Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing Report

Posted by on October 13, 2021
Smoky Mountain Fly Fishing Report, Fly Fishing the Smokies, Gatlinburg Fly Fishing, Bryson City Fly Fishing,

Fly Fishing Report October 12, 2021

Another beautiful day in the Great Smoky Mountains. Partly cloudy skies with highs reaching the mid 70’s across the region. No rain in sight for several days, just nice warm Fall weather and some great fishing!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The fishing inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is really hitting its stride. Water levels have backed down tremendously from last weeks heavy rains. The bite is very strong and we’re seeing tons of October Caddis hatching. These are some of our favorite Caddis of the year big bright orange flies in sizes #8-#10, the perfect dry fly for those of us who are visually challenged. Of course the terrestrial bite is insane right now too. Black ants and brown hoppers are getting smoked! We’re still seeing some yellow sallies and blue winged olives too. Keep an eye early morning and late evening for bigger Browns on the edges looking for an easy meal. These guys will either hit a large Caddis or Stimulator, and will take a streamer if you work it smartly.

Tuckasegee River Fly Fishing

The Tuckasegee River is fishing good. Water levels are dropping down and flows are getting better for wade fishing. The Tuck got another stocking today on the Dillsboro DH section. Bryson City was stocked on Monday and it looked to be a lot of fish put in the water. We expect the Dillsboro section to be crowded this week and especially into the weekend as water levels recede.

Nantahala River Fly Fishing

The Nantahala River is fishing very strong. The lower river is a hot ticket for great hatches and less crowds. Blue Winged Olives, October Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, lots of midges and dont forget terrestrials. Streamers are always a great bet on the lower Nantahala too. The legendary big Browns are always willing to smoke some meat! The DH section on the Nantahala is fishing fantastic. You can expect loads of people fishing and out having fun. Easy access and easy fishing always brings folks out in mass. Junk food is the hot ticket here, fresh stocked fish aren’t picky yet. Of course it wont take long before they figure out the game.

Cherokee Fly Fishing

Water levels have dropped quick on the Oconaluftee and Raven Fork. The Trophy Section is starting to fish really strong once again. Be smart and fish like you would for wild trout. They are leader shy, spooky and just plain educated on the game. Small nymphs and wet flies do the trick most of the time. Light tippet such as Rio’s Fluroflex Strong in 6.5X and 7X are the hot ticket for finicky trout. Euro Nymphing is a great way to catch trout in the more moderate to heavy flows. Heavy jig nymphs like Duracell’s and Waltz Worms do the trick getting down, tailing a Rio’s Pearl Jam or Raindrop will get you into some dandy fish. The Luftee is known the land over for October Caddis hatches. So make sure you are throwing something big and orange.

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