Foscoe Fishing Company Blog - Fishing Tales

Disclaimer: All fishing tales related herein may be whoppers. Telling the classic “tall tale” when it comes to fishing is an art and we are proud of being good story tellers. We reserve the right to add an inch or two to measurements of caught fish using advanced, hard to catch photo software enhancements. All customers who attend classes or guided trips will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement stating they will not make truthful statements about the 12″ fish we caught when it was really only 6″. Thank you for your cooperation, and come back to see us again soon!

Terrestrials

When I think of hot weather trout fishing one thing sticks out in my mind more than anything else…Terrestrials.  Terrestrial insects describe any type of insects that are born on land and happen to fall in the water.  Grasshoppers are most commonly recognized from this category since they are popular out west but on eastern rivers, particularly the small streams we have around here beetles, ants, and crickets are more abundant.  Any tree lined stream has the potential to provide action for an angler fishing a beetle, while crickets and ants are worth trying anywhere trout are found. 

Another common, but easily over looked bug,  is the inch worm.  These little green worms are slow moving, and make a great food source for the fish whenever they hit the water.  A floating version is usually fished, but sinking an inch worm is a great tactic as well.

Next, I fish several different types of ants depending on the conditions.  Parachute ant patterns or small foam imitations are great on the top while epoxy body or fur ants work well fished below a dry fly in the surface film.   In my box I carry ants varying in size from size 12 flying ants to small size 18 fur body ants for fishing as droppers. 

Last of all are my crickets and beetles.  These usually range in size from 10 to 16 and are most commonly fished on the surface.  I’ll use heavier tippet for these starting with 4x and dropping down to 5x if the fish are looking at, but not eating my flies.  If I find a pattern the fish like, but I have trouble seeing I sometimes use a brightly colored paint pen to color the back of the fly.

With all of these patterns dead drifting is usually best for enticing strikes but the occasional twitch can be a deal maker for apathetic trout.  Also, throw out conventional wisdom when it comes to choosing a spot to cast.  Slow “frog water” can be a great place to throw a beetle or inch worm if the overhanging trees provide shade and have bugs crawling around. 

Every summer terrestrial insects fished dry account for some of my biggest trout of the year both on small freestone streams and the bigger tailwaters like the S. Holston and Watauga.   Keep your eyes open for big surface feeding fish in the shadows and expand your terrestrial selection to give yourself a shot at fish most people completely ignore!

Knot Tying

Knots are one of the most important aspects of fly fishing.  There are books amoung books written about the many different knots but only a few are needed on a regular basis.  The clinch knot is one of the best knots for tying the fly to the leader.  It involves passing the tippett end through the eye of the hook then around the standing part of the leader six of seven times then back through the loop created at the eye.  I find that it is useful for any fishing situation and one that every angler should know!

The Death of Delayed Harvest

The state says that DH streams are managed like this because the stocked trout would not survive the summer. Personally I disagree with this. DH waters do have a lot of stocked trout that may or may not survive, but there is also a large number of stream born wild trout in the water too. I am a firm believer in catch and release fishing, especially for trout.

If you insist on keeping fish, please be responsible and take no more than you are going to eat. If you see someone in violation of these regulations, report them to the Wildlife Resource Commission 1-800-662-7137. Poachers are bad news for all anglers, and it is our responsibility to protect and conserve our fishing opportunities in the High Country.

Boone Fork Browns

The past weekend I had the opportunity to fish with Steve Morin. Steve fished Thursday afternoon and Monday morning on our trophy section in search of massive browns, and he was not disappointed. After landing some gorgeous browns and rainbows with subsurface patterns, we switched to larger terrestrial patterns for some topwater action. After a brief thundershower, we ended the afternoon on a massive brown which left everybody smiling. Steve returned Monday with his in-law Art. Despite heavy rains, the morning was very productive, with both anglers landing “golden trout” within the first few minutes. As he had done Thursday, Steve concluded the trip with a stud brown, which measured 23″ in length and had a 15.5″ girth.

Bluegill Bruisers

Does anyone like to fish to Bluegill with the fly?   Well, I can tell you one guy that loves it.  There is not a more eager fish to my knowledge that is more fun to catch on light tackle than a Bluegill.  I have fished all over the country fresh and salt water and this is one of my favorite fish to catch.  Joke if you will but try it and you will remember the tug of the Blue-gill is mighty.

fish till dark or longer,

enjoy, matt

Banner day on the Watauga

I floated the trophy section of the Watauga with clients Rob and Bill Bass, two fishermen who have been celebrating Bill’s birthday with Foscoe Fishing for the past ten years. We began the day wade fishing the South Holston to avoid morning generation on the Watauga and landed the best fish of the day, a 16″ brown. A couple of dozen dinks and a few nice rainbows later, we took a lunch break and headed for the Watauga. The afternoon float was spectacular, with fish cooperating in just about every hole we fished. A handful of beautiful rainbows and browns in the 13″-15″ range were landed, along with several smaller fish. Let’s hope the fishing stays this hot all season long.

Giant Koi in the Watauga?

Last week I found myself fishing on the Watuaga river.  The day started just like any other day of fishing with Nice catches of wild rainbows and browns.  I worked runs and pools with nymph rigs and finally decided to walk downstream to a favorite hole I had left behind.  When I got there, same thing, browns and rainbows but wait, whats that huge orange and black thing swimming in the shadows?  I suddenly realized that the trout in this pool were not alone!  I only saw the monster fish once before it vanished.  If I had to guess I would say that the giant fish was a Koi that escaped from a pond nearby.  I know one thing, I’ll be back to find out! 

Remembering why we fish!

While visiting some family off the mountain last weekend I had an opportunity to take my 2 1/2 year old fishing on a farm pond.  She is still a little too young for fly fishing so I rigged her up with a plastic worm on her 2 foot pink spinning rod.  After helping her cast, she refused to let me help her reel and as I walked back to my spot I heard her yell, “Da Da!” excitedly.  As I ran back to her seeing the tip of her fishing rod in the water I told her to reel hard and keep her rod tip up.  Again refusing my help (she’s hard headed like her Dad) she reeled the fish to the shore, reached for my boga grip and tried to lip the fish.  I finally convinced her to let me help with the boga grip and she proudly held up a 2 1/2 pound large mouth bass.   After a quick lesson in catch and release she was ready to catch another one.  We spent the rest of the afternoon fishing and laughing, it made me remember why I do what I do.  There is nothing more special than sharing your love of the outdoors with family and friends!  She continues to talk about that day and the fish she caught and asks when we can go again! 

Tight lines!

Fly Fishing Schools

With fishing picking up and trout on the rise, now is great time to take a school and learn how to fly fish. Earlier this week I did a 2 day school with a gentleman from Greensboro.

We had a great time learning the ins and outs of fly fishing, and an awesome time on the river the second day. There was a lot of insect activity on the water with an abundance of large mayfly nymphs, as well as some small yellow sallys hatching in the morning.

Hellbender on the Fly

When you get tired of catching trout in the stream, and the smallmouth are not biting yet, its time to pursue the elusive hellbender. I was fishing the Watauga DH last week, and got a nice surprise on the end of my line.

I was swinging a wooly bugger through a trough hoping to get a big trout to eat, instead I hooked this prehistoric throwback hellbender. Hellbenders are native to this area and the New River drainage, and can be as big as 2 1/2 feet long. Apparently wooly buggers are part of their diet.

If you do catch one of these things, you don’t want to pick it up trust me. When they are agitated, they secrete a disgusting slime like substance similar to rubber cement. It stays with you and its nasty. I’m gonna stick to trout from now on.

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