By Karl Ekberg
Spring is in the air in the mountains of South Carolina. February brought us a mixed bag of weather, where water temperatures hovered in the low thirties, topping out in the low fifties a couple of times throughout the month. A couple of large rain systems have brought water levels up, and are looking great for the next month as well. Below freezing temperatures at night for a good part of the month have the water temperatures in the low forties in the mornings, and then climbing to the mid to high forties as the day warms to the high fifties, even into the low sixties on a few days as well.
All of the warming weather, with winter in the rear-view mirror, brings everyone’s delight at the start of the spring hatches. From the emergence of all the varieties of Mayflies, to the abundance of different Caddis hatches, nothing beats a great day of dry fly fishing. River conditions and weather surely play an enormous role in the transformation of these Trout delights. Excellent days for the hatches are definitely the warmer sunny days, where temperatures move from the mid-thirties in the mornings, to the fifties and sixties, in the mid- day through late afternoons. On colder overcast days, the bugs tend not to hatch as they need the warmth of the sun and water temperatures to rise to emerge from their nymphal bodies for the Mayflies, or the pupa stages for the Caddis.
Fishing flies on the “swing” is a great way to catch fish during these warmer spring days. A tandem rig with a nymph, and then a trailing fly of a soft-hackle or wet fly mimicking the hatching bugs, are great set-ups. Some of these bugs hatching can last for a week, and sometimes up to three or four weeks, depending on the species and more importantly, the weather. Having the proper size and color of these bugs is essential; we carry the essential bugs for everyone to have an incredible day on the rivers.
Streamer fishing can also be an enjoyable day out here as many baitfish start to emerge from their winter dormancy, and they start appearing in abundance. The trout can be a little more aggressive now that the water temperatures have warmed. At times, the “go big or go home” philosophy is not necessary, as the size of smaller baitfish may only be a couple of inches long, so using small streamers will definitely raise the catch count for the day.
Springtime typically leads to more folks in the river corridors so let’s make sure that we all practice “Leave No Trace” and truly, it does not hurt any of us to carry a little more out than we walked in with, for the outdoors will be a better place for the generations to come. We hope to see everyone out on the rivers.
Karl and Karen Ekberg are co-owners of Chattooga River Fly Shop, located at 6832-A Highlands Hwy, Mountain Rest, SC 29664. Give them a call at (864) 638-2806 and visit their website at www.chattoogariverflyshop.com.