I might frame the picture above and hang it on the wall above the tying desk. Picture perfect weather despite a few t'storms. Asheville's highs should be in the mid to upper 60s this time of the year. 82, the forecasted high for Sunday, is the norm in late June! There could be a catch though. A backdoor cold front (front moving in from the north/northeast as opposed to the normal west and northwest direction) could make Saturday's high temps a mess. If the front moves in soon enough, we could be seeing much cooler temps in the 50s and 60s. If the front stays north of us, Saturday will be nice with highs in the mid 80s in the Piedmont and upper 70s to possibly some low 80s in the mountain valleys. The front lifts back to the north Saturday night/Sunday paving the way for what could be the best day of the weekend, Sunday.

Snow, especially accumulating snow, is looking highly unlikely from here on out. October will probably be the next time we see measurable snow. Warm will be the word for the next several days. Not quite wet wading weather just yet, but we are well on our way. Chilly low temperatures are keeping the water pretty chilly. It might be a bit too chilly for us anglers, but the trout are loving it. Once summer rolls around, things reciprocate. Rivers are warmer and allow for wet wading, but the fish are gasping for dissolved oxygen and cooler water. We're in early April, so none of that just yet, as water temps are in the mid 40s through the 50s across WNC (cooler up high, slightly warmer lower). They'll continue to warm, but it won't be enough to trade the waders for the wet wading gear.

The hatches are starting to get more interesting. Quill Gordons are still hatching, but are now mixed with Hendricksons and a few March Browns. Black Caddis are still present as well. Light Cahills, the cream colored mayflies that are so common in the summer, should be hatching by late this month. By May, terrestrials will be on the increase. In fact, I ran into a lone inchworm dangling from his silk line early this morning. When you see inchworms, you should start thinking about filling the rest of your terrestrial box! Once the grasshoppers are out, the game is afoot.

Nymphs in the morning and dries in the afternoon is the rule to follow. Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Prince Nymphs, Lightning Bugs, Copper Johns, Zebra Midges, Hise's Hetero-Genius, Rainbow Warriors, and the list goes on and on. A Green Weenie will also catch fish, albeit it imitates summertime inchworms, the fish seem to be mesmerized by it. I've caught fish on cold winter days on Green Weenies. Check out the updated recommended flies list under "Fly Fishing WNC" in the menu bar for more suggestions. As far as dries go, make sure you have some #12-16 Parachute Adams (Standard works well too), a few #12-14 Quill Gordons and a Dark Hendrickson or two.

Most rivers and streams here in the Old North State are fishing well. DH waters are fishing exceptionally well, as they usually do in the spring. A fellow angler over on the forum said he and a friend (who is visiting from Louisiana) had an incredible day on Wilson Creek. He mentioned he easily caught 30 fish. One of which was a nice 20"+ rainbow!

Get out and fish this weekend!