Cumberland River Fishing Report 08-14-18

My 7th grader getting it done during a nasty weather day on the Cumberland.

Fly fishing for trout on the Cumberland River has been very productive. Catch rates have been good and plenty of nice size fish are being brought to the net. We’ve moved into that part of the year where changes from the summer season to Autumn are starting to surface. Morning temperatures have started to drop and the mornings have a crisper feel. Heavy morning dew and fog are a daily occurrence, and there seems to be a different aroma in the air. I’ve noticed that there's also a slight tinge of yellow starting to show up in the tree line on the river banks. Of course the beginning of school is the largest indicator that seasons are changing. This is a great time of year to fish the river.

Bob and his crew had a fun day!

As usual, the key to success on the river is figuring out the generation schedule. Stay away from dead water and concentrate on water with movement and you’ll catch fish.

Over the past several weeks the Cumberland River basin has received a few heavy thunderstorms. Some of these storms have been rather large and some have been localized. I’ve had a couple of trips recently where the weather was not very good, but anglers did very well putting fish in the net. I rarely cancel a trip due to weather unless it is a very nasty storm that is most certain to occur. I took my oldest daughter out last Friday as an attempt to spend time with her before school starts and the weather was absolutely terrible. It rained all day, hard. I bet I bailed out 50 gallons of water from the drift boat. In fact, we saw two boats give their day up to the weather. She is a pretty hard core little angler for being only 12 years old and we had a great day. She caught tons of fish and a few nice ones that any grown man would be proud of. I guess the point is that weather can have a forecast of being nasty, but it’s not a deal breaker as often as you might think.

So what’s been working in hooking those crazy trout? The same standard flies that have been working for years such as zebra midges, PT’s, Princes, Frenchie, etc, etc. As usual, if they don't hit what you're fishing, make a change.

Tailwater candy

It’s also that time of year when weekend generation schedules cause very low water during most of the day until generation picks up later in the afternoon. During these conditions, knowing where to cast, proper fly placement and line control such as proper mending will make all the difference in your success. If you don't know theses conditions, a guide will take you a long way.

With low and clear water, false casting should be kept to a minimum. Nothing alerts trout that something odd is going on like a boat passing over them or continual false casting over them. If at all possible, make one good cast to your target.

If the water is low and clear then downsize that tippet. You won’t be sorry.

At 86 years young PV has a super fast hook set and can fish with the best of anglers on the Cumberland!

If you have a free evening on September 4th, slip out to Louisville, KY to the Louisville Trout Unlimited Annual Banquet. This is a great event that raises money for the Louisville chapter so they can support their activities which consists of supporting all things related to cold water fisheries. In fact their mission is:

"To conserve, protect and restore Kentucky's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds within our geographic influence".

If you are interested in Joining Trout Unlimited go here: Trout Unlimited

If you are interested in attending the Louisville Trout Unlimited Annual Banquet please contact:

Lee Squires, Banquet Chair

405 Springwood Ln.

Louisville, Ky. 40207

502-895-9997, 502-551-5985 cell

bonsaiman@twc.com

Thanks to each of you that follow Cumberland Bottom Ticklers on Facebook and Instagram. It's nice to hear from you and see you on the water.

If you have interest in fishing the Cumberland River, please contact me at your earliest convenience. I have a few fall dates open, but they are starting to disappear.

My last comment is "Watch those indicators"!!!

Thanks and fish hard!

Greg