August Fly Fishing

Lots of flies are catching fish.  Ants, beetles, hoppers, tricos, caddis, stones, callibaetis, midges, damsels, attractor dries, attractor nymphs and a variety of flashy and subtle streamers in an assortment of sizes.  Don’t forget scuds, sow bugs, worms, leeches and crayfish.  In short, the list is long.  There are lots of food sources available to the fish this time of year.

Do lots of food choices make fishing better?  Not so much.  It means that you have a chance to catch fish on just about anything, but it can be difficult to pick the perfect fly.  You can narrow down the options by focusing on a specific piece of water at a particular time of day.  Morning hatches and spinner falls focus feeding behavior, as do evening hatches and egg laying activity.  Hoppers and ants and everything else can fill out the middle of the day.

Go fish a creek.  Now is a good time to head to higher country and seek out cooler waters.

Think beyond trout.  August is a great month to stalk carp.  Carp shots are a fine way to practice for that winter flats trip.  Find them-stalk them-present.  They can be a real challenge and a real good ride when you hook up.

Go fill a bucket with perch and enjoy some fish tacos.  Nymphs, leeches and wire worms will get the job done.  You don’t even need a boat at Holter Lake to catch enough for a few dinners.

Fish through August with an open mind and moderate expectations.  There’s lots of great fishing to be done this month.  Just don’t expect a magic bullet.