Fall is a great time to be out on the rivers. The weather is great, the colors are awesome, and fish start to really feed again to put on weight for the winter and the spawns. Many people forget that in the Fall months rivers start to see increases in bug numbers as the water cools. Watch for blue wing olives, mahogany duns, tricos and several other noteworthy hatches. By this time of year fish are used to seeing terrestrials like hoppers, ants, and beetles so these patterns make great options between hatches. Don’t forget to pack your streamer box as well. Brown trout seem to get especially vicious just before the spawn and streamer fishing can be great. Less people, hungry fish, fall colors, and fast fishing - what’s not to like about that?

This week’s picture is brought to you by Patti.
Here’s what she said about the catch, “This was my first muskie on a fly! I caught it fishing the Saint John River along with guide Bob Johnson of Johnson’s Allagash Lodge. Muskie on a fly is not an easy task, but the challenge is what makes the victory so sweet!”.

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Over the years as I’ve guided, fished, and competed I’ve had the opportunity to watch probably several thousand different casters. One thing I’ve noticed is that everyone has their own style. This is totally fine and makes it fun but I’ve also noticed that all of the best casters do some things similarly. The most accurate casters generally cast with a mostly vertical rod when trying to hit specific spots, meaning that the rod does not angle away from their body very much and the line travels over or very near the tip of the rod forming tight vertical loops. As long as your rod tracks in a straight line back and forward this rod angle eliminates most of the side to side variations that your cast can experience. One other thing that helps to maintain accuracy is to work out what appears to be the correct amount of line before laying the final cast down. Shooting line is great when trying to get distance but adds another variable when trying to cast accurately since you are basically letting go of line and distance control when you shoot line. If you want to become more accurate think about these 2 aspects of casting technique and then get out and practice. Hopefully you’ll hit more spots on the money and catch more fish.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Cody.
Here’s what he said about the catch, “This was my first carp on a fly rod. After sneaking up on a school of carp sunning in the shallows, I quietly cast my nymph right in front of this guy’s nose. It only took a few seconds before my line went tight and I fought this fish for almost an hour. He took me into my backing 3 times; these fish don’t seem to ever give up! I was using a 6wt outfit with 5x tippet. Great fun! Kissing the fish was my girlfriend’s idea….”.

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Sometimes even rising trout can be tough to catch. They may be keyed in on a bug that you don’t have a match for or lying in a spot where the drift is impossible. Occasionally in these situations a streamer can be the answer. Even though they may be primarily eating hatching insects, rising fish are still actively feeding and the opportunity to eat something big like the prey that streamers represent can be too much for them to resist. When other efforts have failed try to get to a casting position that let’s you present the fly across current in front of the fish. Be careful not to land your fly or line too close since streamers often splash a bit. Swing or strip you streamer just under the surface in front of the fish and be ready. The first cast is key and is usually when the strike will come. Good streamers for most of these situations are your basic Bead Head Krystal Buggers, Slumpbusters, Zonkers, and Muddlers. Try this the next time a rising fish has you stumped, it may just work.

This week’s picture is brought to you by Frank.
Frank pulled this Redfish just off Hilton Head Island. He was tailing in the grass in about 6 inches of water on the Island. Redfish aren’t jumpers, but they are incredible fighters.

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This week’s picture is brought to you by Bryce.
Here’s what he had to say about the catch, “Caught this bad boy while sight fishing during low water here in NC. He ate a tiny midge on 6x and put up a killer bulldog-type battle. He was released to hopefully spawn a bunch of little ‘uns that will someday grow as big as him.”

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One of the pure joys in fly fishing is sight fishing. Whether you’re after trout, bonefish, tarpon, bass or any other fish it always gives you an advantage when you see them first. It’s also usually much more fun. When sight fishing here are a few things to always remember: 1. Get as high above the fish as you can for the best view. This can be up on a bank or side hill or in the high seat on a boat or even just a few inches higher on a rock. This gives you a better angle for seeing through surface glare and minimizes refractive effects that might make you miss on the cast. Remember, however, to stay far enough away or behind cover to avoid detection and approach fish from behind when possible and keep your shadow off the water. 2. Use the right gear. This means polarized glasses that are appropriate for the kind of water you’re fishing. Certain lens shades are better for certain water types. 3. Know your fish and what to look for. Practice looking for fish and you’ll get much better at it. Fish are made to blend in to their environment so often you’ll just see subtle things like their shadow on the bottom, a slight movement, a subtle color difference or the whites of their mouths as they breathe. Doing these few things should help you see and catch more fish and add to your fishing fun.

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This week’s picture is brought to you by Shelley.
A+ for hanging onto your rod and fish while posing and taking your own picture. Shelley pulled this one in Southern Maine on the Presumpscot River.

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