It happens every year, sometimes its May, sometimes April if its early, sometimes June, on the SoHo in East Tennessee it can even be December or January. Its mayfly madness. In this case, one in particular. It causes not only a great rise of trout, but normally sane people to stay up all night long tying flies, driving six to seven hours and fishing 1o hours all in the same day, to laying out of work or calling in sick. Sulphurs........There are three flies in particular, and they come in #14, 16, and 18. Not only do the fish love them, fishermen love them. These three flies comprise what we call the "Sulphur Hatch" and is one of our main events every angling season.
May 2008 was no different.....we have some incredible rises of trout. One trip was with Dr. Tom Wolff of Winston-Salem, a great friend and customer of 20 years, and his brother Dave who drove down from Pennsylvania to join us on the South Holston. Late in the afternoon, when the water hit that magic low to mid 50's temperature the bugs poured off.....and there were rising fish all over. And a few hours later we were witness to one of the heaviest spinner falls you'll ever see in the East. And then there was the annual TN Tailwaters school and trip, this years trip was off the chart. Peter Spirito came all the way from Port St. Lucie, FL, and Lynn Roloff from Greensboro, NC, and we were joined two days later by Joe Craig of High Point, NC, and Ron Davis from Winston-Salem, NC. The hatch was blanket and quite unlike it has been in many years, we had two 100 fish days and some fish over 20 inches on the dry fly. For the three days total it was a 300 fish trip, and the best part is 98% percent of the fish were on dry flies.............................and the bugs are still coming off. Better finish typing so I can tie up some extra emergers and get some shut eye before joining my group of three guys for another great time fishing the sulphur hatch.....I love it!
