We’ve been housebound during the pandemic. We’re getting outside quite a bit, but the kids online school schedule of Zoom classes makes it difficult to take off all day long. As a result we’re doing some gardening, home maintenance, and Ian has been doing a tremendous amount of art. Ian has always done a bit […]
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 […]
Another Great Trip to TroutHunter on the Henry’s Fork
We’ve been hosting western fly fishing groups since 2005 at several locations in the greater Yellowstone region. We’ve been going to TroutHunter in Island Park, Idaho every September since 2011 so it felt like a homecoming when we returned last month with a group. We’ve come to think of the owners, guides, fly shop staff, […]
Cool Wet Weather Keeping Fly Fishing Conditions Ideal in the Smokies
We’re coming off of a bit of a wet spell here in East Tennessee that kept us nervous about fishing conditions but it all worked out great. While some locations did experience heavy rains, the Smokies had nothing more than beneficial rain that has kept streams at ideal levels and temperatures excellent for trout. After […]
Spring Turns to Summer
Another busy spring seems to be transitioning into summer. We started wet wading last week as warm, sunny days have made it quite comfortable to leave the waders behind. Dry fly fishing has been excellent and water levels are about as good as we’ve seen them in a long time. After an exceptionally wet autumn […]
Spring Fly Fishing is Rolling in the Smoky Mountains and East Tennessee
Our guide season is well under way and so is the fly fishing here in the Smokies and East Tennessee. A lot of folks have been concerned about water levels after record rainfall through the fall and winter months, but things have finally come in line and not a day too soon if you ask […]
Spring Fly Fishing Has Arrived in the Smokies
Depending on the day we’re either referring to the current situation as “early spring” or “late winter” fishing, but we’re definitely seeing hatches and eager trout in the Smoky Mountains. After a relatively long period of wet and mild weather we’re back in the midst of cold conditions. A few lonely snowflakes occasionally drift past […]
Mountain Streams Fishable While Tailwaters Remain Too High
Local rainfall here in East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains has tapered off to merely “normal” from soaking wet. As a result our streams have fallen to negotiable fishing conditions if not a bit on the high side. The tailwater rivers remain exceptionally high, and to an almost unbelievable degree. While we haven’t experienced any […]
Go Barbless or Stick With Barbed Hooks?
One of the most common questions we’ll hear when we have anglers on the water is “Did you just pinch the barb on the hook?” We’re always a little bit startled because most of the time there’s a bit of an accusing tone as if we don’t want them to actually catch a fish, but […]
Dry Fly, Nymph, or Streamer?
One of the biggest questions we get in the fall is what kind of fly to cast in the Smokies. Many anglers have misconceptions about the best flies to use in the autumn. There are a number of things going on in the fall and that gets anglers thinking about their fly selections. The weather […]