August is always a tough time for me as summer is winding down and our short-lived fall is coming. But don't worry; there is still some amazing fishing to be had. We up here in the U.P. have just come through a bit of a heat wave which has us fishing the larger rivers in the early a.m. or late p.m., the coolest parts of the day. On the smaller tributaries, there have not been too many warm water issues as we have up until just recently an abundance of rain this year which has provided for healthy flows and cool water.
Upcoming we will have the ephron hatch (white mayfly) which is a sight to see if you have never witnessed it as a river can appear to be void of fish then all of the sudden the surface just starts to explode. Along with the ephron there are still plenty of caddis, bwos, and terrestrials to be found and let us not forget the flying ant hatch that is super sporadic but if you have the opportunity to get in on this hatch again fish go bonkers.
Along with the trout fishing, the smallmouth fishing continues to be productive as we have now coined Matt as the smallmouth pied piper as they just seem to follow him wherever he and Mel go.
As we approach the final days of summer and into early fall you will want to have the following in your arsenal............
Ephron 10 and 12
Ants cinnamon and black 12-18 (Griffiths gnat is a good substitute)
Caddis 12-18
BWOs 14-18
A good selection of nymphs and emergers to match along with a few good stone nymphs would serve you well and lastly, as we enter the early stages of fall do not forget about the streamer bite which can be explosive. Streamers such as D&Ds, triple-doubles, zoo cougars, and circus peanuts will round out your streamer box nicely.
