Trout-Bum of The Week August 29th-Sept 4th 2010: Joe McDonald

This weeks Trout-Bum, Is a very special newly accquainted friend of mine. He currently resides in Origone, but his roots are deeply planted in the foothills of Misery(Misourri). Joe is  fishing the Grande Ronde River in Oregon right now, But he can be found most any where there are gamefish species capable of being caught on the fly. He is passionate about traditional fly casting, however he has a sweet tooth for a finely tuned spey outfit. His favorite specimens are Oncorhynchus, Salmo, Salvelinus, and Thymallus. and his favorite rod manufacturer is G-Loomis. Joe has been kind to me in the short time that I have known him. Thanks for your friendship, and hopefully we'll one day share the same waters!!!

Fishing Report: Cumberland River Week of 08-22-10 through 09-04-10

(This space was purpousely left empty)

Why?

R.A.I.N.

umm...wasn't that like...three weeks ago?

Yes. Indeed. It was...

Back to our other profession.

Mail Escorting...

Fishing Report: Cumberland River Week of 08-15-10 through 08-21-10

Rain, Rain, and More Rain!

 Lots of rain to the Cumberland River Area this past week. Fish were starting to float belly up past Burkesville, so were quite grateful to the rain. Except for the point that the TVA is now generating around 6,500 Cubes! During the day!! Why not during night? We may never know...In life Ive found that the only constant, is well...change(and taxes of course). Yet perhaps we all know, things simply can not stay perfect forever. After 3 months of low generations fall has finally started to creap up on us. The leaves are starting to turn crisp, and the days are growing shorter and shorter. Daily temperatures, are slowly starting to drop, and soon fish will begin feeding at times other than early in the morning and late of the evening. Autumn is coming fast to the Cumberland valley, and it won't be long until it is here. If it wasn't for the unpredictability of the TVA, Fall would be our favorite season of the year. Fall means big territorial brown trout. But, We are talking about the Cumberland River, and we all know how that is...As long as we do not recieve any sudden, heavy rainfalls, things will be great this season. We are praying for possibly weekly light, to moderate showers. None of that noahs ark, B.S. that weve been getting all year.
So my advice!
Get the fast action 6 weights, and super stiff 8's. Grease up the sinking tip, and full sinking lines. Dig out the 4-7.5 0x-2x leaders, and lets do this!
Streamer season is about on us! 

Trout-Bum of The Week August 8-August 14th 2010

 Ross Slayton
This weeks Trout-Bum, is a cool guy who is a glass rod fisherman from Idaho Falls, ID. Thanks for your Friendship, and Tightlines out there!

Guide/Outfitter Of The Week: Cumberland Drifters

Visit Cumberland Drifters on The Web By Clicking Here

Cumberland Drifters-Cumberland River, Kentucky

Chances are if you've ever fished, or even heard of the Cumberland River then the name Cumberland Drifters or perhaps, Brandon Wade, rings a bell. Lets start this weeks post, by giving a little information about Brandon. 

Brandon, a Russell County native, graduated Russell County High School in the class of 94, and Later the University of Kentucky in 2002 with a major in Mathematics. He currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky with Wife Julie also of Russell Springs, and their two beautiful daughters. It is however simple math, or none at all, the passion Brandon has for fishing. He learned the river, the old fashioned way, by simply getting out there, and has had the opportunity to be featured in many outdoor publications, and even on national television. It is fact, that Brandon did indeed, grow up on the banks of the river, and has fished every season, and circumstance imaginable since. If your pursuing experience, or simply information, In my honest opinion, Brandon is the guy to get with. He knows when and when not to fish the river, also the where, and the what to use. And honestly, they catch a lot of fish. And some big ones too!!!

 

Brandon takes pride in rowing a wooden drift boat, constructed by himself.

 

Besides offering years of experience, and knowledge, Brandon also offers one of the finest shore lunches, East of the Mississippi. Actually, it is not opinion, it is fact that no one else, offers a Better lunch. We can't however give all of the credit to Brandon. Wife Julie, plays the larger part in preparing those shore lunches, just don't let him know we told you ;)

I honestly, do not know what more to say, other than Brandon has treated me more than gracious. He has extended out many helping hands, and has done his best to welcome me. Hes a class act guy who knows the river. He will treat you with respect, give you a safe, and awesome time. Not to mention those awesome shore lunches!

 

Favorite Rod Brand: G-Loomis

Favorite Fly/Hatch: Not sure on this one. But I know he loves to fish nymphs, midges, and streamers. He has a box for every food source that the trout of the Cumberland eat. 

Hobbies: Spending time with his family, and fishing.

Interests: Family. Fishing. Tying flies. Teaching fly fishing, fly casting, and conservation.

So why does Brandon deserve our spot as guide of the week? Ill let this picture answer that question.

  Hes a family man, and in our opinion, A class act. 

A good citizen.

A loving husband.

A good father.

A great fisherman.

Down to earth Guy.

Be sure to check out Brandons Website. Give him a call, shoot him an email, or look them up on facebook. Hes a class act guy, that has room aboard his vessell, and the time of day for everybody.

http://www.cumberlanddrifters.com/

Fishing Report: Cumberland River Week of 08-08-10 through 08-14-10

AVERAGE DAILY RELEASE: Approx. 2,010 CFS
AVERAGE # OF GENERATORS: Sluices around clock
AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE: 56°F

Im going to start by saying, that if your on Our River, remember to take care of yourself. PLEASE forget the sodas, and soft drinks at home. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Sodas contain sodiums that can actually dehdyrate you faster. DRINK LOTS OF WATER! If your reading our blog, and fishing on our river we care about you.REMEMBER IT IS ILLEGIAL IN THE STATE OF KENTUCKY TO BOAT WHILE INTOXICATED. !!! DON'T BE A DUMMY!!!
OK AND HERES YOUR REPORT!
The river is currently at the what one would imagine to be perfect conditions for both fly and spin fishing, however in the real world of fishing, that perfect condition, is as far fetched as chasing Rainbows. We fish for more of a reason, than the catching. If one waited for perfect conditions(especially on our river), one would never fish! Remember its not televesion! The truth is, if your going to be on the Cumberland River, now is the time to be. Sure, I am a guide who is hungry for business...but that is not the intent of this blog. The intent is to inform, not to advertise :) Water clarity on a scale of 1-10 is a 6 in most places, however murkier tainted water seems to develop in spells. Common knowledge, fast water=clearer water. THE WATER IS NOT THE CLEAREST. So Your best bet is to fish pocket water, eddies, swirls, mouths of creeks/spring(If you can find em), and at the heads/tails of runs/riffles. Woolly Buggers seem to be doing the trick. HAVE HAD ALOT OF AGGRESSIVE CHASERS, CHASING STREAMERS RIGHT TO BOAT! Fish them shallow until about 10:00am then keep adding split shot as the day progresses. Dont be afraid to try other patterns.  Most shoals are slightly unexposed, however they will not interfere with safe travel down the river. The water is shallow right now, with shoals not being more than a couple feet under water. Remember be careful during low water periods. Slow down, during periods of low generation. The Cumberland River can be a very treacherous river to navigate if you are unfamiliar with the waters. If you are uncomfortable wear a PFD. Always abide by Ky safe boating laws.
DONT ONLY PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE, BE GOOD AT IT!

NOTICE: PLEASE REMEMBER THE PROTECTIVE 15"-20" on Rainbow Trout. Also Remember if the Brown Trout is under 20" it MUST BE IMMEDIATELY RELEASED!

Thanks, and Safe Waters!

Suggested Methods of Fishing:
Fish Eddies, pools, and at the heads/tails of runs/riffles.
TRY TO GET IN ON THE "Chutes" on the shoals...i.e. deeper water usually at the outside bend. Fishing these "Chutes" has been an almost 100% success, at every one.


Spinning Tackle:
Shad Raps
Yo Zuri Minnows
Assorted Spoons
Super Dupers
Rapala Husky Jerks and/or Rapalas floating/suspended( TRY A CRAYFISH COLOR;p)
Trout-Magnets
Live Bait
Fly Fishing:
Early In the Morning(Before 9:00 A.M.) and Late in The Evening(after 6:00ish)
Prince Nymphs #14-18
Copper Johns #16-20(Any Color. Copper, Black, and Red seem to do the trick. Copper/Black=Small Mayfly or Tiny Stone Nymphs Red seems to match the Midge Larvae possibly.
GRHE #14-18 (Any Variation/Color)
Pheasant Tails #14-18 (Again, Any Variation. Focus on Presentation)
Zebra Midges#16-22(Fished as A Trailer Behind Prince, GRHE, Or PT.)
Wd-40 Midges#16-22(With or W/o Beadhead)

AFTER 9/10:00ish,
Tie on the 1x 7' Leaders, and start Chuckin meat.
Ugly Bug #6 (Basic Stonefly Imitation. Dead Drift it, in a "Wet Fly Swing Presentation"
Kaufmanss Stone #6-10 (Try Beadhead with Rubberlegs.)
Wooly Buggers #6-10 (Match Color to Water Clarity. Try flashy variations.)
Barrs Slumpbuster #6-10 (When things get really slow, Ill tie one of these on, and then you add in walleye/sauger. Try black or olive)
Double Bunny #2-6 (Believe it or not, In deeper water...Striper. Fish it on structure. Angry brown trout=Territorial fish. Look for hard hits. Be ready.)

Cumberland River Flies: Midge Edition

Cumberland River Flies
On Midges

From The coldest days of winter, to the low generations of summer, you should never leave home without a selection of midges to cover all 3 stages of the midge or chironomid's life cycle. Actually there are 4 stages, if you count the eggs...but they have no importance to the trouts life cycle.

MIDGE GEAR TIPS:  

We like to fish 9' 4wt rods, with a double taper floating line. Fluorocarbon leaders and tippet are a must during clear, low water conditions. We like a good 9' leader, with a 3-6' tippet section depending on water clarity.

Check out Redingtons Classic Trout Rod, and The Drift Series of Reels by Redington. It is our favorite midge/nymph rod. Lots of umph, yet subtle enough for delicate presentations. Easy to get out Over 50 Feet of line.

http://www.redington.com/

 FOR ALL OF YOUR LINE, LEADER, and TIPPET NEEDS CHECK OUT RIOS FULL LINE. SERIOUS GUYS. MORE IGFA WORLD RECORDS CAUGHT ON RIO PRODUCTS THAN ANY OTHER BRAND OUT THERE. DONT WORRY ABOUT FAULTY TIPPETS OR LEADERS. USE THE BEST.

http://www.rioproducts.com/

The Life Cycle Of a Midge, Egg, Larva, Pupa, Adult

Chironomidae Larvae

 The Larvae of the Midge, or bloodworm is a wormlike form that is actually not a true worm all, due to it's exoskeleton and small clawed legs. The chironomid larva will spend its time living at the bottom of the river in the mud or sediment feeding on decaying matter. Bloodworms often get overlooked by many anglers but quite the opposite when it comes to feeding trout. Trout will often key in on the abundance of larva available and due to its familiarity, will readily feed upon larva even when other aquatic life is plentiful. Because you can find Bloodworms on or near the bottom of the lake, anglers will do well to keep their bloodworm patterns one or two feet off any bottom structure they may be fishing. The size of fly you choose to represent a midge larva should be up to three sizes larger then the adult midges seen hatching on the surface as the midge's body length decrease in size from larva, to pupa, then to adult. To imatate the Larva stage of this important food source try the following flies. Please remember, that to properly imitate this stage of the inscects life, you must fish DEEP. I like to fish a dropper rig, when imitating the bloodworm. I will fish a larger searching pattern such as a Prince Nymph in size 14 as the dropper, with a midge larvae pattern(Or two) as the point fly.

Remember, depth, and light tippets is key. In clear water, I will fish down to a 7x. Don't be afraid to add plenty of split shot, and be patient when fishing tandem rig flies. Knots are 

inevitable.

Sparse Is The Key. The most effective flies Ive used, have been nothing more than thread, wrapped on a hook shank!

Brassie In Sizes 14-20 Red, Copper, Green

Zebra midge Sizes 16-22 Red, Black

Or something Simple. Red thread on 16-20 

Or Try a Deep Brassie in #14-20

Midge Pupae

Emerging Midge Pupae

Detailed Image of Midge Pupae

When midge larvae reach maturity they seclude themselves in the bottom debris and begin pupation.  Pupas develop in as little as a week.  The pupal midges then rise to the surface and hatch in the surface film.  The rise to the surface can take quite a while.  In calm water this assent to the surface is a fairly straight line with the pupa hanging vertically, sometimes suspended for hours.  In moving water the pupa is swept along, often for a long distance before it finally reaches  the surface to hatch.  Hatching can occur any time of day or night, but is most prevalent during low light hours.  Midges are so prolific and divers that there are almost always midge pupa available to trout in any body of water at any time.  This makes the midge pupa one of the most important fly types. To effectively imitate the pupa choose the following flies:

Try A Zebra Midge in Olive, Black, Tan, Or Red #16-22

Wd-40 an old favorite #16-22

Zebra Flash Midge #16-20

Disco Midge #16-20

CDC Midge Pupa #16-20

And when you see fish feeding on Emerging Pupa, I like to use a RS2 in Olive, or Black #16-22

Surface Emergers

Surface emergers are designed to imitate the adult midge just as it pulls free of the pupal shuck. Although it might sound obvious, the most important part of a surface emerger's design is the correct amount of flotation to hold it in the surface film. As with the “vertical pupa” patterns described above, various materials can be used (foam, CDC feathers, hackle, etc.). It is important for anglers and fly tiers to note that very small variations in tying technique can affect how the fly floats and how it appears to the fish. 

In laymans terms:

When you see rising fish, and no inscects, there is a good chance fish are keying in on emerging pupa/surface emergers.

Keep an assortment of the following flies:

Foam Emerger #18-20

Crystal Midge(with CDC puff) #18-20

Adult Patterns

Although adult midges are much less important (to both fish and anglers) than surface emergers, they can be effective at times. Patterns to imitate an individual adult midge are similar in appearance to a surface emerger, except that the trailing shuck is left off, and it should be tied to ride higher on the surface film. When the fish key in on clusters of mating midges, an oversized Griffith’s Gnat (as large as a #14 or 16) is an excellent pattern to imitate these groups of bugs.

Griffiths Gnat in Size 16-20

Try a Adams or Adams Parachute in #18-24

Wrapping Things Up!

I have shared with you a good working knowledge of some of the life cycle and general imitations for the Midge.

There are a million other patterns out there that are effective for pursuing midge feeding trout. That is your job, to get out on the water, and see what does and doesnt work.

In my opinion though, this is about all you REALLY need, and anything else, well...is honestly not necessary.

To finish things up, Im going to thank you for taking the time to check out my blog, and wish you the very best out there on the water.

If youd like to book a trip with us, or perhaps you are interested in finding out more about our water,

feel free to contact me.

Capt.joshuaroberts@trout-bumz.com

270.585.0888

or Check our website out at

www.trout-bumz.com 

We do Always have auctions on ebay, with our Handtied flies.

Feel free to check us out.