Spring Tactics In The Upstate

By Karl Ekberg

Now, with the winter season behind us, warmer, longer daylight days are ahead. Many days of dry fly fishing have blessed the South Carolina waters through March. Excellent cool evenings and warm days have made early spring fishing a delight throughout the Chattooga and Chauga Rivers. Great rain has also blessed the river valleys, with rain coming in every four to five days, bringing water levels up and then subsiding to wadable levels within a day or two of the storms passing. The hatcheries, from both Georgia and South Carolina, have been stocking trout throughout the Delayed Harvest and other sections of the rivers, with great abundance this spring. The April outlook for the weather looks to be a continued wet/rainy month, with about average temperatures in the mid-sixties. This time of year, it is crucial that we still receive plenty of rain to keep water table levels up, as warmer temperatures are on the horizon.

A “dry-dropper” rig is a favorite of our guides during their trips with clients during this time of year. Excellent numbers of fish are being caught using this technique. This is an easy set up for everyone to use. Simply select a large, highly buoyant dry fly, consisting of a highly visible wing (top of the fly), and preferably a foam body. From the hook of this fly, tie on a piece of tippet of 4X-6X diameter and eighteen to twenty-four inches long. To the end of this tippet will be tied a smaller nymph or emerger of the hatches occurring on the rivers at the time.

The dry fly serves several purposes in the entire presentation of the flies being fished. First, the large dry acts as an “indicator” for strikes from the trout on the trailer/dropper fly. Secondly, and of possibly more importance, it shows if the flies are drifting drag-free throughout our entire drift/presentation of the flies. Having the leader and fly line upstream above the dry fly is crucial for the drift, with little to no fly line on the water. After the cast of the dry-dropper rig, a mend or two of the leader, fly line, and an easy rod lift is necessary to accomplish the dead

Continued, see SPRING TACTICS Page 32

By Scott Norton

This is the season anglers have been waiting for. The water temperatures are rising, and those warming trends are waking those bass up. We have had a very mild winter this year, so the water warm up will happen fast.

Warming weather patterns in February are a sign that bass will be feeding up really good by early March. I have been getting reports that aggressive bass are in the shallows feeding good in late February. Let’s hope that a late cold spell will not happen to shut this down. The rain will warm the waters quickly and raise the pool level causing the bass to go shallow.

Just remember, this time of year they will bite just about everything you offer them. Those big females are needing iodine from crayfish to break those egg-sacks, so going with a red or orange color may be the best way to just target those females. You can tell if they are feeding on crayfish or shad just by looking at their mouths. If they have a red, worn look to their mouths, more than likely they are feeding on crayfish on the bottom. If their mouths are white with sharp teeth, chances are they have been feeding on shad. Just pay attention to your catches.

The males will be the first wave, coming into the secondary points first, and the females will usually be behind them. So, when you find them, pay attention to the size and sex of the bass. You will still find them deep as well, but they will eventually join the others as the water warms. You will also notice the ones in the shallows will prefer a different pattern than the ones down deep. The bass down deep may want a slower presentation, while the bass in the shallows may be more aggressive, so use a faster presentation.

A good tip is to start on the sunny side of the lake where the sun

Continued, see SPRING PATTERNS Page 32