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Post by meeko on Sept 20, 2022 15:21:51 GMT -6
Hello all, my wife and I are going to spend next weekend at the LMF and have never fished the river. I'm an experienced fly fisherman but have no clue how the river is fishing this time of year or what general areas to even target. Any and all advice would be appreciated. Also, i'm an avid fly tyer, any advice on what to tie up before the trip would be appreciated as well!
Another question: Does the fly shop have rental waders and wading boots?
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New To LMF
Sept 21, 2022 19:33:53 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by huntnfish2much on Sept 21, 2022 19:33:53 GMT -6
Probably best to hire a guide. Call the fly shop.
From what I’ve read here on the message board, spillway creek has been fishing fairly well.
JR
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New To LMF
Sept 22, 2022 13:05:41 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by turfdawg on Sept 22, 2022 13:05:41 GMT -6
Sorry not ignoring you but it’s been awhile since I’ve fished it. Last time the water was a little warm for my liking so we only hit spillway.
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Post by hoss on Sept 22, 2022 14:25:45 GMT -6
As far as a report, I was on the river last evening for a couple of hours and caught about 6 or 7 using a dry dropper rig. With a Patriot fly as the dry, they keyed in on the dry fly to my surprise. I did need to twitch it (and sometimes a more aggressive pull was needed that to provoke a strike. I spoke with Roberta at the fly shop earlier in the day, she mentioned Pats Rubber legs working well.
Ran into a guy who was Euro nymphing and he had good reports on the fishing. The fly shop can set you up with flies, a map, and a reputable guide service. A ton of mosquitos around dusk, so bring bug spray. Being on the river early in the morning is always a good idea to beat the crowds.
It's a great river and worth the trip. Good luck!
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Post by meeko on Sept 22, 2022 15:19:25 GMT -6
As far as a report, I was on the river last evening for a couple of hours and caught about 6 or 7 using a dry dropper rig. With a Patriot fly as the dry, they keyed in on the dry fly to my surprise. I did need to twitch it (and sometimes a more aggressive pull was needed that to provoke a strike. I spoke with Roberta at the fly shop earlier in the day, she mentioned Pats Rubber legs working well. Ran into a guy who was Euro nymphing and he had good reports on the fishing. The fly shop can set you up with flies, a map, and a reputable guide service. A ton of mosquitos around dusk, so bring bug spray. Being on the river early in the morning is always a good idea to beat the crowds. It's a great river and worth the trip. Good luck! What size patriot fly? Yeah I figured a dry dropper with a small pheasant tail or perdigon would be a good starting point. |
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Post by jonbo on Sept 23, 2022 7:02:36 GMT -6
As a dropper in a dry/dropper setup, I tend to have good luck with RS2s in an 18 -20. The water may be pretty warm as air temps have been terrible for this time of year. The closer to the "Spillway" where the water leaves that secondary dam you get, the temperatures are more to trouts' liking. If you enter the Park from the upper turnoff to the loop from the main highway, next to Hochatown, after about 3 miles you'll cross the Spillway. Immediately on the right is a paved pulloff with a kiosk in the middle. That's "Cardiac Hill" to us who commonly fish the Park. If you fish there you'll be close to the Spillway and fishing "Upper Spillway". --The part of the river from the Spillway to about a mile and a half downstream is steeper gradient mostly pocket water. It's known as "Spillway Creek".-- I and some others have been fishing it mostly euro-style, but you can use indicators or dry-dropper. I have good luck with any mayfly nymph imitation in about an 18. I've been using "frenchie"-types. As an alternative to nymph fishing the pocket water, you might try kind of bouncing a leech or Pat's through one of the huge deep pools scattered throughout Spillway Creek  .
There's a good lower access to SC that we all use when when we want to fish "Middle Spillway" or "Lower Spillway". If you continue on the upper road or loop into the Park from the Cardiac Hill lot for about a mile you'll come to where it crosses the main dam. Immediately before driving onto the dam a road drops down to the right, passing in front of the dam. Take that. A half mile down is a dirt parking lot to the right that hikers and fishermen use. If you fish right there you're at Lower Spillway Creek. Hike upstream a quarter mile and you'll be at Middle Spillway.
If you continue down that same road a couple of hundred yards will be the bridge that divides Spillway Creek from the lower-gradient part of the river. On your left is the big parking lot to the "Bluffs". I leave that to the spin fishermen. A half mile down (obey speed limit signs and go 15 whenever it says to!!) is a second bridge. This divides the Evening Hole (upstream) from Hickory Hole (downstream). Evening Hole is kind of a real long flat. It's probably the main fly-fishing area in the Park. I don't know about it right now with the warm temps. This is where I tend to use the RS2's and other small emergers a lot. Good Luck!
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Post by hoss on Sept 23, 2022 7:49:41 GMT -6
As far as a report, I was on the river last evening for a couple of hours and caught about 6 or 7 using a dry dropper rig. With a Patriot fly as the dry, they keyed in on the dry fly to my surprise. I did need to twitch it (and sometimes a more aggressive pull was needed that to provoke a strike. I spoke with Roberta at the fly shop earlier in the day, she mentioned Pats Rubber legs working well. Ran into a guy who was Euro nymphing and he had good reports on the fishing. The fly shop can set you up with flies, a map, and a reputable guide service. A ton of mosquitos around dusk, so bring bug spray. Being on the river early in the morning is always a good idea to beat the crowds. It's a great river and worth the trip. Good luck! What size patriot fly? Yeah I figured a dry dropper with a small pheasant tail or perdigon would be a good starting point. Size 10 or 12 I believe. |
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Post by breeden3 on Sept 24, 2022 9:14:16 GMT -6
Stop in the Fly Shop or give us a call at 580-494-6071 for the latest conditions on the water! If you decide you want a trip, we also have the most experienced, successful guide staff on the river!
Tight Lines,
Peter
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Post by meeko on Sept 26, 2022 21:05:44 GMT -6
As a dropper in a dry/dropper setup, I tend to have good luck with RS2s in an 18 -20. The water may be pretty warm as air temps have been terrible for this time of year. The closer to the "Spillway" where the water leaves that secondary dam you get, the temperatures are more to trouts' liking. If you enter the Park from the upper turnoff to the loop from the main highway, next to Hochatown, after about 3 miles you'll cross the Spillway. Immediately on the right is a paved pulloff with a kiosk in the middle. That's "Cardiac Hill" to us who commonly fish the Park. If you fish there you'll be close to the Spillway and fishing "Upper Spillway". --The part of the river from the Spillway to about a mile and a half downstream is steeper gradient mostly pocket water. It's known as "Spillway Creek".-- I and some others have been fishing it mostly euro-style, but you can use indicators or dry-dropper. I have good luck with any mayfly nymph imitation in about an 18. I've been using "frenchie"-types. As an alternative to nymph fishing the pocket water, you might try kind of bouncing a leech or Pat's through one of the huge deep pools scattered throughout Spillway Creek .
There's a good lower access to SC that we all use when when we want to fish "Middle Spillway" or "Lower Spillway". If you continue on the upper road or loop into the Park from the Cardiac Hill lot for about a mile you'll come to where it crosses the main dam. Immediately before driving onto the dam a road drops down to the right, passing in front of the dam. Take that. A half mile down is a dirt parking lot to the right that hikers and fishermen use. If you fish right there you're at Lower Spillway Creek. Hike upstream a quarter mile and you'll be at Middle Spillway.
If you continue down that same road a couple of hundred yards will be the bridge that divides Spillway Creek from the lower-gradient part of the river. On your left is the big parking lot to the "Bluffs". I leave that to the spin fishermen. A half mile down (obey speed limit signs and go 15 whenever it says to!!) is a second bridge. This divides the Evening Hole (upstream) from Hickory Hole (downstream). Evening Hole is kind of a real long flat. It's probably the main fly-fishing area in the Park. I don't know about it right now with the warm temps. This is where I tend to use the RS2's and other small emergers a lot. Good Luck!
Really great info! I appreciate it! Just curious what color RS2? Olive, black, brown? Does it matter? Haha i've fished in some places where color didn't matter near as much as size and presentation. I also have some olive and black WD40s I wonder if those would work? |
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Post by turfdawg on Sept 27, 2022 4:34:13 GMT -6
I’ve caught a bunch of fish on olive WD40’s. Since they are easier for me to tie I fish them more than the RS2’s. Most any of the old “tried and true” patterns will catch fish if presented correctly.
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Post by jonbo on Sept 28, 2022 5:05:58 GMT -6
Olives are good, in my experience, and gray. You're correct that the exact color doesn't seem to matter a lot. As Turfdawg says, WD40's fish about the same. He's used to tying them, I'm used to tying the others, is all. There's just little bitty mayflies or other things coming off a lot, not sure if those are BWO's at this time of year, or not. I sometimes tie just a little tiny thing with a CDC wing. It looks like a little blob, but catches fish too!
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Post by feathernfin on Oct 3, 2022 13:06:54 GMT -6
Thanks folks---some informative stuff.
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