March is here and it won’t be long before we see abundant hatches on the wild trout streams of the Great Smoky Mountains. Most experienced anglers in the region are familiar with Quill Gordons, Hendricksons, and March Browns but many are less aware of another very important mayfly hatch, the Blue Quill. Here’s a video […]
Now That Felt Good!
We had some important stuff to get done today. We’re hoping to get our first real e-book completed soon plus there’s some other stuff to get done before our guide season kicks into gear. But today was easily the nicest day we’ve seen since early November. Sunshine and 60 degrees! The rest of the week […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hatches Continue in the Smokies; Meanwhile Winter Returns
Quill Gordon: The surest sign of spring on the streams in the Smokies Spring really has arrived early, at least from a fly fisher’s view. Here in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee we’ve already experienced about a week of afternoon hatches with rising fish. This doesn’t usually happen until early March or the last […]
Video Fishing Report: Early April 2011
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A49ZtxD6ptU[/youtube] We’ve had a wet spring in the Smoky Mountains and East Tennessee and this has led to a few days of blown out streams, but fishing has been excellent for the most part. The large tailwater rivers have been too high most of the time for effective fishing, but we have found a few […]
Almost There
We managed to sneak away on a busy afternoon yesterday. With several deadlines looming large there wasn’t much time for goofing off, but I couldn’t help wondering if the hatch had started. You know the feeling. It will happen as soon as you can’t be there. That’s why I’ve long held the prediction that fish […]
Spring Hatches: Watch for These Important Trout Stream Insects in Tennessee and North Carolina
Spring is arguably the best time of year for fly fishing. The reason is that there are more insects hatching on the rivers and streams than any other time. The smart fly fisher knows this and comes to the water prepared. Here are the insects we watch for on the tailwaters and streams in the […]