Autumn Splendor

The water feels brisk on bare legs at first light. It’s invigorating, as is the moisture on your face from a light fog that rests in the river gorge. Sunrays will burn off the fog, but no time soon. It takes a while for the sun to get over the mountains. You tie on a black Bugger to strip through pools while the light remains low. You’re buddy opts for a Tellico and a Pheasant Tail dropper. As the day progresses, you’ll both likely switch to attractor dry flies or surface terrestrials, rigged with small nymphs beneath them.

You hope for a big wild brown trout, fully lit in its spawning colors. Fall is the lone time that the kings of your favorite stream’s biggest holes abandon their deep, snag-tangled lies. They likewise abandon a bit of their normal wariness at this time. Because browns favor deep, dark runs but spawn over shallow gravel bars they spend a lot of time moving during the fall. This creates rare opportunities to sight-cast to specific large fish but also increases your chances of spooking a memorable brown.

While you hope for a trophy brown, the day’s success by no means hinges on one. Rainbows will be abundant and active. Plus, fish or no fish, autumn is an amazing time to be astream in Appalachia. Crayola-bright reds, golds and oranges light up hardwoods while rhododendrons hold fast to deep greens. Streams run clear, but with a bronzed tone that’s unique to fall and comes from the breaking down of countless leaves.

Another autumn virtue is the final opportunity of the year to travel light – unencumbered by waders or extra clothes that become necessary through the winter. A fleece top or light wading jacket sometimes feels good in the fall, but nothing heavier is generally needed.

Ant patterns, both wet and dry, produce a lot of trout during fall, as do beetle and ‘hopper imitations. A Chernobyl Ant is a great pattern for big brown trout. Highly buoyant, it’s also a great fly to dangle a dropper beneath. Trout will begin most mornings low in the water column, and actually you can catch fish on small, buggy nymphs all day long. Fish typically will begin looking up with the warming of the day, however, making a dry fly/nymph combo doubly efficient.

Don’t get set on covering miles of stream during the fall. Work slowly and enjoy the season. Work runs from all angles, and make a study of your surroundings, watching for ants drifting downstream, crawfish in the water, trout following your flies and other clues. Finally, work EVERYTHING before you step into it. A big brown can be anywhere during the fall, and one careless step is all it takes to send the fish of a lifetime scurrying for cover.