Late Fall Fishing Has Been On Fire!

Phew! That's all I can say after the busy Thanksgiving holiday week we just had. Thanks to over 28 inches of rain we've received since September, our water conditions in the beginning of the week weren't exactly ideal, but we managed to get folks into a bunch of fish anyway. Lots of split shot and big dumbbell eyes sure helped cut through all that water and the fish were turned on enough to eat some streamers, too, which certainly helped. By the time Turkey Day was upon us, the water levels on the Davidson and upper French Broad tribs had dropped to a great level. All in all, it was a fun way to bid good-bye to fall and say hello to the colder conditions of winter.

With water temps in the low 40s, the trout definitely have moved into their winter holding lies. We didn't find many willing takers in the shallow riffles or pocket water this last week. The deeper holes and slow-moving runs produced the bulk of our fish, which ate blue-winged olive emergers, dun caddis pupa and any small nymph with a tungsten bead (a #18 amber Tung-Stud was killing it.) Given the chilly water, the fish were surprisingly willing to eat swung flies on our private stretch, with many of the bigger trout eating Caddis Borealis soft hackles just as they lifted off the bottom at the end of the drift. On the Davidson, we caught some hefty browns both streamer fishing (Butt Monkeys and white Zonkers) and dead-drifting small Baetis nymphs just off the bottom. A #20 olive Pulsating Emerger was our #1 producer overall.

Looking for a Christmas present for the brookie fanatic in your family? We still have a few clearance items available at deep end-of-the-year discounts: a 7' 6" Thomas & Thomas LP 3-wt. for $368.55 (down from $567!), two 7'6" Wright & McGill boron 3-wts for $239.20 and our last remaining Scott E2 7'6" 3 wt. travel rod for $350! All of these rods come with a lifetime warranty and aluminum rod tubes with socks. Call the shop at (828) 877-3106 or email me at thana@headwatersoutfitters.com for details.

We're headed back to British Columbia this coming summer to fish for Westslope cutthroats and giant bull trout, and we'd like you to join us! Imagine catching 30-40 cutties in one day from the comfort of a Clackacraft drift boat, all on dry flies. Or how about spending a day on a private ranch in Alberta, casting hoppers at 20-inch wild rainbows, or sight-fishing to a pod of giant bull trout miles from any road? If that sounds fun, you need to sign up for our B.C. trip that runs Aug. 15-21, 2010. The cost is ridiculously affordable: $1,800 covers 6 nights of riverside lodging, five days of guiding, three square meals a day and transportation to Fernie, B.C. from the airport in Kalispell, MT (excluding taxes, tips and licenses.) We still have a few spots left, but we need a 50% deposit by Dec. 15 to confirm your reservation. Call me if you have any questions -- (828) 877-3106.

Tight lines,
Than