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Peak Season for Trout
Written By: Chris Wilkes - The Highland Hiker | Issue: 2018/05 - May
We’re here.
Peak Season.
The rivers are stocked, the temperature is optimal, and, barring any wind, the fishing will be excellent in rain or shine. This is May. It’s one of the two best months of the year for trout fishing in Western North Carolina. Here’s some of the ways you can maximize your time before the heat of summer sets in.
Get your fly box in order. It’s spring so you can finally give those dry flies some work. Make sure you’ve got plenty of tan caddis, Jack Cabe hoppers, and Adams parachutes at the ready. Bring along your best nymphs to fish either alone or in hopper-dropper fashion. Squirmy wormies and egg patters will also work as a lot of the trout will be new to the eco system and more apt to chase unfamiliar patterns.
Have a game plan. If you’re going to target a certain river, make sure you know more than one place to fish it. This time of year, it’s not uncommon to find six or seven fishermen already in the most “secret’ of spots. The more of a river you know, the better off you are when it comes to having a stretch to yourself. If the river you were planning on fishing is crowded, or perhaps generating water, you need to know other rivers close by you can switch over to as your Plan B.
Take advantage of the water temperature. It will be optimal all day, so don’t feel that you have to start at dawn (although it will help you beat the crowds on the more popular delayed harvest streams) you can start your day at a more manageable 10:00 or 11:00 A.M., because midday will be just as fruitful as the morning. You should see some great hatches in late afternoon to dusk, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding fish all day long.
Tight lines, everybody!
