Kentucky hatches and streams

[Guest]

as a response to a question asked by Waterflogger, I have chosen to make the response here.

 

Waterflogger asked about the "fishability" and hatches in Kentucky. In Ky, we have more navagable streams than any other state. Every stream I fish is mostly wadeable, especially in the summer and fall. We are blessed with small scenic creeks and flows that hold huge panfish, bass, roughfish and trout. Even the mighty Cumberland is wadeable both above and below the lake itself. Drifting is popular on the larger flows like the Kentucky, the Ohio, the Cumberland, the Green, and Rolling Fork, just to name a few. But creek fishing and wading is more popular and is the best way to get to the action.

 

Kentucky is enough north to still enjoy white Christmas's, but south enough to hit the dry fly action by March. We enjoy prolific black sedge hatches, and mayfly hatches. The time of the hatch depends on the area of the state and the local weather patterns. The hatch is not as nice in the mountain streams, but the sedge and terrestrial hatches more than make up for that. Terrestrial patterns work well for all species. We seem to have more damsel and dragon fly hatches than most areas and these hatches are huge and last all summer. It is not at all unommon to land fish on floting foammsels as early as March and as late as November. Poppers are on of my fav patterns and I have taken fish with a variety of styles and colors throughout the year.

 

Crawfish patterns produce fish nearly year round. But you must be aware of the lifecycle to fish these patterns with regular success. We love the soft craws here, when the molt starts, because the fish go nuts feeding on these things!! Great fun!

 

Kentucky is open all season, with the exception of a very few streams. We enjoy all species, all year. The fishing is great, the scenery is varied and beautiful, and the Wild Turkey is the best bourbon in the hemisphere...what more could you want?

 

 

anyone wishing to learn more about Ky fishing, I encourage you to check out Billy and the boys at www.thecreekbank.com. This is an excellent sitte dedicated to fishing in Ky....check it out...great stuff!

[Guest]

And they make good whiskey, hic

[Guest]

i live very close to several distilleries...I fish streams that flow directly behind Jim Beam, Ancient Age, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, and Seagrams....the smell of mildewing oats and grains can be suffocating, but the fish are huge, drunk, and looking for a fight!!!

[Steeldrifter 0]

Drunk KY fish? ...whadya catch those on.....probaly something in the same family as the species your after right?

 

SD

[redneckshadrap 0]

I've portaged the dam at eh Jim Beam Distillery. It's whitewater time..........and smallie time.....................

 

Big D's right. Ky offers a little bit of it all in terms of all round fishing. As much as you Steelhead Guru's post here, I'm surprised I don't hear of a Big Musky or Big Nothern Critters...(Pike). We have no Pike, but the Muskies....roam a couple of Major Lakes and offer 40"+fish at anytime.

The Cumberland River, below the dam, is wonderful. You could spend 2 wks up there and never fish the same water twice, but still fish the same spots. The generation of the dam for Power puropose has created an awesome watershed.

 

The streams are as Mother Nature will let them be. SOme years good flows yr round...some drought............

 

 

Billy

 

 

[Guest]

billy,

 

 

was fishing Tygart"s Creek in upper Greenup last year and landed a couple of mucky on the ol' 5wt...they werent't legal, but still great fun!! Can't imagine what a legal fish would be like! Still getting ready for the upcoming hatch...have made a few mosifications to the the cicada...looking great!! I'll have to show one to ya next time we hit the shop!