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 […]
Smallmouth Fishing Remains Good; Positive Outlook for Smoky Mountain Fisheries
Yesterday I took Kenny and Harry Macintosh for a float on the Holston River. Kenny was well aware of the drought situation and heat wave and told me to take them wherever the fishing was good. My suggestion was that we float the Holston and fly fish for smallmouth bass. Fishing with poppers has been […]
Brook trout in the remote backcountry of the Smokies
Yesterday set a record high of 101 in Knoxville but it was still cool in the highest elevations of the Smoky Mountains. While water temperatures along the most accessible stretches of Little River are spiking at or above 70 degrees, I’m happy to report that most backcountry and higher elevation waters are still in the […]
Fly Fishing Update for the Smoky Mountains & Tailwaters
Weather conditions remain hot and dry here in Tennessee, but there are some opportunities for fly fishing. Fishing on larger streams in the Smokies is best described as poor. The guage on Little River is not only recording low water levels, but high water temperatures as well. I would stress, however, that the guage is […]
Swimming with Trout in the Smokies
It’s been pretty hot here in Tennessee. Hiking way back into the backcountry of the Smokies seems more than oppressive in this kind of heat and humidity. A good swim in the river sounds so much better. One thing I can’t help but notice is how trout are easily spooked by things outside of the […]
Hottest week of the year in Tennessee
Fly fishers will be up against some pretty big obstacles this week in the Smokies and on the tailwaters. Water levels are still exceptionally low in the Smoky Mountains. There are, however, regular afternoon rain showers which are preventing temperatures from rising to critical levels. The best thing to do would be to head for […]
Water levels at normal levels in the Smokies (for now)
Hard to say how long things will stick, but water levels are actually quite good! We had some heavy rains in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Water levels had rebounded a bit by that time, but the big rain actually made things pretty muddy and made the water high. Little River was really chugging […]
Rain improves fishing in the Smokies
The Smoky Mountains are living up to their name thanks to recent rains. We’re thrilled to report that we’ve had rain everyday this week. Most of the storms have been relatively short, but there have been more widespread rains all week and some have been heavy. Stream levels have responded and while things are still […]
Guides’ Day Off in the Tennessee Smokies
I’m not really sure how we managed it, but Charity and I realized last night that neither of us had anything on the calendar for today. We got up at the same time, filled the fly boxes, packed the cooler, and added our daughter Willow to the fishing gear. We decided on a family hike […]
Fly Fishing Way Up Little River, Great Smoky Mountains
Yesterday I picked up Barry Greene at Elkmont Campground for a day of fishing in the Smokies. Barry has fished a number of times in the park with mixed success. Recent rains have brought the water level up a little. Still not perfect, but anything is better than what we’ve had. Somewhere between Huskey Branch […]
