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: […]
A Close Up Look at a Hatching Mayfly
We took this video of a hatching Blue Quill in the Smokies. This is a pretty small bug, only about #18, so it appears larger on your screen than it actually is. This is is filmed in real time and is not a time lapse. It’s pretty amazing how fast this mayfly get its wings […]
Hatches Are About To Start in the Smokies
It looks like another early spring will soon be upon us here in the Smokies. There was snow falling on the rivers and streams in the Smokies only a few days ago but a relatively mild winter seems to have the insects ready to get started hatching and the fish seem to sense it. Up […]
Quick Pic: Brown Trout in the Current
Fish are certainly moving in the streams up in the Smokies. Hatches aren’t rolling yet but nymphs are moving and fishing are pretty active in the afternoon. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper 40’s and water levels are essentially where we expect them in mid February. The relatively mild winter we’ve had will […]
It’s All Coming Together
We’re beginning to see signs that spring fishing is almost upon us here in the Smokies. It’s been a relatively mild winter, but bouts of high water interspersed with cold snaps have kept us deprived of good fishing. It looks as if all that may change soon though. We had some rain last night and […]
Stream Levels Fine, Tailwaters Not So Much
Mountain streams in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina have receded to levels considered average for early February. Many anglers consider this a tad on the high side but we’ve always preferred the water around this level. Remember you can always find current stream levels on our site. We’re starting to get that nervous tick […]
Excuse Us While We Show Off
We really try to maintain some sense of humility but there are times we just can’t help but to scream “Dig This!” This is one of those times. At the age of 3 our son Boone does OK with a fly rod. We won’t try to convince you he catches fish solo, but with a […]
One More Time
After water levels finally leveled out a little bit and streams in the Smokies were starting to look normal… BAM! More heavy rain and more high water! We still haven’t seen official rainfall totals for the national park, but there was over 3″ of rain in just a few hours around most of East Tennessee. […]