It looks like the powers that be at TVA are cranking up flows on our tailwaters this week. Norris reservoir should start falling fast so hopefully flows will level off in a week or two. Meanwhile the weather is really cooling off in the Smokies. In fact there will be a few peaks where overnight […]
Fly Fishing Around Elk This Fall
Fall fishing is almost here, but so is the elk rut. Anyone who will be fly fishing over at Cataloochee or Oconaluftee this fall should probably take a quick look at this video posted by the Great Smoky Mountains Association. Honestly, it’s mostly common sense, but we’ve spent a considerable amount of time fishing around […]
The Slaw Dog: Gas Station Delicacy Adored By Fly Fishers in the Smokies
If you’ve spent much time fly fishing around Townsend there’s a good chance you may have eaten a slaw dog down at the Parkway Grocery. I’ve lived and worked in Townsend since 1994 and the place is a part of my daily routine. I get sausage or country ham biscuits there in the morning on […]
Damp & Mild Conditions Across East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains
The weather across East Tennessee has been in a rut lately. Almost daily it’s partly cloudy and rains somewhere. Some days rain coverage is widespread, but more often it’s a patchwork over the area primarily popping up over the mountains and the northern reaches toward Kentucky and Virginia. As far as late summer weather goes […]
September Is Looking Good
So far the hottest weather we’ve seen this year has come in September just about the time we expect to start getting a break from the heat. August was relatively mild with temperatures rarely getting out of the 80’s and several days that were very mild. In spite of the heat we’re getting regular fresh […]
Signs of Fall
It’s still August and we’re looking at a couple of the hottest days of the year going into Labor Day weekend, but after spending a private day on the river yesterday we’re noticing signs of fall everywhere. First of all we were able to spend some quality time on the river after dropping both the […]
Don’t Hate Her Because She’s Beautiful
I took Sharon and Richard Donnel out for a day of fly fishing in the Smokies with a generous dose of instruction last weekend. They’re local folks from the Knoxville area who decided they wanted to spend more time in the stunning mountain scenery so close to their home. Both were pretty quick studies when […]
Waders Should Look to Mountain Streams for the Best Fishing This Week
Mountain streams throughout the Smoky Mountain region are in great shape right now with good water levels and water temperatures. The photos in this post are from just a few days ago and the dry fly fishing has been pretty good in many locations. We started to see some unsettled weather yesterday as a front […]
Five Minute Video Vacation: Bald River Gorge Wilderness
Here’s a spiffy little video we found which features one of our favorite places in the greater Smoky Mountain region. The Bald River Gorge isn’t in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but very close by in the neighboring Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. This isn’t a fly fishing video, but it will […]
August in East Tennessee
The past few days have seen the weather in a cloudy, muggy funk. While there have been some downpours, there has been plenty of dry time to get out. Unfortunately the unsettled weather (and flows) have had the bugs and fish waiting for more consistency. The rain has seen stream flows up and down and […]