Last week Charity and I looked at the calendar and saw that this was the last week we had with much time off. After this week we’ll be guiding at least 5 days a week. (There’s still some availability if you need a guide, but you don’t want to wait any longer before booking a […]
Great Dry Fly Fishing in Smoky Mountain Streams in Spite of Cold Snap
After yesterday’s scattered snow showers and hard freeze last night, temperatures slowly grew milder today. I took Zeke Foard and his grandson Joshua out for a day of fishing. It was Josh’s first experience fly fishing and Zeke and excited to see him catch his first trout. We started out fishing some beadheads and covering […]
Tennessee Fly Fishing Season Off to a Big Start for Guides in the Smokies
Spring fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains and Tennessee has been nothing short of phenomenal. Our guide season has really kicked into gear over the last week and we’ve been spending lots of time on the water. In fact, this post is probably several days late, but we’ll get you up to date. Fly Fishing […]
You shoulda been there….
We don’t mean to taunt, but I hope you’re getting something valuable accomplished if you haven’t been fishing in the past 3 days. I said it in the last report, but let me reiterate: Spring fly fishing in the Smokies is here! I hit Little River yesterday with my good fishing buddy Doug Sanders and […]
Spring Fly Fishing has Arrived in Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains
Spring seems to have arrived in the rivers and streams of the Smoky Mountains and East Tennessee along with the great fly fishing that goes with it. We’re now officially in the month of March. We picked up our new Tennessee fishing license yesterday on the way to the water. Flowers and trout stream insects […]
It’s Official: We’ve got Spring Fever!
Spring fever is catching here in the Smoky Mountains and across Tennessee. Fly fishers have begun to disregard the weather report and just go fishing! We’ve got it about as bad as anyone. This is the time of year when we’re consumed with the mundane details of operating a guide service. We’ve been tending to […]
Smoky Mountain Trout Populations Set to Rebound After the Drought of 2007
2007 saw the worst drought on record for the Southern Appalachian region. Water levels were at historic lows throughout East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Many fly fishers wrote the park off as a disaster area and headed to other destinations. While we couldn’t blame anyone, we experienced great fishing […]
New Regulations for Clinch River Trout and East Tennessee Smallmouth Bass
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. […]
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 […]