.  

Other goings on around the shop…

-Congrats to Jackson County native Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh on winning this years home run derby!  Pretty cool seeing the local guy having a career year.

-Waynesville manager Justin is leaving soon to host our trip to the Wind River area of Wyoming.  He’ll be out there chasing cuttys with a great group of guys on this wade only trip.  I’m excited for them and can’t wait to hear all the stories when they get back.

-But selfishly what I’m more excited about is our mid August trip to Montana.  Mark and I will be hosting a mix of returning customers and new faces on our annual trip to West Yellowstone in search of trout across Yellowstone National Park, the Madison River, and Henrys Fork.  While out there we’ll be working with world class guides from Big Sky Anglers and staying at their Golden Stone Inn.  Fishing these iconic waters along with the accommodations and camaraderie truly makes this a “bucket list” experience.  

-Be on the lookout in our shops over the next month for new and restocked items as our fall orders start rolling in.  As always we’ll have a broad selection of products from premier companies like Orvis, Simms, Fishpond and more.

Product highlight…

Fishpond Stormshadow line

This is the newest and very exciting product offering from Fishpond.  The line consists of a sling pack, chest pack, and lumbar pack.  Like all products from Fishpond, these packs are very user friendly and well thought out.  Plus they look really cool and of course that’s what really matters!  The water resistant materials do a great job of keeping your stuff dry and the integrated waterproof pocket on each pack is a safe spot for your phone, wallet, etc.  By all reports this line of products seems to be durable and comfortable to wear all day on the water.  At their respective price points they are in line with Fishponds submersible Thunderhead line but offer more versatility and easier access to what you need.  If you’re Looking to upgrade your pack for the Fall season I highly suggest coming by one of our 3 locations and taking a look at the Fishpond Stormshadow line.