Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/10/16

The weather man finally got it right! There’s a headline you don’t read often…As I’m writing this, rain is pouring here in Bryson City and across the Smoky Mountains. We’re not getting big rainfall totals, most of it is supposed to be under a 1/2 inch. No matter we’ll gladly take it. Our streams have been low and every little bit will help.

Today’s highs reached 84 in most of the Smoky Mountain region. That didn’t put a damper on the fishing inside the park. Our guides are reporting fantastic action today on the higher elevation streams in both North Carolina and Tennesee. This time of year we are fishing 2,500 ft in elevation and above. The water tempratures are best here and the action is non stop all day with both dries and nymphs. We are seeing lots of rising trout from around 9:00am and continuing all day. Bring a double handful of tan Caddis in #14-18 and have yourself a blast!

A cold front is settling upon the area this week and will bring some slight changes for rain and of course slightly cooler tempratures. Expect the fishing to improve dramatically across the Smokies and the region. Over night lows will dip into the high 50’s and help lower stream tempratures on streams.

September is terrestrial time in the Smoky Mountains. No we’re not talking about ET, the little alien from the movie. We’re talking ants, bottles, inchworms, and grasshoppers. Food items that trout eat that are non aquatic insects are called terrestrials. Trout in the Smoky Mountains do eat these food items and they’re abundant along the streams in the early Fall. Rule of thumb, if the wind blows even a little bit, these food items will be the hot ticket! Even if there is no wind bettles and inch worms are a great idea this time of year. Bettles are all over the forest floor especially around dead logs and inch worms hang on their silk lines dangling from over hanging bushes and trees above the streams. Smaller sizes are the rule of thumb, inch worms #14-16 do well and black beetles #14-18 crush fish. Make sure your bettle patterns have a hot spot that you can see, trying to spot a small dark fly on the surface of a shadowy Smokies stream is tough.

Shades of the Past Rod Run traffic in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg was heavy as expected. Tons of wicked cars and trucks prowling the streets like its 1970 Woodward Avenue in Detroit Michigan all over again. If only! Told ya’ I’m a muscle car and hot rod geek. Finally after several years of looking I spotted the same old mean machine in Pigeon Forge that used to be my Dad’s pride and joy. A 1970 Dodge Charger 440 Six Pack, 4 speed. Only 347 of those cars were made and dad kept her shinning like a new penny. I remember in 1985, I was 10 yrs old and he traded her for a god awful yellow Mustang GT for my mom. I remember crying myself to sleep that night as our street beast was gone.

This weekend the Fall Rod Run will be in Pigeon Forge and again a traffic nightmare. To avoid the spectacle and congestion get out early and head to your favorite stream before 8:00am and just grin and bear it on the drive back home as you may be sitting there for a while. Back roads such as Glade Road in Gatlinburg are a good bet to travel between Gatlingburg and Pigeon Forge and avoid heavy traffic. Dolly Parton Highway in Pigeon Forge is also a good route to avoid a major chunk of traffic around town.

Looks like it’s shaping up to be a fantastic week in the Smoky Mountains!

We’ll see you on the water!