It’s October and brown trout are starting to move. Water levels are improving in the Smokies and water temperatures have been perfect for a while, so the browns are feeding in preparation for the spawn.
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 […]
Fall is Here
We’ve been out on the water most of this week and quite simply, fall is here. Leaves are certainly changing and the Fall Color Report from Great Smoky Mountains Association says that colors are at peak in the highest elevations near Clingmans dome and other peaks approaching 6000′. Fishing has been pretty good, although the […]
Quick Pic: Fishing the Pockets
Water conditions are excellent right now in the Smokies and the fish are looking up! As usual keep yourself hidden and work all the pockets.
Fall Fishing Has Arrived
I’m writing this at my home in Townsend where it was 40 degrees on my porch this morning. Yesterday I did a float on the Clinch and I don’t think it was over 70 with clear, blue bird skies. The Smoky Mountain skyline seems to soften as the lower angle of the sun creates a […]
Wrapping Up Summer
September is well underway and we’re looking ahead to fall fishing. Things are pretty much what you typically find at this time of year. Water levels are pretty low in the Smokies and TVA tailwaters are running a bit on the high side as reservoirs are draining. Fishing was a little tough over the past […]
Shocking Video of Trout in the Smokies
Well, more like a video of biologists shocking trout in the Smokies… Whatever makes you click the link, right? We volunteer to help fisheries biologists in the Smokies every year with these projects. Not only is it important work, it’s absolutely fascinating. We are particularly interested in this piece of water at Tremont near Townsend. […]
A Big Year for Black Bears
It’s not unusual for us to see black bears every week in the Smokies or even here at our home in Townsend, Tennessee. In fact, Ian went on a backpacking trip with our daughter in July and didn’t see any bears while one sauntered down our driveway that evening. We have a bounty of wild […]
Late Summer Conditions Prevail Across the Smokies and East Tennessee
There’s nothing out of the ordinary to report about fishing conditions across East Tennessee and the Smokies. Water conditions are relatively low but we’ll probably get some rain off of the periphery of tropical storm Isaac to bring them up a bit. After a pretty nice cool down we’re experiencing some hot days again, but […]
Smallmouth Bite Continues in the Streams
It’s starting to feel like fall around Townsend. There’s a slight chill in the air every morning and the days aren’t nearly so hot. Even though it’s still August we can tell that autumn is coming. Trout fishing will certainly improve as it always does, but right now we’re trying to stay on the smallies […]









