You know, just as we started landing some trophy sized fish, BAM!!!  There was a 60% chance of rain early this past week, but when did a 60% chance constitute for four inches of rain?   The lake is at 686 and they are only releasing water through the sluices at 6,000 plus cfs.  At that rate it is going to take a couple of weeks to drop.  Maybe the corps will run a generator or two to speed up the pace, but right now that isn't the case.

I will keep everybody updated, but there is a good chance that I won't be fishing much in the next couple of weeks. 

Sorry gals and guys, but there will not be a fishing report this weekend.  I had a trip planned with some clients that are older and we cancelled due to the predicted forecast of 100 degrees.  Last weekend was a beautiful break from the heat and humidity, but this week it seemed like the high temps set a record high day after day.  Water is still being released through the sluice gate at 2010 cfs, like it has for the last couple weeks and water temps have been up to 56-57 degrees in the afternoons.  The fish have gotta be loving those temps.  I noticed a few weeks ago that the temps were in the low 50s and the bite was so subtle.  Last week it was into the mid 50s and the bite was much better, especially last Saturday.  Read my last report if you forgot just how good the fishing was last Saturday.  I almost went down to fish by myself today, but with school already starting I have a lot to do.  Plus there are a ton of chores to do around the house that have been put off due to all of the fishing.  My plan is to be out on the water this next Saturday and I will have a report posted by next Sunday evening.

Off to the chores...

Hey everybody.  Guided the past two days and the weather was fantastic.  It was super nice not to have upper nineties and high humidity. What a relief.  As for the fishing, not bad and we caught a monster bow earlier today.  Let me tell you the story.

Ok, on Friday I guided Ken and Bernie from Louisville.  It was slow in the morning, we picked up a few fish here and there and a few nice browns that were about fifteen inches long.  Then the water came up a bit, something that made fishing even tougher.  So we went up to the dam and caught some more here and there.  Bernie landed a nice 17 inch bow that was pretty thick and Ken started picking up some more fish as we drifted.  Then the water began to drop and the fish started biting a bit more.  The late afternoon bite really helped out, but these guys fished hard to land twenty fish each.  Thanks for the good times guys.

Now, today was interesting.  I fished with Kevin Beck and his son Eli.  Now I have known Kevin since my playing days back at UofL and he is just one great guy to say the least.  When he said he wanted to take his son I was excited, but when he said he was only seven I was somewhat worried.  Usually seven year old kids have the attention span of super hyper puppy.  Not Eli he was a trooper.  This kid could flat out fly fish.  I made sure to fish some deep slow water that would be easy to drift and hook up with some fish.  Both dad and Eli caught a bunch of fish throughout the day, but it was Eli who stole the show.  About three o'clock Eli had just landed a thick 16 inch bow and was super pumped.  We took a few pics then he threw out his rig and bam!!!  That indicator surged below the surface, Eli set the hook, and the fight was on.  We were drifting through swift water and that fish took off like a rocket.  Now, remember guys,  This is a seven year old kid that weighs about fifty pounds.  He played it off the reel, releasing the handle when the fish ran then reeling like crazy when it came at us.  I really thought that it was a brown by the way it hugged the bottom, but as it rolled to the top I saw that it was a bow, a very big bow.  Finally we landed it, measured him, and took several pics.  How big you might ask?  Slightly over twenty inches without the tail lobes pinched together.  This fish weighed about four pounds and he is still swimming in the Mighty C.  Thanks for such a great time guys.

Still have the next two Saturdays available.  Get them before they are gone!

I don't know how hot it got yesterday, but it had to be flirting with the 100 degree mark.  In areas where the river runs East to West we were getting a nice breeze throughout the day, but it was darn right opressive in areas that ran North to South.  The good news is that the water was between 53-55 degrees throughout the day and we caught fish!  I don't know how many, but Jim caught over twenty and I bet that nearly half of those were in the slot.  Nice chunky rainbows and browns, with the largest brown between 17-18 inches in length, were caught throughout the day.  Again, the key is getting the fly/egg to bump along the bottom but not drag.  Another important tactic as many of you know is twitching the egg.  Some days they like some action and that has been the norm throughout the summer.  I have had people call and e-mail saying that the egg rig isn't working for them.  First, you have to be in areas where there are fish.  No fish no bite.  Next, get it down close to the bottom and then mend, pull, and twitch.  If you can master all three then you will catch some nice fish, even when it is 100 degrees.

Still have the 14th and 21st of this month open.  I will be back down on the river Friday and Saturday.  Looks like some cooler temps in the upper 80s so that is definately something to cheer about.  There will be another updated report on Sunday.

Hey guys and gals.  The Corps has cut back on the sluice release from 3,500 cfs to 2010 cfs and they might even cut back more starting tomorrow.  The 2010cfs will work for me.  Did well a couple times last week with the 3,500 but it gets even better with less water as we all know.

I will be out on the water at least three times this week and will have a report or two for you all by the end of the week.  I have only two openings left for the month of August and they are two Saturdays, the 14th and the 21st.  Grab one before they are gone!

Fished with Kevin A. from Louisville and his buddy Mike from Las Vegas.  The Corps was running water through the sluice gate at 3,000 plus cfs.  If you guys and gals have been watching the flow, it was at the 9,000 until just a couple of days ago and the water temps were right at the 60 degree mark.  Now the water temps are between 51-53 degrees.  The fish were hitting, but the take was oh so subtle.  There were so many times in which I swore the rig was bumping the bottom and there was a fish on it.  Now once the fish was hooked there was a great fight, but with the colder water and decent flow the fish weren't super interested in hitting.  We caught over thirty fish and a handful or more were in the slot.  Those slot fish really fought with some spunk and we hooked into a couple thick browns that seemed to hug the bottom forever.  Peach and yellow were the egg patterns that produced the most.  The "cheese" yellow is a light yellow that has really been producing a lot of fish over the past few weeks, even better than some of the tried and true colors.  Hope it still keeps on going and going...

School is starting soon and many of my August and September dates are being taken.  I do have next Thursday and Friday open if anyone is interested. 

Fished yesterday with Lou Komis from Crestwood, KY and his buddy Ron from Pittsburgh.  We put in at Helm's shortly after seven o'clock and heard the siren go off at the dam.  @$#*!!! I knew that the Corps was flirting with running some more water and they did.  They ran one generator plus the 2020 cfs from the sluice gates.  I really didn't know what to expect with the 5,000 cfs plus water, but these guys were troopers and we hit it.  On the first few casts I was showing Ron how to get a good drift with his egg rig and hooked into a small bow.  Not too long after that Ron hooked into a bow that was close the twenty inches that wrapped itself around a log and broke off.  We concentrated on the inside bends where there was not as much current and did well.  At the end of the day Ron said he had caught 18 and I know Lou landed over a dozen.  Not bad for the quick change in water levels.  Lou also landed a thick bow near the end of the day between 17 and 18 inches.  Good job!

Ok, enough of the rain.  The Cumberland watershead has received some much needed rainfall, but now it is receiving too much.  The Corps has just bumped up generation to two generators and will probably do so for the next several days.  I like it when the Corps is more proactive and releases water instead of allowing the lake to rise for a few days then blast it out with tons of water.  I still have some openings in early August before school starts.  My September and October available dates are being gobbled up and I think a lot of people are holding off on the fishing until the temps drop.  Folks, the fishing is still good during these hotter periods of time.  The water was in the low to mid 50s before this last bout of rain and the temps should remain in the mid 50s as long as we don't get too much rain.  Like I have always said, if you can go during the week then do it.  Yesterday we saw two boats and the river!!!

Guided Saturday and Sunday and it went like this ...

Saturday I guided Brian Bougher from Evansville and his buddy Jeremy from Huntington, West Virginia.  The first fish of the day was a 17 inch brown and it was on.  Brian said he estimated  that he caught over 50 fish and I bet Jeremy caught at least 30.  Most of the fish were 11 to 14 inches long, but we caught several in the slot. The day was overcast and it wasn't too hot, something that has been hard to come by over the past month!  Thanks for the great time guys.

Today I guided Mike Scheid and his buddy John from Louisville.  Again, a very nice day.  I don't think we caught as many as yesterday, but we caught more quality fish in the slot.  Many 13-15 inch rainbows plus several right at the 17 inch mark were landed throughout the day.  I believe this was John's first time fishing for trout with the fly rod and he is hooked for sure.  There were a half dozen or more areas that had a lot of fish and we kept hitting them time after time.  At around four in the afternoon we hit this one area of deep water and heavy timber.  Mike hooked into a 17-18 inch brown and it headed toward the bottom and just kind of hung there.  As he pulled towards the surface another brown, a huge brown that was in the 10 pound class followed it to the surface.  John tried to throw his fly in the general vacinity but no luck.  Man, that got our hearts pumping for sure.  People say that there aren't big fish like there used to be.  Well, that was the biggest fish that I have seen in the past few years for sure and I bet that there are more in there as well.  Exciting to say the least.

I experienced with a couple of new egg colors and one outperformed all others, even the ones that I have been using for years.  Hopefully it will keep bringing them in.

Gotta go.

Update:  Still have this Sunday open if anyone wants it.  Filled Saturday yesterday.  Obviously the daytime temps are hot, but it isn't that bad on the river.  Catching big bows and brownies always makes it better.

Four days in a row and smoked 'em big time.  And it goes like this...

Took out Ned Southwick and his wife Penny this past Friday.  Now, Ned fished with me last July with his brother and they slayed 'em.  He said he really wanted Penny to hook into a rainbow.  A rainbow, how about 20-30 rainbows?!  She did great and Ned smacked them as well.  Thanks for the great time guys!!!

On Saturday I took out Bruce, Jerry, and their buddy Jim.  Now these Illinois boys didn't fly fish and I wasn't about to let them use natural bait.  So, I rigged them up with some 7 ft light action spinning rods and tied on some egg patterns under a large indicator, just like we fly fish but larger.  These guys caught fish from start to finish and the action was pretty much non stop.  I didn't keep track of how many and I honestly couldn't make a ballpark figure guess.  Most of the fish were in the 10-15 inch range with some nice thick ones a tad over 17 inches.  Had a blast and I think these guys will be back for more. 

Sunday was pretty much the same.  Took out Jim Kinney from the Lexington area and he knocked 'em silly as well.  At lunch he asked how many I thought that he had landed.  I had no clue and he said 29.  Twenty nine before lunch is a good day and he too caught a few in the 17 inch range.  See you in August Jim.

This morning started off with less than stellar optimism.  I met Dennis Wright from Noblesville, Indiana early in the morning and before we could launch the boat it started to pour.  Dennis was a trooper and we said let's hit it.  Within a few minutes we had landed a couple of fish and it started to let off.  Most of the day remained cloudy and it helped out big time.  Dennis landed one bow over twenty inches, but the story doesn't end there.  I think I wore the guy out and took him to one more area that we didn't hit yet.   He caught a few then BAM!!! A brown over twenty inches took his offering and the fight was on.  Jim, if you are reading this, the fish was downstream from your tree!  We had it up to the boat then he pulled off, leaving a sliver of skin on the hook.  We ended it on that note.  Man was that fish big and my bet is that Dennis will be back again.

Back to the fly tying bench.  Well, not tonight but sometime in the next few days.  Folks, fishing is at its best and the time is now!!! Weekends are still available, but if you can go during the week then do it because the river is all yours.

UPDATE: The Corps has cut the generation and is now sluicing.  Hold on for some great fishing!!! 

Also I had a long time client cancel a Saturday Sunday trip for July 17th and 18th.  It is available, but that will not last long due to the excellent water conditions.  Call and leave a message with my wife Carrie and she will save the day or days for you.

Hope everyone enjoyed the 4th.  I guided last Friday and Saturday and I would rate it as fair at best.  The weather was nice, but fly fishing with the one generator 24/7 with the moss made it difficult.  Now for the good news:  The Corps is cutting back, looks like they will generate from 9-5 during the day which is much better.  A few weeks ago the Corps shut it down from midnight to around seven in the morning.  We stayed ahead of the water putting in at Helm's and fishing all the way to Rainbow Run and did well.  What is well?  I guess it is a relative question.  Some people are happy to catch a dozen fish a day.  That is my definition of a fair/poor day.  A decent day is boating over 30 fish and that is what will start happening tomorrow with the hold off on the releases.  I also noticed that the Corps had sluiced a little water around the middle of the day.  That should cool it off a bit and increase oxygen levels.

I will be out on the river from this Friday to Monday.  I have many openings over the next two weeks and I apologize for not returning the calls.  With my son playing football and baseball, wife a cheerleading coach, and me trying to be guide and father, it just gets a little crazy.  Ah, but it makes it fun!

Gotta go and tie more flies!!!

Fishing is fair to good depening on your skill and the time of day.  The early morning bite is decent and later in the evening the fishing is pretty good as well.  Fished the past five days and I am bushed for sure!  You guys and gals wore me out.  The sun and heat are the biggest culprits, but I really had a great time taking everyone out. 

Egg patterns bumped along the bottom are the key and keeping them moss free is a chore to say the least.  The Corps should be cutting back on the one generator here this week so we will just have to wait and see what might happen.  I would like to see them cut it off during the night then not run it until late morning.  Just my wish, but we will just see what occurs. 

I have many openings from July 5th-10th.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if you want to go.  Looks like it might be cooling down a bit.  Sorry for not a long drawn out report, but I have a ton of chores to do around home before I make my next trip down to the river.

Fished the last four days and here is the lowdown:

Thursday:  Fished with Steve Baldwin, his wife Liz, and dog Abby.  Steve did well and nailed some big rainbows along flooded timber with a twenty incher being the largest.  Good job Steve!!!

Friday:  Fished with Jackie and Eric from the Nasville area.  Like Steve, I have taken Jackie and Eric several times and these folks can fish, plus they are just fun to be around.  They caught fish throughout the day and nailed a lot of fish in the twelve to sixteen inch range.  Thanks for the good times guys!

Saturday:  Fished with Andy and Ian from the Lexington area.  We stayed ahead of the water, dodged some storms, and nailed a lot of fish.  This was Ian's second time fly fishing and he did great.  Andy had the knowlege and really did well.  Thanks  for the great time.

Sunday:  Today I took out Brian and Ken Bougher out on the river.  This father son duo did extremely well in the morning.  In the afternoon we found a couple of submerged gravel bars and picked off several fifteen to seventeen inch bows.  One thing is for sure, the fish are healthy and are fightin' mad.  You hook one and you swear it is a three or four pounder then you find out it is seventeen inches long. 

The weather is hot.  There is no doubting that, but the fishing is getting better each and every day.  The Corps is running one generator starting at seven Eastern.  If you stay ahead of the water you will catch a ton of fish.  Fishing in the afternoon can still be tougher, but some of our larger fish have been caught at three or four in the afternoon in the blazing son.  I will be out on the water from Wednesday through Saturday.  THIS SUNDAY, THE 27TH IS OPEN IF ANYONE WANTS IT!  HURRY!!!

ATTENTION:  We can finally fly fish the river.  Yippee!!!  The Corps has cut it back to one generator and the water temps in the first 8 miles are in the high 50s and I saw it as high as 60 degrees at one point.  My guess is that the Corps will begin running the sluice gates within the next couple of weeks to drop the temps. 

I fished yesterday with Jim Kinney from Lexington.  He fly fished and spin fished and caught some fish here and there.  The largest fish was a 16 inch rainbow on a chartreuse egg pattern.  The water began to clear throughout the day and the fly fishing will only improve as the water clears.  We fished from the dam downstream about 8 miles.  There were a few areas that held fish and we could go back over these areas a few times and pick up fish on the egg patterns.  The largest fish of the trip was a 15-20 pound buffalo that was taken on an egg pattern on 5x tippett!  Too bad we didn't have a scale, but that fish could be a record for that tippett size.  I saw a boat full of guys drifting bait and they were doing pretty good by the yells and screams that we could hear.  Like I said earlier, the fly fishing will only improve as the water clears and runs at one generator for a couple of days.  A lot of times after the extended periods of high water the fish are almost in shock due to the lower flow and it takes a while for those guys to adjust. 

Ok, the only two openings left in June are the 21st and the 30th.  There are over a half dozen openings in July.  The phones are ringing and the e-mails are flying due to the low water so act soon before they are taken.  Many openings are still available in August and September.

Hey guys and gals.  I didn't guide over the weekend but will be out on the river four days this week starting tomorrow.  Most likely, I will post a report on Tuesday morning or early afternoon.  The Corps is cutting it back to one generator tomorrow so fingers crossed, fly fishing should be pretty darn good!!!  Note:  Wednesday and Saturday are open this week if anyone is intersted.

UPDATE 6/8:  Water has been cut back to two generators.  Lake is below the 685 mark.  Almost there!!!

I fished the river over the weekend with my seven year old daughter.  She had a blast fishing in the fishing derby that the hatchery puts on, but boy was it packed with people!  The Corps was releasing water through three generators throughout the weekend and it is cutting it back to two generators for about twelve hours then to three generators for the other half.  We caught trout, walleye, white bass and even a crappie.  I was talking to a guy and his son at the ramp at Helm's Landing and they said someone caught a six pound bass below the dam and even a channel catfish.  This happens during and after these high water marks so you just never know what to expect.

Fly fishing, nymph fishing that is, will most likely begin this next weekend.  The lake needs to drop another three feet and then the Corps will really cut back on the releases.  The trout are ready!!! We caught some nice slot rainbows on crankbaits and jigs and a brown that was nearly twenty inches long.  Just can't wait until the water drops!!! Almost there!

Fished the river two times this past week with former clients.  We didn't do any fly fishing yet because the Corps was running four generators at over 16,000 cfs.  However, we went after whatever with jigs and crankbaits, mostly jigs.  We caught a mixed bag on both days, with the largest being a 20 pound striper on 8 lb test.  We were able to land a few walleyes near the two foot mark, a slew of 12 inch white bass, and some rainbows and browns.  None of the trout were over the twenty inch mark.

The great news is that the Corps has cut back on water release to 6,000 CFS.  That is good water to throw clousers and buggers and I should be at it later this week and weekend.  The caddis are hatching/laying in huge numbers.  Man, if the water dropped just a little bit more then we could go after the trout with some nymphs.  That is definately a possibility with the 6000 cfs!  Gotta try it later this week.

I would say that the fly fishing will really get into full gear within the next two weeks, that is as long as we don't get any torrential rains!!! That is my request to the big man.  We will just have to see what happens.  Due to all of the cancellations this spring, the summer will begin filling up as the fishing gets better.  Reserve your late June-August trips now!

Take care,

Dave

Well, the lake is dropping and the Corps is cranking it at over 16,000 cfs.  I thought the cfs would remain well above the 20,000 mark, but for some reason that isn't the case.  Might get out on the river this weekend and do some walleye/white bass/striper fishing if it stays around the 16,000 cfs mark.  Last year we had some very high water similar to this and we had some great walleye and white bass fishing on jigs and drop shotting crawlers in 12-20 feet of water.  It can be done!  You just need to use some heavy jigs and casting weights to get it close to the bottom.  Once I was nailing these white then all of a sudden a 20 pound striper nailed my jig.  That fish took me down river about a half of a mile before I was able to land her.  Tough landing a 20 pound striper on 6lb test!

Looks like mid to late June is when the fly fishing might occur.  If you want to get out and do some of this type fishing before it is fly fishable then shoot me an e-mail or give me a ring.

Report?  Are you kidding?  Sorry folks, but it rained like crazy over the weekend.  Most of South Central Kentucky and the Nashville area were hit with a foot or more of rain.  One of my clients from Nashville sent me a few pictures of that area and it is heartbreaking to say the least.

The Corps has really held back on the water release, running zero for a day or more allowing the floodwaters in Tennessee to drop.  What does this mean for the lake?  It is now up to 700 ft.  Yes, 700 and that is no typo.  Remember, the Corps was trying to keep it at 680-82 until this biblical flood.  I will keep everyone updated, but it doesn't look like we are going to fly fish for quite a while.

I cancelled my Sunday trip due to all of the rain, but I still got out on the river Sunday afternoon.  Took the kids down to the river, between rainstorms, and tried to fish.  Boy was it muddy, but by the afternoon it had shown signs of clearing up and I even caught a few bows on the fly rod.  The kids really wanted to go to the hatchery so we didn't do much fishing at all.  Gosh, it must have rained pretty darn hard!  There was a ton of silt on the ramp at Helms and most of the ditches and ravines along the river were flowing.  We saw a huge and I mean huge walleye at one of the gravel bars.  At first we saw these buffalo that were doing their spawning rituals and then I noticed something.  This fish wasn't a buffalo.  It was a walleye that would have easily gone 10-12 pounds.  Kind of just hugging the bottom after it rolled to the top.  I did miss one nice walleye that was a nice three pound fish that pulled off right at the boat.  Might go after the eyes this next weekend if the water is too high to guide for trout.

Lake levels are up to 682.75, a lot lower than I thought it would be after the rains.  The Corps is running three generators and will continue to do so until it drops below the 682 mark.  So, it isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it might not be fly fishable until a week or so.  Good news:  If you want to go walleye fishing then shoot me an e-mail.  I know where they are!

Ok, a real fishing report.  Fished Saturday afternoon/early evening with two generators running.  Water was 48 degrees and clarity is decent, much better than back in March.  Didn't try to fly fish or even go after trout, it was walleye time.  Fished about two hours and landed two walleye, two sauger, and a white bass.  All were taken on chartreuse jigs in 14-16 feet of water.  The largest was a 24" inch walleye which fought about as good as waterlogged boot, but they sure do taste good.

Saturday took Dave and Charlie out from the Louisville area.  No generators were on and we started catching them on egg patterns and a brown roach/ bead head caddis dropper.  They caught some stockers and a handful of rainbows that were in the slot.  Everything was going great until they turned on one generator then it slowed down.  We probably could have thrown Yozuris or Rapalas, but continued fly fishing, catching one every once in a while.  I was really excited about the way the morning started but really thought we would have done better while the one generator was in operation.  Now for the good news:  Water temps on Sunday reached 49.7 and we snagged tons of cased caddis as we bumped the bottom with our nymph patterns.  My guess is that the caddis hatch will begin within the next couple of weeks.  Let's just hope the big rains hold off then we can fish the big hatch.  The other good news is that the larger bows really fought with some spunk.  This one fish kept working us hard.  Thought it was maybe a twenty incher, but was about 17 incher and boy was it thick!  Can't wait 'till the hatch.

Shoot me an e-mail or give me a ring if you want to get out during the hatch.

The Corps is letting off on the release of water and it looks like it will be down to one or less generators by the end of this week.  I was in the Bahamas last week so that is why there was not a new report.  However, it seems like the water temps are starting to increase and the warmer air temps will definately increase the insect activity.  The caddis action should begin picking up here at any time and it can last until mid June.  We just need the Corps to hold back on the water to one generator or none and then we can fish some dries.  A chartreuse copper john in size 14 or 16 with an attached pheasant tail in a size 18-20 will also do wonders at this time of the year.  Many times I will go to a larger dropper in a size 16 and go to using a bead head caddis pattern in olive.  Dead drifted with a twitch every once in a while can drive those fish crazy, especially on days when there isn't a caddis hatch or when the caddis are laying their eggs.

This next weekend is open if anyone is interested, weather and water permitting and that looks pretty good at this time.

Sorry but there is not an updated fishing report.  The Corps was releasing three generators yesterday and today in anticipation of the forecast.  The good news is that it didn't rain nearly as much as was predicted and the Corps has cut it back to two generators.  The lake is now slightly below the 681 mark which gives them some room to play with in regards to water releases.

Maybe we will get some caddis action in this spring.  It's been a few years since we had a lower flow in May in which we could fish the hatch.  Remember getting tired of catching thick rainbows and browns in the 14-19 inch range nearly all day long?  Man, were we spoiled or what?  I know, fix the dam and the good ol' days will return.  Our fish are in good health and it looks like we will have a good volume of colder water to get us through this upcoming summer and early fall.  Now all we need is a mild drought and the fishing will improve.  All I ask for is a "normal" season in regards to the precip and we will be in decent shape.

June and July weekends are being booked by return clients.  Act soon before they are gone! 

Guided on the river yesterday.  The weather was excellent and it is nice to get back into the groove.  The fish on the other hand were not the most cooperative.  We did catch fish- rainbows, browns, and a sauger, but it wasn't some banner day.  Someone e-mailed me the other day and asked about how many fish per day he could expect to catch.  I am always honest and don't want to take you on a stinking boat ride and snatch up your cash.  No, you aren't going to catch 50 plus fish on a fly rod right now.  Maybe a dozen or more, but the river is cold and still dingy green. 

Yesterday the water temps never rose above 42.5 degrees which is 1.5 degrees warmer than last weekend.  The water is clearer than last week, but it is still pretty darn cold.  I like to see it in the mid 40s or higher.  However, as the Corps dropped the release to one generator, I saw some trout rising for midges later in the afternoon.  That is great news.  As far as the condition of the trout that we caught, EXCELLENT!  Two of the browns that we caught were 15-17 inches long and they were fatter than any brown that I have caught in that river, footballs for sure. 

If we don't get much rain this week then the Corps should keep it down to one generator or less.  Fly fishing should be a go this next weekend and Saturday and Sunday are open, water and weather permitting.  First come, first serve!!!

Water temps are 41.1 degrees.  Brrrrr!  Water is off color/murky to say the least.  Fish are sluggish and the bite is slow with clarity and water temps both being factors.  The lake is below the 682 mark, but it is slowly rising due to last Friday's rain.  I emphasize slowly.  We dodged a bullet this last week.  Looked like we were going to have rain all week and that never did happen.  Hopefully the water will clear and fly fishing will begin to improve

Well the lake is slightly over the 682 mark and the Corps is only running one generator.  It looked like it was going to rain just about everyday this week, but it has somehow eluded us.  That is great news, but we aren't out of the woods yet.  It looks like we are still in for some rainy weather through the weekend.  I am supposed to be out on the river this weekend, weather and water permitting.  Hopefully we won't get too much precip and we can get out and do some fly fishing.

If you are thinking about booking a summer trip then the time is now!  Usually by June we are into some drier weather and more stable water releases.  July was by far the best fishing last year and August was a very close second.  I have had a few folks wanting to take their kids out on the river and that is awesome.  Put the dad in the front of the boat, take care of the kid and put them on fish.  Remember, fly fishing doesn't have to be difficult and it was meant to be enjoyable.  I honestly have a better time watching the kids catch fish more than fly fishing itself.  Now, let's hope for a dry weekend so I can post some good news.

No report yet, but the lake is still dropping at about a foot a day.  By this weekend it will be at the 682 mark and it will be interesting to see what the Corps does.  They might start holding back on the high releases in the next couple of days, but I would rather see them dump it like crazy until it gets to the magic mark of 682. 

I will be out on the water this weekend if the water is low enough to fish.  This is usually a great time to get some jigs and tip them with minnows and head towards the dam.  Chances are you will catch some walleye and sauger.  A few years ago I caught a brown that was in the 7-8 pound class while fishing with a jig and minnow combo.  Quite a suprise after catching 10-20 inch walleye and sauger!  I've also noticed that the walleye and white bass fishing has improved over the past few years.  You can catch some nice fish up to late June.  During the last two years I have had many trips where we would fish for trout in the morning and early afternoon then get a cooler full of ice and go after the walleye and white bass.  I am proud to say that the vast majority of my clients practice catch and release.  Don't get me wrong, I too love to eat fish, but if you want some fish for a fry then keep the whites and walleyes.  There are a bunch of them in there and they are delicious!!!  Give me a ring if you are intested in putting together a trip like this.

Hopefully I will have a fishing report for everyone next Monday. 

It's finally above freezing!  I have been living in Kentucky for over twenty years and I can't ever remember a February that was as cold as this one.  The lake level is over 696 and it is dropping at about a half a foot per day.  However, with all of the melting it wouldn't be out of the question to see the lake begin to rise again.  Then again, we might get a half inch of rain or more tomorrow and Monday.  Will it ever end?  I don't know, but I am ready to do some fishing.  The water is rolling at over 26,000 cfs and I really want to get out and do some walleye and sauger fishing, but that is a bit too much for me.

Expect a fishing report whenever the water release drops below the 20,000 mark.  It won't be a typcial fly fishing report, but hopefully it will include some nice walleye and sauger.  Just can't wait until I can get out the fly rod!!!

The snow is falling and the water is rollin', rollin', rollin'!  The lake is over the 700 mark and the corps is releasing water pretty close to the 30,000 mark.  Now that is some water.  How high is 30,000?  Well, it is definately over the parking lot at Helm's Landing.  They ran it like that last year and there were logs and debris all over that lot after the water levels dropped.

If there is any good news then perhaps it is that we should have a lot of cold water this summer.  Let's just hope we get less water this spring.  If these cold conditions continue then perhaps we will get some alewive kill off on the lake.   Now if that happens it doesn't matter if the water is low or high.  Grab your rods and tie on anything that is white or silver!  I can remember a scenario such as that several years ago and we quite honestly got tired of catching fish.  You might catch trout, saugers, walleye, white bass and even a striper.  Big white woolies are great on a full sinking line but drifting a white/pink egg pattern can knock 'em silly as well.  If the water is really high then I will throw some Kastmasters and Little Cleos on the spinning rod.

Stay warm and pray for less precip!

Thanks to all who dropped by yesterday at the Derby City Flyfishing show.  Despite all of the inclement weather, a lot of folks showed up in the afternoon.  A couple of return customers gave testimonials to the window shoppers about their trips.  There is nothing better than return clients and I would like to thank all of you.

Lake levels are at the 696 mark and the Corps is cranking water at over 20,000 cfs.  It might be fishable by the end of February.  Return customers have already started booking June-August trips.  No hurry yet, but if you know of a certain day that you want then go ahead and book it.  As always, if the water is too high then we simply reschedule.  I will usually have a pretty good idea about whether it will be a go or a no go within 5 days of the trip.  Let's hope for less rain!

Warmer temps at this time of the year usually mean a chance for rain and we have had more than a chance the last few days.

The lake has risen to back over the 685 mark and is continually rising as I type this.  If there is any good news then it would be that the Corps is cranking water over the 20,000 cfs mark.  Why is that good?  Well, sometimes the Corps waits for a couple of days after a major rain to release water and the lake levels skyrocket.  Several years ago I saw the lake go up over 9 feet in less than 24 hours.  That amount of rain shut down the river for over a month!

This next Saturday I will have a booth at the Kentuckiana Fly Fishing Show.  It is hosted by Derby City Fly Fishers and it will be held at the Fern Vally Inn and Conference Center, 2714 Fern Valley Road.  Last year the attendance was down compared to the past which was due to the ice storm.  If you are looking at getting some good deals on used and new gear then make sure to bring along some extra cash.  It's a great time and I have donated a half day trip as one of the raffle prizes. 

Pray for less precip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was back at in on Monday.  Took out Mike and Bob from Louisville.  We have been trying to get together and fish this past fall, but the high water had prevented it.

Water temperature was 43 degrees.  By mid morning the sun came out and it probably warmed into the mid 50s for a daytime high.  What I really thought would happen did not.  What I hoped for was sunny warm temps might get the midges going and the trout active.  We did see some here and there, but the fish just weren't too interested.  We did land some trout here and there but nothing was over 13 inches.  Bob landed a beautiful river bred bow near Blackfish Cr on a chartreuse weighted egg pattern.  Both landed a half dozen of browns about that same size.  Like I stated the other day, these fish are fat and loaded with midge larva.

The good news is that I saw a few fish here and there flashing along the bottom.  They might be eating midge larva, but some were probably trying to pick off some caddis attached to rocks on the bottom.  I have noticed more case caddis than in the past couple of years.  Maybe this is a sign of a bumper caddis hatch this spring.  As many of you know, the water has been too high to fish the caddis hatch over the past couple of years and that is a shame!  I don't know if you have checked the water levels, but they are again on the rise and will continue to do so with the anticipation of more rain.  Like I said, cold weather generally means less precip while the warmer winds out of the Southwest typically bring warmer weather but a lot more rain. My bet is that the fish would rather have less water.  Bring on the cold!!!

Finally fished yesterday with a friend from the Louisville area.  We landed about 40 trout between the two of us.  I would rate it as fair.  However, Charlie landed a 23 inch walleye as a bonus.  That beauty is really going to taste good tomorrow night. 

It was cold to say the least!  Air temp was 30 degrees when we departed in the morning.  The Corps was running one generator when we started then shut it all off around ten o'clock Eastern Time.  Almost all of our trout were caught on peach or chartreuse egg patterns.  I did catch a couple while throwing crankbaits for walleye, but they were all under 15 inches.  I caught a 17-18 inch male rainbow on an egg.  That fish was in full spawning colors as was dripping milt as I landed him.  Beautiful fish.  All of the fish that were landed looked very healthy and thick.  I took home a few to smoke and they were just loaded with midges.  A couple of caddis were found in their intestines, but they were stuffed full of midge larva.  Speaking of midges, there was some midge activity in the afternoon.  There was a small period of time around 2 in afternoon in which the sun came out and soon to follow were the midges.  The trout started smacking them on top too!  Water temps were 43 degrees throughout the day and that is cold.  No signs of shad being sucked through the turbines.  I had hoped to see some of that which would fatten up our trout even more.

Charlie lost a brown that was well over 20 inches in length.  We were targeting some rock outcrops in slow water where the trout were sipping midges and were were catching some 10-13 inch fish when bam!  He set the hook, the rod bent, and the line broke.  The strike, like most of the strikes were very subtle, but there was nothing subtle about the brown.  You just never know what you might hook into in some of those deep holes.  I too lost a nice one that was on momentarily before it took off for deeper water.  You really have to watch that indicator because it just barely goes under when a fish is on.  Gotta be quick to say the least and we missed several.

Might try it again tomorrow and will post the results if I go.

Well, I didn't go out on the river today.  Thought about it, but it is just too cold.  I know, what a sissy!!!  Maybe I will go deer hunting with the bow, only about a week left of that.  I just looked at the water levels and the Corps is releasing water throughout the day at different levels.  The level is below the 682 point which is great.  One other point that we need to keep in mind is that the Corps will continue to run water because it needs to make some more $$$.  With these cold temps there is an increasing demand for electricity and the opportunity to make money, something the Corps has lost out on since the dam repair.

Hopefully I will have a report this next weekend.  Due to the different water flows throughout the day, I like to bring both fly and sping gear.  My plans are to nymph and egg fish during the lower flows then grab the spinning rod and jigs and fish the deep water for the walleyes and saugers during the higher water.  It has worked pretty darn good throughout the past couple of years.  Maybe it will warm up a bit, maybe?

Like I said, cold temps plus less precip equals lower water levels.  The Corps now has the water slightly below the 682 mark.  As many of you have noticed, the Corps starts easing off the higher water releases once the lake gets below that magical number.  The problem is that it is pretty darn cold right now.  I have fished that river on days where morning temps were below 15 degrees, but it doesn't look like daytime highs are going to be over twenty for the next couple of days.  I might try to brave the temps myself this Sunday and get out on the water.  This time of the year can also be good for saugers and walleye.  I have been experimenting with those guys and the spring run of white bass since this dam repair began.  There have been several days over the last two years in which I go after the eyes after guiding for trout.  I haven't really started guiding for these species.  It is just like a bonus and there isn't any better fish in that river to eat!

I am starting to receive calls and emails from return clients in regards to scheduling spring and summer trips.  In typical years, it was pretty safe to schedule a trip from late May and on.  With the dam repair one never really knows what is going to happen.  It really all depends on how much rain we receive during the spring.  Two years ago I guided 4-5 days a week during June and this past year I guided only 5 or 6 days during June.  Just too much water!!!  What typically happens is that people start booking trips once it starts warming up, usually March and April.  Don't forget the spring and winter!  My motto is that if the water is low then let's go!  As always, if we book a trip and it doesn't look favorable then we cancel and reschedule. 

Water is still too high to fish.  The lake level is down to 684.50 and they are still drawing water at over 20,000 cfs.  Due to the high water, I haven't guided since the week of Thanksgiving.  These fish haven't seen flies in a long, long time.  Hopefully I will get out within the next two weekends.  Typically if we get cold weather then there is less precipitation and that is exactly what we need, less precip. 

The river made it through another year of high water temps during the summer.  I did see some signs of stressed fish, more so with the rainbows than the browns.  Perhaps this is due to the browns ability to withstand higher water temps.  I can't remember a July in which my clients landed so many fish over the 20 inch mark, most of which were rainbows!  Once the river temps warmed up, the fish, in my opinion, migrated upstream and it was a fishing bonanza within the first 5-6 miles from the dam.  I don't use a clicker to keep count of fish, but on one July day I did my best to keep track of a return client.  After a hundred I lost count!  And better yet, we still had about three hours of fishing time left.  Those are the days to dream about during these high water times.  Heck, all I wanted for Christmas was a light spring/summer drought.

Gotta go!

Wow!  The lake has risen nearly seven feet from the rain this past week and has yet to peak.  The Corps is cranking water at over 23,000 cfs and will continue to do so until it is close to 682.  Obviously there won't be any fishing for the next few weeks, maybe late December but it looks more like early January.  Fishing was decent until this last round and just as it looked like the Corps was going to cut back on the releases, BAM!!!  Only God knows how many trips I have had to cancel this past year for I can't keep track of them. 

All in all a decent year considering the construction of the dam and a higher than normal amount of rainfall.  Hopefully it won't rain as much this next year and we can get some fishing in during the spring instead of having to wait until summer.

Well, I was able to guide this past Wednesday.  Between the two of us we were able to land 25-30 fish, a far cry from the numbers over this past summer and early fall.  The Corps is running water at slightly under 4,000 cfs.  The water is somewhat off color, not terribly dingy, but off color.  Water temps are in the upper 50s, somewhat higher than I anticipated.  I think the levels of the lake are still mixing because when one reads the lake temps the surface is in the mid to upper 50s.  I just looked at the generation schedule and they are starting to turn the water off in the afternoon.  I will take low levels anytime, especially during the winter with off colored water.  I noticed that the fish weren't slamming the egg patterns so most likely they were just hitting the rig as it bumped them in the face.  It is so much easier to catch them when the water is low, which would be at 540 cfs.

I do have a couple of openings over the next three weekends, water permitting.  This next Saturday and Sunday is open, but it looks cold.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if you want to brave the cold and catch some rainbows and brownies.

The river is fishable and I should be out a couple times over the next week.  It looks like they are running water for several hours at one generator then cut it back to a sluice?  I am not positive, but that is what looks to be happening.

Egg patterns should be slammin' em big time!!!

I will have an updated report the Sunday following Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the Holidays and give me a ring or shoot an e-mail if you are interested in any December fly fishing. 

Well, it is about time!  The Corps has cut back water release to slightly below 4000 cfs so the river should be fishable once again.  I know that the fish haven't seen any of my flies for the past month and a half so they should be ready and willing.

I have one more opening in November and it is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, that is if the weather and water cooperate.  However, I will not be doing any guiding between now and that time.  The deer are moving and I will be spending a lot more time in the woods.  I will post a report the weekend following Thanksgiving in regards to fishing success.

Still not fishable.  I will make sure to post an update the next time I guide.  Supposed to be this weekend, but just about every trip has been cancelled since the last week of September.  I thought the early fall was supposed to be dry around here.  Not this year!

Well, will this rain ever end?  It has, but the lake is over 683 and looks like it is about to stabilize while 9,000+ cfs is being released.  When can we go out and play?  Only God knows.  I haven't guided in close to a month and have cancelled at least a half dozen trips.  Maybe this next weekend.  I will make sure to make a report whenever it is fishable.

The Corps is still running water at slightly under 10,000 cfs.  The lake level is at 683.85 and dropping at about 3-4 inches a day.  They will ease off the water release when it gets to about 682.  My guess is that they will then run it at around 2000 when the lake stabilizes at 682.

I will not be out on the water until the 17th and 18, water and weather permitting.  There will be a fishing report posted the following day.  Remember, I still have a few open days during the week of Thanksgiving. 

Fishing this past weekend was a no go.  Way too much water!  The lake has risen over three feet and is continuing to rise.  The Corps is releasing water at over 6,000 cfs.  Too much water for my style of fishing.  I will have a better feeling of when the river will be fishable in a few days.  Might not be  back to my liking for a couple of weeks. 

Until this past weekend browns had started showing up in the riffle areas.  Some big ones too, with the largest in the 8-10 pound range.  Now we didn't land any of these, but they are starting to get active.  We have landed a few just shy of the 20 inch range over the past two weekends and even hooked into a couple of monsters on egg patterns.  When the water is lower you can see them stack up in some of the areas and it looks like steelhead/salmon on their yearly run.  I know a lot of folks like to throw larger clousers or bugger patterns, but we have landed a few in the 5-8 pound range over the past couple of falls on egg patterns.  I don't know if they are hungry, trying to eliminate competition, or just plain pissed, but you can catch some big fish on those egg patterns.

Still have a couple openings during the week of Thanksgiving, water permitting.

Good fishing over the past three days.  This is the second year that I have fished with these four dentists from the Atlanta area.  Maybe the numbers and quality weren't what they were last year, but I think they all enjoyed themselves.  Lots of fish in the 11-14 inch range over the weekend.  The biggest was by Todd Cox, a thick 18 inch bow that was probably close to three pounds.  Fat to say the least!  Today Todd took his father Clem fly fishing for the first time and he caught a whole bunch of rainbows.  He lost a 17-18 incher that porpoised out of the water and shot right towards the boat.  On Friday I took out Todd and his buddy Berry and they did very well.  Lots of fish with the largest being an 18 inch rainbow.  I took out the other guys Scott and Bill on Saturday and they too landed many fish.  Fishing was strange though.  We would nail a half dozen in 15 minutes then nothing for the next half hour.  Some areas are definately holding a lot of fish while others, well, nothing at all.  Finding the fish and staying on the fish is the key to success and will continue to be so over the next few weeks.

Gotta go to sleep!  Oh, fish are still hitting the same flies.  You know what I use and the peach and yellow are what has been working the best.

Yesterday I took out Jim K. from the Lexington area.  We went earlier this past July and Jim landed a rainbow that was over twenty inches and in the 4-5 pound range.  No monsters yesterday, but we caught a fair share of rainbows with a brown mixed in here and there.  Most of the fish were in the 12-14 inch range, but we had a couple of nice ones pull off and one big one downsteam by Snow Island that broke off!  I think the highlight of the day was when Jim hooked a small rainbow.  As I was leaning over to net the fish, something to my right caught my attention.  It was a small rainbow frantically jumping out of the water and it was heading straight towards the boat.  Come to find out, a big striper in the 30 pound class was trying to eat it.  The little fish almost ran into the side of the boat and the striper was less than three feet away.  Fortunately for the little bow he was able to escape to some cover, but that was an awesome sight!  Guess I need to bring along a big rod with a swim bait when we go through some of those bigger holes.

The fish were scattered throughout the river and we would pick up a handful here and there throughout the day.  The good news is that there were more fish rising to midges throughout the day, actually more rises than I have seen during the last month of guiding.  Here is a little interesting story about after yesterday's trip.  I couldn't decide whether to pull out of the water or do some fishing on my own.  It was about six o'clock and Jim was wrapping up his gear and was taking off.  What the heck, I rarely get to do any fishing on my own so I grabbed a couple of rods and headed out.  Jim, if you are reading this, we shoud have gone where we went in July.  It was crazy.  I used the trolling motor to pull on the downstream side of this huge log jam and hung out in the slack water casting to an area between the jam and the bank where the current was moving.  Bam!  First fish was a 17 inch bow, then another and another.  Almost every fish, which was about a dozen, was in the slot within about 15 yards of water.  You could actually see the fish stacked up and it was a blast to say the least.  You think that sounds good, well it gets better.  It was around 7:30 and the water began to boil.  Boil?  Yes, I said boil.  I witnessed a frenzy that I haven't seen in a long time.  It reminded me of caddis emerging, but these were some kind of midges.  The fish were lined up everywhere and they would hit just about anything from eggs to beetles, with most of them in the 12-15 inch range.  I did hook something very large on an egg and could not turn the beast.  I even tried using the trolling motor to stay on top of it as it pulled out to deeper water.  My guess is that it was a brown and it was in an area where we had caught several trophy size fish this past July.  I know where to go next weekend, but we all know how conditions can and usually do change from day to day.

I will be out on the water both days this next weekend and should have an updated report next Monday.  Still have some days open during the week of Thanksgiving.  Gotta go and work on something other than fishing before my wife beats me.

Available days in November:  The 7th has been taken.  The 23rd, 24th, and 28th are still available.  If you are interested in a trip then act now.  Remember, if water conditions aren't favorable to catching fish then we just don't go.  I've had several people call me three days before a weekend wondering if any days are available and there just aren't any.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if any of those three might work for you.

I guided only on Sunday this past weekend.  Had a guy who cancelled early in the week and it really was a blessing.  Man, I needed a day off.  Back to the fishing, it was good.  I took out Charlie Mulligan from Fern Creek.  He caught 50 trout, with most of that 50 being rainbows.  We fished the first 8 miles of the river and threw heavily weighted eggs.  The water has dropped to 2010 cfs and a lot of the fish that were on bank cover the past couple of weeks have moved to deeper water.  Finding a good flow and bumping the bottom without collecting tons of moss were the keys to catching the fish.  Now don't get me wrong, there were some nice fish still taken off wood, but some of the wood was just too shallow to hold any quality fish.  The largest fish that was landed was an 18 inch rainbow that would have weighed a solid three pounds!  It was a chunk to say the least.  We did land several nice thick browns in the 12-16 inch range.  Boy you know when you hook into a brown because they love to hug the bottom.  If you like to eat trout, which there isn't anything wrong with keeping a few, then you would have loved this past weekend.  The vast majority of our fish were in the 12-14 inch range, some nice eating size fish. 

I will be out on the river this next Sunday and will post a report on Monday.  The only day that I have open between now and the week of Thanksgiving is Saturday, November the 7th.  I would like to guide the 23rd, 24th, and the 28th of November.  So those days are open if anyone wants to do some late fall fishing.  December can be great too just as long as there isn't too much water.  Boy, doesn't that statement sound like a broken record.  Gotta go.

Update:  Ok, there are only a couple of open days left until deer season, firearms season that is.  November 7th and 8th are still open.  I will be able to guide during the week of Sunday, November 22nd, which is the week of Thanksgiving.  I know that the 25th and the 28th will be available.  There are no openings during the months of September and October. As always, the amount of water being released is what dictates whether we go or not.  Act soon if you want one of these days!

Guided Saturday and Sunday with some modest results.  We covered a larger area than previous trips, but were still able to land some very nice fish.  On Satuday I took out Bernie Hammers and his friend Brian from the Louisville area.  Between two guys we landed close to 50 fish with a couple of 17 inchers.  Brian hooked into a monster along a submerged tree early in the morning.  At first the fish came towards the boat then Bam!  It went screaming downstream and snapped off.  My guess is that it was a big brown.  The next day I took out Brian Bougher from Evansville and his buddy Jeremy from West Virginia.  We caught more fish than the Sunday trip and Jeremy landed a nice brown right at the twenty inch mark.  That fish barely took the indicator down, slowly swam upstream, then took off like crazy once Jeremy put pressure on him.  He also landed a beautiful rainbow earlier in the day that was eighteen inches long. 

Water levels should start lowering this week, but don't hold me too it.  Perhaps they will return to the July levels and that would be fantastic!

Several people called over the weekend and I will return your calls later today.  I will also post any remaining Oct and Nov dates in a few days.  Satisfied customers have referred a lot of people my way and I would like to say thank you!  Thanks for the memories and all of the great pictures.

Ok, someone turned on the furnace.  We have been spoiled by unseasonably cool weather all summer, but Saturday and Sunday were warm to say the least.  Fishing was good.  On Saturday I took out Paul K. from the Louisville area.  He brought along his son and his father in law.  Each caught a lot of fish and Jared, the grandson, caught the largest which was an 18 inch rainbow.  Tom, the grandfather, experienced his first ever fly fishing trip of his life and he did great!  Folks, this fishing isn't that difficult.  I know where they live and I know what they want to eat.  On Sunday I took out some wild and crazy boys from the Nashville area.  Now these guys could throw a line.  Hagan and his buddy Groovey did well, landing fish throughout the day.  We didn't land any over 18", but several of those landed were within the slot.  It was another enjoyable weekend on the water!

Now for some bad news, it looks like we might get some rain from this tropical storm.  The good news is that the water has cleared up somewhat and there isn't nearly as much suspended moss in the water.  This is no lie, but in July my index fingers and thumbs were stained green from taking off so much slime.  Water temps at the dam are 57.9 degrees and I measured it at 61degrees at approximately 8 miles below it.  Most of the fish looked healthy, but there were a few rainbows on each trip that looked a tad bit thin.  The browns seem to do better with the fluctuating water and temps. 

There are some October dates still available and I will post those in the next couple of days.  There are no more available days in August or September.  I really enjoy fishing the river in November.  You want to talk about zero river traffic then that is the time.  As long as the water isn't high the fishing is outstanding.  I fished it the Saturday after Thanksgiving two years ago and the riffle areas looked like some salmon run was occurring.  It was that good.  November is also deer hunting time so I will pick a few open guiding days and throw them out there. 

News Flash:  The lake has stabilized and the Corps has or is in the process of going back to the sluices.  What does that mean?  It means that the fishing will be dramatically improving soon, if not right now!  I have two trips this weekend and will post an updated report on Monday.  August 30th is still open.  There are no September dates available for they all have been taken.  October availabilities:  3rd, 17th, 18th and maybe the 24th. 

Update: The lake is slowly dropping and I mean slowly.  Perhaps it will be fly fishable by next weekend.  Also, fall dates are being gobbled up quickly, some due to rescheduling from the early summer and this past week.  I must be doing something right because several new clients have been sent to me by my July customers.

July was phenomenal!  More times than not we landed a fish at or over twenty inches on nearly every trip.  I can't think of a July that produced so many monsters.  There were probably five to six areas over an 8 mile stretch that held these fish and with the water at the same level for most of the month, the fish just hung out there and didn't move much.  The results were just awesome.  A lot of times we will land tons of them in the 12-16 inch range, but some of these areas were producing fish in 14-20 inch range nearly all day long!  Many of my clients were just plain worn out by the end of the day after catching so many.

On a bad note, higher water has returned and I have had to cancel several trips over the past week.  The lower temps have helped keep the river cooler, but these rainstorms only bring the lake up and up and up.  It might be fishable by this weekend, fingers crossed.

Thanks for all of the business this past July.  I try my best to keep my customers on fish and on fish for about 10 hours.  I don't take you on a stinking boat ride or float trip in which you can catch some fish here and there.  We go straight to the fish and stay on them from 7:30 to about 5:30 in the afternoon.  If you book a two day trip then you might even get to fish a little longer on the first day.  I know my policy of not going during higher water is sometimes frustrating, but I can't do anything about the water levels.  There is no customer like a return customer and I would like to thank all who have give me the opportunity of being your Cumberland River guide.

Wow! Six days of fishing and it has been great.  Do you want a day by day?  Ok, here we go.

Wednesday:  Took Jim Kinney from Lexington.  His son in law bought him a trip for Father's Day and I think Jim left a very happy man.  We landed a lot of fish during this off and on rainy afternoon and there was no way that I could keep track.  This guy knew how to fish!  We landed a monster that was nearly 5 pounds!  The dang thing looked like a salmon.

Thursday:  Took Marty Lipke and his buddy from Southern Indiana.  Both caught a ton of fish and his buddy landed a 20 inch bow in the afternoon that pulled us downstream at least a quarter of a mile in a shoal area!  He hung in there, kept his cool and landed the beast. 

Friday:  Fished with Johnny Medford and his buddy Bob from Owensboro.  The too caught a lot of fish, especially in this one run right at the end of the day.  Again, another great day.

Saturday:  Took Jason Kelty, his dad and uncle out.  They spin fished using basically the same rig that we use while fly fishing.  They too landed many in the slot.

Sunday:  Took Bryan Johnson and his buddy Shawn from the Louisville area.  We caught a ton of fish in the slot and I mean a ton.  Shawn was a first timer and he slayed him.  I think that is one of my most satisfying aspect of guiding.  I really enjoy taking newbies that just slay 'em!

Today:  Took Fritz K. and his brother in law Eddie from Shelbyville and we did great until they started running one generator to the sluice.  Fritz caught a big bow just under twenty inches in the early afternoon.

I look so forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight!!!

Still catching them!  Guided the past two days with decent success.  We didn't land any fish over 17 inches.  However, Glenn Hammil of Louisville hooked into a rainbow well over twenty inches, more like over two feet in length!  SNAP!!!  This was only he and his wife's second time ever fly fishing and they did well.  There probably aren't a whole lot of people out there that can land a 7-8 pound rainbow on 5x.  Today we hooked into a couple big fish momentarily, but they pulled off.  They are still in there!!!

The Corps has been running water at 2020 CFS, but they turned it down to 500 cfs in the afternoon.  Perhaps this is a sign of things to come.  Here are some available August dates:  6th and 7th.  The 22nd, 23rd, 29, and 30th are also available.  School starts for me on August the 10th, so no more weekdays will be available.  However, Memorial Day is available.  I will be on the river this week from Wed to next Monday and will not be able to respond to any calls or e-mails until next monday night. 

I would like to apologize to all of the people that tried to contact me about the availability of tomorrow, the 18th.  I threw it out there early this past week, then left for the river early Wednesday morning.  Perhaps I need to get a cell, but then my wife would be able to get a hold of me.  Actually she just said that she was going to buy me a new one.  Dang!!!

Fishing:  Fantastic, wow, great, good.  We had rain the past three days, off and on, but the fishing was pretty good.  The take is super soft.  You think it is some tiny stocker and it is a 20 inch brown.  Drift and presentation are just as important as the fly selection.  Those of you that have fished with me know how anal I am about drift presentation while nymph fishing.  Once you master it then hold on because you are going to be successful.  For example:  I guided Wed and Thursday.  Kim and her brother Al from Massachusetts caught a lot of fish, even a nice brown slightly under the twenty inch mark.  By Thursday they understood what it took to get the fly down deep and keep it ticking along the bottom.  A good drift equals a hit more times than not.  How good is fishing?  I fished for an hour and fifteen minutes after Thursday's trip and caught a 20 inch rainbow and a 20 inch brown!  Presentation, presentation, presentation.

August 5th is still open.  Bernie Hammers, please call me or email if you still want the 6th.

Only one day still open in July- This Saturday the 18th and it is supposed to be awesome weather, not even 80 degrees!  Give me ring ASAP if you want it!

Dang, you guys have worn me out!!!  I guided five and half days this past week and slammed them big time.  Everyday with the exception of today (sorry Jackie) I landed at least one fish at or over 20 inches.  The biggest was caught by Brian Bougher of Evansville, Indiana.  He landed a super thick brown that was around 6-7 pounds.  It was a pig and the dang thing pulled us downstream a quarter of a mile before we landed the beast.  Charlie Mulligan and Fritz K. of the Louisville area landed over a half dozen rainbows at or slightly over the twenty inch mark on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Anna Perry and her compadre Melinda caught one bow slightly under the twenty inch mark on Saturday.  Tons, and I mean tons of fish in the slot have been caught and that is encouraging considering all of the high water that we have endured.  Jackie caught a couple of bows right around 18 inches and lost a couple biggins that left us grumblin in frustration.  Don't worry girl, they are still in there.

What is the key to catching fish, especially the big ones?  YOU GOTTA GO DEEEEEEP!

July openings:  Only one Day- This Saturday the 18th.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful!!!

August openings:  4th, 5th and 6th.  I start school on the 10th so after that date I will only be able to guide on the weekends.

It's 11:00 in the pm and I am bushed.  Hey, the river is on!  Fished three days and landed a bunch of fish in the 18-22 inch range.  Man, it is on like Donkey Kong!!!  Today could be rated as a top 20 trip of all time, perhaps even a top ten.  Lots of fish right at the twenty inch mark and a couple slightly over.  Where?  What on?  Hey, give me a call or shoot me an e-mail and book a trip. 

I am going to bed!

Ok, I said that I would not post another report until Monday, but the river is fishing very, very good!  Yesterday the Corps ran one generator until the early afternoon then ran two for the rest of the day.  We bounced eggs and nymphs during the one generator and caught a lot of fish!  How many???  Probably 40-50 per angler.  Later we threw Yozuris and Lucky Craft Bevy Shads and did good when the two generators were running.  We lost a monster and I mean a monster rainbow on a weighted egg pattern.  It was easily over 6 pounds!  Last fall some of my clients caught some that were in the 20-24 inch range and this thing drarfed it.  Charlie set the hook, it rolled, then it porpoised straight towards the boat and threw the egg.  Ouch!!!  It is still in there and waiting for you.

I do have this Sunday and Monday open if anyone is interested.  Originally I left the weekend open for the family, but they just left me and went to Florida.  There are also a couple days open throughout the month of July.  Give me a ring (502) 538-8919 or shoot me an e-mail if interested.  If I am not around then please leave a message and I will call you back asap.

Wow!  Fishing is on, finally.  The Corps has been running two generators and later in the day will only run one.  My guess is in a couple of days they will run one for a few hours then shut it off for a few hours.  Just a guess, but that is what they did in early June and it was awesome then. 

I will have an updated report on Monday morning.  I have this Saturday (4th) and this Sunday open if anyone wants it.  Awesome weather and great fishing.

The river fished pretty good yesterday.  The Corps was running two generators which was great for spin fishing and decent for fly fishing.  I had two return customers, one who like to spin and the other who liked to fly fish.  Bill, the spinner, had the best luck on a small Rapala countdown in the rainbow trout color.  I rigged up Anna with a heavily weighted egg pattern, even adding extra split shots above the egg to really get it down.  It has to be close to the bottom or you are just wasting time.  Both caught a lot of fish, with a handful in the slot, with a few slightly over the 18 inch mark.  So, the river is looking much better with the clarity improving quite a bit from the previous weekend.

July dates are still open.  See what works for you and I will fit you in.

My guess is that the river will be fly fishable sometime next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday.  We have been catching fish in the high water, throwing jigs and cranks and the results have been good to great.  A true mixed bag consisting of white bass, walleye, stripers, and trout have been taken.

The lake has been dropping at nearly a half foot per day and it needs to drop another two and a half feet before the Corps goes back to running one generator off and on throughout the day. 

There will be some available days in July.  I am currently trying to reschedule the scratched June trips and hopefully will have all of that accomplished by this weekend. 

Well, I know that this will sound like a broken record, but the water is too high to fly fish.  The Lake needs to drop about another two and a half feet then they will most likely go to the one generator, turning it on and off throughout the day.  I have fished the river, not fly fishing, but spin fishing.  I like drop shotting or throwing heavy chartreuse jigs.  What kind of fish do you catch using these techniques?  The answer is that you just never know.  We have caught white bass, walleye, largemouth (yes, it is not a typo),trout, and a couple of big stripers.

If the lake continues to be drawn at this rate then it looks like the river will be fly fishable sometime next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday.  So what do my readers and clients need to do?  Pray for less rain and lower temps! 

There are still a couple openings available in July.  I had to move a lot of my June trips to July, but a couple of those dates will be open. 

Fishing was great until this last batch of rain.  What is great?  I guess it is a question that needs to be answered.  For some great is just being on the water.  For others it means catching a dozen fish.  Great to me means catching a lot of fish and some big fish as well.  How about 40 fish a day and a couple that are slightly over the twenty inch mark?  Now that is a great day.  I've had a handful of those this June until this past week.  The lake is slightly over 684 and the Corps is cranking it at slightly over 10,000cfs which is three generators.  This is not fly fishing water and we need it to drop.  Hopefully this will happen within the next week, but we can't afford to have much more rain.

July trips are available.  June 29th and 30th are also open as well.

If you are trying to contact me by phone then I will not be able to return the call until Sunday.  If you are wanting to book a trip then please click on the contact form to e-mail me your date(s) or any other questions you might have about the Cumberland.  There are still a couple of open dates in late June and many are available throughout July.  The fishing is really improving with true trophy fish (both bows and browns) being landed in the 20-24 inch range.  Most of the fish are 12-17 inches, but I have located a few areas that have produced a 20" fish per trip over the past two weeks. 

Fishing has really picked up in the last week.  I guided both days this past weekend and did well to great.  The Corps is running one generator most of the day and has been shutting it down for two to three hours early in the morning.  Saturday was good with lots of fish in the 12-16 inch range, but Sunday the numbers and the size were much better.  We landed two fish on Sunday that were over twenty inches.  One was a rainbow and the other was a brown.  Some areas on the river are producing more fish and much bigger fish than others.  Let's just say that some of those areas are off the beaten path and a far away from most access ramps.  The weighted egg patterns are tearing them up.  I've been experimenting with jig that is slightly heavier than the 1/80 oz and it has really produced a lot of nice fish when the water is running at one unit.  Peach, champagne, chartreuse, and flame have been the most productive.

I still have a couple days open in June.  Lots of July dates are still available.

Fishing is really starting to pick up.  The normal stuff is producing a lot of fish and it should continue to improve as the water clears.

Openings in June:  20th and 21st-Father's Day weekend, June 22nd and 23rd.  Also the 28th and 29th.  Please hurry if you want to book a June trip.  I have contacted many of my return customers and many of these days will be snatched up within the next week. 

Finally!!! The fishing and catching is on!  Guided both days over the weekend and did well on both days and it really started to pick up on Sunday.  The Corps is now releasing water every hour or every other hour.  The water is murky, but it cleared somewhat from Saturday to Sunday.  I really noticed it starting to clear up on Sunday afternoon.  The fish are starting to stack up in their normal areas, but they were somewhat spread out on Saturday.  Sometimes it takes a few days for them to start hitting after long periods of high generation.  We didn't catch anything over 17-18 inches, but a bunch and I mean a bunch of fish were in the 12-16 inch range.  Most were rainbows!  We caught an occassional white bass as well.  Whatever you are using (nymphs) need to be bumped along the bottom.  That is where the fish are.  We didn't try any large streamers, but they would have done well with the off colored water.

There are still a couple openings for the last week of June.  Gotta go and tie up some more flies!

Good News!  The Lake level is near 681 and the Corps is beginning to hold back on water releases.  I know that the e-mails and the calls will fire up once the fishing gets good.  I will have an actual fishing report on Sunday evening or Monday morning.  Yes, you heard it right, an actual FISHING report.  I have some openings on the last full week of June.

The lake is dropping over a foot per day, but it still needs to drop about 6 more feet until the Corps eases up on the water release.  My feelings are that the river should be fishable by the weekend after Memorial Day.  I talked to Paula Barnes, the owner/operator of The Riverside Retreat at Helms Landing, she said that she had seen the river that high only once before in the last 15 years.  How high?  Well, probably something like 7-10 feet above the parking lot at Helm's Landing.  Now that is a lot of water!!!

I have rescheduled most of my April and May trips to Mid June through July.  There are still several openings for both weekday and weekend trips.  The fish haven't seen anything in the form of a fly for months, perhaps even all spring.  The fishing will be on whenever the water drops.

The lake is dropping over a foot per day, but it still needs to drop about 6 more feet until the Corps eases up on the water release.  My feelings are that the river should be fishable by the weekend after Memorial Day.  I talked to Paula Barnes, the owner/operator of The Riverside Retreat at Helms Landing, she said that she had seen the river that high only once before in the last 15 years.  How high?  Well, probably something like 7-10 feet above the parking lot at Helm's Landing.  Now that is a lot of water!!!

I have rescheduled most of my April and May trips to Mid June through July.  There are still several openings for both weekday and weekend trips.  The fish haven't seen anything in the form of a fly for months, perhaps even all spring.  The fishing will be on whenever the water drops.

This is a recording:  The river is high and fly fishing is, well, forget it.  The Corps was holding the lake steady at 681 then we received all of this rain.  Right now the Corps is releasing water at 18,000 cfs.  When can we fish?  The answer is whenever it quits raining so much. Looks like I will have to continue rescheduling trips.

The Lake is holding steady at about 682.  It was dropping at a rate of 1/2 ft per day until this last batch of rain.  The Corps is really cranking the water at slightly over 22,000 cfs.  If we don't see much more rain tomorrow then by Wednesday we should see the lake continue to drop.  The good news is that we have about a week of rain free forecast, fingers crossed.  With the increase in temps the caddis will begin emerging.  Last year the river levels were a bit high in May and the caddis hatch wasn't as great as it had been in the past.  If you hit the river on a day when they are emerging then be ready for some out of this world fishing.  Two years ago in May and early June I was probably averaging a handful of fish per trip that were over twenty inches.  I can remember one trip in particular that a client caught two browns that were twenty four inches long on bead head caddis.  Two days prior to that trip the fishing was outstanding, but on that day there wasn't any insect activity other than midges.  We fished deep with a copper prince/bead head caddis rig and slammed them in water anywhere between depths of 5-9 feet.  Sometimes it just takes some time to figure out what to use and where to use it.  That is the unique aspect of this river.  There are about five different patterns that work the majority of the time.  The crazy thing is that sometimes what tore 'em up one day won't work nearly as well the other.  You just have to experiment a bit and have some patience.  Speaking of patience, I am about out of it.  I am ready to fish!  Hopefully I will have some true fishing reports within the next two weeks.

One of these days.  One of these days we will be able to fish the river.  When?  I wish that I knew.  I thought about posting an April Fool's joke stating that the Caddis hatch was on, but that would just be straight out mean.  Couldn't do it.  The Corps is pulling water at 22,000 cfs which means ramps like Helm's are completely under water.  The lake level is slightly below 684 and it is slowly dropping.  It will continue to do so as long as we don't get a lot of rain.

I have rescheduled several trips for May and June.  There are a couple of weekend days open in May and even a Friday, May the first.  Hopefully we will be able to do some fishing then.  Also, I know several folks have tried to contact me over the past weekend and I was not able to respond.  My family and I were on a cruise in Mexico.  All that water and I didn't even fish!  I am in the process of returning calls and e-mails and should be able to do that by this evening.

Does anyone know how to do an anti-rain dance?

Would someone tell the big man upstairs to quit dumping so much water on us?  It didn't rain too much in the Louisville area this past weekend, but apparently it did in the Cumberland River Basin.  First they had the light snow this past week then it rained Saturday, Sunday, and a little today.  Results= tons of water being released through the dam at over 18,000 cfs.  Just this past Friday they were only running one generator then it rained and then the lake went up four feet. 

Not to worry, last year I really didn't start guiding much until May.  The people want to go, it's just the water won't cooperate.  I've been keeping myself busy tying flies and refinishing a couple older GL3s. 

Just pray for less rain and keep the fingers crossed.  Think back to this past summer when we were praying for a shower or two.  It will be here before we know it!  I will make sure to post a report as soon as the river drops back to fly fishable levels.

Well, had to cancel two trips this week because of high water.  One of these days the lake will drop and the river will be fly fishing friendly.  Went down yesterday to work on the boat and later tried to fish for some walleye and sauger.  No such luck for those species, just kept hooking small rainbows on jigs bumped along the bottom.  A lot of fishing was going on yesterday, but I really didn't see anyone having much success.  I did hook into a monster and took my time getting her to the boat.  Suprise!  Big carp!  The water was rolling at 14,000 cfs, but you couldn't tell by the number of boats.  Today the Corps has cut it back to 10,000 cfs and the lake is below 680.40.  Almost there.  If we don't have too much rain this week then this next week will be on! 

I will most likely be out on the river the next two weekends, weather and water permitting.  Starting to get more e-mails and calls about booking spring trips.  Folks, my rates will stay the same again this year.  I work my butt off for my clients and that is why so many return time and time again.  You are going to get 8-10 hours of fishing when you book a trip with me and you are going to catch fish.  If you book a two day trip then you might even get close to 12 hours on that first day.  I don't have anywhere else to go so you might as well fish!  Book your May and June trips now!

Well, my trip over the weekend cancelled due to an illness so I wasn't able to get out on the river.  I had two e-mails from clients that did some wading and fishing from a boat.  The boat fishermen seemed to do better than the waders, but both caught some nice fish.  No biggens they said but a lot of low end slot fish were landed.  Not bad for thirty to forty degree temperatures

This good water should continue as long as we don't get a whole lot of rain.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if you are interested in doing some winter fishing!

Good fishing water has arrived!  The Corps is cutting back on the water releases, even no generation whatsoever during certain time periods throughout the day.  Egg, nymph, and streamer fishing should be solid.  Chartreuse copper princes have produced some good fish during these times when the water is somewhat off color.  Water color is decent, greenish with decent clarity, probably able to see 4-6 feet.  The water will be cold, with temperatures in the low to mid 40s.  I also like to bring along my 8'6" four weight Sage and fish the midge hatches in the afternoon and early evenings.  Back in early December I fished a hopper, yes a hopper, and dropped a Zebra midge below it and caught some very nice fish.  Heck, it didn't even get above freezing that day, but there was enough sunlight to kick in the midge activity.

Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if interested in getting out on the weekends.  Remember, water is always subject to change.  Keep an eye on the weather and if we aren't getting much precipitation then we should have some consistent low flows and some fantastic fishing.  Remember, these fish haven't seen flies since early December!

Well, last week we received a lot of precipitation, both rain and all kinds of frozen stuff.  In some areas it looked like a war zone.  So many trees have been taken down due to the inch of frozen rain.  Many areas are still without power.  In southern Kentucky it rained quite a bit and the lake went back up about six feet.  The Corps responded by running all six generators 24/7.  The lake levels are starting to go down and my guess is that they will crank it like crazy until it gets back to the 681 mark.  My hopes are that the river will be fishable in about two weeks.

Thanks to all who stopped by my booth at the Derby City Fly Fishing show this past Saturday.  It was great talking to folks whom I have taken out over the last seven years.  I talked more about fishing on that Saturday than I have in the last couple of months combined!  It really set the mood for myself and others as we look forward to warmer days and good fishing.  If you are intersted in a late spring trip in May then please book the trip now.  A handful of people were inquiring about May and June dates and are in the process of selecting one.  What typically happens is that people start getting the itch when the temps warm up.  It is at that time when people start booking trips.  It gets crazy.  I might get an e-mail or two a week inquiring about a possible trip then we get a day or two of sixty degree weather and I have six messages on the answering machine when I get home from school.  Also, don't forget March and April.  If water levels aren't too high then the fishing can be out of this world.  Like I was telling several people at the show, find a weekend day during this time period and give me a call.  If the water is good then we go.  If it is too high then we will reschedule.  I WILL NOT TAKE FOLKS ON DAYS WHEN I KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE MISERABLE!!!  Give me a ring and reserve your trips soon! 

I hope to have an updated report in two weeks.

Good news!  The lake is down to about 681 and the Corps. is currently running one generator at 3300 cfs.  I fished it once this past weekend and did well.  The water is somewhat off color, but not too bad.  Temps were 43-44 degrees throughout the day.  I used large white woolies on a full sinking line and did very good with many bows and browns from 12-17 inches long.  Egg patterns bounced along the bottom caught just as many and the size was about the same.  I did pull a 4-5 pound brown off some timber on one of the white woolies, but he came off before I could net him.  It was my fault, usually is.  I tried to get him in quickly before he rapped himself around one of the logs.  What I should have done was keep good tension on the fish with the rod then pull away from the timber with the trolling motor.  I even hooked into a couple of sauger.  Next time I am going to bring some jigs and minnows and go after the sauger and walleye.  It's almost that time of the year when they start to make the run upstream.

I will be at the Derby City Fly fishing convention on Saturday the 31st of this month.  It will be held at the Holiday Inn at Fern Valley Rd.  Folks have told me that this is the biggest fly fishing convention in the region and it continues to keep growing!  Stop by and say hi.

Wow!  The Corps of Engineers has dropped the lake level by over a foot from Thursday to Friday morning.  Their data states that it has dropped by two feet, but I think that is an error.  If they continue to crank it at 21,000 cfs, it will take about a week to get it back down to the 680-681 mark.  My hopes are that it will be fishable in a week, maybe two if we don't get any more big rains.

I have started booking spring and summer trips.  Folks always ask, "when is the best time to go?"  Weather is a factor, but water release is the #1 variable.  I really don't like to schedule folks from out of state or area until late May or June.  Usually by this time the water levels are lower and the fishing is outstanding.  It is no big deal to cancel a day trip for someone traveling from a short distance, but I hate cancelling 2-3 day trips in which the people then have to cancel their lodgings and all that other stuff.  Water levels are pretty consistent by that time of the year and cancellations are rare.  On the other hand, early May can be excellent with a solid caddis hatch emerging.  If water levels are fishable it is tough to beat Derby Weekend!  I hope to get out on the river within the next two weeks and post an actual fish catching report.

Last week Southeastern Kentucky received a lot of rain which resulted in the lake rising nearly 6 feet.  What does that mean for fly fishing?  High water = no fishing!  The Corps is dumping a ton of water, actually somewhere around 21,000 cfs.  The lake levels are dropping but it is going to take a minimum of a couple of weeks to get it back to 680.  This cold weather should help.  Typically if the weather is warm it is also wet which only adds to the existing problem.  If it doesn't rain much over the next couple weeks then the lake level should begin to drop over a half foot to nearly a foot a day.  That is if the Corps continues to drop the lake at 21,000 cfs.

I will have a booth at the Derby City Fly Fishers convention on the 31st of this month.  It is held at the Holiday Inn on Fern Valley road in Louisville.  This show is probably the largest fly fishing show in the region and it continues to grow from year to year.  Stop by and chat if you are in the area.

Happy New Year to all.  I would like to thank everyone that chose me as their Cumberland River trout guide this past year.  2008 was a year filled with a lot of uncertainty, (lake/river levels) but again the Cumberland provided the numbers and quality that we have expected over the years.  Adapt and overcome was my motto as water temps and flow dictated where we fished and what techniques would be used.  The caddis hatch was less than spectacular, but the cicaida hatch in May and June made up for that.  I have never caught so many trophy sized trout on "black bass bugs" in my life.  Like 2007, trout could be consistantly caught on weighted egg patterns throughout the first fourteen miles of the river, especially in riffle areas.  It became "ol' reliable" and a staple of my arsenal. 

The lake is getting back to levels in which less water is being generated/released.  The bad news is that we keep getting more rain.  That should stop by tonight.  I also noticed that the Corps was running one gererator until noon then two or more in the afternoon.  Morning and early afternoon fishing should be pretty decent.  I hope to fish it next weekend (water permitting) and will post a report.

Due to some heavy rain, Lake Cumberland has risen nearly five feet over the last week.  The Corps had been cranking out water at 14,000 CFS, but it has cut it back to slightly over 3,000 for today.  That's one generator and the fishing should be pretty good.  Hopefully that swift current has cleaned out the excess moss in some of the areas.  We will have to wait and see.  Another question is why have they (Corps) cut back on generation when the lake is five feet over the 680 mark?  Does this mean that they are going to allow the lake to rise?  Does that mean that the repairs on the dam are improving?  I will try to get in contact with some people to find out what the Corps is planning.

Water levels permitting, I will try to get out and do some guiding during the week after Christmas.  Right now the only day that is booked is the 2nd of January.  Enjoy the Holidays!

Fishing is still great.  Fished the other day in temps that did not rise above freezing and consistently took trout throughout the day on midges and egg patterns.  In the early afternoon I started targeting midging trout downstream from large boulders and did fantastic.  Almost all of the fish in these areas were identical in length and girth (15-17 inches long).  I even downsized to a 4wt and that is probably why I lost one that was 3-4 pounds.  Never could turn that pig!

The week following Christmas is open.  Give me a ring if you are experiencing cabin fever/inlaw madness!

Rain, sleet, some afternoon sunshine, and a lot of rainbows is a pretty good description of yesterday's outing.  I don't think we landed any over 18 inches, but we did hook into a lot of rainbows at the lower end of the slot.  The key is staying out of the moss.  Folks, there is a ton of it!  We couldn't even fish a couple of areas because too much was suspended in the water.  I didn't even bother rigging up any small streamers or buggers.  Nymphing was the way to go, but I wish we would have tried some dry fly action on top.  There were a couple of areas where the fish were taking midges off the top consistently throughout the day.  Some were pretty big too!

Open December dates: 7th, 14th, and 21st.  All are on Sunday, but I will have some weekday openings the week following Christmas.  If you need to get away from chaotic holiday season for a while then let's go fishing!

I've received some e-mails over the past week about fishing and river conditions.  I have not fished the mighty C in the past three weeks, but it looks like I'll be back at it a couple of times this next week.  The lake is slowly rising and the Corps is releasing a steady 530 cfs 24/7. 

I do have some openings throughout December if anyone is interested.  Egg patterns (I know, sounds like a broken record) will produce fish all through the winter and early spring unless they release a ton of water.  The rainbow spawn should be in full gear right now and aggressive as all can be.  This is always a good time to catch a trophy fish and most times the river is all yours.

I haven't fished since last Saturday.  Been spending more time in the woods deer hunting and I was able to down a nice 9 pointer this past Saturday.  Nice heavy deer, but the rack wasn't quite as big as I thought.  It's kind of funny how their racks shrink between the time you shoot one and the time you walk up on it.  Next weekend I'll be back home in Missouri hunting with my dad and maybe I can get a bigger one there.

There are still some open dates in December and the fishing should be equally good.  Maybe with this next few days of rain the lake will come up a bit and the Corps will release a little more water.  It would be nice to push out some of the moss that has built up since the water levels have been low.  I will make sure to update any river reports within the week if any of my friends fish it.

Fished yesterday and it was a nice one.  A cold one to start out with temps hovering around freezing, but it warmed into the lower 70s in the late afternoon.  No big ones were landed yesterday.  However, I did hook into a brown that would have gone 7-8 pounds, but you know the rest of the story.  It wasn't on long.  We kept fishing this deep run and pulled out a few 18 inchers then bam!  I set the hook are it didn't budge at all.  All I saw was this orange/yellow flash and my rig flew out and almost hit me in the head.  No clouds and that would have really helped out throughout the afternoon, but we were able to stay consistent throughout most of the day with some peaks and valleys.  The fish are trying to spawn in the shallow water and that makes it tough on these blue bird days, but hold on if you can get an overcast or even better a rainy day.

I still might have an opening around Thanksgiving and I know that there are a handful of December dates available as well.  There won't be any reports in the next two weeks because of deer hunting.  It's time to give the boat and rods a break and head for the woods.

Dave

I guided yesterday (fall break from school) and it was absolutely fantastic.  Guided some return clients from the Nashville area.  We covered more water than I had in previous trips and it paid off big time.  We landed several nice rainbows and one good brown that were in the 17-19 inch range.  Towards the end of the day we fished this one run that has been like money throughout the year and once again it produced fish and a huge one too!  As we drifted through the area one last time, I heard this huge splash.  I turned around to look downstream and Jackie had this huge bow on.  I really don't know how long it took to land the big hook jawed behemoth, but it was a fight!  I was constantly on the trolling motor trying to make sure that the fish didn't get us into the backing and pull off.  How big was it?  He was almost two feet long and was in bright spawning colors.  Absolutely a beatiful fish and best of all he is still swimming in the mighty C.

Hopefully around Thanksgiving I will get together with the young man who built my sight.  I am a techtard as my wife says and have no clue how to post pictures and video.  There will most likely be a new format with pictures of recent trips posted with every report.

There are still some open dates in November and December.  I see the fishing only improving as the spawn kicks into high gear.  A lot of time people shy away from fishing during these colder months, but the fish catching is a sure cure for the bone chilling temps.  I've guided in December during snowstorms and during 60 degree days, so you just never know what's in store.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if you are interested in going.

I guided on Saturday and Sunday and the clients did good.  On Saturday we fished several miles downstream from where I have been fishing throughout the summer and had mixed results.  We put the boat in and within five minutes had an 18 inch brown landed.  This male brown was in full spawning colors with a hooked jaw and milt oozing out.  We picked up some other nice fish and missed a few as well.  Later we went upstream and caught a ton of rainbows with a 17 incher being the largest.  We did view several nice browns pairing up in certain areas, but not with the intensity that I thought we might have by now.  My hope is that we get some cooler weather in here and then it will be on.  Several years ago on election day, I voted then went to the river to fish.  I wasn't out there more than five minutes and had on a huge brown that snapped the tip of my rod off as I tried to land him.  It's almost that time!

I will be trying to fill the following days in November: 23rd, 26th, 28th, and 29th.  That time of the year can be great.  Last year I fished a couple of times during that week and did well.  The best was during an overcast day with drizzle.  Just a miserable looking day, but the fish were going bonkers.  Also, don't forget about December.  It's tough to talk people into fishing during the late fall and winter months, but as long as the water levels aren't too high then it is on!  The brown spawn will be wrapped up, but then it's the rainbows turn.  To keep you warm I usually bring along the Coleman stove and warm up some hearty deer stew. 

Take care and keep in touch,

Dave

Guided yesterday and we did well.  Took out a return customer with his two twin boys.  Most of the fish were in the 12-14 inch range and all were rainbows.  The biggest fish was a 17 inch bow, but a couple of larger fish pulled off and one biggen' broke off after a short fight.  Most of the day we used the weighted egg pattern, but we also caught a few on midge patterns here and there throughout the day.  You want to talk about a variance in temperatures?  Man, it was in the upper 30s when we started but it probably reached near 80 by the late afternoon.  We landed fish throughout the day and hit areas where I normally fish.  Some areas were better than others and that is pretty much the norm.  I really thought we would start seeing more fish attempting to spawn, but it wasn't occurring in the areas that we were fishing.  Wait for a couple of more weeks and I should start reporting some larger fish landed or at least visuals of some big ones. 

I will be at again this next weekend.  The first saturday of November is still open on my calendar and I will most likely have a couple of days open during the Thanksgiving day break (Wednesday and Saturday). 

There is no report this weekend because I did not guide.  I will be out on the river at least the next three weekends so make sure to check the web page on Sunday or Monday for an updated report.  If we don't get any rain soon then I would expect to see some modifications in the water release schedule.  My guess is that we won't see the 2000 cfs for the duration of two hours that we have been seeing for quite some time.  Shorter days and cooler temps equals the opportunity at a fish of a lifetime.  Some of the bigger fish that were caught last year came in October and November.  People probably get tired of me ranting and raving about the egg patterns, but this is the time of the year in which the biggens will hammer it.  The problem that I have noticed over the past couple of trips is that the smaller stockers nab it a lot of the time before their bigger buddies even have a chance to look at it.  Bigger and bigger browns are starting to show up and show up in numbers.  A lot of times you can see a pod of anywhere from 2-10 fish all the same size just hanging out in the riffle areas.  I prefer to hit areas where the water is one to two feet deep then it drops suddenly to four or five feet deep.  These larger fish are often staging in that deeper water and you might not see them in the shallow water unless it is a cloudy day.  Cloudy days, gotta love em.  Take care and I will make sure to post an updated report on Sunday evening.

I guided Friday through Sunday and it was pretty darn good!  As far as numbers, we landed nearly 100 fish a day between two anglers.  On Sunday the numbers weren't as great, but the quality really picked up in the afternoon.  With the exception of a couple of small browns, nearly every fish was a rainbow.  We probably hadn't fished more than fifteen minutes on Friday morning and one of the guys hooks into a two foot brown that took off like a rocket.  I kept saying "raise your rod, raise your rod" and then you know what happened-SNAP!  OUCH!  Then the next day at the same spot at nearly the same time, the same guy hooks into what I thought was a snag.  He didn't even know if he was snagged or not then all of a sudden this huge brown, larger than the previous day, rolled and off came the fly.  Needless to say, we were disappointed but super excited at the same time.  Folks, we hit a handful of runs throughout the day and just kept nailing them.  There was this one run that exploded every day after five as the sun dipped below the top of the trees.  The strikes picked up every time we made the drift as did the size.  Most of the fish later in the day were 16-19 inch long rainbows and it was like clockwork every day.  The mornings weren't bad either and we still caught some very nice slot fish during the mid day hours.

As far as openings, the first two Saturdays and maybe Sundays in November are still open.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if interested in catching some pigs.

Fishing is good.  Guided two UofL sociology professors the other day and they did pretty good.  One of them kept count and he caught 29 fish, mostly rainbows, and most were in the 12-16 inch range.  Egg patterns are still slaying them and it is only going to get better as we get closer to fall.  These shorter days will start to trigger the spawn.  Well, at least they will attempt to spawn.  There is nothing like a cool cloudy day during the fall in which you can sight fish for big bows and brownies.  Speaking of browns, more are showing up in the net each weekend and we had one hen that looked like she was ready to explode (full of eggs). 

I would have liked to see my guys try throwing some buggers or leeches, but the wind really picked up Saturday afternoon and on top of that there is always the moss.  There wasn't nearly as much moss flowing down during the higher morning release, but it was not nearly as bad as it was the past few trips.  Folks if you are looking for a day in which there is little river traffic and lots of large trout, then a November day may be just what the doctor ordered.  I fished a day with a friend the day before a guided trip and had one of the best days ever.  This all occurred on a cloudy and cool November day.  I can remember wading, something that we don't do much of, and targeting large bows and brownies.  I still chuckle at the thought of hooking into a three pound bow and trying to run down stream as it tore me into the backing.  The biggest problem was the smaller fish would usually hit the offering before the big dudes even had a glimpse of it.

Open dates:  September 28th   October 12th and 26th   November 1st and 8th and maybe the 28th and 29th (Thanksgiving break).

This past weekend was the first in along time in which I did not guide.  Water levels appear to be the same- running 530 cfs throughout the day then bumping it up to over 2000 cfs from eight in the morning to one in the afternoon.   Those times are Eastern.  That rise in water really tends to turn on the feeding and you will sometimes see some huge fish in areas that normally aren't in those areas when the water is lower.  Sorry, can't say where, but at this time of the year one will start to see some browns getting ready for the spawn.  These areas will have a steady flow throughout the day, even when only 530 cfs are being released.  Target the shoal/riffle areas and you might start seeing some larger browns "stacking up" along side of one another.  The unofficial word is that people saw more reds this past fall then ever before.  However, I have not received any official information stating that there was a successful spawn.  What I understand is that the browns try to spawn in the fall during times when water quality tends to be poor, low dissolved oxygen levels.  While rainbows will try to spawn later in the fall and throughout the winter when the water quality is much better.  The results can be a successful rainbow spawn.  I would say we average one to three wild rainbows per trip.  How can you tell?  The wild fish have a smaller head, larger tail, are chrome colored with less spots and fight like hell.  Two years ago during a trip in November a client hooked into a fish that took him into the backing.  By the way that fish was fighting, I would have sworn that it was a five pound plus bow.  The fish was nineteen inches long and weighed about two and a half pounds.  If you have ever caught a steelhead then that is what it both looks and fights like.

I will be guiding this next weekend and a report will be posted on Sunday or Monday evening.

I guided once over this past weekend on Saturday and did well.  Lots of fish in the 12-16 inch range and I mean a lot.  The best thing about it was that the two guys that I took had never fly fished.  Nothing over 17 inches, but we did have a couple nice ones pull off and a BIG brown broke off not too long after the hookset.  The key is knowing what to use and how to fish while the water is rising, leveling off, and falling later in the day.  A word from the wise:  If you find fish that are hitting then stay with them.  I know that this can be tough for people in canoes or drift boats and that is why I use a motor.  We probably drifted through one stretch at least four times this past weekend and kept catching fish.  Later we decided to drift downstream and we only caught a handful so we went back to the hot area.  I"ll learn one of these days. 

From this point on reports will be posted weekly.  School is back in session, has been for two weeks, and I will be guiding during the weekends.

I guided two return customers yesterday and they did pretty good.  Good?  What is good?  I netted 50 or more with most being in the 12-14 inch range and a dozen or more in the slot.  The largest was a rainbow around 18 inches long. Same patterns are still working and when we find them we stay with them until it dries up or we just get tired of fishing that area.  

There may be one more open Saturday in September and I will post the October openings sometime this week- still a few openings for sure. 

Footballs are everywhere!  No, I am not talking about the sport.  I am talking about the fat chunky rainbows that we landed over the weekend.  I took out a father/son/grandson group out yesterday and they did well.  The twelve year old grandson landed over two dozen fish alone, with a 17 1/2 inch rainbow being his largest.  The fish have become much more acclimated to the colder water and the increased flow.  A couple of weeks ago when they began running water for twelve hours straight, you had to nearly run your nymph into their noses to get the strike.  We were still catching fish, but they were much more tight lipped than they are now.  I fished by myself later in the afternoon and did very well, landing several bows in the 18-19 inch range.  One just can't emphasize how important a drag free drift is.  Even when the line looks mended the weighted nymph still needs to be "checked" every five seconds.  Example:  Yesterday I was teaching/coaching the father on how to mend and check.  Once he started to refine his nymphing technique the strikes improved dramatically.  Now setting the hook is another topic in itself, but success improves big time when one can put all of the pieces together.

Attention:  There are still a few open dates throughout the fall.  One just opened today and that is next Sunday the 24th.  First call or e-mail gets it. 

The Corps has been running much more water, about 2020 cfs for about twelve hours each day.  Fishing has been good to great with some better size browns and a couple of decent rainbows landed during the last three trips.  You gotta get deep when the water starts running and if you can do that then you will be in business.  A drag free drift when nymphing is a must and it's something that will only improve with time on the water.  I don't care how far you can cast.  As long as you can mend and check then you are ok in my book. 

School starts this week and unfortunately my time on the water is now limited to weekends.  A lot of fall weekends have been booked, but a few are still available in September and October. 

It is hot!  No, it is burning hot!  The Corps has been releasing more water throughout the day and it has really paid off.  Fishing is a lot easier, especially in the afternoon (say four o'clock) when in weeks past the water had dropped back down to 540 cfs and the fish were weary.  Sometimes I stayed with the flow or evey pushed ahead of it to get some decent flow throughout the late day.  In the past three weeks I generally had two game plans:  The question that I asked my clients was do you want to catch a lot of fish in the 12-17 inch range or do you want to catch a lot of small stockers but have the chance of catching a true trophy over twenty inches?  There are a couple of spots on the river where my clients have caught at least one rainbow or brown over twenty inches.  The drawback is that they usually don't catch a lot of fish in the 12-17 inch range.  Weird?  It sounds crazy, but a couple of these spots hold tons of 8-10 inch stockers but are also loaded with some BIG fish, including some stripers which tried to attack a couple of trout that we were landing this past week.  The best aspect of this type of fishing is that you might see one or two boats all day long and my lips are sealed on the whereabouts.  Regardless, the fish are benefitting from the higher release schedule and with more rain on the way that should really help our fish throughout the late summer and early fall.

Speaking of fall, I have about a half dozen open dates during the months of fall and September.  These are some of my favorite months to fish the river.  The river generally does not receive the traffic that it does during the spring and summer due to school and the opening of different hunting seasons.  I really got into the bow hunting this past year and have set aside more hunting time which means less guiding time, but there will still be time spent on the river. 

Gotta get back to the tying bench,

Dave

Guided the past six days and I am ready to crash!  Fishing was good to excellent depending on the area and the time of day.  I have been fishing several different areas and all are just a little unique in their own way  The major factor is how much water is being released.  Too many people are so concerned about patterns, hatches, tippet size and so on.  What anglers need to understand is that the amount of water being released is what we base our fishing plans.  The water is cold and we have to tip our hats to the Corps of Engineers and the KFWR.  Together these two organizations are constantly tweaking the water relsease to ensure that our trout thrive.  Over the past six days we have nearly managed to land at least one twenty incher each day.  A couple of the days we landed nothing larger than 18 inches, but we landed tons of fish in the 14-17 inch range and they are very fiesty!  If anyone is interested in catching a trout over twenty inches then there are a couple of areas on the river where one would have the opportunity.  You just need to know what to use, presentation and at what time is the best.  Again, water generation will dictate your chances of being successful.

News:  I know have the weekend of August 9th and 10th open.  There has been a cancellation and I would like to fill both if not one of the days if anyone is wanting to catch fish.  It is hot out, but the fishing can be just as hot or even hotter!

Gotta sleep in my own bed,

Fishing is great.  Lots of fish and some big ones as well.  I took some newbies out the other day, folks who have never fly fished in their lives and both landed a lot of trout with a couple of them right at 19 inches!  I will be on the river from tomorrow until next Wednesday.  If you need to contact me please call my home phone # at (502) 538-8919.  If no one is present, please leave a message and my wife will get me the information.  Remember, I only have a few open dates up to August 10th.  I have a handful of open dates in Sept and Oct and hopefully fishing will be as good or even better.

Patterns that are producing:  Bright colored flies in the morning when they are releasing more water (egg patterns, the ol' standby) then Blue Irons in the afternoon size 16 and 18.  Scuds in olive/gray have been getting a lot of attention during the warm clear afternoons.

Gotta go,

Dave

Ok, I am back in town and ready to fish.  Here are a couple of available dates that are open before I start back to school.  July 30th and 31st.  August 6-8.  The Corps is starting to run a little more water in the morning and in the evening which has resulted in more water which equals more aggressive fish.  Gotta get back to the tying bench.

The fish are on the move!  I have seen BIG fish in areas that typically do not hold a lot of fish.   Just yesterday I had two clients from Tennessee that landed some nice fish with the biggest being a rainbow slightly over 20 inches.  He even had a bigger one on earlier that broke off.  Almost all of the fish that we have caught this week are full of spunk and boy are they thick.  Every once in a while you will catch a true football and I have never seen fish in this river this thick!  Egg patterns are still producing lots of numbers and the occasional twenty incher, but the fish back off of them somewhat in slow shallow water or when it is extremely sunny.  Some of the larger fish yesterday were landed on a special nymph pattern that I haven't used in a long time.  Size 16 and that is all I'm saying because it is on!  That brings up another point:  A lot of these fish, especially during the weekends,  see a lot of stuff and much of it is the same.  Sometimes an offering just a little bit different will draw the strike.  Something else worth mentioning is how the water levels might change after this weekends expected precipitation.  They are pulsing it once every twelve hours, but I would like to see it more like every three or four.  That won't happen unless we get enough rain that would raise the lake about a foot.

Here are the rest of the openings until school begins:  July 30 and 31 and August 6 and 7. 

Fishing is good to great.  We have landed a lot of fish during the past week that were in the 12-16 inch range and boy are they chunky!  No skinny weak fish here!  The Corps has been adjusting the water release schedule to drop the temps and it has.  I know that the water temps over the past two days were 3-5 degrees cooler than they were the previous week.  I overheard several people at the ramps talking about how tight lipped and uncooperative the fish were.  Sometimes when the water levels/temp levels change the fish can shut down a bit, but there are ways of avoiding a lot of these problems and proper nymphing techniques will alleviate most of them.  You have to have a drag free drift and it must be close to or slightly bumping the bottom.  Well, gotta get back to the fly tying.

Wow!  Lots of fish in the 12-16 inch range and they are chunky! b

I guided two days this past week and fished a day and a half with my seven year old son.  Fishing was good to great.  Lots of numbers in the first 15 miles of the river, but some big ones are in there as well.  We landed a lot of fish in the 12 inch to 16 inch range and a couple of browns right at twenty inches on Thursday.  Water temperatures vary depending on where you are fishing.  For example, at Helm's Landing the water has been between 56 and 58 degrees but it is about five degrees warmer at Winfrey's Ferry.  The Corps has been running the sluice gates at 520 to 540 cfs which waders absolutely love.  Boaters cringe at it unless they have a very shallow craft or have a jet drive, guess that is what I will have to get next.  Don't want to sound like a broken record, but the same old same old has been doing well.  Double egg rigs, roaches and red and black zebra midges are producing.  I usually like to have three to four rods rigged up besides what the clients bring which allows for a lot more flexibility and less hassle.  For example on Wednesday we were fishing water between four and six feet with egg patterns and copper johns, which was all good.  As we floated downstream the water went from about four feet to maybe a foot.  I grabbed my pre rigged four weight Sage with a hopper pattern and a size 20 red zebra midge and had a blast.  We have seen a ton of midge activity throughout the days, but the fish are rising to them in the afternoon.  I would cast down and across with a drag free drift them all of a sudden the hopper would vanish.  Bam!  Fish on.  Now if I would not have had that rod ready we would have most likely spooked the fish and snagged a ton of moss on those heavier nymph rigs. 

Spin fishing with jigs has been been taking some nice fish as well.  These jigs on four pound test with a fluorocarbon leader will outfish just about anything you can throw during these clear low water conditions.  Presentation and technique are the keys to success. 

I have a couple of openings in July and August.

The Corps is running the sluice gates at 520 cfs and the trout are really stacking up in the riffle areas.  The good news is that the water temps in the first 8 miles of the river have been below 60 degrees, which is an improvement over the previous week.  Egg patterns are tearing up fish in the 12-16 inch range.  During the last two trips I have used a hopper dropper combo and have done well in the shallow water areas.  I really like using a zebra midge, either in black or red size 18 or 20 under the hopper.  We have caught some on the hopper, but the blood red zebra midge usually does the trick on those low water wary trout.  So, I have had many rods rigged up with various nymph, egg, and hopper patterns ready to go after those trout.  Three rigged rods is the way to go because you don't have to constantly re rig as you go through different types of water.  Easy for the guide and the clients.  There are still a few openings available in July.  Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if you are wanting to get out on the river.

Fished the past two days with some folks from St. Louis and they did pretty good with lots of fish in the 12-15 inch range with a few at 18 inches.  Knowing how to be flexible with the generation schedule will really help.  My guess is they will stick with this as long as the lake doesn't dip below 680.  If and when that happens then my guess is they would go back to regulating the sluice gates as they did last summer.  The cicaida thing is over and that is too bad.  For those of you who didn't get out in the last two weeks then that is your own fault.  I've never seen that many cicaidas and have never seen so many BIG fish just slam em hard.  On Sunday evening we had a big gust of wind for about a half of an hour and it blew a lot of dead ones in the water and I was able to land a couple of rainbows and browns that were just under the twenty inch mark. 

What's working?  Nymphs, nymphs and more nymphs.  Get them down and find moving water to have success.  The fish are holding tight on shoal areas and we have been hammering them on a lot of different patterns. 

Gotta go,

Fishing is great, but the moss/algae is a major pain in the you know what.  Most of the problems we are having is during the first hour or so of generation.  The fishing is still great, but you have to constantly check your rig for moss.  The same old patterns are consistently producing and I have even downsized to the typical size 20-22 bead head midges in black and red.  These are killers once the summer begins to heat up and the fish become line/lure shy.  Some areas are definately producing a lot more fish than others.  I have done very good along steep banks/cliffs and rock walls where the cicaidas have been falling into the water.  Don't get me wrong, the shoal/riffle areas still produce some nice fish, but I like to get away from the masses and hit the more isolated or less fished areas.  Also a note:  The white bass and walleye fishing has been pretty good the past few weeks.  I don't guide for these species, but I have been experimenting with some new techniques.  Many of my clients are finished with fishing by 5:00 so I grab the spinning rods, curly tailed jigs, and Shad Raps and head for the honey holes.  Just the other day I caught a walleye that was almost two feet long and a slew of 12-14 inch white bass.  Now that was fun, something that I haven't done in a long time.  Best of all they are delicious!  Gotta go.

Wow!  The fishing is on big time.  I spent the last couple of days on the river and I would have to say that those two days (afternoons) were some of the best that I have seen.  Later in the afternoon on both Thursday and Friday I landed a handful of browns from 20 to 23 inches while nymphing.  Also, some fish are nailing the cicaidas and their little bellies look like someone stuffed them with golf balls.  I like to rig about three rods with various nymph combos and one with a cicaida/bead head dropper.  I even landed a couple of big bows and browns on weighted egg patterns.  Some areas are much better than others, but my lips are sealed on that topic.  Hint:  If you find rising fish then stick with them and if they aren't hitting any cicaida patterns then throw out any nymph rig and they will most likely hit it.

Gotta go,

Dave

The river is fishing well from Winfrey's and upstream towards the dam.  There have been a couple places where I have caught 3-4 pound browns the last couple of times out and when I hit one of them there are usually a handful of others.  I know some of them are hitting the cicaidas and I know that I should have brought a couple of deer hair bugs.  Dang it!!!  All of the larger fish have been caught on the roach style brown jig.  I will fish this under an indicator which is set so that the jig does skip along the rocks every once in a while.  I like to fish this rig in some of the deeper holes that have just a bit of current.  It works best when I cast the rig towards the shore so that it hits about three feet from the bank.  Then I pull it off the edge into the deep water with two to four twitches.  If there is not a strike I will then continue to twich and let it sit for about ten seconds.  The trout usually hit it on the fall and the way they hit it varies quite a bit.  You might have one fish slam it while other times you swear that the jig is snagged on something as it slowwwwwly goes under.  Wow, fish on!  Two of the bigger fish on my last outing hit it so softly like they do when they take a tiny midge pattern. 

Summer fishing conditions will most likely mirror last years which is minimal releases of water.  That can be both good and bad.  Good example:  tons, and I mean tons of fish in the upper reaches of the tailwater.  There were times last year that if you didn't have a 50 plus fish day then you had only yourself to blame.  Bad example:  other stretches from Big Willis to Crocus seemed nearly void of any trout due to the wamer temps.  Some of the fish by late summer did show signs of stress, but I have seen little of that so far this year. 

Well, I need to go. 

Fishing has been consistently good for myself and most other people that I have talked to.  Low consistent flows make fly fishing enjoyable and down right easy to catch trout.  I haven't caught the large18-24 inch trout like I was last spring at this time, but I have caught a whole lot in the 13-17 inch range. 

If you are trying to contact me leave a message at 502 538-8919 or click on the contact form.  I didn't know it, but for the longest time I wasn't receiving e-mails because of an old e mail address that I had on the contact form.  My new e-mail address is DDflyfisher@insightbb.com. 

Take care and don't keep 'em all,

Dave

Fishing on the river is pretty good.  I fished this past Saturday with a friend and we landed a lot of rainbows in the 12-17 inch range and they are fiesty!  No skinny ill fish here for sure.  The caddis hatch is on, but we happened to be fishing while they were laying eggs and not emerging.  You can see thousands of them laying their eggs and you would rarely see a trout rise to them.  However, on the other hand if you happen to be out on the river when there is a hatch then you better hold on.  I have released fish and let my nymph rig fall into the water along side the boat and have fish slam it and nearly rip the rod out of the boat.  The old roach style 1/80 oz jig with a size 16 olive bead head caddis did the trick.  Egg patterns did catch some but not nearly as many or the quality as the jig/dropper rig.

Water releases vary, but the Corps runs one generator for six to eight hours then ceases generation for about three hours.  Fishing can be pretty good at anytime throughout the day.  We did very well in the afternoon as the water was dropping, especially in the channels in the narrow areas of the river.  It seemed like the fish were pretty stacked up and we kept hitting a handful of these areas throughout the day.  Be careful about motoring through some of these areas.  I heard one boat sound like it nearly ripped off the lower engine as it went through an area that was a tad bit too shallow.

Ok, here is something that might resemble a fishing report.  Went down to the river this past Sunday to install a new trolling motor and I was able to get out on the river to do about two hours of fishing. 

The Corps was running about 14,000 CFs which is a whole lot of water.  I was able to land a handful of rainbows all of which were 15-16 inches long.  I threw Yozuri Pin Minnows and some of the larger Crystal minnows.  The water has great color, very clear with a greenish tint.  Usually when the river is running this high the water is more off color.  That is great news because when the Corps begins to hold back on the releases the water will be excellent for fly fishing.

There is a caddis hatch occuring.  At least I saw some activity late Sunday afternoon.  I even saw some trout rising to emergers in some of the slack water areas, but I didn't even bother with bringing along the fly rod.  My guess is that the river will be at fly fishing/nymphing levels in less than two weeks, perhaps even this next weekend.  It should be fishable as long as we don't get anymore big time floods.  In the past, before they started working on the dams, I could nearly predict when they (The Corps) would stop releasing so much water, but that isn't the case anymore.  My guess is when the lake level gets between 680-681 the Corps will get to a more typical generation schedule.  That would be running water around noon or shortly thereafter and ceasing generation sometime before midnight.  Let's hope this begins sometime soon.

The river is rolling strong and the lake levels are dropping nearly 3/4 of a foot per day.  My guess is that if this rate continues then the river might be fishable by Mid May, fingers crossed.  Everything will fall into place as long as the heavy rains do not return.

Praying for less rain,

Dave

The river is up and running and the lake level isn't dropping very much at all.  The Corps has been running about 11,000 cfs for the last week or so.  For the lake to really drop like we need it to, the Corps needs to run about 20,000 cfs.  My guess why they haven't released as much water is because of recent flooding conditions throughout the region.  Typically they will release a lot of water if we get tons of rain in the areas of Southeastern Kentucky, but this area hasn't received as much as western Ky and south central Indiana.  The big question is when will it be fishable?  Well, the lake needs to drop another 8 feet before the Corps really pulls back on the release of water.  My guess is that will occur sometime during the month of May.  I really just don't see it getting good until that time unless it stops raining and the long term forecast of spring looks to be wet!  Now you know why I don't guide full time!

Take care and keep in touch,

Dave

I spent some time out on the river myself the other day (Saturday) and really enjoyed myself.  Many nice rainbows and browns were caught on heavy chartruese copper johns and weighted egg patterns.  The key to success was bumping the bottom, especially with the egg patterns.  Most of the fish were in the 13-15 range, but a handful right around 18 inches were landed.  I even tried to catch some walleyes on crankbaits but I just kept on catching 15-19 inch browns.  I did have one trophy sized brown about two feet in length pop off right at the boat.  The fish started rolling like a catfish and it just threw the Yozuri.  It's amazing that anything could get away from being hooked by one of those baits.  Those treble hooks have to be some of the sharpest that I have ever seen/felt on a bait.

All of the trout were very healthy and fat.  Only one rainbow was skinny looking and eggs were popping out of her as I popped the hook out.  The bad news is that we are too receive a couple of inches of rain over the next few days.  That means the Corps will crank a ton of water to keep the lake near 680 and fishing may be nearly impossible over the next few weeks. 

It's cold the river is high and the fishing is a no go.  I am in the process of applying for a coast guard license and will not be guiding until this process is complete.  Yes, I have been guiding for several years without one.  I have been made aware that I must have one or I could/will get into big trouble.  I will definately have the process completed by the spring and will be ready to fish.  I still intend on fishing the river myself, if the water ever gets to fishable levels, and will provide everyone with the details.

Keeping it legal,

Dave

Hello everyone.  I'm sorry if you have been trying to contact me via e-mail, but I am in the process of getting a new provider.  I will post the new e-mail address within the next couple of days.  If you want to talk fishing or are trying to book a trip then give me a call at 502 538-8919.

As far as the fishing goes, I really don't know.  I haven't been out on the river in two weeks and probably won't in a while until it warms up.  I don't mind the colder weather, but it's tough to get customers out here when the temps dip near or below freezing.The Corps was running three generators for about a week, but they have now cut it back to two.  You can still nymph fish while two are running, but it just isn't as productive.  Streamer/clouser fishing can be fantastic, as long as you can get the offering down close to the bottom or right along the flooded timber.  I target flooded timber or find gravel bars that are partially submerged and throw the clouser up into the shallow water and strip it across the gravel as it drops into deeper water.  I've been using a 5wt 9 ft GL3 with a full sinking line.  It doesn't wear on you like a seven or nine weight does and you can still throw some pretty hefty flies.  The key is finding what fly they are interested in and what kind of retrieve they prefer.  I typically cast down and across and let it sink at least 5 seconds before stripping it in.  Quick short strips usually does the trick and a lot of the fish will actually hit it on the swing.

If we don't get much rain here in the next seven days then I predict that the Corps will cut it back to one generator or go back to the dual generation schedule with water being run in the morning, shut it off during most of the day, then crank it again in the early evening.  When the dual generation schedule is on I will throw clousers or big white woolies when the water is on then go to nymphs and egg patterns while water isn't being generated. 

I've been starting to book my spring and summer trips.  No real rush, but those of you who have fished with me during the months of May and June know just how fantastic the fishing can be, especially if we have decent water and a good caddis hatch.  I will post my new e-mail in a couple of days.

Happy New Year!  Let's all hope that the fishing this new year will be as good as the last.  The 2006 and 2007 years were pretty darn good, especially with all of the low and warmer water concerns that we had this past year.  To wrap up a great year, I took a guy fishing yesterday morning and he did very well with assorted egg patterns.  Nothing over 17 inches, but a bunch of nice healthy fish in the 12-14 inch range was the norm.  I checked the outside temperature gauge at the river when we arrived at it was 23 degrees!  Yikes!  Ice on the guides for nearly the first hour and a half, but it did make it into the low 50s.  Much better than today's high in the upper 20s with snow showers.

The water was clear and in the upper 40s, reaching 51 by late afternoon.  The fish weren't hitting super aggressively, but once they were hooked it was on.  The Corps was running one generator throughout the entire day and I think that over the last three weeks the higher water levels has washed out a lot of the junk and a lot of the moss that built up over the summer.  As long as we don't get a lot of rain then the Corps should keep the generation to a minimum.

I do have some Saturdays and Sundays open in January.  Yes, it can be cold, but who cares when the fish are biting!

I know, I know.  I haven't posted a report in a long time.  Once the deer hunting gets into full gear the fishing takes a back seat.  However, I was able to fish the river with a friend this past week and the fishing could be rated as great!  How many and what's the size are usually the most asked questions.  We landed nearly 80 fish or more between the two of us, with a couple at 18 inches being the largest.  Lots of fish in the 11-14 inch range, but there were several rainbows within the slot.  Only a handful of browns were landed, but that is usually the norm when fishing egg patterns.  The neat thing is that I only had to cover about two miles of water to catch them.  Man, the water is low with only one sluice gate running for one or two hours every 24 hours.  This might change after this last batch of rain and that would be a very welcomed change.  We need a little more water to be pushed through for it would flush or clean out some of the moss.  There has been more moss than ever due to the lower levels.  You really notice it in the morning when the Corps releases the water and all of this moss is pushed down river.

Open dates are December 20 through January 2nd.  Now, not every single one of those days are available, but a handful of them are.  If a little cold weather doesn't bother you and the cabin fever along with the hectic holiday season have taken its toll, then give me a call or shoot me an e-mail. 

Fished the river four days this past week and it was pretty good, but man was it windy.  I would have to agree that a little chop on the water is beneficial when nymph fishing, but one foot waves is a little too much.  The largest fish were two browns at twenty inches with a lot of rainbows in the 13-17 inch range.  The same old patterns are working, but I did experiment with some olive/gray scuds on Sunday and landed several nice rainbows in the early afternoon.  Bad news was that I saw several dead trout.  I checked out one over the weekend and you could see where someone had ripped out the hook.   Bait fishing is hell on the trout, especially if you try ripping out a hook that is in its throat.  Just cut the line.  I even cut one of the egg patterns off this past weekend because it was so deep.  We caught a rainbow on Sunday that had mono running out of its anus.  So that answers questions whether or not a fish can survive with a hook in its throat.  Just make sure to cut off the mono as close to the hook as possible.

I will have a couple of days open during my Thanksgiving break and my Christmas break.  Fishing will continue to be pretty good as long as we continue to have some good water.  We are getting some much needed rain which will raise the levels of the lake and hopefully the Corps will release a little more water.  We don't need a whole bunch, but the river needs to be "flushed out."  That's just my opinion.

Took my kids out on Saturday and they did well.  Rigged them up with some spin cast rods with egg patterns and a bobber.  Bam!  I think my little girl caught more than her older brother, but she didn't rub it in too bad.  The key to catching fish with this lower water is to find moving water that has some decent depth, with 3 or more feet being the best.  Don't overlook the deeper water that is slow moving.  During a couple of my last trips we caught some trophy size rainbows and browns that were were in the 3-4 pound range.  I don't know how many boats would just pack up and head past us in this deeper water as they went to the next riffle.  The riffle areas are great, but if there is enough flow, just enough, then the fishing can be pretty darn good in the long holes.  The take is subtle, very subtle.  I lost one with the kids the other day that was big.  I don't know how big, but I could not turn it.  Hooked it in about 7-8 feet of water and it barely took the indicator under.   At first I thought it was snagged around some timber, but then it slowly took off to the other side.  Trying to use the trolling motor to stay over it was entertaining for the kids.  Then snap!  It was gone.  By the way it hugged the bottom, it almost had to be a brown.  Unfortunately I lost two other nice fish in the same area, with one pulling off and the other snapping off the rig. 

I will be down on the river off and on throughout this week.  It's fall break at school and I plan on spending some time guiding on the river.  Also, Wednesday is open if anyone wants it. 

Gotta go,

Dave

It's good!  No, it is great.  Fished the past couple of weekends and the fishing has been fantastic.  Took some folks yesterday that have never done any fly fishing at all and they did very good, with the largest being slightly under 20 inches.  You all know what I am using so I'm not even going to waste my time with the details.  I do have one day open during my fall break and that is October 20th which is a Saturday.  First come first serve.  It should really be nice with some of this cooler weather that is being forecasted. 

Guided over the weekend and the fish are really hitting the peach and salmon egg colored egg patterns.  We didn't even really try anything else.  Almost every fish was a rainbow, the norm for egg patterns.  Many nice fish in the slot limit with a handful just shy of the 20 inch mark.  The cool thing is that we saw at least one rainbow making an attempt at spawning.  This will really start picking up in October and through the winter as long as we have some decent water.  Lots of deer crossing the water made for some nice pictures and some higher spirits since all of the bad news of blue tongue throughout the state. 

Remember that I will be down there for part of the week during Oct 15-19.  I would bet that you won't see hardly anyone out on the river during the work week, so if you want some solitude then that is your opportunity.

Fished over the weekend and it was pretty good with lots of thick healthy rainbows in the 12-15 inch range.  Some decent slot fish were also landed, with a 22 inch brown being the largest.  The big brown was in full spawning colors and milt was dripping out of him.  We should start seeing a lot of these size fish stacking up in the runs as the false spawn starts.  This goes on throughout the fall and typically larger streamers would do the trick if the water was running.  Due to the lower flows, I think nymphs and egg patterns will do even better.  The larger fish that we landed were caught on the peach egg patterns, but the size 18-20 turkey bead heads did well as well.  As the browns drop their eggs, the rainbows will be lined up downstream sucking up every possible egg.  Its a no brainer on what will be on fire...eggs! 

There are a couple open weekends throughout the fall and the week of Oct 15-19 is my fall break.  I plan on being down there for at least 4 of these days.  Give me a ring if you would like to go.

Sorry, but I haven't been out on the river since about two weeks ago.  School is back on and so is football, so time is limited.  Then there is bowhunting which is a whole other subject.  I should be down there the next couple of weekends so I will have some updated reports starting on the 10th of September. 

I've talked to several people who have fished it in the last week or so and have heard mixed reports.  The Corps is running the sluice gates for three hours for 1500 cfs then they turn it off for three hours.  Riffle areas or areas where there is constant movement of water regardless of generation are always your best bet.  You can wade these areas while the generation is off then get in the boat and hit 'em hard while the sluice gates are running.  Upsize to larger beadhead patterns while it is running.  Larger being size 16 and go to 18s-22 while it is shut down.  Last time the red was knocking them dead, zebra midges that is.  Lots of fish in the 10-15 inch range on size 20 midges on a 4wt is a blast! 

Don't forget my fall break between Oct 15-19th.  I will most likely fill those five days by the end of September.  Egg patterns will be rocking as the browns try to spawn.  Larger streamer/clouser patterns usually do the trick as well when the water is running, but who knows how much water we will get. 

Guided on Sunday and boy was it crowded.  Primarily fished upstream from Helms and caught a ton of fish in the 10-15 inch range.  It probably would have been better to go downstream with all the boats out on the water, but it was fun catching all of those fatties.  Egg patterns and red zebra midges in sizes 18 and 20s caught most of the fish.  Folks, it has been a great summer with lots of fish and many great memories.  Thanks for the business. 

Water temps are still in the low to mid 50s in the first 10 miles, but I really don't know how the lack of water is affecting temps father downstream and everyone knows that I would rather fish downstream.  Many of the same old patterns have done well over the summer, but egg patterns have done better than ever.  Another note worth mentioning:  If we get a low flow of water over the fall and winter then there might be a decent spawn for the rainbows.  Can you imagine how well egg patterns will do once the spawn is on during the fall and winter?  It could get crazy.  The worst case scenario is that we get some big time rain from the remnants of a hurricane, the corps runs tons of water, and the fishing goes south big time.  We need some rain and lower temps, but NO GULF COAST HURRICANES!  Keep your fingers crossed.

I will only be out on the water a couple of times here and there from now on.  School starts this Thursday and it really gets tough to find guiding time, but if you find a weekend day that you want then give me a ring.  My October/Fall break from school is the week of October 15th -19th.  I most likely will guide most of that week.  That week usually books up with return customers, so give me a ring if interested. 

It's been fun,

Dave

Would someone please turn off the heat?  Good Lord it is on fire.  It was so hot yesterday that the sole of my Teva sandals peeled right off.  Ok, they were 5 years old and had seen some time, but man is it hot.  Now for the good news:  If you can take the heat then your hard workd will definately pay off because the fish are very active.  I've been fishing the first 8 miles below the dam and there are tons of fish in certain areas.  Maybe they are migrating upstream to the colder H2O.  I believe that this is the case.  Today the largest fish was a 20 inch rainbow just downstream from the dam and it probably weighed close to four pounds, an absolute pig! 

What's working?  The past several times we have been sticking to the egg patterns simply because they just keep catching and catching the fish.  Kind of like the energizer bunny, they just keep going!  You could probably go to other assorted small bead heads and do well, but it's tough to get away from something that is producing.  Today after guiding, I fished a couple of runs and did well, but I only had one egg left.  Even after all of the yarn had fallen off, the fish were still hitting the thread (yellow) which was tied on the jig head.  Most of the fish were in the 10-14 inch range, but it was a blast. 

Bad news, back to school time this next Thursday.  Yikes!!!  It's been a fun summer.  I will have a couple of days open on weekends here and there throughout the late summer and fall.  Give me a ring if interested.

Dave

Ouch!  It is hot out, hottest temps so far this summer, but the fishing is holding up very well in the first 15 miles in the river.  I've been out on the river about 2-3 times per week and have done very well on the last several outings.  The Corps is running the sluice gates at about the same volume as if one generator was on.  Egg patterns are slamming fish, and not just the tiny stockers.  Last Thursday and Friday the folks that fished with me caught a lot of fish, many in the lower slot (15-16 inches long).  I'll be at it again the next couple days with 100 degree temps forecasted.  Last Friday it was in the mid 90s and with a nice breeze and the fog has been sticking around until 10 or so in the morning.  Water temps in the first ten miles have been in the low to mid 50s, so that is great!

School will be starting in about a week and a half, so weekday fishing is pretty much over for me.  This Friday and Saturday are open if anyone wants them.  

Success on the river right now depends on your location, patterns, time of day, and the amount of water that is running through the sluice gates.  It will be interesting to see what happens this week since the lake went up and the Corps is releasing more water through the sluice gates.  I fished a couple of days below Winfrey's and had limited success- some nice slot fish, but not a whole lot of fish.  Then one evening I fished on the upper end of the river and slammed 'em on weighted egg patterns.  From about 7:30 to about 9:00 one evening I had a hit on nearly every cast in a couple different areas.  The great thing is that many of the fish were close to the slot or in the slot and these fish are fat!!!  The growth rate in that area has to be great since the consistent low flow over the past couple of months. 

Give me a ring or shoot me an e-mail if you are interested in getting out on the river.  I have about three more open days before school begins. 

Dave

Fishing is good, but even greater if you can downsize, especially when the sluice gates aren't open.  You can get by on various nymph patterns and even egg patterns when the water is moving, but when it slows down it can get tough.  This past week I found that egg patterns were tearing them up on different areas of the river.  Many slot rainbows were caught on peach and champagne colored egg patterns, especially in areas with a decent current.  In the deep slow moving holes I would fish a copper prince/bead head midge dropper and do well.  I really like fishing these slow moving areas where the water is 7-9 feet in depth.  It takes patience and a lot of the time the take is oh so slight.  Midge fishing on top during the late afternoon and evening can be hot but also very frustrating.  Sometimes it takes nearly forever to figure out what they are willing to take, while other times anything small in an 18-22 will do. 

School will be starting in just a little over three weeks.  I am very limited in availability over the next three weeks, but I do have a couple of Wednesdays and Saturday and Sunday open.  Hope everyone is enjoying the summer and remember to take care of our river.  Last week I picked up at least a dozen nightcrawler containers and soda bottles floating down the river.  Let's keep it clean.

Dave

It's getting hot and the fishing is still decent to great.  I was out on the river two times this past week and the results were different each time.  One day we caught a lot of little ones with a couple right at 20 inches while the other day most of the fish were in the 14-18 inch range.  The same old patterns are still working, but you might want to upsize if you fish the day after a thunderstorm.  In the past the river would flush clean by the next day after a t-storm, but with the low flows it sometimes takes up to two days to clear up.  If it is clear then go small- sizes 20 and 22 zebra midge patterns almost always work.  Dry fly fishing with size 18 and 20 blue winged olives can be decent throughout the day, especially during the afternoon.  I always have a rod or two rigged with various dry patterns if we come across some surface feeders. 

River temps in the Winfrey's area are up to 62 degrees in the afternoon, so it has been pretty consistent for the past month.  Let's hope this holds up until mid fall, fingers crossed!  I start school on August 13th, so if you want a day on the river with me then this next month will be the time to do so. 

Fishing is great.  Many of the newspaper articles can be very misleading, but success depends on spedific areas of the river. My mouth is quiet on that.  Sorry, but with all of the summer traffic (especially on the weekends) it can get somewhat hectic. 

The water temperatures vary from area to area, but obviously there is great concern for the Burkesville area.  I haven't even made it as far downstream as Crocus Creek this year and with the warmer water temps I will most likely avoid it.  The good news is that the fish that we have been catching are in excellent shape.  I have gone up in tippet size, staying with the flourocarbon, but the fish do not seem to mind.  We have done well going small and smaller.  The copper dropper or the mini jig combo is nailing them as usual, but it changes from time to time and I am convinced that it is determined by the sun.  I like to fish a Chartruese Copper Prince on cloudy days then go to the buggy Awesome Possum brown jig on the cloud free days.  I fished last week and one guy was using a Copper and a size 20 pheasant tail type and the other a brown jig and the size 20 pheasant.   Skies were bright and no clouds and the guy with the brown jig was hammering them.  The copper must have been too much for the fish.  Perhaps too much flash.

Size of the fish has been phenomenal.  It is not uncommon to land a half dozen fish per trip in the 19-22 inch range and even larger.  All have been caught fly fishing with the exception of the next story.  Last Friday I took my six year old and rigged him with a small bobber and night crawler.  He caught one that was over 21 inches and lost another rainbow that was over two feet long.  He is still angry about losing that one, said it was my fault because I didn't help him enough. 

Fishing has really started to improve since the Corps began running water through the sluice gates.  To lower water temperatures the Corps began releasing water through the sluice gates.  The water that runs through these gates is colder than water that is run through the generators.  How much difference in temperatures?  Before the opening of the sluice gates, I recorded water temps in the lower seventies near Big Willis creek.  That was about a week and a half ago.  The last three days the temperatures in that area in the afternoon were slightly over 60 degrees.  Yesterday at 6:30 in the morning the water temperature at Winfrey's Ferry was 53.8 degrees and when I took the boat out at 7:00 in the evening it was 58.  Let's hope for some rain and the continued cold water releases.

Fishing:  Lots of fish, with several in the 18-22 inch range  landed over the last three days.  Areas:  Well, I put in at Winfrey's and that is about all I have to say.  It took me a while to find the fish, but once we located them we stayed on them throughout the day.  There are about 4 areas that are between a quarter to a half mile stretch where the fish are concentrated.  The weird thing is that it changed a little from day to day.  For example I fished the same areas at the same times with the same flies for three days straight and the results were always different.  One area might be on fire one day using size 16s while the next day it took a while to figure out that they wanted a size 22.  You can't go wrong when you go small and go olive.

Fishing is still great.  I know that everyone is worried about water temperatures.  I sure am, but the Corps has been running one generator for an hour every 6 hours and I think that has helped.  I've heard that the water temps are very warn in the Burkesville area, but the fish are very lively in the Winfrey's area.  I kept two fish the other day in the morning and kept them in my livewell all day and they were still kicking at seven in the evening.  I've gone up in size as far as tippet material goes and have mashed down all barbs which is the norm.  4x and 5x flourocarbon help you get the fish in faster and release them faster as well. 

Now this is fun:  Use a big bouyant fly like a humpy and tie on 2 and half to three feet of 5x flourocarbon at the bend.  Then tie on a size 18-22 zebra midge or my turkey pattern.  Tiny pheasant tails work well too.  target rising fish in areas that are less than 4 feet deep and watch the dry.  95 percent of the time they take the bead head and the take can sometimes be very subtle.  I had this big rainbow hovering around this rock in about five feet of water.  I couldn't get it to hit the normal meat and taters rig.  I motored back upstream, let the area calm down for about ten minutes and grabbed the dry/bead head combo and went to work.  On the second cast the bow opened her mouth and I set the hook.  I landed her and targeted another large fish that later broke off.  Sight fishing for a 22 inch rainbow with a size 20 is a blast!!!

The river is probably as low as I have ever seen it.  Areas that are normally too deep to nymph fish are really producing some very nice fish.  Every trip of the last three weeks has produced at least one fish at or longer than 20 inches and all of these fish were released back into the river.  What is working?  Size 18-20 bead head midges such as the turkey pattern and zebras attached to a copper john/copper prince or 1/80 oz. brown roach style jigs are the best combo.  Bead head caddis patterns in olive size 16 and 18 are also doing their share as well.

Problems:  Water temperatures are rising!  Last Saturday they were in the upper 50s, but by the time I took out at Winfrey's this past Monday the temperatures were in the mid 60s.  The Corps has been running only one generator for only a few hours each day.  With the warmer air temps and the lack of rain (remember when I was tired of rain) the river is starting to warm up.  I really don't know what to expect over the summer.  Hopefully fishing will continue as is, but we are at the mercy of mother nature and the Corps of Engineers.

Many June dates are still open.  Drop me a line if you are interested in going.

On fire, is probably the best way to describe the fishing over this past weekend.  "I've never caught this many fish on the river," "I never caught a fish over 20 inches on a fly rod and today I caught two" and "this day is the best day that we have ever had on the river" are just a few of the statements that I heard over the weekend.

Caddis hatches and midge activity are on big time.  If you catch the caddis hatch, not so much the caddis trying to lay their eggs, then fishing is easy.  Several areas are producing fish, but some are much better than others. (Joe, you know where and I won't share it with everyone.) Most of the browns and rainbows in the 18-24 inch range are being caught in the drop off areas directly downstream from riffle areas, sometime nymphing in water 9-10 feet deep.  Yes, the shallow areas are producing lots of fish as well, but the deeper areas are producing some monsters.  We even had a 40 pound plus striper rip off a 15 inch brown in 8 feet of water. 

Bad news, I tied about 24 different flies for this past weekend and they are gone.  Only a few were lost due to snags, the others were from fish, some being very big.  I guess that isn't all bad for it shows that they are really putting on the feed bags. After fishing on Saturday I dropped my client off at the ramp and fished about an hour on my own.  I landed one brown that was 21 inches and had a monster brown on for several minutes that broke off.  Fishing is fabulous.

Fishing this past Saturday could have been rated as fair.  The Corps was running two generators and the flow was a little faster than what I thought would occur.  Nymph fishing was tougher, but we still were able to land several in the slot.  I messed around trying to throw a white wooly on a full sinking line and had some success.  To me it is a lot more enjoyable, and a whole lot easier, to nymph fish.  Yes, I would rather fish dries, but it's just not as productive.  It's been a while since I used the full sinking line, but I like downsizing to a 5 wt. instead of throwing a 7wt. for it's a whole heck of a lot lighter.  Most of the fish would hit the fly (size 4 white wooly) on the swing, with a 19 1/2 inch brown being the largest.  We had some success with the weighted egg pattern with a size 16 bead head caddis as a dropper.  Later in the day we went to the chartreuse copper john to get the bead head down a bit faster and had some success in that area as well.  Thanks for the good time Brian!!!

Hopefully the Corps won't run quite as much water this next weekend.  Spin fishing with Yozuri's would have probably been the most effective way to catch some bigger fish when the water is flowing, but most of my customers want to stick to the fly rod which is fine by me.

I do have an opening the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend if anyone is interested.  Many openings in June are still open as well, especially weekdays.  If you are looking for a day to get away and fish then I would suggest booking a Monday.  They usually don't run as much water and the fishing pressure is nearly absent in many of the areas on the river.  Pray for less rain and let the caddis hatch kick in!

Rained out again.  It looked like Sunday would be a good day, but the lake came up too much and the Corps had to drop it.  As you can guess, the water was too high for fly fishing.  So there is no report.  Sorry, but hopefully I will be out on the water this next weekend and I promise to post a report with some updated pictures and perhaps some video segments. 

There is an opening for Mother's Day, still not sure about it (the hell that I will catch from my wife) ,but I'll take you if you want to go.  Also the Sunday of Memorial Day is available.  I know folks get skittish about booking a trip on that weekend, but there is so much river to fish that I never find it to be overcrowded. 

Take care,

Dave

Wow!  What a difference a week can make.  Last week the Corps of Engineers was running water like crazy and now it has been virtually turned off.  Folks, this fishing is some of the best that I have ever seen anywhere!  This past weekend we caught too many fish to count.  There was one period of time when I made ten casts and caught ten fish.  Lots of midge and caddis activity and as a result the fish have put on their feeding bags.  Four of our fish that were landed this past Sunday were between 20-22 inches long and were extremely thick.

Patterns:  Bead head patterns fished below a mini jig (1/80 oz) or size 12 Copper john worked the best.  The bead head patterns were tied on scud hooks that were between sizes 16-20.  Olive colored patterns produced a lot of fish, but the trophy size fish hit the brown mini jig.  There were far too many break offs this past weekend while using 6x.  I upsized to 5x and even 4x flourocarbon and didn't notice a big drop off in hits.  The larger size tippet helps land them quicker which reduces the amount of stress upon those beauties.

I still have a couple of openings in May.  Hurry before it rains!!

Take care,

Dave

Water temperatures have been between 44-47 degrees the past two weeks.  That is a little cool, but the fish don’t seem to mind one bit.  No April Fools jokes about fishing, it is starting to pick up.  The water has been relatively low the past two weekends and the fly fishermen have been out in full force.  Various bead head nymph patterns and egg patterns have been producing many slot fish.  I’ve had most of my success in areas where there is a good flow and the water is not too deep-somewhere between 3-5 feet deep.  Now we have been catching them in much deeper water as well, but we were actually able to see the fish hit the fly a couple times this past weekend.  Now that is fun!!!

If you want to get out then get out now!  I hate to say it, but all it takes is a 2-3 inch rain and the lake will go up 6 feet, the Corps will end up running water for three weeks and that just isn’t any fun.  It looks like we won’t get that much precipitation this week so fishing should remain good.  Colder weather is in the forecast, but we all knew that these late spring temperatures wouldn’t last forever.  Back to the fly tying!

Wow!  The fishing is on big time.  Whether you like throwing crankbaits or nymph fishing with the fly rod, you are going to catch fish.  Some areas are definitely producing a lot more fish than other areas, but fishing is pretty good on the first 20 miles of the river.

As we all know the fly fishing pretty much depends on how much the Corps runs.  The lake level is where they want it and they aren’t running much water.  This could all change quickly if we received a couple of inches of rain.  If you are interested in a trip then send me an e-mail or phone me at 502 538-8919.  I only have the opportunity at getting out on the weekends so availability is limited.

I have been down on the river the last two Sundays and the fishing has been good at times depending on the water generation.   Egg patterns ruled the roost this past weekend, hooking the largest rainbow that was between 19 and 20 inches.  I’ve had the best luck with the egg patterns, but also dropping a midge size 18 below the weighted egg can work as well.  Late afternoons, especially yesterday, seemed to be the best as the river was at its lowest level.  Sometimes you can do pretty good when one generator is running, but it seems like the fish are much more concentrated in the riffles a couple of hours after generation has ceased.  I’ve been hitting the first 8 miles of the river, but might try some other areas this next weekend if I get the chance.

As far as the dam and lake are concerned, who knows!  I hear different information every couple of days about how many more feet the corps is going to drop the lake.  My concern is warmer water temperatures in the summer and early fall.  As for the upcoming months, keep an eye on precipitation.  If we get a lot of rain then the corps is going to run a ton of water.  If we don’t get much rain then the corps won’t run a whole lot which means fly fishing will only get better.  May and June dates are being reserved mostly by return customers.   If interested in some of the year’s best fly fishing then give me a ring and I will save you a day

Christmas is almost here and the Corps of Engineers has given us a gift, a lower flow that is.  Most days throughout the week you can get a full day in, but you have to be willing to put in and take out twice.  At least that is what I’ve done the last two times out.  Egg patterns are still producing some nice rainbows up to the 20 inch mark and midges in size 18 are also doing the trick throughout the day but especially during the afternoon.   Last week I was able to get out and we caught some decent fish.  Nothing over the 20 inch mark but one brown and one rainbow were just a tad under 20 inches.  Yozuris are working pretty good if you like to do the spin fishing thing.  A couple of sharp jerks and a 3 second pause seemed to be working the best, but it changes from day to day so it always involves a little experimentation.  I hooked a foot long brown and as it neared the boat a brown in the 10 pound range followed it right up to the boat.  Curiosity or hunger, I do not know, but it was exciting! 

The Winfrey’s area in the morning before the generation reaches there is pretty good.  Not as many fish in this area or downstream, but the quality is outstanding.  Almost all of the fish that we caught were in the slot.  If you want to catch a ton of fish and not care about size, then the section upstream from Helm’s is where you want to go.  Lots of stockers, but lots of fun in the afternoon as the water is dropping. 

I do have two openings before the end of the year:  December 29^th and the 30^th.  Enjoy the Holidays and the best gift that the Cumberland die hards are wishing for is another repeat of this past year!