Cumberland River - BIG PROPS TO BOB!

[jimmadsen]

Just got back to Cincinnati for a couple of days at Lake Cumberland in southern Kentucky and had the pleasure to share a stream with "rst" (a.k.a. "Bob the Woolly Bugger").

Bob was SO gracious to not only send me detailed directions to a great spot to wade the river...BUT ALSO surprised me by taking the day off work to come and fish with me. Gave me great info about hot flies (Black Woolly Bugger) where to fish and how. We both caught fish and just had a great time to share some time in the river together.

That's what is so great about this board...an opportunity to meet folks like Bob down in KY and Joe & Jeff up in the Cincy area. Whenever you can - try it. Go fishing with the folks on this board. It's a great experience!

THANKS BOB! It was great to meet you, share the river with you and I look forward to another opportunity to fish together again. Hopefully we can hook up again at one of the "Fish-Ins" in Michigan or Pennsylvania.

Thanks again!

Jim

[alra195]

Jim,

Drop me a line. Details man! I need details!

[Joe Valencic]

JWhenever you can - try it. Go fishing with the folks on this board. It's a great experience!

I agree. As a matter of fact, I'm taking Ohiotuber out for a day of perch fishing on Lake Erie tomorrow on my friend's 26' Sea Ray. I know we'll have a good time, and JC will be jealous cuz we'll both be having fresh perch dinners tomorrow night. I'll eat a couple extra fillets for you, JC.

Joe

[Ohioflyguy]

Jim,
Sounds like you had a great trip.I haven't been down there since june,but hopefully going down in Oct.Usually fish at Helms but always looking for new spots.Did you fish any midges? They were the hot fly last time I was there.By the way BTW is fishing pretty good right now.Did real good thurs. and lost one brown about 24" biggest one I've seen yet.
See you on the water
Rob

[jimmadsen]

HEY ROB!

Good to see you post again!

I was just up on BTW on Monday with Joe & Jeff and I, too, lost a REALLY good fish - about a 20" rainbow. Shame on me for tying a surgeon's knot instead of the orvis because that's where he broke me off as he was heading to a big brush snag.

The Cumberland River was really a cool experience. Fished south of Helms Landing led by my "guide" Bob (aka "rst") - missed a couple of fish on nymphs (copper johns and PTNs) then caught one rainbow on a black woolly bugger...which was Bob's suggested go-to fly. There was a lot of subsurface activity - fish tailing a lot - so I tied on a black zebra midge with no wieght and drifted that - got nailed by another rainbow. I guess Brown's are as rare in the Cumberland as Rainbows are at BTW.

I guess the river levels are perfect right now...very easily wadeable and it doesn't sound like they are generatin electricity so it doesn't fluctuate when they run the generators.

The bottom line is that I will be back down there again...the fishing was good and Bob was a great guy to fish with.

Hope to see you at BTW again!

Take care...Jim

[jcampbell]

Can one of you give me directions to Helms Landing from Russell Springs? I'll be coming down from Lexington. Thanks.

[jimmadsen]

Here are the directions that Bob gave me and they worked like a charm:

From Russell Springs go south on Highway 127.

Turn right (WEST) on Highway 55 and go 1.4 miles

Turn left on HWY 1058 (There is a Church in the Y of the two roads), go 1.0 mile

Turn left (SOUTH) on HWY 379 (at another church).

Go 2.3 miles on Hwy 379 and then turn left (EAST) in a very sharp corner.

There was a sign that pointed to Helms Landing in the intersection but it's no longer there.

Follow a very narrow road drive slow and watch for on coming traffic. Go by another church (Temple Hill church ? very small country church) on that road and on down to the river; Road turns into dirt the last ? mile or so and stops at Helms Landing Boat Ramp.

Bob suggested (and I agree) that it'sbetter to walk down the river on a trail that parallels the river for about 1/4 mile. Not as much fishing pressure down there.

To get there, basically walk down the ramp and along the bank of the river a bit, and then head back up onto the bank. The trail is right there and goes right along side of the river to where it stops ? back in the river a little bit down stream. You can?t get lost as that piece of land mass is an island when the river is up.

About half way down the trail/path you will see some yellow sulphur rocks and a large tree stump out in the river. It?s really good around that area as well.

One word of advice that Bob passed on to me...wear fleece under your waders if you're going to be in the water for any length of time. I was in the water up to my navel for at least 90 minutes and I'm glad I had that extra layer of padding.

Bob is king of the Woolly Bugger and had great success with them. They worked for me as well. Also remember that there are good hatches of caddis and stonefly so remember to bring plenty of nymph patterns since I saw lots of subsurface activity but few - if any- rises.

Hope this helps...it was a great experience and one I look to repeat soon!

[rst]

Jim ?

Thanks for giving the Cumberland some great press, maybe others from the Board will be enticed to wander this way and try their hand on the ?Big C.?

And by the way; the pleasure was all mine fishing with you, but you certainly are welcome, and I?d be ?tickled to death? to again share the Cumberland with you, or any river for that matter. It was also great to meet your family. And for you folks that read this, Jim didn?t need all that much coaching, he is obviously no stranger to a fly rod.

Some details for those that asked: That was Jim?s first time on the Cumberland and he hit the river on a day that the water conditions really don?t get much better for those of us that wade. And that was due to the drawn down of the lake due to repairs on the Dam, a major drought, and no generating for two or three months. So it will be a little difficult to repeat the wading conditions in a normal year. But it?s a great place to FF most any day when the generators are sleeping, so ?you?all come on down now ya hear!?

Would be pleased to help anyone on the board with info about fishing/wading the Cumberland, and should it work out, share the river with you. Very soon I hope to have a lot more free time to do these sorts of things.

Jim ? I very much will look forward to doing this again. There are several other places to wade and maybe we can hit some of those. Keep in touch and let me know when you are heading back this way.

Bob

[Jack Hise]

You guy's went fishing within 3 hours of me and didn't say anything!! Let me know next time! I may even be able to drag WarrenP along!
You could also take a detour south and let us show you some great fishing!

[jcampbell]

Jim and Bob,
Thanks for the directions and advice. I'm only 2 hours away and plan to make several trip down there this fall. My time is not limited by work, so if anyone has some time to fish the area, I'd appreciate the local knowledge.

John