Take a good look at this. These photos were taken yesterday, on March 27. It’s probably the last look you’ll have at snow in East Tennessee for a while. The Smokies might see a little more along the ridgetops, but as far as we’re concerned it’s done. Back in November or early December this would […]
Quick Pic: Hatching Stoneflies
Quill Gordon and Blue Quill mayflies get all the attention from fly fishers in the Smokies this time of year. Here’s a gentle reminder: Don’t forget about stoneflies. This scene is happening on boulders along rivers and streams in the Smokies right now.
Quick Pic: Brown Trout Up Close
We’re out on a camping trip with the kids for spring break, but we’ve scheduled a few posts to hit the blog in our absence. This brown trout came over the weekend on a dry fly in the Smokies.
Quick Pic: Feeding Brown Trout
Hatches are still struggling to gain momentum in the Smokies. This week the weather has been pretty chilly and the water has been relatively high but getting more “fisher friendly” every day. Expect to use nymphs early and watch for mayflies as the afternoon progresses. The tailwater situation around Knoxville has been relatively grim, but […]
River Flows Bounce Back Up… Again
This cycle is starting to get a little bit old. Weather warms up, gets nice, a few bugs start to hatch, a few fish start to get active, then BAM! More rain and the rivers get high again. This has affected the mountain streams more than the tailwaters, but we can’t help but notice flows […]
A Busy Weekend on the Rivers Around East Tennessee
It was the first weekend we’ve seen this year with good tailwater flows and warm weather. That added up to lots of folks out on all the rivers from the Clinch to the Smokies, and not just fly fishers. This weekend a whitewater get together of sorts was in East Tennessee. “Ain’t Louie Fest” is […]
More Snow in the Smoky Mountains
I know we stirred up a lot of consternation on the interwebs about a week and a half ago when we reported a brief spell of dry fly fishing in the Smokies and some better than average trout to go along. Tom at the Trout Underground went so far as to warn us of an […]
March Comes in Like a Lion
Everyone shows up on the stream in spring. And we mean everyone! The calendar says spring, but a quick glance around the streams in the Smokies and you just don’t see it. Unless you can spot a few of the daffodils at Elkmont buried under about 6″ of fresh snow from the weekend. Weather be […]
Hatches Building in the Smokies While Water Dropping on the Tailwaters
This weekend was one of those typical early season events that we always seem to forget, then remember that’s usually how things play out. There were plenty of bugs, but just a few rising fish. Looks like the fishermen are just a little ahead of the fish. It’s still February, the water is in the […]
Signs of Spring
We’ve had a relatively mild winter and it looks like spring will be a few weeks early. Clingmans Dome Road in the Smokies, one of the highest roads in the eastern US from 5000′ to over 6000′ elevation, will be opening this weekend. It’s usually covered in snow and ice until April. Sign of spring: […]
