There are some new regulations that have taken effect and should help provide better fishing in the future. These regulations apply to trout in the Clinch River tailwater below Norris Dam and smallmouth bass in several East Tennessee rivers. Perhaps the most promising regulation is the new catch and release slot limit on the Clinch. […]
The Haystack: One of our Favorite Smoky Mountain Trout Flies
The Haystack is one of our favorite fly patterns for spring mayfly hatches in the Smoky Mountains. We’re providing the tying instructions because this fly isn’t readily available in most fly shops or catalogs, even in the Smoky Mountain region. This fly is easily tied with materials found on virtually any fly tying desk. There […]
Fall Fly Fishing in the Smoky Mountain Region
Dry Fly Fishing in the Smokies We’re on the back side of Labor Day, the traditional end of the summer season. While it’s still pretty warm here in East Tennessee there’s a touch of fall in the air. Overnight temperatures on the mountain tops are beginning to dip into the 40’s and Townsend is shrouded […]
Fisheries Biologists Speak Out on Smoky Mountain Drought and Trout
By now it’s no secret that the Smoky Mountains have experienced one of the worst droughts in recorded history. Water levels in Little River have been at or below record flows since spring. Fishing was tougher than usual but things got pretty grim in August when East Tennessee also experienced record high temperatures. Recent rains […]
Successful Fly Fishing with Streamers: Wading & Floating Tactics
A box of appropriate flies to entice the big one. Fishing with streamers is perhaps the best way to connect with an oversize fish. However, this is one of the least utilized means of fly fishing. Even when anglers do use streamers they often go about it wrong. This article will explore the best ways […]
Fly Fishing for Tarpon in Florida
Charity and I always do something a little different in the dog days of summer as trout fishing slows down in the Smoky Mountains. Fly fishing for smallmouth bass and backcountry brook trout are two ways we mix it up, but we always head for the saltwater whenever we get the chance. We blocked a […]
Fly Fishing Terrestrials in the Smoky Mountains
This article about fishing terrestrial fly patterns in the Smoky Mountains originally ran in the Summer 2006 issue of Fish & Fly magazine although it was originally scheduled to run several summers earlier. In any case this has been of the most popular articles we’ve ever had published. We’ve received comments about it ever since […]
Find Success Fly Fishing in the Winter: Effective Nymphing Methods
This article is written with a foucus on the freestome streams of the Smoky Mountains and the tailwaters of Tennessee but the information is just as applicable to waters in other parts of the country. Winter can be a tough time to catch trout in the Southeast. Hatches are sparse on most tailwaters like the […]
Fly Fishing in the Summer: The Best of Times & The Worst of Times
The main focus of this article deals with fly fishing streams in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, but the information is just as applicable to streams in other parts of the country. It’s August and the temperatures back in town are forecast to be in the mid-90’s. It hasn’t rained […]
The Southerly Flow
This was first published in the August/September 2002 issue of Appalachian Life magazine. It is a short article that describes the natural history of brook trout in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina and the opportunities to fly fish for them. As the sun rises over the Great Smoky Mountains, twilight brightens […]