April Fishing in Western North Carolina with Guide Patrick Weaver

The daffodils are up and the trout will have dispersed and will be found in shallower riffles runs and pocket water searching for food. Direct morning and midday sun will be a bonus. Pools will hold fewer trout during the day. The trout will move into faster water as the temperatures rise. Gravel runs will hold a lot of Hendrickson Mayflies and trout. It’s time to start working the runs and flats for feeding trout with Mayfly and Caddis patterns.

This time of year, focus on 68 air temperature. When daytime highs are around 68 most of the activity will be between 10 am to 4 pm but one may see caddis in the early morning. Running dry flies over feeding lanes may score on trout that you didn’t see. Trout are looking up for insects and dry fly fishing can be productive even when there isn’t a hatch. This is especially true when the
water is lower. However, don’t overlook wet fly fishing and nymphing. There are a lot of insects drifting in the water column and trout will pick them off. Also, the Hendricksons and Caddis are active, wiggling their way through the water. Wet flies do a great job imitating this.  Focus on finding feeding trout, or insects hatching and water that is 3ft deep or less. Trout will move into shallower water looking for duns and emerging insects. The heads and tails of pools
can also be productive. Move frequently until you find an area with hatching insects and rising trout.

Tactics Anglers can take advantage of all forms of fly fishing now. Nymphing, wet fly fishing, and dry fly fishing can all be productive. However, the dry fly fishing tactics can change drastically since the caddis have arrived. 

Dry fly angling will vary depending on the type of insect one is trying to imitate. Both caddis and mayflies are out and trout could be focusing on either. Although trout will eat a Mayfly and a Caddis drifting naturally, a natural drift may not always be the ticket to get a trout to eat a dry. Caddis are active on the water and may need to be skittered or danced on the surface. Skittering is simply moving the fly in short 6” bursts. I usually skitter twice then drift the fly. It sounds easy but you should practice. It is easy to move the fly too much. Also avoid skittering
directly over trout, skitter them about 2’ upstream and let them drift over the trout.  Dancing a caddis is different from skittering. This behavior is easy to see: caddis are bouncing around on and off the surface. It is amazing how the trout key in on this behavior. To mimic this, place a split shot at the bottom of the leader. Tie an elk hair caddis on a 4” dropper a few feet above. After casting, lift the rod so the line tightens up. If you have the depth correct, you should be able to make the caddis dance on and off the water by wiggling the rod tip. Do this in short bursts to attract the trout’s attention.

Finally, one may need to have the caddis dive underwater. Some caddis dive or crawl under the water to lay eggs. One will see boils but the trout will not eat your pupa patterns. If this is happening, you have egg laying caddis. Place a small split shot either a #6 or #8 about 16” above a CDC caddis pattern. I dust the pattern with a dry floatant. The CDC combined with the floatant will trap air bubbles. The pattern will imitate the diving caddis well since they will form a bubble when
they go under the water. Cast this across and fish downstream. After the current grabs the line, pull the caddis under like a streamer. The strikes can be amazing.
Good luck with the spring and keep an eye out for the Caddis between the Mayfly hatches and be ready to change tactics.

Patrick Weaver 

Patrick Weaver
patrick@headwatersoutfitters.com