…for the Greater Asheville Area

With kids back in school, cooler nights, and football back on TV, I can safely say we have fall in our sights. September is a transition time on our rivers.

Summer standbys like terrestrials will continue to catch fish in all area streams but our fall hatches are right around the corner and the subsurface nymph stages of those bugs are starting to get the fish’s attention. As the nights continue to cool the fish will get more active and remain active further into the day then their normal early and late summer feeding routines.

Most of the area is at normal late summer flows, which for the most part mean low and clear. The fish are still eating but they are much likely to be spooked with loud wading or shadows so be extra stealthy when you wade or even better try to fish without wading at all. It might just give you the advantage you need to land that late summer trophy in skinny water.

Delayed Harvest: These streams will be stocked the first week of October (and not soon enough). For September these rivers are pretty low on fish unless they have a wild fish population, which quite a few of the higher elevation Delayed Harvest streams do. So if you are heading out to a Delayed Harvest stream, pack along your wild trout box and go up the mountain. Click here for our Delayed Harvest Fly Box selection.

Wild Trout Streams: The wild trout have been active feasting on Little Yellow Stone Flies, Tan Caddis, and various attractor patterns like Hazel Creeks, and Tennessee Wulfs.

We have been having a lot of luck using a dry dropper rig with a boyont and a caddis or stonefly nymph dropped 18″-24″ below the dry. As the month progresses keep an eye out for the oversized October Caddis nymphs to become more prevalent.

The Davidson River: The hatchery section has continued to fish consistently over the last few weeks. Midges are a constant on the Davidson and they will key in on different patterns and colors depending on the day so bring a full arsenal.

Fish are still being taken on the surface using various ant and beetle patterns. As the month progresses look for the Grey Slate Drake (also known as Isonychia) to become active in all stages including nymph, dun, and spinner. Click here for our Davidson River Fly Box selection.

Tail waters: The tail waters in Tennessee continue to fish well with hatches of Sulfurs, BWO’s, Craneflies, and Caddis occurring (sometimes in the same day). Some of my favorite patterns for September on the tail waters are CDC Comparaduns (BWO and Sulfur), Headlight Caddis Dries, and Griffith’s Gnats on the surface. Nymph patterns for this month should include yellow soft hackles, split cases (BWO and Sulfur), caddis emergers (tan), and various black fly larvae imitations. Just remember to always check the generation schedule for these rivers as they often change without a whole lot of notice this time of year. Click here for our S. Holston and Watuaga Fly Box Selections.

September is a great time to fish in the mountains as the crowds have begun to lighten and the fish remain active. Give us a call or swing by the shop if we can help make your September fishing plans a little bit fishier.