It’s been a long winter and we’re all itching to get back on the water. Here are a couple of video moments to help you remember what it’s like to be on the river when the sun is shining and the trout are rising. The first clip was filmed by our good friend Carl Babcock […]
Beating Cabin Fever
Winter fly fishing in Tennessee isn’t that hard to endure compared to Michigan, Montana, and Maine among other places. That still doesn’t mean that it’s not cold though. We’ve had a string of days when the thermometer barely cracked 30, so needless to say, if you’re going fishing you’re gonna get cold. Earlier in the […]
Tying Flies for Spring
It’s been a pretty cold week and things probably won’t get much better for close to another week. Water temperatures have been mostly in the 30’s with a few ventures into the low 40’s. It’s actually worth fishing if the water is over 40, but not real productive until you get over 45. Even when […]
Winter Days in the Smokies
We’re just getting over a bout with the cold here in the Rutter household. Our daughter Willow picked it up at a birthday party a couple of weeks ago, Charity succumbed a few days later, and I held on until the bitter end when I got it. We all seem to have turned the corner […]
R&R Fly Fishing Back From the West
Charity and I returned from our Western trip a couple of days ago and are gearing up for the busy fall fly fishing season in Tennessee and North Carolina. We intended to post a few reports from the road but a lack of internet access and an abundance of fishing opportunities kept us from getting […]
Last day of “summer” fly fishing in the Smokies?
Today Tim Doyle and I took a group of guys from middle Tennessee for a day of fishing up in the park. We were glad to see the Laquieres were in good shape and took them into a section of stream that’s a little tougher to access. The fish weren’t exactly jumping on the hook, […]
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 […]
All’s quiet in the Tennessee Smokies after Labor Day Weekend
I kind of feel like Garrison Keeler when I say it’s been a quiet week in my hometown, Townsend on the edge of the Smokies. I’ve been out on the water with folks a few days this week. Last Sunday I walked above Elkmont with Craig Ward and his son Anderson. Craig went to Hazel […]