After two weeks of limited opening Great Smoky Mountains National Park will open more areas tomorrow, Saturday May 23, 2020. However, several areas and facilities are remaining closed. The most noteworthy areas opening up are Tremont, Greenbrier, Big Creek, Roaring Fork, and Cosby Creek. All trails will be open as well. Up to this point […]
The Latest Update From the Smokies About the Park Status
It’s pretty ironic that we live within mere minutes of some of our favorite trout streams, but because of the national park closure we have to drive about 90 minutes to go fishing. Things are pretty quiet and we’re firm believers that’s a good thing! It doesn’t look like the pandemic got much of a […]
Keeping ourselves busy during the Covid-19 crisis
This is usually our busiest time of the year for guiding, but we’re completely shut down. The national park is closed and Tennessee has mandated the closure of all non-essential businesses. We’re keeping busy with other projects. The kids have online school and are handling that exceptionally well. We’ve been staining our decks, a project […]
Quick Pic: Backcountry Brook Trout in the Smokies
I took this photograph of a swimming brook trout on a long hike up Lynn Camp Prong earlier this month. Water conditions were a little bit on the high side and the weather was gray and drizzly. I could have fished, but it was one of those days when I just needed to get out […]
GSMNP Closed Due to Covid-19
.Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed for a minimum of two weeks due to the Covid-19 crisis. We have been expecting this announcement for a few days, but it still stings. All roads, trails, and access has been closed. While we haven’t been guiding much considering the time of year, we did have a […]
Spring Fishing is Popping in the Smokies Amid Travel Concerns
We’ve heard it over and over, but we’re in strange times. We should avoid going out and stay away from crowds as much as possible. Our kids are on an extended spring break and our work schedule has absolutely been impacted. The annual Orvis Guide Rendezvous to be held in Roanoke, Virginia this weekend was […]
Spring Fishing Has Arrived in the Smokies
Water levels have settled down in the Smokies and the temperatures have started to rise setting off the chain reaction of hatching insects and rising trout. It’s time for fly fishing! March and April are wet months in the Smokies, but recent rains have been much more in line with what we typically see. The […]
Do Floods Wash Away the Trout? Answers for fly fishers during a wet year
We’ve had an exceptionally wet season already here in East Tennessee and the the Smoky Mountain region. By the end of February Knoxville had a rain surplus of over 10″ that continues to hang in there. Rivers and streams ran high for weeks and we saw some historic flooding in many areas. Fortunately the creeks […]
Extreme Wet Weather and Flooding in the Smoky Mountain Region
It’s been incredibly wet during the short bit of 2020 we’ve experienced. January saw nearly twice the monthly precipitation and by the 5th of February we already reached our February average. This week has seen some extreme weather around the area with impressive flooding and property damage around Townsend. The good news is that […]
Wet Winter Conditions Continue
January isn’t quite over yet and we’ve already nearly doubled the average rainfall for the month here in East Tennessee. The Smokies have seen an alternate of wet days, then sunny days with snow along the crest of the mountains. Streams continue to see-saw between sort of high and really high. Fortunately this week has […]