Foscoe Fishing Company’s Fly Fishing Blog
The Foscoe Fishing Company Blog is the perfect place for us to share our adventures with you. Our guides take great joy in their job (if you were an avid fisherman wouldn’t you like to get paid to do it on a frequent basis?) and recounting adventures of the day is one way to share the joy.
We would also love to hear from you! Feel free to contact us and tell us your story. Send in your pictures, too, we’ll be happy to add them to the blog.
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!
Local & Tenn. Hatch Report June 23, 2010
Fishing continues to be good on the S. Holston and Watauga rivers. With the generators finally kicked on, the Holston the high water sulfur mayfly hatch is wide open. Fish emerger, dun, cripple and spinner patterns in sizes 16, 18 during the hatch. Before the hatch fish a variety of mayfly nymphs in the same size as well as midge larva, scud, and sow bug patterns. Low water nymphing is much the same. The low water terrestrial fishing has been very good so make sure to bring plenty of beetle, hopper, ant and inch worm patterns.
On the Watauga river expect to use the same variety of terrestrials as the Holston. There have also been sporadic sulfur, tan caddis,small crane fly and midge hatches throughout the day. Both rivers are fishing good, this is a good time to find a big fish on a dry fly!
Small stream fishing locally has also been good lately, especially first thing in the morning or late in the evening . A variety of bugs will work on local streams so bring several mayfly,caddis, stone-fly and midge patterns to try on top and bellow the surface . Don’t forget terrestrials!
This is a good time to come up and fish because the crowds are usually a little smaller the fish are hungry and its not 100 degrees here.
Have Fun,
matt
June Fishing Report
You’ll find great fishing right now if you’re on the South Holston or Watauga rivers! On the Holston, look for good midge and sulphur hatches during the day with sulphur spinner falls in the evening. On the Watauga, There have been sporadic caddis hatches and fish have been taking emerging patterns fairly well. Also look for the usual midge hatch as well as sulphurs. Look for sulphur spinner falls in the evening until dark.
Delayed Harvest waters have now changed over to a catch and keep fishery so fishing pressure will make for tough fishing. With that being said, fish can still be found in less likely areas such as along undercut banks and shallow riffles. Nymphing with mayfly and caddis patterns should produce fish. Good hatches of caddis flies have been hatching mid morning along with midges. Also, sulphur mayflies are starting to show up along with small yellow stoneflies. Don’t forget to look for terrestrials such as beetles and ants this time of year. They provide a ton of food for trout during the summer months!
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
With Delayed Harvest waters turning over to Hatchery Supported soon, the yearly trout slaughter is upon us. The first Saturday in June marks the end of the catch & release single hook regulation on Delayed Harvest (DH) waters. At noon, the DH waters will revert to Hatchery Supported regulations. No lure restictions (bait), no size limit, and a 7 fish creel limit.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.
