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Saturday, December 13, 2008
1.) Just checked out the USGS water flows, and the Davidson River is at 129 cfs. The "D" is flowing above average by only 7 cfs, but still, the trout aren't as skittish, and you can actually cast your line without scaring the giant browns and rainbows. It's still possible to tie on those black stonefly nymphs and Zonkers, but as the water is gradually receding, switch to the PT nymphs and BWO nymphs. You also may get by with 5x due to the higher water levels, but to be safe go with 6x.
2.) Montana is in for a pretty big blizzard over the next few days. 30-40 mph winds, and EXTREME cold are on tap for Big Sky Country. West Yellowstone is sitting at -2 with wind chill values at -19 degrees. Billings is currently at -6 with a wind chill of -26!! Doesn't matter though, the Montana Grizzlies are heading to Chattanooga to take on the Richmond Spiders in the FCS championship game Friday night....I wish I could find tickets...so it goes...
3.) Everyone have a great day, and I will post after the Panthers/Broncos game at 4:15 on CBS.
2.) Montana is in for a pretty big blizzard over the next few days. 30-40 mph winds, and EXTREME cold are on tap for Big Sky Country. West Yellowstone is sitting at -2 with wind chill values at -19 degrees. Billings is currently at -6 with a wind chill of -26!! Doesn't matter though, the Montana Grizzlies are heading to Chattanooga to take on the Richmond Spiders in the FCS championship game Friday night....I wish I could find tickets...so it goes...
3.) Everyone have a great day, and I will post after the Panthers/Broncos game at 4:15 on CBS.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Click to enlarge....
1.) This storm system has been an extremely rare one. When was the last time you saw New Orleans, Houston, Baton Rogue, and extreme ("gulf-front" counties) receive upwards of 6 inches of SNOW!!! Yeah, snow...I'm not kidding, the visibility was down to less than a 1/2 a mile in New Orleans due to the snow. What happened was the cold air aloft in the storm was pulled down to ground level..not something you see everyday, allowing for HEAVY, HEAVY snow. Global Warming....OKAY, Al Gore. Here in Charlotte we were on the warm sector of the storm, which in return allowed storms to fire off.
2.) Nonetheless, much needed rain has really helped for short term drought in the NC mountains. Fly fishing will be GREAT the next few days. Trout are ready to pounce on any fly that is big, bulky, and gaudy. Zonkers and Woolly Buggers are a great choice if you want to catch that big wary brown. Temps are up, mid to upper 50's, but it won't be too long before those temps take a nose dive back into the 20's. A cold front is expected this weekend, making Saturday and Sunday chilly. Saturday morning will be well below freezing, around the mid 20's, so black ice and slippery roadways will possibly make it a treacherous ride to work. Some mountain counties will see a few inches of snow, as the wrap around moisture well, "wraps around the NC mountains, a few inches may accumulate. Hey, the trout won't mind, so layer up and hit the stream, or pull up to your bench and do some tying. If you do go fishing, work the riffles and seams...these will be your best option. If your stream is muddy, PLEASE, PLEASE, use that 4x...heck, I'd even go down to 2 or 3x. 6 and 7x is just not a good route to take when water is high and cloudy. I have seen numerous people fishing in stained to muddy water, and using that light tippet. I don't want you to catch that monster brown trout, and lose the battle all because of 6x tippet. Use the opportunity as your advantage.
3.) I can't believe it's almost Christmas. Time flies by. Flies...no pun intended....yeah I know HA HA HA, hold the laughter. Anywho, everyone have a great evening and more tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
1.) Shows you just how unpredictable the weather is. Instead of snow and cold, thunderstorms (some of them could be of the "hit the deck" variety tomorrow) look to be in the cards. This is a massive storm system, as one down in the Gulf, and one traversing over the Tennessee Valley will meet and storms may be a problem as Wednesday rolls on. Folks along and mostly east of I-85 will see the possibility of a few tornadoes according to the meteorologists covering the area. These past few weeks have been very weird weather wise. It's almost like we see lower to mid teens for lows one week, and the next week lows are up in the mid 50's (which will be the case tomorrow night. Snow chances don't look to impressive at all with this system. But, I guess since this storm system is complex...who knows. Just make sure those weather radios are at hand...might need them.
2.) RAIN is on the way...a lot of it too!! The trout are ready for a boost in the streams. Like any other rainy, high water day, the big, bad, black stoneflies come out of the fly box, and the 2x is tied on to that said fly. Sculpins and big gaudy streamers in the Zonker/Woolly Bugger category will be perfect. The Davidson River is at 38 cfs...by late Friday it should rise well over the "water half covering the trout's back stage".
3.) Panthers...Panthers....Panthers....You gotta" love 'em!! Was going to celebrate with Bojangle's, but time did not allow. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, AKA Smash n' Dash were AMAZING yesterday. Carolina played textbook football, and they really showed the NFL what they are made of.
Friday, December 5, 2008
1.) Not as cold today with sunny skies and a few passing clouds. I say go hit the trout stream, but hey that's just me. Water levels are fine, but they are all on their way down from the rain we received a few days ago. The water temps will be in the mid 40's to maybe 47-49, so the PH and dissolved oxygen is where it needs to be, which is perfect for the Brook Trout that are native to the southern Appalachians. The browns and rainbows will be pretty slow, so you still need to get that fly down to their feeding level (well, really, right in front of their noses). Use fine diameter leaders and tippets, as 6X sinks a lot faster than 3X....and too the water is clear. BWO nymphs, lightning bugs, Zug Bugs, PT nymphs, and small midge patterns have been doing well on most of the NC's streams. I would still consider fishing the trout laden tailwaters over in Tennessee. From what I've heard, the water is a little warmer, and the trout are in heaven. The Clinch, Hiwassee, Caney Fork, Holston, Watauga, and Cumberland have all been worthy of a fly cast or two. The freestoners are all pretty slow, but only because of the "still on the chilly side" water temps.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
1.) Today is the 2nd day of December....where does time go? It seems like it was 85 degrees yesterday..(well not that easy, given that we have seen 40's for highs and 20's for lows. Speaking of cold, get ready for some REAL cold stuff by mid December. Modeling is really wanting to put some truly Arctic....or even polar air into the east. No snow yet, but the GFS is flip flopping back and forth on a bit of freezing rain early next Tuesday morning into the late morning hours. Not a lock yet, and can't tell you how much, or even when it's going to exactly hit the area. With that being said, the pattern looks very conducive for more arctic cold air and Gulf storms, so maybe we'll get a good snow event in the near future.
2.) The tailwaters over in Tennessee and here in NC are really showing great consistency. Anglers have been hooking fish of truly scary proportion. Give one of the TW's a try...the freestone spring creeks are very slow, and the fish are taking it easy. Until we can get a few consecutive days of upper 50's or low 60's, the streams won't warm up much. If you have cabin fever, and really want to wet a line, and tailwaters aren't a convenient choice, fishing the freestoners should be fine as long as you follow a few tips....
- THE # ONE tip is to dress in layers. I like to use Under Armour or Simms Waderwick under a regular long sleeve fishing shirt, with either a quality wading jacket or a moisture wicking fleece. Don't forget those Glacier Gloves either. Layers will allow you to stay warm during the coldest part of fishing, until the air warms up a little, and you need to shed a layer or two.
- Remember when fly fishing for trout, always use the appropriate amount of weight corresponding to the water depth and the trout's preferred feeding lane (which usually isn't too impressive this time of year).
- Use dark colored flies. In the Winter, the insects trout feed on are for the most part, small and dark colored. There aren't any light cahills and light hendricksons in December, so think according to the season.
- One of the best things you can do to catch trout in the Winter, is to make sure the fly nearly hits the trout. If your fly is 4 feet away from a fish in 25 degree weather, he's not going to race over across the pool and through the riffle to grab it....wastes too much precious energy.
- Try a point fly and a dropper. A small white Wolly Bugger with about 6 inches of tippet tied to the hook bend followed by a small (# 18-22) beadhead PT nymph should be perfect.
- Lastly, forget about the cold...I know what your thinking..(YEAH RIGHT).. but if you can concentrate on catching the fish, things may lighten up a bit.
I like fishing in the Winter. I remember a few times when I fished on the Jacob's Fork in downright frigid conditions, but regardless, this past February the trout were all netted and all of them willingly ate small midges and San Juan Worms. Also, if your a hatchery supported kind o' angler, there are PLENTY of trout for you to catch. Most of the time, by June, the fish are all gone, and albeit the hatchery trucks come once a month in many streams, a lot of anglers will follow the truck around until they put the trout in the river.
3.) Anywho, everyone have a great day and I will do my best to update tomorrow.
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