Fall fishing is here and we are back up and running chasing fish all over eastern North Carolina's coastal rivers. We have particularly been targeting Largemouth Bass in the local creeks and rivers with fly rods. The fishing has been nothing short of fantastic over the past few weeks, water and air temps are still high and the fish are acting like it is still summer.
Topwater bugs have been producing the bulk of our fish, particularly lighter color bugs like white, yellow, and chartreuse. When the fish don't seem to be looking up for a meal we have been using heavy crayfish patterns on intermediate sinking lines fished very slowly up against structure. We have seen the very beginning of the Largemouth moving into their fall patterns- some fish have started to group together and are chasing baitfish in the backs of creeks or on shallow flats. The diversity of tactics you can use right now really keeps things interesting on the river. Fall continues to be the most productive time for big Largemouth on the fly- fish in the 4 to 6-pound range have not been uncommon this season. The best part of fall fishing, however, is how accessible it is to novice anglers. Even the newest fly anglers can come to our rivers this time of year and have a great day of catching a whole lot of fish, with the possibility of encountering a real trophy!
Fall fishing will remain good through this month and into November depending on the weather. Once we have some rain and the weather begins to cool it will be time to start shifting focus to our Striped Bass fishery on the lower ends of the Tar and Roanoke Rivers. This can be an excellent time to experience the epic migration of these fish up of rivers without all the crazy crowds of the spring. Give us a call or send us an email to get your river adventure planned!