by Karl Ekberg
Summertime is fishing great on the rivers around us here at Chattooga River Fly Shop. Whether you are fishing for trout or redeye bass and panfish, you can have an enjoyable day catching plenty of fish. River conditions are in wonderful shape, as we have received plenty of rain over the past month. Along with the rains, we have had cooler summer temperature conditions which have kept the river temperatures down. After the rain storms have passed us, we have had low temperatures overnight and daytime temperatures from the mid 70’s to 80’s. If you are wondering if you should bring the waders, leave them home and just bring the wading boots. We have been wet wading now for over a month, which has made for enjoyable days on the rivers. Let’s hope Mother Nature keeps us on this trend with plenty of rain and lower summertime temperatures.
For the trout fishing, early mornings until 1pm have been good along with late afternoons until dark as daytime temperatures fall off late in the day. Pick your “cup of tea”, as we have had tremendous successful days with dry flies, streamers, nymphs and terrestrials. During the sunny days, target the overhanging foliage of the river banks and the shaded areas of the rivers. Also look for deeper runs, as the fish will seek thermal refuge during the heat of the day.
As for the redeye bass and panfish, topwater and streamers are working great! Fishing the back eddies and slower moving water has proven to be the key to successful days. Mid-morning and through the day has been better fishing than very early mornings or late evenings.
This is a great time of year to take the kids fishing! School is out for the summer break, water temperatures are great and there are plenty of fish to be caught. We had the pleasure of participating as a volunteer with the Kid’s Fishing Rodeo at Burrell’s Ford Campground this past month with the U.S. Forestry Department. Introducing kids to the great outdoors and nature is a wonderful time, and catching a few fish will add to the experience for all. Remember to bring your camera along for your trip and share your photo. You might see your photo in the next edition on the Brag Board.
As we are all guests of the forest, let’s remember to “leave no trace”, and pack out what we bring in on our trips to the rivers. Keeping the forests clean will add to the enjoyable experience for all. We hope to see everyone out on the rivers!