Trout-Bumz Outfitterz, Guide Service, And Fly Shop

Thanks for taking the time to stop by our blog. We are working to provide the first reliable database of information about the Cumberland Rivers Many Fishing Opportunities. We not only offer a premier fly fishing Guide Service on the Cumberland River, in Kentucky but have available lodging, gear, and a lifetime of knowledge and experience we are ready to share.
Make Sure to Bookmark us! We are proud to bring you Gear Reviews, Fishing Reports, and MUCH MUCH MORE!!!
We specialize in guided fly fishing on the Cumberland River for trophy rainbow, and brown trout, however we are currently getting ready to take advantage of some of the areas other great fishing, including the Striper Fishery of Lake Cumberland. We are offering private instruction in "Fly Fishing", "Fly Casting", and "Fly Tying", all in which can be suited to meet your needs.

For any information, or simply to get up with us,
Contact us @
capt.joshuaroberts@trout-bumz.com
270.585.4339

Friday, February 25, 2011

6th Annual Kentuckianna Fly Fishing Show!


 We are happy to announce, that we will be at 2011's Kentuckianna Fly Fishing Show! Feel free to stop in, if you are in the Louisville area!!
February 26th, 2011 - 9am to 5pm
Fern Valley Inn and Conference Center
2715 Fern Valley Road Louisville, KY
The Derby City Fly Fishers will host the sixth annual Kentuckiana Fly Fishing Show on Sat., February 26, 2011, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Fern Valley Inn and Conference Center located at 2715 Fern Valley Road.  Admission is $7 each with active military and children 12 and under free.  Also, there is no charge for parking at the Fern Valley Conference Center!

Fly Fishing Show Website Click Here

Sunday, January 23, 2011

January,1-23, 2011

Takeout at Helms Landing 1-23-11 (Notice Water)


Average Water Temperature: 41 Degrees Fahrenheit
Average Generators: 1 Generator
Average Flow: 3390 CFS


First things first, I would like to take the time to apologize for my lack of content in the past few months. We would like to thank each and every one of our clients in the year past. We have thus far made many friends, gained a greater knowledge of our river system, and made many lasting memories. Without the help of alot of good people, our dream would not have come to pass. We would like to thank first, our new clients for their business, and enjoyable times we have had on the water. Veteran Guides Troy Humphrey, and Brandon Wade...for making fun of my boat, teaching me a few things, and just plain giving me a hard time. Wed also like to thank all of the kind people at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery. James Gray, and Amanda Patrick especially. We would like to recognize Jeff Powers, and the "Friends Group of The Fish Hatchery". Without the help of these people, our dream would have not came to pass.
 And Now For Some Fishing Reports!
With that said...Its a brand new year and with it we have been very busy! In all honesty, water conditions have been unfavorable to say the least. Lots of precipitation in White form has blanketed our area, several times in the last few months. And with melt off has caused water conditions to fluctuate, and be very unfavorable. We finally got a break from the high water, and made it out today. Water was low, with the shoals only being a few feet underwater. Water clarity was a 1 out of 5. Water Temperature holding around 41 Degrees. Fish were not coming to the top of the water, and we COULD NOT get them to eat our Nymph or midge offerings. We did however have some luck with white patterns, and eggs. THINK FLASH! Now is the time to be using attractors. It wont be long until the rainbows start to do their thing. Spring is on its way. Skipjack are here, and are a blast to catch! A great way to introduce childern into the sport of fly fishing. Sauger are also moving up for their annual spawn. Awesome table fare.

For Trout: Eggs In Pink, or Orange. White Woolly Buggers. Standard Nymphing Techniques
For SkipJack: White Woolly Buggers, or any flashy streamers should do. Remember, these fish strike on aggression. The brighter, and flashier, the better. A simple woolly bugger, can easily produce 100+ fish days!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Fishing report!!! Finally!!!

After a long break of fishing...I am soon about to wet a line. To fill you all in, weve recieved quite alot of percipitation in the area. Don't let this keep yall from coming down however. Pay attention to the generation schedules, and plan timely, and you should be fine. Fishing midges early, and nymphing the rest of the day should work when everything else is failing. Spin fisherman...these big fish are still aggresive. The water is higher now then a few weeks ago. But the fish are aggresive none the less. Autumn has been great to us. We saw many fish over 20", including one Trophy Brown taken By Weston Popplewell on one of our old "Secrets". Everyone, have a blessed holiday season. We love and care about you all, and pray that god continues to bless each and everyone of you all!!! Tight lines!!! Happy holidays!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Fishing Report: October 24th-30th



Sunday Had the chance to get out this week once with Ex Montanan, Alaska Fishing Guide, Charter Captain Troy Humphery, of Jamestown, Ky. To say the least, I never realized how little I knew until I fished with this guy, and how terrible I am at rowing another mans boat. Sure I know how to put people on fish, But man, this guy has forgotten more in his entire life, than I will ever know. Period. Hes the best. We caught and landed 2 rainbows over slot. 1 very nice brown in slot. and had one breakoff of a nice 20'' rainbow. Overall, we caught alot of fish...erm...Troy Caught alot of fish.









Weston Popplewell, of Jamestown, KY, with his Largest Brown


The rest of the week has been the same. Exceptionally well to everyone. We managed to capture and land the largest brown trout I have ever seen. I can't clasify what it was taken on, or where. Soooo.... lets just let the photos do the talking. Another myth has been solved. The Cumberland river, Is in fact, the Best kept secret of the South east.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Fishing Report!!!

Hello Folks! My deepest and most sincere apologies for spacing out the time so long, since my last post! I shall start by saying that the river in the last week has been PERFECT! Things have been amazing! I mean in my honest opinion, the best they have been ALL YEAR LONG!!! Lets see...The first and second weeks of October, I got out MANY Times! Including 3 consecutive days in the second week of October. We fished hard. Midges were popping off everywhere! But we could just not land any trophies those 3 days of fishing. We done it all...The guys I were fishing with...rapalas, spoons, spinners, BAIT, etc. Sure each day we caught well over our limits of fish...but nothing really of great size. Then, I get out Last Sunday with Capt. Troy Humphery of www.cumberlandtroutguide.com/, and magic happened. I can't really explain it...but we caught some really nice fish. Including 3 rainbows over the slot. Midgies and small nymphs is where its happening. The water is very low and clear! Get out there, before its over with!!!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Fishing Report:: First Week Of October

The Reservoir is currently at the magical level of 680.00 Ft.
The water will continue to drop.
Flows are holding at a LOW of 1,400 CFS!
GET OUT AND FISH!!!
The wate is very murky, holding around 1' of visiability. On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the clearest, the river is about a 2!

Fished various Times in the past week. 2 Days of wade fishing around Rockhouse arch. ABSOLUTELY Spanked em. In a few hours, Landed tons of fish each time. All on Eggs, or attractor patterns.

Fished yesterday (Friday) from Helms, to Winfreys:
Fish are holding up in eddies found behind rocks, and submerged timber. We caught at least 3 fish at every eddie we fished, until about noon, then it slowed down. Later in the day, we fished Long Barr, with little results. I really expected to get in on some prespawners, with little avail. Overall landed around 30 Fish.

FLYING ANTS!!! Little boogers are everywhere. Nows the time to fish a dry fly.

Fly Fish:
Eggs in Pink or Orange
P.T. Nymphs
Hares Ears
Midges
Princes
Or Hard bodie ants

Spin Fish:
Bait such as eggs or worms
Spoons, spinners
and Plugs

Im thinking that if the water clears up, we will start turning some trophy fish.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Fishing report: Last week of Septemeber

Well, Summer has finally drawn to an end. Another chapter in my life has started, As I recollect over my first Summer guiding. I can look at the mistakes, many new friends, and fish that I have met/made along the way. Has it been rough? Thus far, Im not going to lie. Yes. But, we've had many wonderful days, in between the few bad. Weve seen days with 60+ fish, and weve seen them where we really had to work for them. We only had an average of less than a month of good flows, and less than 2 weeks of exceptionaly clear and navigable water. In my honest opinion Summe is always hardest on our river.
Things I have learned my first Summer guiding:
1.) I was a little overambitious at the start. I really anticipated more. Days on the water, quality fish...etc. I simply picked the wrong season to start. As we know, fall provides the best action of Quality fish. Reasoning? Brown trout, aka, Salmo Trutta.
2.) There are alot of people out there waiting for me to fall flat on my back.
3.)But there are more, assuring me that I will reach success.
4.) Ive relearned many important lessons over the summer. Such as having faith, and not worrying over things hat do not really matter.
5.) Sometimes, you can never be to prepared. Our river can be very moody.You can wear them out one day on a size 14 Prince, with a 20 dropper midge, and the next...FISH CARMA!!!

Anyways...very cool nights, and warm days. 2 weeks, and the whole valley will be very beautiful as the foliage starts to turn.


BIG BROWN TROUT ARE STARTING TO MOVE IN ON THE SHOALS!!
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A BIG FISH ON THE CUMBERLAND, BETWEEN NOW, and LATE NOVEMBER IS THE TIME TO DO IT. THESE FISH WILL BE VERY AGGRESIVE. Fish the shoals. Look for chutes. Big fish will be hanging in on these for the next few months. Put up your midge rods, and get out the 8wts with sinking lines. Nows the time to catch pigs.

Fly Fishing
Double Bunnies
Woolly Buggers
Any Leech Pattern
Any Baitfish Pattern
Any Sculpin Pattern
Eggs will also be hot the next few months in Oranges, Pinks, and Similiar Colors
Also think stoneflies...
 Your streamers should be in sizes #2-#8
If you get board, or your arm gets tired swinging big flies, you can still use nymphing tactics similiar to those that have been effective in the summer. Midges hatch yearround. The bugs will be in the water, and fish...still eat em.
I started fly fishing at age 12, and didn't learn to nymph until I was 16 years old. Thats right...I streamer fished. Thats why I am so found on them.


Spin Fishing
Rapala Husky Jerk
Rapala Countdown
Rapala Shadrap
Rapala Floating
Little Cleo Spoons
Kastmaster spoons
Nightcrawlers, Fished 1' off the bottom
Berkley Powerbait
MARABOU JIGS
Super Dupers
Inline Spinners(Rooster tails, and Blue Fox Spinners)


Walleye, Sauger
If you want to catch either of these two belonging to the perch family, In my honest opinion, the closer you get to the dam this time of the year, the better. The first 15 miles of river will be hot!
My favorite method of catching Walleye/sauger
is a bright neon Jig head, tipped with a whole night crawler. Very effective.
Marabou jigs, in black.
Any of your rapalas, greater than 2"...focus on the bright colors...i.e. Clown, Firetigers...

Fall Striper
Striper will start being caught at mile 10 and beyond, using planer boards and bait in the 3-9" range!
Plastic swimbaits...
Bucktails tipped with grubs(whites and chartreuses)
Rapalas
Fly fisherman...#2-3/0 hooks...Clousers, decievers, Sheepshad...Looking to try some of the E.P. Baitish Flies soon!!!


Hopefully we will  have a great Autumn with lots of big fish!!!
The last 2 years I have fished the Autumn/Winter, and caught many good Browns and Rainbows!
Once again, if you would like to plan a trip, 
Our Fall rates are 2 Fisherman, Full Day(8+ Hours)...shore lunches...$300.00
Half Day Trips, 1 fisherman...Please Call us, or send an email at Capt.joshuaroberts@trout-bumz.com