Yesterday was another chilly one around East Tennessee and particularly so in the Smokies. There was a fresh shot of snow above 3500′ or so. Not enough to amount to a whole lot, but just enough to hurt our feelings. The weather is warming up again for the weekend, but for the first time in […]
Spring Fishing Starts Now
It was an absolutely beautiful weekend here in the Smoky Mountains. In spite of warm weather the streams are still a little on the cold side, but things are certainly moving in the right direction. While there have been some insect hatches on the streams we have yet to see the best of the season. […]
Spring Fishing Is On the Way But Not Quite Here Yet
We’re close. Damn close… We had warm temperatures last weekend, but quite honestly it didn’t really feel like spring. The sunny days were pretty cool and the day it got into the 60’s was overcast and breezy. That was before the sleet and a fresh dusting of snow. Quite honestly if this was November or […]
Recommendations for the Weekend
Here we go again with another beautiful weekend headed our way but with limited opportunities for fly fishing. Actually, let’s not say “limited” because there are plenty of places to go. Every possible option is not available though. On the positive side the mountain streams are in great shape. Expect some cold water and keep […]
Holiday Weekend Fly Fishing Forecast
If you’re successfully able to navigate Valentine’s Day you could have a good weekend out on the water. As always, there are plenty of opportunities in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, but all the snow from this week will certainly play into any plans you might make. All the snow we’ve had will likely […]
Tailwater Fishermen Rejoice!
It’s been a long time with only a few windows to get on the big rivers in East Tennessee, but this weekend things are going to change. TVA’s predicted flows for area trout rivers show that there will be wadeable flows on most rivers. The Clinch, Holston, South Holston, and Watauga will have the most […]
Warmer Weather On the Horizon
I’m sitting at my desk in Townsend waiting for more freezing weather and snow to arrive. Yesterday was relatively mild but the streams in the Smokies were essentially frozen over. Even now I can still see snow on Thunderhead Mountain and other high peaks. Still, yesterday was sunny and about 50 degrees and we weren’t […]
High Water Across East Tennessee and Western North Carolina
Looks like it’s a rough week to be a fly fisher around East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. We’ve seen quite a bit of rain over the weekend and more continues to fall. All the mountain streams are running high and the TVA has the tailwaters running at the moment to keep reservoirs levels at […]
Winter to Make Its Debut in East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains
We’ve seen some classic November weather lately. Sunny but cool afternoons after frosty mornings but change is coming along fast! We’ve already seen the first several days with water temperatures down in the 40’s in the Smokies and we don’t expect things to warm up much over the next few days. If anything they will […]
November Fly Fishing Is Here
There are still some pockets of fall color in East Tennessee but the Smokies are quickly transitioning out of that phase. The tops of the mountains are bare and look like winter. Further down the slopes the vibrant yellow, red, and orange is beginning to fade to brown with a few exceptions. We’re seeing brown […]