Fishing Report 24-AUG-2016

Well, August is nearing its conclusion, and the cooler nights are finally starting to creep into the area.  Naturally, a rally of the hot, humid weather should be expected, but it will not be too long before Autumn is upon us.  With that said, fishing is still in the summer patterns, and I have been splitting my time between river and lake fishing.

With river fishing, the time of day is less important, with keeping an eye on water clarity and lighting conditions more so.  Rivers tend to be clearer than lakes, and typically are more shallow.  This makes fish more skittish of aerial predators.  I've been spending some time fishing the Rivanna River near downtown Charlottesville, and have enjoyed my fair share of smallmouth action.  Typically, during sunny, clear water days, the action can be slow, with the best success coming from fish hiding in the shadow lines found near the banks.  Generally, fishing is better during overcast or muddier water days (although not too muddy), as the fish tend to swim around more freely.  This is also true for the early morning and evening hours, as the lower light conditions have a similar effect.  This is not to say that fish cannot be caught during the bright, sunny, summer days, but it does help narrow down where the fish may be hiding.

As for flies, I've been finding great success with topwater in the evening hours, and deceivers during the rest.  Specifically, I've found blue over white deceivers to be particularly deadly, with both swing and cross current retrieves working best.

Blue over white deceivers have been very successful against smallmouth lately

In the lakes, subsurface flies are a must during the day, with topwater not setting in until just before sunset.  With that said, some of the best fishing is to be had in the last hour of the day, with the bass keying in on topwater lures.  Lately, I've been having fun with the Master Splinter mouse pattern.  It is a great topwater pattern that is easy to tie, lightweight, and casts well.

The Master Splinter is a great mouse pattern

As a general rule, you know when you've selected the right topwater fly when the bass inhale the lure deep.  This makes going barbless even more important to ensure safe releases.  I've found the best success with either a slow twitch retrieve, or a steady, gurgling retrieve.  The key is to find what motion attracts the best strikes for the particular time of day you are fishing.  While the sun is still fairly bright, I've found a slower retrieve to be more successful, but typically speed things up as the sun sets.

This ambition little bream decided to go for a big meal with my mouse pattern