Re: late October Conasauga trip
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Posted by b.uzz on September 24, 1997 at 20:17:55:
In Reply to: Re: late October Conasauga trip posted by b.uzz on September 24, 1997 at 17:49:19:
> > I'm gonna hike in Hickory Creek Trail, go downstream > > and camp/fly fish for about three days. When I've > > fished there before in October, I've had few takes on > > dries or nymphs except right after rains stained the > > river a bit, at which times I've taken a number of bows > > and browns on woolly worms. Doesn't say much for my > > stealth or technique, I suppose. > > Any tips for a relative novice? How heavy a tippet > > can I get away with? I'm going in well armed with > > muddlers, hoppers, ants, beetles, adams parachutes and > > elk hair caddis (what size? hmmm). What else should I > > offer to leave hanging in the mountain laurel? > > Any input is greatly appreciated. > Around mid-august to late october there is usually a night-time > emergence of cinnamon and blonde caddis (really big bugs #10-12). > The cinnamon seems to be more prevalent than the blonde. I’m not > sure what the pupa looks like, but a Stimulator tied with an orange > body (readily available pattern at most fly shops) can be a good > imitation of the adult. This bug will get ya noticed in the faster > pocket-water and plunges but it’ll get ya laughed at by the fish > in the slower pools. I usually fish above Tearbritches trail and > the fish in the pools up there are usually midging. I’ve caught some > of these guys on Griffith’s gnats and midge pupa & emergers > (occasionally an ant). Usually anything above a size 20 scares the > excrement out of these little weenies in late season low water - so > I often stick to the pockets and plunges. Brown or ginger bodied > elk-haired caddis work pretty good during this time too. I bet big > Henryvilles and Lawson’s Stillwater Caddises would rule (lower profile > - more realistic) but I’ve never tied any this large so I don’t know. > Large soft hackles might work for the pupa. Definately try small > (#18-16) pheasant-tail nymphs (next year’s crop of mayflies will be > small, brown, and in the periodic drift). A lot of people will tell > you to fish attractors on N.GA freestones year-round. My experience > on the Conasauga is that the fish are far more selective (and spooky) > than most freestone trout and it can take the better part of an outing > to get “wired”. Have great time - I love the Conasauga. As if I wasn’t long winded enough, I forgot to mention that if you arrive during regular daylight hours – you won’t see any of these caddis. Possibly one or two on the underside of leaves, but if you’re expecting to see them during the day - you won’t. However, at night around 8 or 9pm they can hatch so heavy that you’ll be diggin’ them out of your beenie-weenies if you get a late start on dinner. Consequently, even though they’re not around in the day – a bunch of fish will still be keyed on that size 10 caddis silhouette during the day. If anybody out there knows what the pupa of these monster fall-time cinnamon caddis look like please post it. I think they’re a southeastern variety of “pycnopsyche guttifer” but I ain’t no entymologist.
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