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: […]
Cold in the Smokies and High Flows on the Tailwaters
We’re looking forward to some mild weather that’s been forecast for East Tennessee this week. It’s been pretty cold up in the Smokies even though the weather has been relatively mild for January. Water temperatures in the Smokies haven’t topped 40 degrees in some time. That means that while fishing isn’t an exercise in futility, […]
Back on the River
The combination of holiday get togethers and foul weather kept us off the water far more than is usual, but we still managed to get out a little bit over the past couple of weeks. It’s winter which means cold and wet in the Smokies. Water levels have been anywhere from average to high, which […]
Tailwaters Getting in Shape
There’s a steady rain falling here in East Tennessee as I write this and cooler weather is on the way. That’s OK, though. If it’s going to rain, it might as well do it while you have to be at work, right? Plus it was a beautiful, warm weekend. The weather was unseasonably warm, the […]
Pleasant Conditions Look to Extend Into December
Now that our schedule has freed up we’re pretty grateful for the nice weather we’re seeing plus more in the extended forecast. Overnight temperatures are frosty, but we’re still seeing afternoon temperatures in the 50’s with a few days even pushing on past 60. Dry fly fishing isn’t a given anymore, but there are still […]
The End of the Season
Here we are on the Monday after Thanksgiving and things are just the same as always on this date. We’ve been guiding quite a bit up to this point, but it’s pretty well come to a screeching halt. Don’t get us wrong. We’ve truly enjoyed taking every last one of you fishing, but we’ll enjoy […]
Does It Get Any Better?
When the weather is this nice, the stream flows this good, and the fish are rising I can’t help but ask myself, “Can it get any better than this?” Of course, it probably can. The fish could be bigger, but how realistic is that anyway? And it that a piggish attitude when so much is […]
Frost in the Smokies
Things have really cooled off in the Smokies with scattered frost the past few nights. This photo was taken just a few days ago at Tremont but you can certainly expect all that green to begin fading and turning to yellow, orange, and red. Of course the cold nights are affecting the fishing. Expect mornings […]
It’s Not Just About Brown Trout in the Fall
It seems like everyone’s thoughts turn to brown trout in the fall, but there are more things to do than just chase the browns. Rainbows are rising well and brookies are even more colorful than usual. Even better, you can be sure they’ll rise to a dry fly. It’s a good thing too. Looks like […]
Rainy Monday in the Smokies
It’s a rainy Monday in the Smokies and I’ll be honest. We could use a little extra water in the streams about now. The creeks aren’t at crisis levels, but considering October is typically the dryest month of the year there are probably limited opportunities for more water. Here’s a firsthand look at water at […]