Typical Wet Spring for the First Time in Several Years

Spring fishing has been superb almost anywhere you go. Bugs are hatching and trout are rising in the Smokies. Flows on the tailwaters have been good for either floating or wading. Reports from our warm water contacts say that smallmouth bass are on the move on the lakes and bigger rivers. What a time to fly fish!

Your moment of zen: The bright red adipose fin of a Smoky Mountain trout.

We’ve only been on Little River for the past several days, but no regrets. The river has been fishing great! We’ve heard a few grumbles from a few anglers who feel like the river is too high to fish, but I think they’ve forgotten what spring in the Smokies is supposed to look like. In fact, water levels have fluctuated slightly from just above average to slightly below average all week long.

Another moment of zen: Band of color from a Smoky Mountain Rainbow Trout

Hatches are still great in the park. Most of the bugs show up in the afternoon, but you can still nymph fish up in the morning. We had a pretty chilly night a few nights back and the morning that followed was a bit slow, but the afternoon fishing more than made up for it.

We’ll be heading over to the tailwaters and perhaps the North Carolina side of the park next week.