By Karl Ekberg
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. Now, if Mother Nature will be kind to us for August and the beginning of September, without sending high heat and no rain, the trout fishing will continue to be good and the outlook for the fall will be excellent.
For those who like getting up early and being on the water at daybreak, many trout are being caught, and the opportunities are great at landing numerous other fish. As the temperatures rise, move nymphing in the deeper runs of the rivers. The rivers are loaded with a large amount of small nymphs. While fishing, 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 treetops and ridges of the mountains, 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, Bass and Panfish can still make for a great day on the river. Lower sections of the river are fishing well now; top water and streamers seeming to be the big hit for a successful day. Wet wading is an enjoyable way to beat the heat of summer. A small pack, plenty of fluids (to keep you hydrated), a small fly box, a good pair of polarized sun glasses, exploring waters you might not normally fish…what a way to spend a summer day, and did we mention, catching fish on a fly rod? 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 rise slightly. Although it may not be raining where you are fishing, the river level may start to rise as rain may come over the river 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. We also look forward to seeing everyone out on the rivers around us here at Chattooga River Fly Shop.
Karl Ekberg is the owner of Chattooga River Fly Shop, located at 6832A Highlands Hwy, in Mountain Rest, SC 29664. Give them a call at (864) 638-2806 or look them up on the web at chattoogariverflyshop.com.