By Ken Kastorff
August is a great month for fishing here in the mountains. This is a fly anglers dream come true. It is an outstanding month for smallmouth, brim, spotted bass, and red eye bass on the Little Tennessee River. With the warmer weather, comes great top water action. There is over thirty miles of river to wade or float. Look for clear water for the best fishing. Poppers will normally work well, even during mid-day. If you want to mix it up, throw a popper with a girdle bug dropper. Another option is to throw crayfish patterns. Orange and brown are good colors to try.
If it’s trout you’re after, then the Nantahala River is a good choice. August is a great month to fish this unique tail race river. It has consistent 50 degree water temperatures all summer long, making it one of the top 100 trout fisheries in the United States. It has great nymph fishing and dry fly fishing for both brown and rainbow trout. It is also one of the best native trout fisheries in the area. With school starting after the first week of the month, weekdays will have less raft traffic. This a good time of the year to find one of the trophy brown trout that live in the Nantahala. August also ushers in some great dry fly action. Book a float trip on this fantastic eight-mile stretch of river. The best time to fish is during the generation release, which is typically from 9:00 AM to 5PM. Once the generation stops, there is usually some phenomenal dry fly action.
Ken Kastorff is the Owner and Guide at Endless River Adventures located along the Nantahala River in Bryson City, North Carolina.