Weather Warm, Weather Cold ... Water Up, Water Down

Global weather change? I don't know about that, but it seems an unusually warm-to-cold-to-warm weather pattern has set in the past two months across the southern reach of the Appalachian Mountains where the guide-fishing team of Reel Angling Adventures spends its winter days. And it's changing our fishing tactics for trout on a near-daily basis. 

Yesterday's trip to the Nantahala River in North Carolina proves my point. Wet it was. Warm it was. But just days before, the mercury dipped well into the teens and snow flurries blew across the ridges behind moderate rainfall. The best trout bites came from the long, slow and deep runs where the fish were slow to move for any offering that didn't bump 'em in the nose. 

The head of a pool often holds well-defined trout
lies that gather insects washed off the riffle,
drop or chute above it.

Thursday's trip saw water levels come down and water temps come up a few notches. After beating myself up working the deep pools, I found my best bites came from the pocket water. I got rid of the big stonefly nymphs and found small flies was the order of the day among our bug selection: Blue-winged Olive emergers, brown and olive soft hackles and, of course, the black midges -- all of them in size 20. And when the sun broke out, I understood why: Midges and BWOs didn't cloud the air by any means, but they fluttered slowly around in broken sunlight along with a descent showing of small black winter stoneflies. Rises revealed obvious feeders, and when I watched the water carefully, I saw the unmistakable flashes of trout feeding on bugs in the drift near the bottom. Key to getting a take was getting deep and staying deep, relative to any given piece of pocket water we chose to fish. It didn't matter if the lie was 2 feet deep or 8 feet deep. Presentations that tagged the turf definitely took the fish.

And that's the common factor in trout fishing during changeable wintertime weather patterns, whether warm or cold. Think deep, and remember the depth at which your fly drifts is an equation with three factors: 1) leader length; 2) weight, both in your fly of choice and any added split-shot;and 3) current velocity.  

Experience ... Exposure ... Execution ... Engagement ... That's real fishing with Reel Angling Adventures. Hook 'em!

Winter Warm-up: For trout, think small ... real small

Midge larvae, top; midge adult
(not to scale with each other)

Warming trend this week across the southern Appalachian Mountains. Watch for afternoon hatches of tiny BWOs and midges. Two top patterns for action: 1) a size 22 olive Midge, ribbed with pale-brown thread; 2) size 20 CDC BWO emerger. Drop either one behind a size 20 Renegade or Griffith's Gnat.


Experience ... Exposure ... Execution ... Engagement -- That's real fishing with Reel Angling Adventures. Hook 'em!

Fly-Fishing Tips & Techniques for Seasonally High Rivers/Streams

Heavy and frequent rainfall over the last two weeks in the tri-state mountain region of Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina has the streams and rivers -- yep, even the tailwaters -- running high and fast, with visibility running moderate a day or two after the rain quits.

One such place is the delayed-harvest section of the Nantahala River. It tends to clear quickly, but anglers fishing the "Nanty" the day after some of the heavier thunderstorms have seen it stained. Nonetheless, the river fished well for browns, rainbows and brookies, but the takes required dark nymphs and streamer patterns (and a little "flash" in the pattern strongly tweaked the action in our favor).

Tailwaters are warmer than free-flowing streams, but water temps in the middle of winter are very cold anywhere in the region. When nymphing, you don't need to think big -- even in stained water -- just because the water is cold. Rather, make sure you dead drift in slow holding water and get down. If you're not occasionally getting hung up on bottom, you're not deep enough. Add shot to your leader several inches above your nymph (the lead nymph when fishing a dropper) until your indicator reveals you're tagging bottom. 

The opportunity to fish dry flies might surprise wintertime anglers, too. Don't overlook midge and blue-wing olive emergers and dries if it's a pretty day, and especially on a tailwater, like the Toccoa River or the Hiwassee River, where water temps are likely not as cold as free-flowing streams/rivers. A little sun can turn on the bugs and the fish will be after them.

Experience ... Exposure ... Execution ... Engagement ... That's real fishing with Reel Angling Adventures!

Hook 'em!
Your Guide Team at Reel Angling Adventures
www.ReelAnglingAdventures.com
toll free: 866-899-5259

Our experience means new adventures for you!

For more than 60 years collectively, the guide team at Reel Angling Adventures has been flogging its way across the fishing waters of the southern Appalachian Mountains of the tri-state region of Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. We fish -- with fly rods and conventional tackle -- the top destinations across well-worn trails and the adventurous back-country where we leave no secret for success unexposed.

Experience ... Exposure ...  Execution ... Engagement ... That's real fishing with Reel Angling Adventures!