September!!

Fall is upon us here in the Smokies!!

Nicolay probably provides the most honest and accurate advise in Western North Carolina!

Fishing conditions

I sure am loving the cool Fall temps that we have had to finish up the Summer.  And the trout are too!  Late August through the beginning of September has seen temperatures in most of our waters sit around 56-60 degrees.  This has greatly increased the fishable hours of the day and given us a variety of bug life as well.  Over the past few weeks I have seen various lighter colored mayflies, Caddis, and stoneflies of varying sizes and colors flying around.  This abundance of aquatic insects gives you the opportunity to to be less precise and much more general in your fly selection.  Heck on Monday alone I caught fish on a large Thunderhead, small tan X-Caddis, black Stimulator, Hares Ear nymph and a variety of Perdigons.  A few things I have noticed however that can increase your odds at catching fish would be to slow down and spend a little more time on the feature you’re fishing.  The fish do seem to be slightly timid or hesitant to eat on the first couple drifts.  I found that as I spent a little more time and threw a few more precise casts I can get something to commit.  

So aside from the great fishing currently what can you expect as we move forward into Fall?  Dust off your junk flies it’s Delayed Harvest time of course!  Beginning October 1 many of our favorite rivers revert back to catch and release regulations and get stocked full of fish.  If you’re planning a trip out here and want to hire a guide for a day I would strongly suggest getting that locked in sooner than later.  We are already booking up quickly here so don’t miss out on the opportunity to float or wade the Tuck with us.  Speaking of hiring a guide I cannot stress enough the benefits of biting the bullet and going that route.  Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned angler there are several reasons to do this.  Let’s start with the beginning anglers.  Nothing will build a foundation like one on one instruction from a guide.  YouTube is great don’t me wrong.  Lots of good information and instruction can be found on the internet.  However, the problem I have with learning on the internet, other than having to sift through all the misinformation, is you don’t have the ability to receive feedback or additional explanation to the information you’re getting.  A professional guide has the ability to answer any questions, further explain or expand on topics and techniques, as well as diagnose and fix areas that you may need some help with.  For you seasoned anglers out there, hiring a guide can still be helpful in lessening the learning curve of fishing new waters and increasing the odds of success for the rest of your trip or following trips.  Plus you have the added benefit of picking up new tips and techniques that you can add to your skill set.  

Sean Summers with a great September Rainbow!

Shop info

Does throwing dry flies to rising cuttys next to a herd of bison interest you?  Are you an experienced angler looking to learn techniques or a beginner interested in learning the ropes in the Mecca of trout fishing? Or do you simply want to enjoy the experience of immersing yourself in the beautiful scenery with good food, drink, and people?  If so you should join us on our Montana 2026 trip!  We have finalized the dates and rate for next year and are currently taking deposits to save your spot.  Dates will be August 14-20 and cost is $4999 per person.  As always we will be partnering with Big Sky Anglers and staying at the Golden Stone Inn in West Yellowstone, Montana.  Shoot me an email, Nicolay@tuckflyshop.com, with any questions or to request the itinerary and additional details for the trip.

Departing Asheville for Bozeman on a destination fly fishing trip.

Want some insight on where to fish in WNC while out here on vacation with the family and limited on time?  Check out our recent podcasts to get you dialed in on that subject and to hear an interview with TFS guide and ball of fish catching energy Sam Nicholson.   

Swing by any of our 3 locations to get geared up for your next trip on the water out here.  We’ve been busy over the last couple weeks restocking inventory and getting our shops ready for a big Fall season!  If you can’t make it by you can always check us out at www.flyshopusa.com and pick up anything you may need, or more accurately, want!

Product information

It’s wader time!  And therefore probably time for some of you to swap out that old leaking pair waders for a new set.  Fortunately for you we have a lot to choose from!  As far as anything new worth mentioning, there’s not much due to the upcoming PFAS regulations.  However, we carry several products that I’d like to dive into a bit.  First lets talk about Grundens.  We carry both the Boundary, which is their GoreTex wader, and the Bedrock which is their mid priced model.  What I really like about both is they have a titanium laminate in the neoprene booties that help retain body heat and keep your feet warmer in those cooler water temps during the fall and winter.  Both also come in at price points below comparable waders from other brands giving you a great value.  

Despite the current baseless rumblings from people about the quality and customer service from Simms, I can tell you for certain that they make an awesome wader.  From the economically priced Tributary to the high end G3 and the best bang your your buck in the Freestone you simply can’t go wrong.  If you’re the guy that doesn’t mind spending the money on a premium product it’s hard to beat a set of Simms G3 waders.  They’re durable, breathable, and comfortable.  What else is there to say?  If you have come in the Sylva shop and talked to me about waders I have undoubtedly mentioned the Simms Freestones to you.  This has for several years been my wader of choice.  They have basically the same attributes as the G3s but with a lower price tag.  They’re a great value and in addition to the traditional bib style, we also sell these in a zip up version as well as the pants.  

And rounding out our selection of waders are a couple offerings from Orvis.  First we have the Clearwater which brought us a new color for this year.  This is their economically priced wader and like the rest of the offerings in their Clearwater line it is a good quality product at a great price point.  We also carry the Pro wader from Orvis.  This wader is constructed out of their proprietary Cordura Fabric and the 5 layers provided on the lower make for an extremely durable wader.  A really cool feature of this pair is the removable knee pads. 

All in all there’s a lot of great options across various price points out there.  I would suggest coming by one of our shops and trying on a pair as the best wader for you is often the one that fits the best.