So far we’ve had an unusual winter season here in East Tennessee. Right around Christmas we saw weather that would have been considered as unusually warm for Easter, let alone the shortest days of the year. Along with that warm weather we saw exceptionally heavy rains. Streams in the Smokies were at flood levels but […]
The Joy of Being a Kid on the Stream
Maybe the best part of fly fishing is that you get to play around like a kid. I hear it all the time when I’m guiding and I remember my dad saying it too. His remark was that a grown man playing in the creek strikes people as odd, but put a fly rod in his hand […]
Unseasonably Warm Weather
Christmas music is playing but it feels like spring is in the air. This morning it was 60 degrees on the front porch of R&R Fly Fishing world headquarters in Townsend. Even though I said spring is in the air I know we’ve had many cooler mornings in April than this! Forecast highs today through […]
Return of Our Fly of the Month Subscription
Our Fly of the Month subscription is back! It’s been a few years since we’ve put it on the shelf, but we’ve brought it back because of numerous requests. When you subscribe you’ll receive two flies every month along with a four page booklet that tells you a little bit about the fly pattern, the […]
Tailwaters Running High But Mountain Streams in Great Shape
After last week’s heavy rains across the Southeast all of the tailwaters in the region are running high. Wading is out of the question across the board but floating on the Watauga or South Holston is an option for those with a boat and an itch that needs scratching. Those rivers have flows that are […]
High Water in the Smokies
After about 2 1/2 days of steady rain you could say we have some high water in the Smokies. Here’s a look at Little River crashing through the Sinks this morning. All of the following are video clips. Just click them to start or stop. A video posted by R & R Fly Fishing (@randrflyfishing) […]
A Mild Start to Winter
This is the day of the year when we typically expect our guide business to drop like a heavy stonefly nymph with two BB shots. The Thanksgiving weekend is usually the last weekend of the year when we can count on being booked although the weather is never a sure thing. When people ask how […]
It’s Not Winter Yet
Things are quickly slipping towards winter here in the Smokies. The mornings have certainly gotten cold and we’ve had several consecutive frosts. Most of the leaves are off the trees even as a few pockets of brilliant color hang on in sheltered coves. The fish are still rising, but not as fast and furious as […]
Short But Productive November Season
Most of the fall color is gone but some of the best fly fishing of the year remains. November is always an interesting time on the water since it features some of the best fishing of the year, but that great fishing will often dissolve in the space of just about a week. There’s not […]
World Turning
There’s absolutely no doubt that fall has arrive now as autumn color is quickly progressing in the Smokies, leaves are falling, and the weather is cooling down. In fact, we’ve had frost the past two mornings here at R&R Fly Fishing world headquarters in Townsend. Dry fly fishing is the usual fall program in the […]