The Cumberland River has only just recently began to fish well this summer. For the past three years, the dam project and overly adequate spring rains have changed how the river can be fished. The best fishing usually comes from the first two miles of the river with most fish caught immediately below the dam.
This August the river had been kind. Gone is the high, cloudy water that has managed to hamper nymph fishing. The river is running about 2,900cfs right now with the output expected to decrease in the coming days. This level is great for boat drifting due to the easy run upstream without the usual shoals to dodge.
With women in tow, we made a modest start to the day on the river. This was to be my girlfriend's first outing on the Cumberland although she had already proven herself on white bass back in April. We found an eddy mid-river just below the dam and I began to explain the intricacies of applying power bait to the size 8 circle hook tied to her line. With that matter lined out, she let the rig fly downstream only to return with a fish. As I knelt over the side of the boat, in anticipation of having a fish slung in my general direction for hook removal, an oddly colored thing lifted from the water. Not a brown or rainbow, but a brook trout - the first one I have ever seen brought out of the Cumberland.
 |
| Jess brings in another brook trout on the Cumberland R. |
 |
| My buddy Matt also caught a few brook trout and filled the cooler with white bass. |
 |
| Cumberland R. brook trout. |
No comments:
Post a Comment