by Karl Ekberg
The rivers of the South Carolina Mountains have received some much needed rain over the past couple of weeks. Who would think that we would be needing much water after the rainy summer which we just had. The rivers are fishing extremely well, many thanks to the Walhalla Fish Hatchery, and Georgia Fisheries for the great stocking program for all of the Delayed Harvest sections of the Carolina and Georgia rivers. Many big Brook, Brown, and Rainbow trout have been caught with a wide variety of flies.
Throwing streamers has been very productive, with throwing them into fast waters and twitching them through the drift, and then a strip and pause retrieve back through the seams against the fast current. Flies of choice have been the Wounded Sculpin, Carolina Peach, Special K, and Belly Ache Minnows. These newly stocked fish have quickly advanced to eating the natural bugs this year. We have had great success with Blue-Winged Olives (BWO’s). Fishing the small nymphs trailing behind a larger attractor nymph, to get them down in the water column, has been very productive in the colder parts of the day. As the day warms, swinging emergers has been great fishing as well. Then the hatch happens, and many BWO’s are apparent, and we have had great luck casting dry flies to rising fish. Some great larger attractor flies to fish ahead of the smaller nymphs are, Woven or Skipper Stone, UV2 Fuzzy Bug, or a Pat’s Rubber Leg.
As the waters cool, with the early winter temperatures falling, the fish will move to warmer waters, which is in the deeper areas of the river. Let’s remember that the fish will become more lethargic and will not move a great distance for food. Letting your nymph patterns get deep will prove productive. While fishing streamers, also remember that deeper will be better, a sink tip will help with this, and a slower retrieve through the depths of the river will prove to be a productive day out on the river.
We hope to see everyone out on the rivers. We are open Tuesday through Saturday 7am- 5pm, and Sundays 7am-2pm.
Karl Ekberg Chattooga River Fly Shop Chattoogariverflyshop.com (864) 638-2806