DRO has introduced a 2 hour 101 and a 3.5 hour 201 class aimed at improving your fishing ability on local water. The 101 class is FREE to students and the 201 class is $30 per person.
101 DATES & TIMES
MAY 12TH 9am-11am
MAY 26TH 3pm-5pm
JUNE 2ND 9am-11am
JUNE 16TH 3pm-5pm
JUNE 23RD 9am-11am
201 DATES & TIMES
MAY 19TH 8am-11:30am
JUNE 9TH 8am – 1:30am
JULY 1ST 8am-11:30am
Class Schedule as follows
ONE DAY FLY FISHING SCHOOL
This class will cover basic gear selections, knot tying, fly casting, basic entomology / fly selection, and of course a question and answer session. Class will start at 8:30am and end between 4:30pm and 5pm. Lunch is not included but a 30 – 45 min lunch break will start around 12:15pm. Cost is $135 per person. Dates available are April 6th, May 12th, June 15th, July 13th, Sept 22nd. Call the shop or email info@davidsonflyfishing.com to register.
TWO DAY FLY FISHING SCHOOL
The two day school is a continuation of our one day school. After you have completed the ONE DAY SCHOOL, you will start the next day reviewing knot tying, fly casting, and followed up by how to read water, fish behavior, and wading safety. After lunch you will gear up and spend the afternoon fishing with one of our guides on our private stretch of water on the Davidson River. Here you will apply what you have learning over the past two days and moving on to become more successful on your own. If you do not have your own gear we will provide you with the gear needed to complete the course. Class will begin at 8:30am and end between 4:30pm and 5pm. Lunch is not included but a 30-45 min lunch break will begin at 12:15pm. Cost is $300 per person. Dates available are April 6th & 7th, May 12th & 13th, June 15th & 16th, July 13th & 14th, Sept 22nd & 23rd. Call the shop or email us at info@davidsonflyfishing.com to register.
ON THE WATER WITH KEVIN HOWELL
Learn a variety of tactics from one of the best. These classes are FREE. Dates and ciriculum are as follows:
March 16th 2012 -Nymph Fishing 101-
Join National Champion Kevin Howell for a 4 hour discussion on nymph fishing. Kevin will cover suggested rigs, flies, indicators and then put your waders on and get in the water with him as he walks you through reading water and fish behavior. Class will start at 8:30 and end between 12 and 12:30. Best of all it is totally free to attend.
April 21st 2012 – Sight Fishing -
Join National Champion Kevin Howell for a 2 hour discussion on sight fish. Kevin will cover everything from sight fishing on the flats to casting to rising trout in a mountain stream. Kevin will also cover new casting techniques for accuracy and speed. Class will start at 8:30 and end around 10:30. Best of all it is totally free to attend.
May 11th 2012 –Dry Fly Fishing-
Join National Champion Kevin Howell for a 2 hour discussion on fishing dry flies. Kevin will cover, fly selection, and presentation. Kevin will also cover casting, mending and line management which will allow for drag free presentations. Class will start at 8:30 and end around 10:30. Best of all it is totally free to attend.
July 6th 2012 –Switching from Trout to Bass-
Join National Champion Kevin Howell for a 4 hour discussion on how to switch from trout fishing to smallmouth bass. Kevin will cover, rod, line and fly modifications. Kevin will also cover fly casts for the bass angler as well as reading water. This class will be held on a bass stream. Class will start at 8:30 and end between 12 and 12:30. Best of all it is totally free to attend. You must call the shop register and get directions to meeting location.
October 12th 2012 –Finding Fall Trout-
Join National Champion Kevin Howell for a 2 hour discussion on finding fall trout. Kevin will discuss the migratory patterns of trout in fall and winter months. Kevin will also cover the best tactics for fishing in the fall and early winter. Class will start at 8:30 and end around 10:30. Best of all it is totally free to attend.
November 16th 2012 –Beginning Saltwater Fishing-
Join National Champion Kevin Howell for a 4 hour discussion on how to get started fly fishing in the big pond. Kevin will discuss saltwater rods, reels and lines. Kevin will also cover basic fly selection, best saltwater fish to target with a fly rod, as well as recommended saltwater trips for the beginner and intermediate saltwater angler. . Class will start at 8:30 and end between 12 and 12:30. Best of all it is totally free to attend.
As we change into a fall fishing pattern there are several things that fishermen can do to increase their catch through out the day. That may be slightly different than the techniques that they were using for summer time fish.
Fishing is good throughout the day, you do not have to fish early or late. Trout will feed all day as they are trying to feed up for the winter, and for spawning in late November in our part of the country.
Terrestrials are a very good fly to use in the fall. However fishing an ant or beetle or hopper in the early morning when it is cool and they are not as active is probably not going to produce as many fish as if you fished the same fly later in the day.
Go big or go home, large trout especially browns like to make a good meal out of eating smaller fish this is especially true in the fall a large trout is capable of eating another trout half his size. So fish large streamers yes even in clear water for larger browns and rainbows.
Fishing dark colored mayfly nymphs and caddis pupas in the morning are a good choice. Then transition to the dries as the day warms up.
Do not be afraid to impair action to your fly until the water gets below 50 degrees. Fall trout tend to more aggressive, so skating flies, stripping flies, or adding some type of movement to your fly may result in more aggressive strikes.
A lot of people look at the summertime as a time to play and in tube in the rivers of western North Carolina. Not realizing what a great fishing opportunity they are missing. While the great hatches of May have given way to hot humid days of June, the fishing is still great, if you fish at the right time of day with the right flies.
The best trout fishing in the summertime occurs in early morning and late afternoon. Stoneflies will emerge most of the summer in the late evenings through the night. Anglers wanting to cash in on large trout actively looking for food need to fish from first light to about 11 am with stonefly imitations like a Kevin’s Stonefly, Bill’s Provider or Superfly. What most anglers do not realize is that a stonefly inhabits the deep clear runs and then crawls out on the surrounding rocks and hatches from its case and flies off. So true stone flies are only available to trout as a nymph or as a dry that gets blown back into the stream. Yet I see countless fishermen using dry stonefly imitations and wondering why the fish are not taking them. The trick to being successful with your stonefly imitations is to fish them on the bottom of the river. If you are not bouncing on the bottom then you are not in the zone where the trout are looking for stoneflies.
If you have to fish in the middle of the day, then terrestrials are the fly of choice. Ants, beetles, and worms are mainstay of a trout’s diet in the summertime. These patterns can be exceptionally effective after a light afternoon thunderstorm when the rain tends to knock a lot of ants and inchworms into the river. Anglers wanting to capitalize on this should cast there flies up under the overhanging limbs and bushes where the trout will be waiting on any morsel to drop into there feeding lane. The best flies are furry foam inchworms, green leaf hoppers, The Hot Creek Special, Texas Piss Ant and Kevin’s Caterpillar.
If you get caught fishing after a large storm and the water is high and muddy. Remember that trout have difficulty seeing your fly in the water so they have to find it by feeling it. Large black or other dark colored flies, with large rubber legs or flies tied out of marabou or rabbit strips are the most effective. The best flies are size 2-4 bunny leeches or bitch creek nymphs. The most common mistake I hear of in muddy water situations is that people try and fish 5-6x tippet. With muddy water trout cannot see your tippet, if you switch to 10-12 pound test fluorocarbon this will save a lot of heartache when you hook that monster trout.
In low clear summertime water trout are especially spooky, anglers should watch their wading being certain not to kick rocks, or run waves through calm holes of water. These vibrations will spook trout well in advance of the angler.
Good Fishing
By Kevin Howell
Owner and Guide Davidson River Outfitters
888-861-0111
|
|
|
|
|
|
I often here people say that they do not like to nymph fish, that they prefer to dry fly fish. I agree that it is AWESOME to catch a lot of fish on dries; however 85% or more of a trout’s diet is what it finds under the surface of the water to eat. I feel that most people do not like to nymph fish because they are not successful with it. Here are five tipes to help you become a better nymph fisherman.
What a great way to get warmed up for Spring fishing! Starting February 1, 2011 through February 28, 2011 buy a 2 person half day guided trip on the DRO private water for the price of a 1 person half day. That’s a savings of over $100 and a great way to get back into the swing after a cold winter. This promotion is blog specific so you must notify that you want the blog promotion at the time of booking in order to receive your discount.
Tight Lines!
Beginner Fly Tying with Lou Barlow
Jan 6, 13, 20, & 27 Cost $25
Feb 3, 10, 17, & 24 Cost $25
Tying Streamers For Trout with Kevin Howell
Sat Jan 8th at 8:30AM to 4PM
Cost $30 with a limit of 10 people
Rod Building with Kevin Howell
Cost $50 You will be required to bring a blank, reel seat, & guides.
Tying Midges & Micro Flies with Landon Lipke
Jan 19, 26 Cost $25
Feb 2, 9 Cost $25
For more information email us at info@davidsonflyfishing.com or give us a call at 888.861.0111
Come joing us November 6th & 7th for the Western North Carolina Flyfishing Expo. See new products for 2011, discounts on 2010 gear, fly tying demonstrations, fly casting, and more.
http://www.wncflyfishingexpo.com/index.php
As we change into a fall fishing pattern there are several things that fishermen can do to increase there catch through out the day. That may be slightly different than the techniques that they were using for summer time fish.
Fishing is good throughout the day, you do not have to fish early or late. Trout will feed all day as they are trying to feed up for the winter, and for spawning in late November in our part of the country.
Terrestrials are a very good fly to use in the fall. However fishing an ant or beetle or hopper in the early morning when it is cool and they are not as active is probably not going to produce as many fish as if you fished the same fly later in the day.
Go big or go home, large trout especially browns like to make a good meal out of eating smaller fish this is especially true in the fall a large trout is capable of eating another trout half his size. So fish large streamers yes even in clear water for larger browns and rainbows.
Fishing dark colored mayfly nymphs and caddis pupas in the morning are a good choice. Then transition to the dries as the day warms up.
Do not be afraid to impair action to your fly until the water gets below 50 degrees. Fall trout tend to more aggressive, so skating flies, stripping flies, or adding some type of movement to your fly may result in more aggressive strikes.
Local Author and Flyfishing junkie Jimmy Buice proves that it is possible to catch striper on the fly in the dead of summer with hair extensions. And we thought he was full of it when we read his book “The Southeast’s Best Fly Fishing”
