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| Dear Friends,
Well folks, summer is ending and I guess that's good in many respects as it ushers in leaf time and cooler weather. I love cool/cold weather fishing so it means we are heading into one of my favorite times of year. One thing is for sure, some great fishing lies ahead because our area of the mountains, mainly NW NC, is in pretty good shape in terms of water conditions. Further south you go its awfully dry, Asheville is one area that could use some rain. But for once we have water, and that's a good thing.
Our Guided Trip business remains pretty fair and so does our website and online traffic. The Wyoming trip kept Jeff busy for the past two and a half weeks, and also getting ready for next years Western Trip (Wyoming) in August 2010. We are probably going to have to have a small price increase on the trip, and are likely going to offer the trip at last year's price for anyone booking before December 31, 2009. The 2009 price was $2295, 2010 will be $2395.
The great thing about fall is there are so many great options. One last fling with smallmouth is there for the taking, and our Delayed Harvest waters will be restocked the first part of October. The local fishing for bass and other warmwater species will pick up again, and as for the coast there's no better time than October through December to wet a line. Simply put, there's a season coming that is not short on either choices or quality.
So sit back and browse through this Newsletter and get ready for a great fall seasons. Thanks as always and Good Fishing,
Jeff |
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JWFF Regular customer Martha Kaley with one of many
rainbows on our trip on September 2, 2009..Jeff Wilkins photo
Fishing Report
Be sure and check out our website fishing report for our most recent trips. Its been wet but we have still managed to find some good fishing. You can check it all out here .
What the Fishing is Like.....
Wild Waters:
Wild waters will be fishing well through the end of the month, its still good terrestrial time so make sure you try some ants, beetles, and inchworms. Inchworms have always been a reliable late season pattern for me in most places, sure have been seeing a lot of them lately. Also, look for yellow stones to be waning but caddis coming on strong again. Look for both black (16-20) and tan ones (14-18) as they are normally brought out by cooling water temps. Also, BWO's will be standard fare as well, smaller ones early (20-24) with some larger ones (18's) as we get closer to November. The typical rig, Dry on top (Caddis or Stimulator) with a small bead head dropper nymph will work well. One of my favorite patterns is a Beadhead Quasimodo PT, which is basically a curved pheasanttail flashback nymph. In size 18-20 it is a deadly dropper nymph.
VA/TN Tailwaters:
In VA, the Smith River has been fair as well and the small bwos (Pseudocloeon #24-26) have been all over the river. Though the 'beetle hatch' hasn't happend in earnest this season as in past years you can still fool a few of these browns on terrestrials - beetles, ants, etc. Also, on the Smith you occasionally encounter small flying ants, if you do the fish do rise to them and they can be maddeningly selective. Dry /dropper rigs work well here, like Elk Caddises and Small copper johns, Batmans, Micro mayflies, and tiny hunchbacks or quasimodos (all size 18-20), and zebra midges, and the usual summer Pseudocloeon emergence (Tiny BWO size 24/26) has begun........ if you see 'pods' of fish delicately making pin prick type rises on the surface in slow water this is likely what those fish are eating.
In TN, the TVA is running 1 unit from 5am -6am and 1 unit from noon til 10pm on the South Holston, and the fishing on both high and low flows have been good. On low water, sulphurs still coming off, along with midges (midge pupa), blackflies, etc., and high water sulphurs have been very consistent/strong. On the Watauga, its the usual recreation releases 1pm -7pm, nymphing and fishing dry /droppers effective. In some of the tailouts and slow pools terrestrials are doing the trick. As fall comes on expect BWOs to get going again, both #20 and 24, the Wag' traditionally has strong afternoon BWO hatches in the fall so its always a good pm sidebar to the South Holston. One thing is for sure, if its not a gray, damp day you'll want to have some emerger patterns as the fish often totally ignore the duns. If you need a good emerger pattern I have just the ticket, contact me if you'd like some.
Jackson River- - -- releasing 230cfs and water temperature around 61.5F. September is transition month on the Jackson, look for Tricos (#20-24), Caddis #14-18 (Little olive caddis), Black Caddis #18-20, small BWO's #20,24, and some mahogany duns too. Dry /dropper rigs like the Smith will work well here. Also, the Jackson can be a good streamer river as well, so be sure and have a few beadhead buggers in black and olive. Terrestrials will still be good for a few fish as well. One of the best all around fall flies here is a parachute Adams in size 18/20.
Smallmouth Bass: still some fishing to be had on both the New and the James, you'll find fishing winding down more and more as the weather cools off, and you'll find the fishing slowing down from the higher elevations on the NC Side and that will move down river as we get into fall and late fall. Right now a few topwater fish can be had,, for this we like the Hipps Soft Body Poppers in Chartreuse Fire tiger, size 6 and 8, underneath a Clawdad, Large conehead and bead head wooly buggers, JJ's, Beldar Buggers, and a Clouser Minnow or two round out the bullpen. An effective all around rig is a Popper Dropper, like a Hipps bug on top and a large nymph or wooly bugger with rubber legs underneath it as a dropper. Almost any dark size 8-10 fly with some long rubberlegs will do.
New River NC Flows
Local Bass /Panfish: local Bass and panfish will pickup again. For the Greensboro area lakes we need rain!!!!!!!! Lake Brandt is several feet low, enough so that there's not more than a foot of water on the West side of 220 bridge and you won't see it much lower than that. Its low enough to be a hazard to non discerning boaters. As the water cools, both in the lakes and ponds around the area the bass will be on the move along with everything else. Some topwater action can be had but also count on a few streamers.
Some fog and snizzle (snow drizzle) over the Tetons, I shot this on the morning of Aug 24 our 2009 Wyoming Trip....Jeff Wilkins photo
WYOMING TRIP 2009
We had another great time in Wyoming, showed the guys some great country, we caught some large fish, fished a variety of waters, ate some fantastic food, and had some great fellowship. Just seems to get better and better, the guys really made my job easy.....they were all fantastic. We are already booking for next years trip, I'd love to have you join me in what is truly one of flyfishing's most incredible destinations. For a full report on this year's trip check out the information below:
We have over 700 photos in these two albums from our August trip, have fun perusing them. For each album you will need to put in a password, the password is jc27358 . Listed below the albums below is some 14 video clips from the trip, click and visit our You Tube channel to view them. Finally, there's a neat Simms segment on Fly fishing hoppers in Jackson Hole, WY, a pretty neat clip.
Josh Roth, who guides us into the backcountry areas we
fish on our Wyoming Trip. This is but one of the cutties Josh got stripping a Copper John Nymph....I have been with many of the folks around Jackson but Josh is the best....hands down Jeff Wilkins Aug 27 photo
Private Water
On Wednesday of this week regular customers Jim and Martha Kaley and I fished near Bastian, VA and caught some nice rainbows, smallmouth, and a mixed bag of other species including redeyes and redbreast on a private river we have access to. We caught fish on big dry flies, nymphs, streamers, you name it. And all in total solitude and having the whole creek to ourselves. To read it all and see some video clips from our fishing day visit our fishing reports page here .
Coming up in the next few months and actually all winter long will be a prime time to sample some of this great water and fishing. We are coming into the Fall leaf season/time and the calendar is filling up for October and November. Fall bookings are up over last year and we'd love to get you a great day on one of the 5 private waters we have available. To book a trip click here.
Used Fishing Equipment
Check out some of the used fly fishing equipment on our used equipment page. Check back often as we are frequently posting new items and some of them are unique finds/deals. Check it out here .
Newsworthy
Upcoming Fly Fishing School This Month
New on our Website:
Current Fishing Report Information
New Summer Fly Patterns & Recipes
Fly Fishing U Some great fly fishing tips
Fly Fishing Blog
FALL ESCATAWBA FARMS TRIP
October 21, 2009
Escatawba Farms has become a premium destination for us, and for good reason. The Farm is an equisitely manicured, well-maintained fly fishing haven with an abundance of heavy rainbow, brook, and brown trout. Located in Alleghany County, Virginia, Escatawba is situated on Dunlap Creek, a spring-fed stream that runs between wooded mountainsides and fenced pastures. Its the perfect balance of superb angling and picturesque scenery that keeps calling you back, time after time. For novice anglers and seasoned experts alike, Escatawba boasts a beautiful one and a half acre spring fed lake; in addition to the nearly two and a half mile stretch of water you'd swear was Montana. And, with three ponds teeming with huge trout where you can try out your technique or watch them laugh at you from the comforts of the underbrush, there's something for everyone, at every skill level. With only 8 rods permitted on the property per day, you'll have no trouble spending a little extra time matching that perfect fly. Most outings are spent catching fish and seeing no one. We will take up to 4 anglers on this trip. While on each trip we will usually "highlight" a particular method or technique, it could be said we'll use many methods during the day to catch fish. The point is to catch fish but also to give our guests something to learn that they can take back to their home waters and catch fish. Trip Rate is $250.00 per angler and includes guided fishing, flies, lunch. Transportation, Lodging, license, and gratuity not included. Photo Gallery from past trips click here.
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We have had a good summer even despite the economy and we realize that without you this business couldn't and wouldn't exist. I thank each and every one of you for supporting us. I think to think of myself as not a fly fishing guide per se, but a counselor, therapist, GMHP (general mental health professional) promoting the health and sanity to all who can manage to escape the confines of the office........in any case and capacity thank you for your continued support.
Until next time, I hope you have some great fishing and catch some nice fish. And by all means, if you catch one worth bragging about, don't keep it to yourself, let me know! Best of fishing to you in the coming months and see you on the river..... I wish you and your family a blessed fall fishing season.
May your casting loops be tight and all your hatches match...
Tight Lines & Threads......
Jeffrey Wilkins Fly Fishing
3703 Windspray Court
Summerfield NC 27358 :: 336-644-7775
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Jeff netting a huge cutthroat for client Bob Manning after the fish
engulfed Bob's well placed hopper, Soda Fork River, north of
Turpin Meadows, Wyoming....Mikael Tedeborg photo | |
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