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

Trout have to eat to survive. While we all stopped fishing because the weather got cold, the fish still have to eat; therefore fishing can be even better in the cold. I enjoy winter fishing probably more than any other time of the year. There are fewer people on the river and the fish I catch are generally larger.

1. This is the clearest water of the year. You will need to approach holes cautiously. Fish will spook easier this time of year than any other time. Watch so that your shadow does not fall over the fish you are fishing for.
2. S L O W down. While most anglers fish just as fast as they do in warm weather, the fish are lethargic and will not run the length of the pool to attack a fly. You may literally have to drift the fly over the fish three times to make him eat it.
3. Know what the fish are feeding on. There are not a lot of insects available to the trout in the cooler water, mainly midges, stoneflies, and a few baitfish or crayfish. There are also some worms available after it rains.
4. Larger flies are the key. Fish either large flies that imitate stoneflies, or fish midge larva and pupa, generally sizes 20 and smaller. I typically fish a size 8 Kevin’s Stonefly, with a #20 chocolate WD 40 trailing the larger stonefly.
5. While it is tempting to fish very small tippet, don’t. There is usually increased water flow, so I typically fish 4x fluorocarbon to my lead fly and 5x to my dropper. This results in fewer lost fish, and fewer lost flies on the bottom.

How to tie the Improved Yaller Hammer from Bill Strickland on Vimeo.

Tying the Amex Czech Nymph from scumliner productions on Vimeo.

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.

Kanuga Conference Center gets local recognition on News 13 for their annual flyfishing trip with Davidson River Outfitters.  Over the past few years Kanuga has coordinated groups of 30 people from aroound the country to enjoy serenity and spirituality.  To see the video see link below.

http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/features/absolute-le/videos/wlos_vid_248.shtml

Sampler Class    September 24th 2-3 hours   $20 per person

One day Emerger Class    August 21st  $150 per person

Two Day Predator School   September 25-26  $325 per person

FREE BEGINNERS CLASS    August 27th   1 hour   5:30pm – 6:30pm

For more information email us at info@davidsonflyfishing.com

When the water gets low or warm, or you have a bright blue jay day, trout tend to get very weary and spooky. Making it more difficult, sometimes impossible, to catch fish. Here are some helpful tips for catching and approaching these spooky fish.

1. Watch your wading. Sloppy and rough wading have saved more trout than any regulation written by man. When the water is low they are even more tuned into sloppy wading. Try to wade like the Great Blue Heron, lift one foot up place it gently back on the stream bed then move the other foot in the same manner.
2. Stay out of the water. Stay as far out of the water as you can. The more waves that run over the fish the more they spook. So stay as close to the bank as possible.
3. Make every cast count. The more casts that splash down on a trout’s head or the more times you rip your line off of the surface of the water, the more fish you are spooking. So make your first cast the best one. Try to mend your cast in the air so that you are not making the mend on top of the fish in shallow water. If you have a heavy current and a lot of white water the disturbance of picking up and mending or recasting does not matter as much.
4. Watch your shadow. In low water the trout are more likely to be scooped up by large birds, Heron’s, Eagle’s and Osprey’s. They are very aware of any shadow that may come across them and dart for cover often spooking the other fish in the hole.
5. Try to fish in lower light conditions. Fishing early and late will help you in several factors; the fish feel safer and lie in slightly more open areas because they are not as visible to other predators. Also you do not have to worry about your shadow and your movements are not as accentuated by the bright sun.