Hatches are still struggling to gain momentum in the Smokies. This week the weather has been pretty chilly and the water has been relatively high but getting more “fisher friendly” every day. Expect to use nymphs early and watch for mayflies as the afternoon progresses. The tailwater situation around Knoxville has been relatively grim, but […]
River Flows Bounce Back Up… Again
This cycle is starting to get a little bit old. Weather warms up, gets nice, a few bugs start to hatch, a few fish start to get active, then BAM! More rain and the rivers get high again. This has affected the mountain streams more than the tailwaters, but we can’t help but notice flows […]
More Snow in the Smoky Mountains
I know we stirred up a lot of consternation on the interwebs about a week and a half ago when we reported a brief spell of dry fly fishing in the Smokies and some better than average trout to go along. Tom at the Trout Underground went so far as to warn us of an […]
March Comes in Like a Lion
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 […]