Hot temperatures have been consistent over much of Western North Carolina over the past 4 weeks making trout fishing very unpredictable. Fortunately for DRO Guide Bill Strickland he can still entice a big fish to  eat despite the unfavorable conditions. Fish early and stay on top with terrestrails or super small mayfly patterns. Once the clock reaches 9AM, its time to go home !

DRO Spokesman Walter Parrott has his clients displaying their trophy smallmouth for the camera. Warm temperatures and lack of rain have made the smallmouth bite as strong as ever.  Walter has reported several fish being caught over 5 lbs on top water and various baitfish patterns. 

If interested in more information on fly or spin smallmouth floats contact Walter Parrott and Walker@davidsonflyfishing.com

When the water gets low or warm, or you have a bright blue jay day, trout tend to get very weary and spooky. Making it more difficult, sometimes impossible, to catch fish. Here are some helpful tips for catching and approaching these spooky fish.

1. Watch your wading. Sloppy and rough wading have saved more trout than any regulation written by man. When the water is low they are even more tuned into sloppy wading. Try to wade like the Great Blue Heron, lift one foot up place it gently back on the stream bed then move the other foot in the same manner.
2. Stay out of the water. Stay as far out of the water as you can. The more waves that run over the fish the more they spook. So stay as close to the bank as possible.
3. Make every cast count. The more casts that splash down on a trout’s head or the more times you rip your line off of the surface of the water, the more fish you are spooking. So make your first cast the best one. Try to mend your cast in the air so that you are not making the mend on top of the fish in shallow water. If you have a heavy current and a lot of white water the disturbance of picking up and mending or recasting does not matter as much.
4. Watch your shadow. In low water the trout are more likely to be scooped up by large birds, Heron’s, Eagle’s and Osprey’s. They are very aware of any shadow that may come across them and dart for cover often spooking the other fish in the hole.
5. Try to fish in lower light conditions. Fishing early and late will help you in several factors; the fish feel safer and lie in slightly more open areas because they are not as visible to other predators. Also you do not have to worry about your shadow and your movements are not as accentuated by the bright sun.

How to Tie the Near Nuff from Bill Strickland on Vimeo.

Dirty Bird from Bill Strickland on Vimeo.

With spring in full swing, the trout have been willing to eat pretty much whatever nymph comes their way. Water levels have been consistent all spring and with more rain on the way, trout fishing in Western North Carolina should be better than years past. Numerous reports of caddis, quills, ants, and the occassional grasshopper have trout all across the area in a frenzy. These pictures from the Davidson River are just proof of whats to come over the next few weeks.

First time fly angler Jeremy Parden fished the Davidson River on saturday with guide Bill Strickland and learns first hand how special the Davidson can be.