January was a cruel month for those of us who enjoy spending time outdoors and on the streams of the Great Smoky Mountains. While we didn’t see record cold or unprecedented snowfall, we did experience a lengthy cold snap coupled with roads closed for icy conditions. And that was AFTER an extremely rare high water […]
Autumn In The Smokies Is In Full Swing
The Smoky Mountains managed to miss out on the extreme heat experienced by so much of the nation this summer, but fall has certainly arrived. This past week the tops of the Smokies received the first frost of the season and we’ve even had one wake up temperature of 39 on our porch in Townsend. […]
Spring Fishing Coming Along in Fits and Starts
March has given us a real taste of winter after an exceptionally mild January and February. We started seeing some mayfly hatches last month and really expected an acceleration into March. However, we saw a resurgence of winter weather and our view has featured white capped mountains almost daily. The fishing has been pretty good, […]
The Wet Gray Cycle of Winter in the Smokies
This is among the toughest times of year for us. While we’ve had an admittedly mild winter, the fishing opportunities have just as intermittent as you’d expect from January in the Smokies. There has been a rolling cycle of mild and wet weather broken by clear and cold weather. As result the mildest weather is […]
Summer Fly Fishing in the Smokies
It’s been a while since we’ve posted a fishing report, primarily because we’ve been so busy guiding. As always, summer fly fishing can be more difficult than spring or fall but that’s largely a function of where you go. Most of the easiest access waters will be crowded with picnickers and might have marginal water […]
Winter Has Arrived in the Smokies
We’re at the end of another fly fishing guide season here in the Great Smoky Mountain of East Tennessee. It was my 26th and Charity’s 19th and we’re glad to say we’re still plugging along with gas still in the tank. Today is the Monday after Thanksgiving, the day we usually look at as the […]
Fall Fishing Starting to Cool Down
2020 has been a long year for all of us, but we have to say it was pretty good as far as fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains was concerned. Water levels never got low. In fact, our flow issues were related to high water, but fortunately they usually correct within a few days. Autumn […]
Simple Steps to Better Winter Nymph Fishing in the Smokies
Fly fishing with nymphs has always been a little bit of a mystery for anglers. You cast a fly you can’t see to a fish you can’t see, so it’s completely understandable when the concepts are hard to master. The most basic element to success when fishing with nymphs is finding the appropriate depth. There […]
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 […]
Tips to Catch More Trout: Changing Seasons and Changing Tactics
Fall has finally arrived here in East Tennessee. As the leaves change so should your tactics while you’re out on the water. This is something we think about more as we change our fishing location from the Smokies to our tailwaters andon our annual trip to the Henry’s Fork since all of those places are […]