I want some Simms waders, a Sage Z-Axis, and a new Rhenzetti

Folks it looks like the Cumberland River is officially done for 2011.  All in all it was a good year.  Despite 2011 being one of the wettest years on record we still managed some really good fishing when we had the water for it.  Thankfully the Clinch fished phenomenally well while the Cumberland was out of commission.  Both rivers are blown out and will be for several weeks as December has been a very wet one.  So it’s back to the fly tying bench to restock our fly boxes for 2012.

I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who visit this website.  For those of you who have taken fishing trips with us we thank you for your business.  The two little girls in the picture also thank you for keeping their dad in a job.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.  We look forward to another year of good times and good fishing with you.

Brandon and Mike

It wasn't easy but everyone landed fish up there.

Another fall and another trip to Steelhead Alley for us here at Cumberland Drifters!  We packed our bags and hit Elk Creek, PA for the fall steelhead run.  Water levels were super low and the water was gin clear which meant that the steelhead were going to be very tough to catch.  We managed to land a few but it got tougher each day we were there.  We even tried a few of our old favorites in OH but couldn’t find a fish anywhere.  All in all it was a good time, we laughed a lot and caught some fish.  And that’s what it’s all about in the fist place.

Now back to the Cumberland!  Water levels have once again receded and we’re looking at 3,500 CFS for a while.  Dry fly fishing is back in swing and we’re likely to be spending the majority of the rest of our fall fishing dries in deeper areas and pulling streamers for big browns on the shoals.  We’ll be out there this weekend so expect a full report next week.  It was about this time last year when we really got into the big ones!

Tight Lines,

Brandon

Waddy KY's Berry Lane with an 18" rainbow on the dry fly!

Have you ever gone fishing with low expectations only to be pleasantly surprised by a great day?  It happened on Sunday with a first time fly fisherman.  On Saturday they once again raised the water levels on us without any warning which meant that we would be dealing with high water all day on Sunday.  I called my client and explained the news, “Let’s go anyway.” he said.  High water on the Cumberland usually means pulling streamers on sinking lines all day.  It’s a lot of work for an experienced fisherman and almost impossible for a newbie.  We caught a few on dry flies on Friday and Saturday so I was hoping to MAYBE see a rising fish in the high water on Sunday.  Needless to say we saw more than a few.  At the end of the day we probably landed over 20 fish on the dry fly alone with the biggest being an 18″ rainbow.  Not too bad!

They’ve cranked the river up to 6,500 CFS now which is 1,500 more than we had on Sunday.  I haven’t been out there to see but my guess is that the fishing will be slow.  If you see fish rising, you’d better give them a cast.

It’s looking wet for the next day or two so who knows what to expect in the coming weeks.  If we get lucky we’ll have fishable water when the big browns move in.

Good luck out there,
Brandon

Nymphs:  Princes and Copper Johns in #14 and #16, Midges in #18 and #20 in various colors
Dries:  Adams #18, Griffith’s Gnat #16, #18

It's October....time for the big browns!

I was out on the Cumberland for four straight days over the past week and we couldn’t get decent weather on any of them.  The first day it poured rain all day then for the next three days it was 30 mph winds for the majority of the day.  As a result the fishing was much slower than in previous weeks.  We did manage to land a 21″ brown on Friday and a big 18″ rainbow on Sunday.  On Saturday we hooked and fought a mammoth brown trout that we almost landed but broke our 5X tippet just as we were bringing him up to the boat.  We’re seeing big fish more and more often, just not the overall numbers of fish that we had in previous weeks.

One thing we saw on Saturday and Sunday that we haven’t seen since last fall were pods of fish sipping midges.  On Sunday we were actually able to anchor up on a few of these and try our luck with some dry flies and we actually had success landing a few on small griffith’s gnats and parachute adams.  With lower water levels on the horizon I expect more of this in the coming weeks.

Fly choice was pretty much the same as we’ve had in recent weeks and I expect midges to remain at the top of the menu as fall wears on.  Let’s just hope this rain from today doesn’t do too much to our water levels.

We’re back out there all weekend so wish us luck and we’ll see you on the water!

Brandon

Rob's first trip down the Cumberland rewards him with a 20" brown!

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone who came out to The Lexington Angler on Saturday.  We had a good turnout despite the unseasonably cold weather.  The following day it was back to the Cumberland for a trip with some return clients who had only fished with me on the Clinch on past trips.  Luck was on our side this time and the Cumberland was actually fishing.

The morning was pretty slow and we only had a baker’s dozen fish in the boat by the time we stopped for lunch.  I was starting to get a bit concerned considering the near perfect conditions we had on the river.  After lunch we ran into an enormous midge hatch and that must have get the fish in the mood for food.  Within two casts we had a 20 inch brown and an 18 inch rainbow in the boat.  We probably boated well over 20 fish after lunch and the overall quality of the fish was much better than in the morning.

The water release schedule for the coming week is even better than we expected.  Right now they’re calling for 1,900 CFS which is excellent for fly fishermen.  We’re taking the weekend off for our annual fish fry this weekend but will be back out in full force during fall break next week.  The fishing should continue to get better as we get closer and closer to the fall spawn.

Flies of choice this weekend were #14 bead head princes and #18 zebra midges.  Other patterns produced a fish here and there but they weren’t by any means “killing it”.

Let us know how you do this weekend if you make it out.  Post your info on our Facebook page.  We would love to hear from you.
Slimey Hands,
Brandon

Scott from Atlanta with one of over 60 fish he landed this weekend!

First of all I would like to say hello to the guys who drove all the way from Dayton to spend a weekend on our river.  It was great talking to you and it made our day to get a compliment about the website and fishing reports.  All we can see from our end is how many hits the site gets so it’s great to see someone who is actually getting some use out of our website.  Of course we want folks to hire us…..we’re a guide service, but we also want to promote the sport and support the local community.  So for all of you that frequent the site and spend your money while visiting, thank you.

Now onto the fishing!  The Cumberland was really good this weekend.  Weather was just about as close to perfect as you could get.  The fish were holding in the places you would expect them to, near structure and along current seams.  The only really odd thing was that our old standard midge patterns weren’t producing fish.  It wasn’t a big deal because larger bead head nymphs were working phenomenally well.  We also caught a few on streamers and a few on hoppers.  The grasshoppers are fading out as we get into fall.  I think the recent rains and cooler weather have marked an end to the giant foam dry fly for a while.  Over the weekend we averaged good numbers of fish with most being rainbows in the 12″ to 13″ and a few 15 to 18 inchers as well.   We did manage a few 13″ brook trout, and a few browns including this nice 19″ female in the picture above.

The cool mornings and mild days make this a perfect time to get out on the water.  Fishing will only get better as we get closer and closer to the fall spawn.  We still have plenty of open dates if you’re thinking about coming down.

If you go:  Nymphs, Prince #14, #16; Olive Hare’s ear #14; Copper John #14, #16;  Midge patterns (If you see midges on the water)
Streamers:  Buggers in assorted colors under a sinking line
Dries:  Grasshoppers are still working but not as well as they did a few weeks ago

Just a reminder that we will be at the grand opening of The Lexington Angler this Saturday.  Come on our and support your local fly shop!  www.thelexingtonangler.com

See you on the water!
Brandon

Goofing off on the river bank after shore lunch.

Sorry we haven’t posted anything in a few weeks but as you might expect we haven’t had any good news to report.  We got about 4″ of rain in about 24 hours a few weeks ago and as usual that led to higher flows on the river.  We’re back down to 3,000 CFS now and that means we’re fishing again.  The last time we were out it was during the early fall Grasshopper festival on the Cumberland.  (No that’s not a real festival but we’re thinking about starting one next year.  Hey, it’s an excuse to throw a party.)  I’m going to go on and guess that the hopper / dropper combo won’t be working as well now as it did in late August but who knows.

The water is sitting steady at 59 degrees and that’s a very good thing for this time of year.  In past years it has been much warmer than this.  The sluice gate is in full time operation now and that means not only good water temps but good oxygen levels as well.  Combine all of this with clearer water than we’ve had in three years and I say we’re looking at a great fall.  As for right now 3,000 CFS is 1,000 CFS heavier than when we last fished.  What that translates to you is that the water will be about a foot higher than it was when you were out a few weeks ago…..if you went.  You’ll still be able to wade most of the shoals.

Personally I enjoyed having  a couple of weekends to hang out with my family.  I got to go see UK win their home opener and possibly their last win of the season.  I even got to go do a little fall crappie fishing.  Now it’s time to get back on the river and start looking for the browns.

If you go:  Bring midges and plenty of them.  Last fall saw some of the most prolific midge hatches we have ever witnessed on the Cumberland and I suspect we’ll see the same thing again this year.

See you out there,
Brandon

A rare glimpse of the Cumberland's fabled fall Black Angus hatch

This was by far one of the best Labor Day weekends I’ve ever had.  It started on Saturday with two of my all time favorite clients on the Cumberland.  We struggled early in the day but the afternoon was incredible.  We spanked fish on the hopper /dropper rig and the double nymph rig all afternoon.  Hot flies were princes and various midge patterns as well as foam hopper patterns in various colors and sizes.  At the end of the day we probably landed over 50 fish with a few 16 inch rainbows and browns and several 13 inch brookies.

Saturday night was spent camping in Creelsboro with my wife and two daughters.  On Sunday morning after a camp breakfast we hit the river to try one of my more challenging guided fishing trips to date.  Everyone caught fish but I think they had more fun skipping rocks than they did reeling in trout.  At least I got to sneak in a few casts while they were skipping rocks down river.

The rain has soaked eastern KY pretty good and there might be more to come.  As of right now we’re still OK.  Over 3 inches of rain pelted eastern KY but it was so dry that Lake Cumberland is barely rising and the projected water forecast is showing 3,000 CFS for the next week.  3,000 CFS is definitely fishable and you may recall that we did really well the last time they were running this much water.  All in all I’d say we dodged a bullet for now.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Update 9-7-11 We’re blown out until further notice.  Flows are going up to 6,000 CFS starting tomorrow and remaining that way until lake levels return to normal.  Our trips will be back on the Clinch until normal flows return to the Cumberland.

See you on the water,

Brandon

A Cumberland brown being released on a beautiful weekend

Well folks if you read last week’s report there’s not really any new information to gain from this one.  We’re still catching plenty of fish and the hoppers are still working on top.  Everyone we talked to over the weekend caught fish so it sounds like it’s an angler’s paradise out there right now.  Not to mention, you can’t beat the weather.  We dodged a bullet wit hurricane Irene heading east and missing us completely.  Usually when hurricanes make landfall in Florida or the panhandle we get soaked with the leftovers.

It won’t be long until the browns start moving onto the shoals and we can’t wait!  We still have a few fall dates available so start looking at your calendars.

Brandon

David Rust with a fat 19 inch rainbow caught on a dry fly on 8-21!

Good things come to those who wait and man have we been waiting for this!  We can finally say that the Cumberland is on fire.  We’re catching tons of fish with the occasional big boy showing his head here and there.  With two fishermen we were averaging around 50 fish per day over the last three days.  Yesterday all of our big fish came on dry flies.  Now you can’t beat that!

So here’s what’s going on.  The flow is at 2,000 C.F.S. and will likely stay that way for a long time as long as the weather stays dry.  Who knows how long that will last but you gotta make hay while the sun is shining.  Water clarity is stained but the algae we’ve dealt with for the past two years is finally gone.  It’s almost perfect.  The fish can see your fly but can’t see your boat.  At 2,000 CFS the river is easily navigable by most boats.  It’s also very wadable at pretty much any shoal.

Flies of choice:  Hopper and cicada patterns with white or yellow bellies.  Hare’s ear #14, Prince #16, Copper John #16, various midge patterns.

We still have a few dates open for the coming weekends but they will fill quickly.  I have this coming Sunday the 28th open as of now.  Better get in while the gettin’s good!

See you on the water!

Brandon