by Karl Ekberg, Chattooga River Fly Shop
6832A Highlands Hwy. Mountain Rest, SC 29664
864-638-2806 www.chattoogariverflyshop.com
Fun in the sun, the mountain rivers, and many days of afternoon thunderstorms, seems to be the trend as the “Dog Days of Summer” have reached us here at Chattooga River Fly Shop. Great amounts of water in the rivers, means the trout have plenty of water to seek thermal refuge in the river bottoms from the summertime heat. If Mother Nature will be kind to us in August and September, the trout fishing will continue to be good and the outlook for the fall will be excellent.
Many trout are being caught, although, you must like getting up early and being on the waters at daybreak. As the temperatures rise, move to nymphing in the deeper runs of the rivers. The rivers are loaded with a large amount of small nymphs. Take a minute to turn some rocks over to find these and do not hesitate to tie on a nymph resembling these, trailing behind a larger heavy fly to get deep in the water columns. Don’t hesitate to pinch a small piece of split shot on your line to get deeper if you are not catching. As the sun creeps over the tree tops, start moving your position on the river towards the shaded areas and deeper runs against the banks with brush cover.
If the trout are being a little tough to catch, look to bass and panfish for a great day on the rivers. Lower sections of the river are fishing well now using topwater and streamers. Wet wading is an enjoyable way to beat the heat of summer. A small pack, plenty of fluids, a small fly box, a good pair of polarized sunglasses, and exploring waters you might not normally fish is the way to spend a summer day. As river levels have been a little bit higher than normal, do not be surprised by catching a few trout in these lower sections of the river.
While out on your day of fishing, expect afternoon thunderstorms and the river level to raise slightly. Although it may not be raining where you, the river level may start to rise as rain may come upstream, so keep an eye on the water level around you.
Let’s all pray for a little cooler weather and some rains to keep the rivers cooler and the water levels up. We look forward to a great fall season as the temperatures start to fall off from the summer heat.