CFS: 336
Water Temp: 55 – 62°F
Dries: Hoppers/Ants/Beetles, Purple Haze, Mahogany Duns, BWOs
Nymphs: Peacock Stone, Prince Nymph, Green Copper Johns
We can feel fall approaching with each passing day; the nights have been longer, the mornings colder, and the bigger fish have started to move more as the water temps go down.
Fortunately, we’ve still had enough warm weather in the middle of the day to activate the terrestrial flies. Hoppers have been the most popular choice, but ants, beetles and rubber-legged stimulators have been great options too.
In the evenings, smaller mayflies have been the fish’s preferred bug. A yellow PMD or a Mahogany Dun will work on the warmer days, but if you have any clouds/precipitation, try a Blue-Winged Olive instead. Attractors like the Purple Haze and the Brindle Chute are great “all-around” flies to simulate these patterns.
Green has been the best dropper color the past couple weeks; try a mid-sized hopper with a green Copper John or Zebra Midge 1.5 ft – 2 ft behind it. The other option would be to fish a double-nymph rig. If you go this route, use a big stonefly nymph with some weight as your main, and trail the small dropper.
At some point this month, we’ll start to see the October caddis flying. Keep an eye out for the orange caddis nymphs crawling on the rocks as a harbinger of bugs to come. With there being more water than usual this year, the September fishing should be great on Rock Creek!