Early Summer Fishing In The Upstate

By Karl Ekberg

May has come and gone, and late spring is in full swing, headed into summer. The rivers here in the mountains of South Carolina are in great shape. The abundance of rain throughout the winter, and weather fronts coming through every four to five days giving the rivers a little refresh, have the river levels in great shape. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we don’t have the “Big Heat” of the summer, and the trout will have another great summer season. There is nothing finer than being here on the rivers with the Mountain Laurels and Rhododendrons in full bloom.

Hatches have been subtle at times early in the day, but late afternoon into the early evening have been much better. As the late afternoon temperatures subside, find the shaded runs and riffles to have your best success. As the daytime temperatures of late spring into early summer start to rise, we must remember that trout like colder water. Fishing from the start of daylight until midday, fishing top water will be good, but as the temperatures rise, going deeper will be more successful. Fishing midday throughout the afternoon, double nymph rigs will be the trick.

If the dry flies and nymph fishing is not your cup of tea, let’s not forget about streamer fishing. There is an abundance of small baitfish in the rivers now, and streamer fishing is excellent. Try swinging streamers in the deeper runs, and into the heads of pools. In the larger, deeper, slower waters, casting out and then a slower strip and pause technique will do best.

As the water temperatures of the rivers have risen, it’s time to think about bass and pan fish. Fly fishing for these fine game fish can make for an exceptional day out on the rivers. If top water action fires you up, then turn up the heat with some of our Bass and Panfish flies. We have a full array of what you need to have a successful day. At times, “down under” and double rigs, take the cake. A great day of “wet wading” can cool you off from the summer heat, and catching a few fish will be an added bonus.

Have fun, leave not a trace, and we hope to see everyone in the Mountains of South Carolina.

Karl and Karen Ekberg are Co-Owners 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.