By Jeff Dean
If trout fishing is your game, then the cooler temperatures and the changing colors on the trees signal trout fishing is back! Granted, you can catch trout all year, but trout like cold water and the High Country is already experiencing 40 degree mornings and sweater-like afternoons. The lowering temps start to fire up the trout and they get hungry. Late summer and early fall, you can hammer them with those big and bushy flies. The terrestrial bite is still on and the trout are looking for a meal, so stimulators, hoppers and ants are still in the mix. A big Adams, Wulff or Humpy will do the trick as well. However, once it really cools down we will start to see some smaller beatis flies and a lot of midges. That means those small dries you have in your box but never use; pull them out and give them a shot! We are talking 20, and smaller, Adams, BWO patterns and midge patterns. I know, if you canât see your fly, then whatâs the point of fishing it? Well, do you want to catch fish or throw them flies that wonât work all day? Trail that size 22 Adams dry behind a stimulator (or something you can see) and watch for rises behind that fly. Most people are loosing out on a lot of fish because they arenât fishing what the trout are eating. When in doubt, go small! Oh yeah, did I mention the fact that the North Carolina Resources Commission will restock all of the Delayed Harvest streams in early October? That is another reason to get fired up about fall fishing.
Thousands of fish are going to be put in the streams in Western North Carolina starting in October and continuing into November. This gets all anglers, from beginner to expert and from spin angler to fly angler, excited. You can have a ton of fun and you can experience one of the best times in the High Country. The changing colors of the leaves over a gentle stream is a breathtaking experience and it makes you forget why you are even there and realize that it doesnât even matter if you catch a fish. If you havenât fished the Watauga River in early to mid October, youâre missing out. Some âgo toâ patterns are attractors, like squirmy wormies, eggs, rainbow princes, rainbow warriors, or anything to grab the attention of the fish. Trail those with something more realistic like a pheasant tail or hares ear. As always, if you have any questions, you can come on by to Watauga River Fly Shop or give us a call and weâll get you set up. Now, get out there and enjoy some awesome fishingâŚand Good Luck!
Jeff Dean is the owner of Watauga River Fly Shop located at 5712 NC Highway 105 South, Vilas, NC. Visit their website at www.wrflyshop.com, email them at info@wrflyshop.com, or give them a call at (828) 963-5463.
