We’ve heard it over and over, but we’re in strange times. We should avoid going out and stay away from crowds as much as possible. Our kids are on an extended spring break and our work schedule has absolutely been impacted. The annual Orvis Guide Rendezvous to be held in Roanoke, Virginia this weekend was […]
Do Floods Wash Away the Trout? Answers for fly fishers during a wet year
We’ve had an exceptionally wet season already here in East Tennessee and the the Smoky Mountain region. By the end of February Knoxville had a rain surplus of over 10″ that continues to hang in there. Rivers and streams ran high for weeks and we saw some historic flooding in many areas. Fortunately the creeks […]
Simple Steps to Better Winter Nymph Fishing in the Smokies
Fly fishing with nymphs has always been a little bit of a mystery for anglers. You cast a fly you can’t see to a fish you can’t see, so it’s completely understandable when the concepts are hard to master. The most basic element to success when fishing with nymphs is finding the appropriate depth. There […]
A Guide to Fly Fishing with Kids
We’ve been hard core fly fishers for a long time. There were autumn tent camping trips to Yellowstone with subzero temperatures when we had to trudge through snow to get to the river. There were many tarpon fishing trips on small skiffs in the hot sun. One of those was a multi night camping trip […]
Go Barbless or Stick With Barbed Hooks?
One of the most common questions we’ll hear when we have anglers on the water is “Did you just pinch the barb on the hook?” We’re always a little bit startled because most of the time there’s a bit of an accusing tone as if we don’t want them to actually catch a fish, but […]
Dry Fly, Nymph, or Streamer?
One of the biggest questions we get in the fall is what kind of fly to cast in the Smokies. Many anglers have misconceptions about the best flies to use in the autumn. There are a number of things going on in the fall and that gets anglers thinking about their fly selections. The weather […]
Easy Ways to Improve Your Casting Accuracy
Every day we help people catch fish on the fly and a big part of that is helping them to improve their cast. We don’t usually have much time and most people are far more interested in catching fish than spending time on casting lessons. Fortunately we’re pretty good at diagnosing casting problems and giving […]
Tips to Catch More Trout: Changing Seasons and Changing Tactics
Fall has finally arrived here in East Tennessee. As the leaves change so should your tactics while you’re out on the water. This is something we think about more as we change our fishing location from the Smokies to our tailwaters andon our annual trip to the Henry’s Fork since all of those places are […]
Common Misconceptions About Tenkara
We’ve been using Tenkara and used it to guide anglers in the Smokies for about three years now. If you’ve never tried it you won’t believe what an incredibly effective tool it is for fly fishing in rivers and streams. We’ve had a few folks who have booked trips specifically to fish with Tenkara or […]
Hatching Yellow Sally
Little Yellow Stoneflies, often referred to as Yellow Sallies, are hatching throughout the Smoky Mountain region right now. These bright yellow insects start life as a dull brown nymph in the stream. They migrate across the stream bottom and crawl up on boulders in the middle of the stream or on dry areas along the […]