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Fly Fishing in High Water
Written By: - NONE - | Issue: 2020/04 - April
So often when we plan to go fishing here on the Plateau, we check the weather and make sure conditions are favorable.
I myself am guilty of only wanting to fish on perfectly still and sunny days.
But let’s face facts, we live in a temperate rainforest and Highlands and Cashiers can get a lot of precipitation for a long period
of time.
Even after the rain stops, water levels can be high and muddy for up to 72 hours after a storm. But just because water is high and off color does not mean you can’t catch fish, you just have to know how to work the water a little differently.
For instance, high and muddy water will change the behavior of the trout. When the current picks up, fish will have to spend more energy fighting against the flow causing them to seek shelter near the bank where the current is much weaker. They will also find their way toward calm pockets, log jams, or deep water where the current has less energy. These are the places where you should focus your casts and drifts.
One enjoyable alternative to these conditions is being able to fish streamers. Unlike flies that represent insects, these flies represent minnows, crayfish, salamanders, leeches, and other types of food sources that “move” about under the water’s surface. Streamers are fun because there are no rules. They can be fished upstream, downstream, stripped, jigged or dead drifted on retrieval. These streamers are typically 1-6 inches in length and require a stronger rod that can generate enough power to cast them when they get waterlogged, typically from a 5wt to 7wt, depending on the river system.
Along with a strong rod, it can be helpful to fish a sink tip fly line as opposed to floating to make sure your fly can get down to where the fish are.
Fishing only in perfect conditions is a lot of time not fishing.
by Chris Wilkes, Highland Hiker
