Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - april2008 - Index

NORTH CAROLINA
The mountains of western North Carolina have
received some much needed rain and snow after
a dry summer. Streams are full and clear and are
fishing great with good hatches of size-14 to -18
black caddis, size-12 March browns, size-16 to
-20 blue-winged olives, and size-12 to -14 dark
Hendricksons. As water temperatures approach 50
degrees, mid afternoons will be the best time to fish
topwater. Other productive patterns include parachute
Adams, thunderheads, olive and tan elk hair
caddis, as well as size-12 to -16 stimulators, hare’s
ears, pheasant tails and bead-head Prince nymphs.
For current conditions, contact Lowe Guide Service
(828-452-0039; www.loweguideservice.com;
E-mail: loweflyshopoutfi@bellsouth.net).
NORTH DAKOTA
Once things begin to warm up, both lakes and
rivers will see crappie, bluegill, bass, pike and
walleye moving shallow to spawn. Your best bet is
to fish slow and deep using small wets, streamers,
bead-head woolly buggers, or Clousers on an intermediate
or sink-tip line. Clean water and visible
structure will offer the most productive fishing.
Although many rivers are blown out in April due
to run-off, Nelson Lake near Bismarck and Devils
Lake offer good choices until the rivers clear. As an
added bonus, you’ll find white bass, perch, crappie,
and panfish getting active along the shorelines as the
water warms. For the latest information and your
fly-fishing needs, stop by and see Scott Stenshoel,
the fly fishing manager at Scheels in Fargo (701-
298-2918; www.scheels.com).
OHIO
Ohio’s Lake Erie tributaries offer plenty of great
fishing for hard-fighting steelhead. Depending on
water levels and temperatures this April, look for
good numbers of fish on rivers like the Grand,
Chagrin, Rocky, and Conneaut. Dark or natural
colored nymphs and/or egg patterns fished slow and
deep with an indicator are always a good bet. When
the water is ultra-clear, don’t hesitate to go light
with your tippet (4- to 6-pound) to avoid spooking
fish. Look for fish holding in runs, pools, and slots
offering safe hiding places close to spawning redds.
Bright streamers or egg-sucking leeches swung deep
through pools or tailouts is another exciting way to
hook aggressive steelhead when water temperatures
are warmer (with a heavier tippet!). Stop by or call
Grand River Tackle in Fairport Harbor (440-
352-7222; www.grandrivertackle.com) for the latest
in flies, gear, and information on spring steelheading.
OKLAHOMA
The Arkansas River is yielding both white bass and
stripers, according to D & B Outfitters (918-492-
1866) in Tulsa. The river offers 30 miles of good
fishing, and anglers can walk the entire stream. There
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are plenty of drive-up access points, but plan on
walking a ways to get to the river. Cast size-8 to –12
zonkers, Clousers, and woolly buggers into deeper
holes. White, olive, and gray are good colors. Most of
the stripers are in the 5-pound range, but fish to 20
pounds are in the river, and the shop suggests arming
yourself with enough rod to battle the big boys.
OREGON
Small rivers on the coast can produce big steelhead
action long after the heart has gone out of the
general season. I fished the Siltez River last spring
with Terry Jarmain: We saw one other drift boat,
had five steelhead on and kept two—which is good
steelheading in most books.
Another April favorite is the Trask River, a great
little fly river draining into Tillamook Bay. It’s open
all year for steelhead, but also opens April 1 for
hatchery spring Chinook. Also take a look at the
Nestucca and Wilson rivers—both outstanding
late winter, early spring bets. The Alsea River is a
sleeper, but it’s open through April 30, with a lot
of fish and very few anglers.
The Oregon coast is a spring surprise for most
anglers caught between the big gush of summerruns
and the last of the winter-runs. What they
don’t realize is there’s a pretty good return of spring
steelhead in coastal rivers that are open year-round,
and in some there’s the added bonus of spring Chinook.
If I had to pick one for flinging flies, it would
be the Trask, a beautiful boulder-and-pool river
with good highway access. And the weather’s warm!
PENNSYLVANIA
The northeast quadrant of the Keystone State offers
excellent trout fishing in the spring, and the
area around Benton is no exception. Home to over
100,000 acres of public access land, this region has
many trout streams, including a number of Class A
native brookie streams. And nearby Fishing Creek
is fine trout water, too. Fishing Creek Angler
(570-925-2709; www.fishingcreekangler.com) is
a full-service shop and bed-and-breakfast offering
one-stop shopping for some of Pennsylvania’s finest
trout fishing in headwater, freestone, and limestone
creeks in the region. Tulpehocken Creek Outfitters
keeps on growing and now there are six shops:
TCO Reading, 610-678-1899; TCO Philadelphia,
610-527-3388; TCO State College, 814-689-3654;
TCO Carlisle, 717-245-2646; TCO Spruce Creek,
814-632-0053; and TCO Adirondacks, Whiteface,
NY, 518-946-2117. These are full-service shops that
can take care of all your fishing needs.
RHODE ISLAND
“Overlooked” is the best way to describe Rhode
Island’s fresh water early spring opportunities. The
Wood River in the southwestern part of the state
has some deep, slow pools with large holdover fish,
and weather allowing, the area can be productive
all year. The river stems from the confluence of
Breakheart Brook and the Falls River in the Arcadia
Management area in Exeter, and stays 20 to 30 feet
wide flowing through the state forest with riffles and
runs holding brook, brown and rainbow trout. As
the river leaves the Barberville Dam behind, it gets
faster and larger, and that’s my preferred area in early
spring or late winter, while the upstream area stays
cool through the summer. For more info, contact
Carr’s Rod & Gun in Hope (401-821-7582).
SOUTH CAROLINA
April in Beaufort means redfish (as is the case year
round), but half way through marks the beginning
of cobia season. As soon as all the tax returns are in
on April 15th it’s time to go look for some cobia to
cast to. Ten- to 12-weights are the tools of choice
with weight forward floating line. Five-foot leaders
somewhere in the 35 lb. or more range are long
enough. Cobia are anything but leader shy. In fact,
the 5-foot leader is just so they won’t see and chase
the end of the fly line! I usually use a Puglisi in red
and white, a purple-and-black mullet pattern, or a
Puglisi’s flex squid pattern stripped very quickly in
front of the fish. Call Bay Street Outfitters for
the full scoop (843-524-5250; www.baystreetoutfitters.com;
E-mail: info@baystreetoutfitters.com).
SOUTH DAKOTA
Assuming decent water conditions, dead-drifting
attractor nymphs and wets—like San Juan worms,
egg patterns, black stoneflies, bead-head zug bugs,
or copper Johns—on Rapid, Spearfish and Castle
Creeks are usually good bets for opportunistic fish.
On warmer days, smaller dries, caddis or midge patterns
work well on rising fish. When the water is high
due to run-off, your best option is a large streamer,
such as a bead-head woolly bugger or leech pattern,
fished deep and slow. Hans Stephenson at Dakota
Angler & Outfitter in Rapid City (605-341-
2450; www.flyfishsd.com) has everything you need
to enjoy these great waters. Stop by for more info and
free fly-tying classes on Saturday mornings.
TENNESSEE
It’s officially springtime on the trout streams of east
Tennessee and big browns are on the hunt. Watch
where the spring showers are falling and make your
efforts count where the flow rates are best. A few
hotspots are the caddis hatches on the Hiwassee,
the sulpher hatches on the Clinch, and big drakes
hatching on the streams in the Tellico basin. Afternoons
are best for dry flies, with mornings fishing
well on nymphs and streamers. For more info,
contact Southeastern Anglers (866-558-7688;
www.southeasternanglers.com).
TEXAS
“This is one of the best years we’ve ever had
for rainbow trout,” said Gruene Outfitters
(830-625-4440). The state stocked bigger fish in
the Guadalupe River than in past years, and fly
fishermen are enthusiastically approving the state’s
action. The shop suggests that anglers fish dropper
rigs with bigger copper John, hare’s ear, or pheasant
tail nymphs on top, and caddis pupae, RS2, or
zebra midges on the bottom. The best section on
the river has been between Rio Raft’s location and
the second crossing.
In the salt, look for sunning speckled trout and
redfish on the flats of the Lower Laguna Madre.
Pumping breezes are a constant irritant during the
spring, and Gruene Outfitters stressed the need for
an 8-weight (or heavier) rod to be able to cast. The
backsides of North and South Padre Islands, and
well as spoil islands along the Intracoastal Waterway,
will provide some relief from the wind. A thin
margin of clear water can be found in these areas,
even when everything else is blown out. An East
Cut grass shrimp with chartreuse eyes has been the
favorite fly of late. Call the shop to book a stay at
their fly-fishing lodge on the Arroyo Colorado.
UTAH
Nestled in the high country just west of Bryce
Canyon National Park is an underfished little
stream that deserves more attention. It’s the East
Fork of the Sevier River above Tropic Reservoir.