I kind of feel like Garrison Keeler when I say it’s been a quiet week in my hometown, Townsend on the edge of the Smokies. I’ve been out on the water with folks a few days this week. Last Sunday I walked above Elkmont with Craig Ward and his son Anderson. Craig went to Hazel […]
Smallmouth Fishing Remains Good; Positive Outlook for Smoky Mountain Fisheries
Yesterday I took Kenny and Harry Macintosh for a float on the Holston River. Kenny was well aware of the drought situation and heat wave and told me to take them wherever the fishing was good. My suggestion was that we float the Holston and fly fish for smallmouth bass. Fishing with poppers has been […]
The heat persists; Tailwaters continue to fish well
The hot, dry conditons continue to persist here in East Tennessee. However, all is not bleak. The tailwaters continue to fish well and better weather seems to be just around the corner. The weather forecast includes some rain this week and milder temperatures going into this weekend. We had a pretty busy weekend. Charity was […]
Turneffe Flats Belize Weathers Hurricane Dean
Here’s a quick post to express a heart felt Whew! for our friends on the Turneffe Atoll off the coast of Belize. The eye of the powerful category 5 hurricane passed 70 miles north of the islands yet did minimal damage to the fishing camp on the ocean side of the atoll. What follows is […]
Smokin’ Smallmouth and We’ve Found a Cure for the Drought
After an intensely physical day of fishing high elevation streams in the Smokies I took Walt West and his son-in-law Michael for a day of fly fishing for smallmouth bass on the Holston River. As many of you know, this is a favorite pastime of mine in the hot summer months. I had the guys […]
A float on the Hiwassee, then back to the Smokies
Yesterday Charity and I trailered the drift boat down to the Hiwassee. It’s been several years since we’ve floated it, which is funny because we used to fish there quite a bit. The busy guide calendars of the past few years have caused us to carelessly overlook one of the prettier rivers in the Southeast. […]
Brook trout in the remote backcountry of the Smokies
Yesterday set a record high of 101 in Knoxville but it was still cool in the highest elevations of the Smoky Mountains. While water temperatures along the most accessible stretches of Little River are spiking at or above 70 degrees, I’m happy to report that most backcountry and higher elevation waters are still in the […]
Fly Fishing Update for the Smoky Mountains & Tailwaters
Weather conditions remain hot and dry here in Tennessee, but there are some opportunities for fly fishing. Fishing on larger streams in the Smokies is best described as poor. The guage on Little River is not only recording low water levels, but high water temperatures as well. I would stress, however, that the guage is […]
Swimming with Trout in the Smokies
It’s been pretty hot here in Tennessee. Hiking way back into the backcountry of the Smokies seems more than oppressive in this kind of heat and humidity. A good swim in the river sounds so much better. One thing I can’t help but notice is how trout are easily spooked by things outside of the […]
Hottest week of the year in Tennessee
Fly fishers will be up against some pretty big obstacles this week in the Smokies and on the tailwaters. Water levels are still exceptionally low in the Smoky Mountains. There are, however, regular afternoon rain showers which are preventing temperatures from rising to critical levels. The best thing to do would be to head for […]
