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 […]
Another Reason to Take Your Kid Fishing
We’ve got two kids and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t put a crimp in our personal fishing time, but we’ve gone all out to make sure they get out on the river with us. In fact, our daughter Willow made her first trip to Yellowstone and the Madison River with us when […]
Happy Fishing New Year!
It’s March 1 and the month is roaring in like a lion here in the Smokies as a light snow is falling. Snow is not a newsmaker in late winter, but the fact that your Tennessee fishing license just expired is. I always thought it was a […]
So You Think You’re a Real Fisherman
Fly fishers are among the proudest of outdoor enthusiasts. We can always tell when we arrive at a trailhead if anyone else if fishing just by looking around for Sage or Orvis stickers and TU specialty license plates. We all wear caps that show off our favorite brands or fly shops or guides services. Heck, many […]
Access to Alabama’s Sipsey River to Get Tougher
We’ve never been to Alabama’s Sipsey River tailwater to fly fish for trout but we’ve heard plenty about it from our customers over the years. After a day in a drift boat here in East Tennessee or along a tumbling wild trout stream in the Smokies everyone says it’s essentially good to get a quick […]
What’s Your Favorite Off Road Vehicle?
A simple question – What’s your favorite off road vehicle? It depends on your definition of “off road”. This is our first choice for an off road vehicle Sure, it’s a little slow and the “horsepower” is often unreliable (depending on external factors like current, heat, and how many days in a row it’s been […]
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 […]