There’s still some fall color here in Townsend, but it’s certainly transitioning into a cooler season. As I type this snow is falling along the crest of the Smokies. We may see some flurries here in Townsend, but the high ridges will likely see 3-6″ of accumulation.
While it’s cold up high, it’s still pretty mild down where most of us fish. It will be in the 40’s today and tomorrow, but temperatures will creep back into the 60’s by next week.
Still, it’s a sign that we have to bulk up the nymph selection in our fly boxes. We’re still expecting to find a few fish willing to eat a dry fly, but it’s that time of year when the nymph is the smart way to catch fish.
The Clinch has had superb schedules for floating this week and the fish have been on small black caddis and midges. We’ve dared to cast a dry fly at a few, but as is often the case on the Clinch, small nymphs are far more consistent. The weather was beautiful and the fish relatively cooperative, but I didn’t get any pictures. Most of my anglers were in the beginner category so I devoted my attention to them and left the camera in the bag.