Summer Wet Wading Season Has Arrived in the Smokies

We still haven’t seen what we’d call “hot” weather, but wet wading season has arrived. Overnight temperatures aren’t as cold and afternoons are pretty warm. Couple that with reduced stream flows where you don’t wade very deep and there’s not much reason to wear a full set of waders. This allows anglers to hike in further without the need to carry waders or wear them in warm weather.

There is little need for wading deep when fly fishing in the Smokies

This is also the time of year when dry fly fishing dominates here in the Smokies. Even when we fish a nymph it’s almost always as a dropper under a dry fly. The bulk of good hatches is behind us now, so a good drift with a pretty basic fly is the ticket to success. We typically rely on #14 –  16 Parachute Adams, #16 – 18 Stimulators, and #16 – 18 Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymphs, but there are many more flies that will work. Elk Hair Caddis and Neversink Caddis as well as Thunderheads are favorites of many Smoky Mountain fly fishers.

Even the elk are wet wading!

This is the start of thunderstorm season here in the Smokies, so be sure to pack a rain jacket. Even on the prettiest days you can expect a shower somewhere in Southern Appalachia. These storms are rarely very long but can have some heavy rain and occasional lightning. Don’t let the possibility of these storms keep you off the stream, but be prepared for them. They usually happen between 3 – 7 PM. While they might increase streamflows and dirty the water, conditions often rebound within a few hours. In fact, it’s these storms that provide the bulk of water in our streams through the summer so they’re a necessity for good fishing.

A drop dead gorgeous native brook trout

Day in the life….

Here’s a quick little story from the “day in the life” files….

A few weeks ago our dog was clearly upset about something and we could hear some activity on the front porch. It’s not unusual for someone looking for a rental cabin to get lost and end up at our house. Charity opened the curtain and a bear was peaking in the window! The dog went nuts and the spooked bear jumped up on the porch rail.

A black bear walks the rail on our front porch

We’re always careful not to leave coolers on our porch or leave any trash or dogfood out. In fact we put our bird feeders away in April since bears will absolutely see them as a food source. This isn’t uncommon at our home in Townsend, but it’s rare we can get such a good photograph.