After 20 years of fly fishing in Alaska, I hung up my fly rod when I moved back to Kentucky full-time. My focus switched to bass, crappie, redear, and catfish, but my love of fly fishing never waned. Through books and magazines, I kept in touch with fly fishing and often pulled from great memories of casting a fly to rainbows and grayling in the last frontier. During these times I also researched the many fly fishing opportunities across Kentucky and have planned a trip for years but never acted due to a mix of busy schedules and the many other fishing opportunities that Kentucky offers. That is until a special invite came my way.
Friend and fellow outdoor writer Bob Sawtelle extended an invite to fly fish the Cumberland River with Dave Debold, owner of Double D Outfitters out of Louisville Kentucky. Bob assured me that Dave knew the river and would put us on some trout, he did not disappoint. Dave knows the dam’s generation schedule and takes you to fish sections of the river that have the best current for catching trout on the fly. Dave told me that fishing the river in the winter months is great because the generation schedule allows for a later start after the sun’s rays warm the air as well as the enthusiasm.
Our trip began at Riverside Retreat in Jamestown Kentucky and a great pork chop dinner at Reel Java Restaurant and Creamery on the Jamestown square. A campfire followed where stories of past fly fishing adventures set the mood for the trip down the Cumberland. One of the great things about fly fishing is the stories and camaraderie it adds to the perfectly seasoned firewood crackling in the pit. Bob’s stories of his western fly fishing adventures along with mine from Alaska, proved to provide enough fireside fodder for many more fly fishing trips together as we generate more recent tales and experiences to boot.
Our trip called for a downriver launch and the boat was in the water before daylight. The air was cool but comfortable and the sunrise was remarkable with a fog rising from the river along with the chatter of a kingfisher chasing breakfast. The sun was still hiding behind the bluffs when the first fish was landed. It was a solid rainbow trout, as pretty a specimen I have ever seen. The trout fell for one of the simplest of flies I have ever used, a mop fly.
A mop fly is nothing more than a 1-inch piece of micro-fiber mop material with a small, dubbing collar. Dave told us they represented a small minnow drifting down the river and the trout could not resist it. It was fished under a small cork bobber, or strike indicator in the fly fishing world. Casting to likely lies and keeping the presentation as natural as possible with slow lifts and clean mends proved to be the answer on this morning and brought several nice rainbows and a few small cutthroat trout to the net.
The Cumberland River is a Kentucky gem and a place I can personally recommend to anyone who loves fly fishing. The bald eagles, kingfishers, and deer in a backdrop of beauty are just a few reasons to give Double D Outfitters a call and see for yourself. My experience was wonderful, and I would say another story for the campfire.
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