Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/7/16
Hope everyone enjoyed a much deserved Labor Day holiday and spent some quality time enjoying the outdoors. Unofficially Summer has closed to an end and Fall looms in the not so distant future. For some, this may be a sad time to see Summer pass, for others the welcome sights and smells of Fall brings a renewed spirit and sense of adventure. Leaves change and colors bust forth all across our beautiful Smoky Mountain home. What I’m really rambling on about is the month of September that is often overlooked for one reason or another. Whether we try and hold onto Summer or look forward to Fall, it seems most folks forget the beauty and bounty that September brings.
September in the Great Smoky Mountains are a trout fisherman’s favorite time to visit. You see a dramatic decrease in the number of people on the trails and in the streams. You also get lower hotel rates and it seems everyone is offering a deal of some sort on virtually anything. In terms of fishing, the action can be nothing short of spectacular and often under-rated. You get some good hatches of many varieties of Caddis, Stoneflies, Mayflies and tons of midges. You see plenty of rising fish which lends itself to some great dry fly fishing often times rivaling the great hatches of spring. Brook trout and Brown trout will become increasingly active especially as night time air temperatures start to drop. They’re getting ready for spawning season as late October and November approach. We are already seeing Brook trout colors start to change and become more brilliant. We are also starting to catch more Brown trout than normal, especially on days where we have just a slight crescent moon.
Of course day time highs are still above normal for this time of year. We’re seeing mostly mid 80’s all week long in Gatlinburg and Bryson City with night time lows in the low 60’s. That’s fine by me as I enjoy wet wading, and I’ll continue to do so well into the early weeks of October if the warm trend continues. Stream temperatures across the Smokies vary depending on elevation and which side of the mountain they cascade from. Large in part most streams have been from 54-65 degrees this week so far. That’s plenty cold enough for trout to be happy and active of course.
Rainfall has been nonexistent in the Smokies for several days, streams are low. September is a dry month for us typically and this year seems no different. With low water fish are a tad more spooky so wearing dull muted colors is a must. Sneaking up the streams like a Blue Heron is clutch if you want to catch a wild trout in the Smokies. Using a very light tippet will also increase those chances.
Weekend forecasts look promising for outdoor activities in the Smokies. Highs on Friday and Saturday hovering around 90, and dropping to 83 by Sunday. We have a slight chance of rain, roughly 10% Friday and Saturday and that chance increases to 20% by Sunday. In hillbilly terms, it either will or it won’t. Either way we will still be fishing!
See you guys on the water!
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