Trout Flies and Fly Fishing In the Southern Appalachians

Flies and Fly Fishing In the Southern Appalachians

David Hutton, Palmetto Fly N Fish ©

Posted originally, May 17, 2016

One of our facebook group members, from Augusta GA, was wondering what flies he should tie for trout in our part of the country, aka, the Southeastern United States.
More specifically, flies for Southern Appalachian trout streams.

Through some great cosmic coincidence, I discovered the book, "Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia," at the public library that same day. What follows is the condensed version of the chapter on, "Hatches And Flies"...

"The usual image of a fly fisherman is a glassy eyed fellow in flop hat and waders, intent on the insects found in the waters he's fishing. Part entomologist, part craftsman, part mystic wizard, his sole aim is to duplicate the insects hatching at any given moment.
However, this scenario is far more prevalent on the fertile spring creeks, limestone, and freestone streams of the West and Northeast.

By comparison, the fly fisherman on the streams of South Appalachia will find relatively infertile, freestone flows. Now, this isn't to say these streams are devoid of critters for fish to feed upon. On the contrary, they support a smorgasbord of insect life.

But these insects are found in comparatively small numbers, and even more importantly, the hatches that do exist are sporadic and unpredictable. Added to this is the rough-and-tumble nature of the streams in this region.

Examined this way, the foraging picture for trout in SE Appalachian trout streams can be summarized thus:

"A variety of insects, in no great number, appearing unpredictably, sweeping rapidly by in swift currents."

Under these conditions, the fish aren't too keyed on only certain foods.
Indeed, they are more inclined to take what comes, when it comes. This means a degree in entomology isn't needed.
Of greater importance, in fact, is skill at stream stalking, reading the streams you encounter, and casting in tight quarters.
These will be more important than how perfectly you mimic an Ephemeral Eastern Greenback Double-Winged Zipper.

Accepting this... and you may as well accept it... we can now look at the feeding opportunities for trout in Southern Appalachian freestone streams.

HOOK SIZES
No elaborate ranges here; it's really a small selection when compared to what we THINK we must have. In short, here are the sizes you need to consider:

- Sizes 12 and 14 for dry Flies
Sizes 8-14, for nymphs and wet flies

That's it. These will allow mastery over the bulk of the conditions found in Southern Appalachia.

INSECT TYPES

1.Trichoptera – caddis flies

These form the backbone of aquatics found in most creeks. Turn over a few rocks and you'll find the case-building caddis nymphs clinging there, while emerging adults may be seen at any time from spring through fall.

Trout show a preference for the swept-wing dry flies that mimic caddis, simply because they are used to seeing the adults. They also don't show a distinct preference to one color or another. If a gray fly will take them, a green one probably will, too. A few basic floating caddis dry's are called for:

"Elk Hair Caddis"
"Chuck Caddis" (woodchuck)
"Royal Trude"
"Swept hair" wing caddis types
"Tent wing" caddis types

Flies to imitate the cased caddis nymph's may also catch trout in the creeks. The fish know them as food and they'll pounce them should they see them sweeping by. However, these nymphs don't often get knocked loose from their rocky homes, so they aren't high on the menu. Most anglers don't bother with them, for good reason.

2. Ephemeroptera – mayflies

These are the second most important of the aquatic winged insects. 

In the warm months they are common; their upright wings easy to spot. They also share the same habitat as the caddis, and often overlap hatches with the latter. But, their hatches are no more predictable or numerous. Some exceptions occur, of course, on a local basis, but nothing to hang your hat on.
Thus, a general selection of flies to imitate adult mayflies, and perhaps a few variations, are all that are needed. Here are a few recommended types:

"Royal Wulff"
"Adams"
"Light Cahill"
"Humpy"

Mayfly nymphs are free roaming, unlike the anchored caddis larvae. This means the fish see them frequently. They are small, though, with hook sizes 14-16 being standard. Nevertheless, they're worth imitating and some good all-purpose patterns for these are:

"Gold Ribbed Hares Ear"
"Pheasant Tail"
"Tellico Nymph" (these originated in eastern Tennesee)

3. Plecoptera – stone flies

While these are common in number, they are less important than the previous two. 

Their life-cycle has them living on the stream bed, among the rocks, until they crawl along the bottom and onto shore or twigs for emergence.
Subsequently, the adult flies appear on the water but rarely, so they don't figure much as a forage for the trout.

The nymphs however, are another matter. They are in the water with the trout, they're mobile and available, especially when moving toward the shore to emerge.
They are also quite hefty by nymph standards, so trout relish them.
They are generally tied on a weighted, #10 - #8 hook; big by small stream standards.
Two flies that are often tied to mimic them are:

"Ted's Stone," a brown chenille version
"Montana Stone," a black version

TERRESTRIALS
This category is the ringer in the game, and at least as important as any of the aquatics.

Oddly, terrestrials make up what might be the only reliable "hatch" to be found on the small Southern Appalachian flows.
This is to say that from Spring, through Summer, and into Fall, all manner of beetles, moths, bees, wasps, leaf-hoppers, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, and ants fall, or are blown, into the water.
Obviously, the trout are on the lookout for this bounty.

Stomach surveys of trout in the region reveal that the most commonly eaten insect is... drum roll please - the ordinary black ant.
They are found in virtually every trout checked, often in great numbers and to the exclusion of other forage types.
Dry and wet imitations of these ants are requisite in every fly wallet.
Whip up some beetles and a few generic hoppers to keep the ants company, and your "land bug" quiver should be adequate.

MINNOWS and CRAYFISH

No forage list would be complete without these two, relatively large, food items.
Smaller trout may be shy around these, but the larger specimens most definitely are not.
To imitate them, STREAMER flies are the obvious choice.

Now, its been said that all fly-fishermen have some streamers tucked away... which they almost never use. More is the pity.
Almost any streamer pattern stands a good chance of attracting trout on Southern streams if it is sized right, and presented enticingly in the right places.

Muddler Minnow. Tied in a tan/brown color palette, with a few wraps of lead wire, this fly can be made to achieve neutral, or slightly negative buoyancy. This means it doesn't sink fast, and it doesn't float at the surface. It is this ability to suspend in the water that seems to draw strikes from the trout, and which gives it an edge over other streamers.
Additionally, the colors from tan to brown, effectively mimic both the minnows and crawfish found in the mountain streams.

(I don't see how we can leave out the Woolly Bugger in this portion of the discussion, either. Black, olive and tan/brown should suffice - David)

Having now made some bold statements about flies for Southern Appalachian waters, I'd like to add a disclaimer. Every fly caster, no matter where he lives, has his favorite patterns. These patterns are fished regularly enough that they are considered fish getters by their owner. I recognize that.
In recommending the ones mentioned here, I am sharing what has worked for me, and what I see on the leaders and fly patches of other successful Southern trouters.

I also recognize that, to an experienced trout man, this discussion is superficial, even overly simplified. That is by design. If you recall, I stated up front that this is a different sort of fly fishing.

In this part of the country, you only need remember a few things:

- Be opportunistic like the fish - don't wait on sporadic, unpredictable "hatch" feeding
- Be mindful of stream approach and stalking
- Be able to cast accurately along cloistered banks
- Fish buoyant, visible dry flies, a few wet/nymph styles, and a few right sized streamers.

Do these things and you'll have as much action as you can take."

That’s me for reading. I hope you like it, and will share it with your friends.

David

Palmetto Fly n Fish

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- Adapted by me, from the book, "Trout Streams of Southern Appalchia," 3rd edition, by Jimmy Jacobs.