Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/3/16

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park fished very good today. High elevation streams produced great numbers of both Brook trout and Rainbow. Many of these fish fell for dry flies particularly in the afternoon. Nothing more fun than watching as a wild trout hits your fly at nearly 40mph!

Our guides are reporting better stream temperatures all across the park simply because the night time lows have came down a few degrees and has helped park streams drop overall water temperatures. We did pick up a slight trace of rain on a few watersheds inside the park, particularly on Deep Creek and Noland Creek. While this didn’t change the overall water levels, it’s our impression that every little bit helps! Rain also fell on Mt. Guyot for a brief time and raised the water levels on Ramsey Prong just a tad.

We braved the Labor Day weekend crowds and spent the afternoon at Cade’s Cove taking a few pictures and kicking around the streams. While there was several folks out for a drive and stopping along the road sides for a picnic, we didn’t notice many anglers on Abrams Creek which was a surprise. We only ran across two fly anglers both of which stated they had done well early on in the day. We managed several nice Bows to the net on small yellow Stimulators fished in the fast water in the afternoon. We’re working on a new nymph pattern that wrecked house on Abrams Creek today too. We’ve yet to release it, always more work to do!

See you on the water!

March fishing is super hot!

March Fishing Report

What a start to March fishing it has been. Not even a week into the season and we’re seeing the hottest action ever!

The Tuckasegee River is flat out incredible right now and will continue that way all the way into June. Float trips on the Tuckasegee River out of our drift boats and rafts have been the way to go for both numbers of fish as well as big fish! We’re seeing big Brown trout crush our flies this time of year, more so than normal! Big ol’ heavy Brook trout are coming out of seemingly nowhere to grab a slow worked streamer in the tails of big pools and runs, some are over 20 inches! Rainbow trout have been plentiful and fighting hard. It seems everyone, even the trout are sick of Winters long cold grip and are ready to get the warm weather going.

We are offering a Float Trip Special that is 3/4 day Float Trip that includes all the gear and flies plus lunch for only $225 per boat! No kidding, you read that right a Float Trip for $225.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park streams are off to a good start. We have seen plenty of trout rising to eat dry flies by mid morning and carrying over to late evening. The stream flows have been great, and the fish are hungry, and ready for Spring. The Smokies offer all wild trout that are rich with vibrant colors. Nowhere in the east will you find trout more beautiful. Speaking of beauty, have you seen the Smokies from a trout stream? The streams here offer unparalleled scenery, crystal clear water and lush green forests. Some of the wildflowers are already starting to poke through the ground and much of the park’s wildlife are becoming increasingly active. It wont be long before this magnificent landscape here really starts to change. The fishing inside the park will just keep getting better and better as the days get longer. We can’t wait!

The Raven Fork in Cherokee is also really taking off . The fishing gets better each week as temperatures get warmer and the insect hatches really start popping. Spring brings the big trout out of the deeper pools and into the faster runs to feed. They are aggressive and quick to take a well presented fly. Hold on to your rod firmly as these fish come to fight!

March fishing is on fire and it’s only getting better from here!

Hot fly patterns this month are;

Blue Duns #14-18, Little Black Caddis in #16-18, Black Caddis Pupae in #16-18, Little Winter Stonefly nymphs in #16-20, Little Winter Stonefly dries in #14-18, Blue Winged Olives in #18-22, Quill Gordons in #12-14, egg patterns in #10-12, Rainbow Warriors in #14-20, and black midges in #22-26. For Streamer patterns try black and olive Woolly Buggers in sizes #6-8, dark brown Sculpins in #6-8, and black Rabbit Strip Zonkers in #6-10.

See you on the water!

For Reservations call (828)-488-7665 or book securely from our website!

email guides@flyfishingthesmokies.net

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

All content and photos copyrighted to Fly Fishing the Smokies

Gatlinburg, TN and Bryson City, NC

Hottest Spring Fishing in the Smoky Mountains

The Hottest Spring Fishing in the Smoky Mountains

The hottest Spring fishing in the Smoky Mountains is just around the corner. If your wanting to catch big numbers of trout Spring is the time to do it! A little known fact is the Spring fishing really starts to take off before the official start of Spring. It starts the first week of March!

The Tuckasegee River

The first week of March the Tuckasegee River receives massive stockings of trout that puts the river on par with any river in the nation. Trout count totals per mile exceed 15,000 trout per mile in some stretches of river in March. What that means for fisherman is everywhere you look there are trout! If you are a beginner fly fisher that means you have the best chance of the year to catch your first trout. If you have experience, lookout, because we know you’ll possibly catch more trout now than anytime of your life! The Tuckasegee River receives monthly stockings starting the first week of March and continues each month through June. By the first of May, the Tuckasegee River will have 24,500 trout per mile in the Bryson City stretch. That will make this the second highest trout count per mile of any river in the US! The Tuckasegee River is stocked with Rainbow, Brown and Brook trout. Fish here average from 14-20 inches with many fish exceeding 20 inches. Pretty impressive! The Tuckasegee River is THE hottest Spring fishing in the Smoky Mountains!

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Spring is a refreshing experiencing. The most beautiful streams and the prettiest trout to be found anywhere await you! The first few glimmers of warms days here and the trout go nuts! With well over 2,700 miles of water inside the park, there is no shortage of awesome trout streams for you to fish and explore. We guide fly fishing in North Carolina and Tennessee so no matter which Smoky Mountain town you are staying in, we offer guided fly fishing trips near you! The Smoky Mountains are the most picturesque of places, and an ideal place to fly fish. When you picture fly fishing in your mind, this is your image!

The Raven Fork

You may have heard stories about this one, or even read about it if you follow along with us on social media. The Raven Fork in Cherokee is legendary. Simply put, big fish live here! If your looking to possibly catch the trout of a lifetime, the Raven Fork is your place. The biggest and baddest trout in the land are on the Raven in Cherokee. Apptly named the Cherokee Trophy section, this is home to two and half miles of of pure river monsters.

West Fork Pigeon River

The West Fork of the Pigeon River is an excellent river to fly fish! Located near Waynesville and Maggie Valley North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a hidden gem. The West Fork is stocked by our good friends of the Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited and is full of Rainbow, Brown and Brook trout. Literally thousands of trout are stocked each month beginning in October and continues through July. This beautiful river is the perfect place to learn to fly fish!

Rates starting at $87.50 per person!

For Reservations call (828)-488-7665, or book securely from our website!

Be sure to check out our Spring Specials!

Winter 2016 Fishing Report Smoky Mountains

Winter 2016 Fishing Report for the Smoky Mountains

Well it looks like Old Man Winter is finally upon us. After a record setting warm start to Winter, the snows have finally arrived in the Smoky Mountains! The snow covered beauty of a trout stream is hard to resist for any of us. So when the skies darken and the white stuff starts to fall, we do what we do best, and that’s hit the water! Read ahead for our Winter 2016 Fishing Report!

Winter is a great time to explore the Smoky Mountains. This time of year in the Smoky Mountains we get off trail a bit and explore some of the cabins and historical sites of the park too. Nothing is more fun than finding and old home place or abandoned farm that no one has seen in years! Book a trip with our guides this time of year and let them know your interested in doing some exploring along the way. You’re guaranteed to see some cool stuff others will never experience! Of course we still fish, we just know taking a path less traveled will lead to interesting historical sites and fishing.

Winter 2016 Fishing Report

The best trout fishing this Winter will be mid morning through the afternoon. Look for days with sunshine and areas of the stream that sunlight hits early. This will warm up the stream and start aquatic insects hatching that trout love to eat. Best fly patterns will be Little Black Caddis in #16-18, Black Caddis Pupae in #16-18, Little Winter Stonefly nymphs in #16-20, Little Winter Stonefly dries in #14-18, Blue Winged Olives in #18-22, egg patterns in #10-12, and black midges in #22-26. Streamers such as black and olive Woolly Buggers in sizes #6-8, and dark brown Sculpins in #6-8. Work your flies slowly through likely holding water and make sure to cover every inch of water. Even though the trout are hungry and will be actively feeding, they will not be traveling far to intercept your flies.

The Cherokee Trophy Section is fishing good this winter. Big fish are holding at the bottom of long deep runs and are most active mid day. On pretty sunny afternoons we get into some nice dry fly action.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is fishing good despite colder water temperatures than surrounding streams. Fish are active once the sun comes up and continue nicely into the afternoon. Most trout are deep however don’t overlook faster riffles and runs for the actively feeding trout which will take small nymphs and the occasional dry fly.

The grand daddy of them all is the Tuckasegee River. Winter fishing here is consistent all season despite what the elements throw at you. The waters of the Tuckasegee River are typically warmer than surrounding Smokies streams. Most fish will be deep and are gorging themselves on small midges and little dark caddis. This time of year is great for streamer fishing too. Trout are predators and behave as such. No self respecting big trout an resist a slow swimming streamer pattern bouncing along in their feeding zones. After all the name of the game in Winter for a trout is caloric intake, and a big meal is hard to resist! The water levels on the Tuckasegee River have been perfect for fishing from our Drift Boats.

Get outside this Winter and do some fishing and exploring in the Smoky Mountains. You’ll be glad you did!

We’ll see you on the water!

Rates starting at $87.50 per person!

For Reservations call (828)-488-7665, or book securely from our website!

Be sure to check out our Winter Specials

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

Mid Winter Smokies Fishing Report

Where did all the people go? The answer is simple, they’ve moved indoors. Is the fishing not good this time of year? Nothing could be farther from the truth. Fact is, the best time of year to catch a personal best trout is now!

Mention fishing this time of year, especially with the recent weather we have had, and folks think you are nuts! Then again, a thin line separates passion from insanity. Truth is, fishing during the Winter months is incredible! No other time of year can you head to a popular stream or lake and find you are the only one fishing today. Which brings us to the question, isn’t getting away from it all one of the reasons we go fishing in the first place?

One of the best kept Winter fishing secrets is big fish love cold weather, especially trout! The biggest trout of the year will undoubtedly be caught during the Winter months. Most trout spawn when the water temperatures here in the mountains start to dip below 48 degrees. This generally happens in November through mid December. During spawning season trout burn most of the calories and fat content they have packed on during the Fall. After the spawn, they need to eat at every opportunity to rejuvenate fat stores to carry them through cold Winter days ahead. Post spawn (this time of year), is your best best opportunity to catch a big trout.

The best trout fishing this week will be mid morning through the afternoon. Look for days with sunshine and areas of the stream that sunlight hits early. This will warm up the stream and start aquatic insects hatching that trout love to eat. Best fly patterns will be Little Black Caddis in #16-18, Black Caddis Pupae in #16-18, Little Winter Stonefly nymphs in #16-20, Little Winter Stonefly dries in #14-18, Blue Winged Olives in #18-22, egg patterns in #10-12, and black midges in #22-26. Streamers such as black and olive Woolly Buggers in sizes #6-8, and dark brown Sculpins in #6-8. Work your flies slowly through likely holding water and make sure to cover every inch of water. Even though the trout are hungry and will be actively feeding, they will not be traveling far to intercept your flies.

We’ll see you on the water!