We’re rounding out August here in the Smokies with the best weather we’ve seen in a long time. Daytime temperatures in Townsend have been in the 70’s and overnights have been in the 50’s. Shave off another 10 degrees if you’re further up in the mountains and 15-20 up on the high ridges over 5000′. Did I mention it’s all blue skies and no daily thunderstorms to dodge?
Ian fishing a steep backcountry stream
Since trout are “cold water” species, it’s only natural that they’re loving this weather. Stream levels are falling a bit, but to be perfectly clear, we’ve been well above average since May so this isn’t a problem.
We don’t have any big hatches to report, but everyone should be aware of a major road issue inside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Newfound Gap Road has been closed on the Tennessee side and will remain so through a good chunk of September.
Several weeks ago a cloudburst near Newfound Gap dumped few inches of rain. A small stream that many fly fishers know well, Walker Camp Prong, had a huge flash flood and undercut the road. Park and US highway officials got on it as quick as they could. A significant chunk of the road will be cut out, then re-filled and repaved. I suspect a retaining wall may be put in place as well. We’ve seen this pattern in the pas when Smokies roads get washed away. The latest guidance from the park says the work will be done on or before September 30.
Be aware: The road is not closed on the North Carolina side and visitors can drive as far as Newfound Gap. The overlook and parking area provides a convenient place for traffic to return back to Cherokee. There was no damage on the North Carolina side. The Tennessee side is closed to allow for heavy equipment and materials to get to the site quickly and safely. There is also the consideration that there is no good place for traffic to turn around safely.
Dry fly fishing should continue to be good into the fall. Keep an eye out for gold stoneflies as they tend to hatch in this late summer time frame. You might chunk a #10 Tellico Nymph into a deep plunge if you see an abundance of their shucks on streamside boulders.
Most bugs right now will be very small, but there’s not really a need to try to match tiny mayflies or midges in these streams. A #16 Parachute Adams is usually small enough and a #14 will probably work. Smaller Stimulators in #16 are also good choices since they are never wrong and ideal for hanging on a dropper #16-18 beadhead nymph.
Long range forecasts show the weather warming up a bit, but it looks like the warmest weather is behind us. We’ll probably keep wet wading through September, but we’ll have to see how cool it gets in another month before we put the waders back in action.
