fishing and river reports

july 9, 2024

fishing has been good to great, depending on the day. cloudy and rainy (but not too much!) seems best. water is clear and at a good fishable level. higher than the low spring levels before the may blowout. plenty of bugs around so pick your poison. a good drift should catch some fish in most places. good numbers in the upper river right now. tons of small to midling size trout, especially browns. have been seeing some nicer teenage browns here and there. look clean and healthy and very good to see. some bigger fish in the upper stretches right now, but might have to work around some crowds to get to them on the weekends. there are blue winged olives around, especially in the afternoons. sulphurs still hatching here and there. flying ants most days. fish are looking for them, so worth a try if you see lots of risers. good visibility in the river right now. a whole lot of fun to fish! put on the polarized glasses and enjoy the show!

here are a few helpful generalities to keep in mind. river level and generation schedule can make or break your day. fishing is generally good until the water reaches a certain level in the afternoon. at some point (3+ generators at plateau), the river level becomes too high and swift and the fish tend to spread out and become difficult to find. usually best to get out early and take advantage of the morning and early afternoon. those are typically the best fishing times. location and drift more important than fly selection! in bigger water don’t get caught fishing too far into the main channel. most fish will be concentrated near structure and along seams near the bank, particularly areas with rocky depth changes. as the river level drops, they will move to slots and pockets out in the river. any number of different beadhead nymphs will do just fine. most of the standard generic trout patterns will work at one time or another. even though the river is big, the fish eat small. #1 mistake most new anglers to the river make is fishing flies that are too large. the fish on the cumberland, even the big ones, make a living eating midges, blackfly larva, and tiny sowbugs and scuds. give them what they want and they will find it!

please practice and encourage catch and release fishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! be courteous and respectful to your fellow anglers. we are all in this together!