Continuing our series on fly fishing around the world. In the USA trout fishing seasons have quite distinct characters, unlike in the UK, where the weather is more unpredictable. If you are a globe trotting angler, we are running two short blog postings on summer fishing in America.
It’s not always the case that summer fishing is laid back, as popular imagery suggests. In the South, for example, it's almost too hot to fish during the day, so you’d be well advised to stick to early mornings and evenings. In the North, on the other hand summer can be the ideal time to fish, since the season can be very short and fish usually feed actively in this period. And for a longer summer, you should try out the West Coast.
In the South, try bass fishing at night. Bass feed when temperatures are lower and the light is less intense. Lights hung from the side of your boat will attract crappie, white bass, hybrids, and stripers – because they are feeding on shad drawn to the lights. Which makes the fish easy to catch. Night fishing for catfish is, of course, a great tradition in many Southern states. In Northern states, take advantage of the short growing season and feed all day, so you can take advantage of them in turn. On many lakes walleye and perch bite best at night. Muskie are active and will hit around shallow grass beds. In most areas bream bed all summer long and you can have some fast action for them. Trolling with a motorboat is illegal in some places, so always check the local laws first. You can row and troll in most places, a good way to catch fish and get some exercise at the same time.
Try to get your bait deep below this surface when you are fly fishing, as this is where many fish stay in hot weather. Wading rivers and streams is a good idea also, for several reasons, from keeping you cool to putting you close to the fish.
