Another week into spring, another week of cold and wet weather for us to negotiate….
It’s really been an odd spring. We typically experience a few tough weather days in March, April, and May as strong fronts may bring heavy rain or a short resurgence of winter. However, this year it’s almost been the opposite. We get a few warm, sunny days with optimal water condition to break up all the time we’ve had with nasty weather and high stream flows.
A pretty day in the Smokies with high stream flows
We’ve managed to get everyone on fish, but let me tell you, it hasn’t been easy. If I’d known it was going to be like this I would have bought futures in split shot last fall. We’re usually well into rising trout by now and honestly, we’re about to bust with anticipation.
Even though TVA flows haven’t been perfect, they’ve been very negotiable. It’s still a little early for us to expect great dry fly fishing on our floats, so the nymphing has been a little bit easier to tolerate. The basic menu for our local tailwaters is still the same: Beadhead Pheasant Tails or Zelon Nymphs along with some Zebra Midges for fish up dimpling the surface in slow currents.
Rods are staying bent on the drift boat
The other day as I was dropping the drift boat in the river I took a minute to look around at the water and enjoy the sun on my face only to wonder “Am I in the right place?” It almost seemed foreign to get to guide angers under ideal conditions. But even then the lowly split shot was a hot commodity. The hook up rate went up dramatically when I pinched on a small #6 shot to the leader.
The extended forecast shows some warm, dry weather headed our way and we can’t wait. We’re eager for rising trout and sunshine. See you casting a dry fly!
Fishing the Smokies on a spring day