With summertime temperatures setting in and little to no rain, the water levels have begun to drop rapidly. Although water levels are higher this year than they were this time last year, the Davidson River is running at 52cfs and water temperatures are hovering around 66 degrees. This time of year, our mission statement of “GO Early, STAY Late… and FISH HARD” is the divine truth. The good news is that the lower water levels and the warm sunny days are providing plenty of top water action on big hoppers and beetles. All of us at DRO have been making the best of the situation, and it has been rewarding for both us and our clients to experience consistent top water action.

If you are looking for an up-to-date fishing report, here it is: Terrestrials, terrestrials… terrestrials! If you don’t have the bugs you need or want, then check out our online retail shop at www.davidsonflyfishing.com, and we’ll send them out to ya ASAP!

On June 13th, Jeff Turner and his son, Taylor, began a nation wide quest to fish 50 states in 50 days in hopes that their adventure will inspire others to realize their dreams for adventure and connect with family and others. This amazining journey will span 15,000 miles by land, 6,000 miles by air, and 500 miles by water.

Fourtunately for Davidson River Outfitters, the mighty Davidson River was on their list, and we were excited to be a part of their journey. Jeff and Taylor arrived at the shop on June 16th to fish with DRO guide Landon Lipke. After a few minutes of instructions, the guys geared up and were catching good numbers of fish throughout the day. Both rainbows and some of our larger brook trout provided some great video for the Turner’s website. With nonstop action, the day was over before they knew it. Big smiles and tired bodies were a true testimate that a day on the Davidson River was the inspiration they had been looking for. For all of us at Davidson River Outfitters, we hope the trip continues to be a success. If you are interested in the Turner adventures, you can follow them though their website: http://www.fish5050.com/North%20Carolina.html

Congratulation to Pauletta Thompson for being Davidson River Outifitter’s ”Fish of the Month” Challenge Winner for June!

Paul was fishing the French Broad River in Asheville, NC and landed this 5 lbs Smallmouth on Popper. Paul will receive a dozen free guide choice flies for his savy angling skills. There were several great photos submitted this month so keep up the good work. We will be posting some of the runner ups on the photo sections of the blog.

Do you think you’ve caught the best fish of the month? Prove it!

Take a picture of it and submit it for us to judge! From May 2009 to December 2009, we want to challenge you to have the best catch of the month. To enter the contest, submit the following information:
- a picture of your fish
- the fish’s species
- the lake or stream where the fish was caught
- the date of the catch
- your email address

Your picture will be judged by 4 of our top fishing guides, and a winner will be announced each month on our website at www.davidsonflyfishing.com. The winner will also receive 1 dozen guide choice flies absolutely free.

All photographs will be judged on:
- quality of fish
- clarity of photo
- particular species caught
- creativity of photo.

Strut your stuff, and submit your photo today. ONLY ONE PHOTO CAN BE SUBMITTED PER ANGLER EACH MONTH.

Submit your photos and information to bstrickland@davidsonflyfishing.com!

Hook: Tiemko 200R #6
Eyes: Extra small lead dumbell
Tail: Red Fox Tail
Body: Red Fox Tail w/ crystal flash

To order these materials, go to www.davidsonflyfishing.com!

Over the past 3 weeks, almost every other customer that walks through the doors asks, “When is the bass season going to crank up?” Last year was a great year for smallmouth fishing on the fly. With water levels at a historic low, many anglers found themselves pulling off their favorite trout stream and trying their luck with the hard fighting smallmouth. The lack of rain had fish balled up in pods feeding on a 7 year cicada hatch and attacking just about anything else that was in the water. This aggressive behavior fueled enough attention that left even the greenest angler anxious for another great season.

With that in mind, the guides at DRO have been in hot pursuit finding bass holding in a river that seems to get wider every week. With rain falling day after day, the French Broad is blown out more often than not. Last week, we saw water levels above 7,000CFS and color that makes fishing seem like a thing of the past. Although rain is still in the forecast, we are getting out and making the best of the situation. Several clients have had catches in the 4lbs range, and yet some days we are just catching solid numbers of fish.

If you want to get out and experience the action then give us a call and we will get you hooked up! If you are fishing on your own, check out Kevin’s hot flies of the week at www.davidsonflyfishing.com/Fishing-Reports-Hatch-Charts.html.

Through dodging thunderstorms and afternoon sunburns, we have been able to stay on a bite that seems to be changing by the hour. The recent water levels have had trout happier than ever and feeding on a buffet of bugs which now has them fat, lazy, and able to deny anything that isn’t served to them on a silver spoon. The guides at DRO have been working hard to make sure they stay on top of the changing conditions and carrying plenty of silver spoons! The amount of  rain this year has water levels above average for the Davidson, and most of the trout are showing their gratitude to most anglers willing to play the game.

If you are new to the area or just in town visiting Asheville for a few days, you don’t want to pass up this feeding frenzy. Book a trip with one of our entertaining guides to capitalize on your time or fish on your own with our special $75 unguided daily pass.

Congratulations to Grayson Patton for winning the May Fish Challenge!

Grayson was fishing the New River in Virginia and landed this 25 lbs carp on the fly. Grayson will receive a dozen free guide choice flies for his savy angling skills. There were several great photos submitted this month so keep up the good work! We will be posting some of the runner ups on the photo sections of the blog.

Do you think you’ve caught the best fish of the month? Prove it!

Take a picture of it and submit it for us to judge! From May 2009 to December 2009, we want to challenge you to have the best catch of the month. To enter the contest, submit the following information:
- a picture of your fish
- the fish’s species
- the lake or stream where the fish was caught
- the date of the catch
- your email address

Your picture will be judged by 4 of our top fishing guides, and a winner will be announced each month on our website at www.davidsonflyfishing.com. The winner will also receive 1 dozen guide choice flies absolutely free.

All photographs will be judged on:
- quality of fish
- clarity of photo
- particular species caught
- creativity of photo.

Strut your stuff, and submit your photo today. ONLY ONE PHOTO CAN BE SUBMITTED PER ANGLER EACH MONTH.

Submit your photos and information to bstrickland@davidsonflyfishing.com!

Tip #1: Be aware of your lighting and shadows.

Lighting and shadows are the most important elements to control when taking a quality picture. Obviously, catching that trophy fish cannot always happen during the most optimal times of daylight. Avoid shooting directly into the sun because this can cause a harsh shadow along the subject’s face and body. One way you can prevent shadows on sunny days is to use your flash, which will fill in the dark spots of your subject and prevent the person from being completely in silhouette while the rest of the image is bright. Make sure that your subject removes his/her sunglasses and raises his/her hat up to avoid shadows. Try taking pictures with and without flash on overcast days. These days, most digital cameras have a cloudy day option.

Tip #2: Use a tripod.

Of course there are many times you don’t feel like carrying around a tripod with you.  However, this handy tool is important for preventing photos that are out of focus. When taking pictures of fish, most people cannot hold the camera still long enough for the fish to stop flopping around. This makes for a very blurry photograph. Most tripods are less than $60, which makes it a smart investment.

Tip #3: Get close to what you are photographing.

Make sure to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. This helps to show more color and details of the fish in your photograph. Spawning colors of a Rainbow Trout or defined spots and a hook jaw of a male Brown Trout are distinguishing characteristics that should be captured in a quality photograph. Be conscious not only of what you are intending to photograph but what may be behind the scene of the picture. When people are admiring your trophy fishing photo, you want them to stay focused on you and your catch. Be aware of objects like an old rusty wash machine in the river, old corn cans laying on the bank, or “No Trespassing” signs in the background, which can negatively affect the quality of the experience, even when you have permission to fish private waters.

Tip #4: Show the fish, not your fingers.

This photograph is the moment of truth. The worst thing you can do is catch a trophy fish and have a photograph of nothing but the head of the fish and all your fingers. The best advice here is to put the net in between your legs, wet your hands, and gently reach in to grab the fish. Place one thumb long the top of the head and the other thumb just above where the tail begins. Wrap your fingertips along the bottom of the gill plates to the belly and along the end of the belly toward the tail. After you have control of the fish, extend your arms to whoever is taking the photograph. If the fish gets jumpy, you can just lower the fish back into the net, and repeat the previous steps.

Tip #5: Take more than one picture.

Once the fish is secured in the net, take a few shots of the angler holding the fish. Make sure you get several pictures from different angles that include the angler and some that are just of the fish. Some of these shots can include capturing the angler just before he/she releases the fish back into the water or a macro shot of the fly hanging out of the fish’s mouth. The goal here is to get a variety of different pictures to use in just case some are not as quality as others. Usually, the best pictures are the ones that are not staged so try taking some when the subject is not aware that they are being photographed.

Remember that we are practicing “Catch & Release” so use good judgment when handling the fish, and try to keep them in the water as much as possible.

To enter your trophy photo in our “Fish of the Month Challenge,” email us at bstrickland@davidsonflyfishing.com!

To tie your own Estaz Zonker, use the following materials:

Hook: Tiemco Bass 8089 #2
Eyes: Small lead dumbbell
Tail: Olive zonker
Body: Root beer estaz

To Order These Materials Online Go To, DavidsonFlyFishing.com!

Kevin Howell is back with stories you would not believe! But luckily, we have the pictures to back it up.

Our 2009 fishing trip to Argentina was another success both in numbers and in size. This year, 5 anglers traveled across the remote stretches of Argentina, floating and wading 4 different rivers in 10 days. While some fish were caught on the usual assortment of dries, the minnow hatch proved to be the most productive of all. We caught several fish that surpassed the double digit mark— not in inches but in pounds!

If you are looking for some amazing fishing, scenery, and cultural food, then check out our destination page at www.davidsonflyfishing.com and give us a call. This trip is usually limited to 8 anglers so don’t miss out on the action because deposits from this year’s group have already been processed.