Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/19/16

Wild Rainbow Trout in the Smokies

Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/19/16

Today started out with steady rainfall most of the night across the Smoky Mountains and surrounding region. Local rainfall totals varied between locations and which side of the mountains you happen to be on. In Bryson City it rained hard at times, enough that you could hear the old tin roof singing it’s sweet music above this humble log cabin I call home.

At 6:00am in Bryson City it was 67 degrees and we had thick clouds and some rain until around 9:00am. The cloud cover hung in there over the Smoky Mountains and didn’t break until 11:00am on the Little River. As I crossed the spine of the Smokies this morning around 7:00am it was raining steadily at Newfound Gap and air tempratures were 63 degrees. I couldn’t help but be excited as I noticed the water levels appeared the best I’d seen in a while over on the Tennessee side of the park. Walker Camp Prong looked great as it had plenty of water and was clear as a bell. The Little River was looking better than it has in weeks as water levels came up to around 60cfs today.

The fishing right now is HOT in terms of dry fly action. We started seeing rising fish by around 9:00am and the action continued through the day peaking around 3:30pm and tapering off from there. Bettles and Caddis were the hot ticket for dries. The hot subsurface pattern was a dark brown stonefly nymph. Water temps at Elkmont were 63 degrees and dropped to 61 degrees near Huskey Branch Falls. We didn’t go much farther today as the fishing was great and every pocket was producing explosive strikes.

Our guides reported good fishing on the North Carolina side of the Smokies on Deep Creek and Noland Creek. Dry fly action was strong there as well. Caddis dries, Stimulators and small hoppers produced good fishing on the surface. Pheasant Tail nymphs did the trick on the bottom.

Weather forecasts for this week show 20% chance of rain each day until Saturday and it drops to 10%. Partly cloudy skies will keep the tempratures from soaring and highs across the Smokies are expected to be high 70’s. Finally we are starting to feel like Fall around here!

The Fall color season this year is expected to be longer than normal according to local WCU biology professors. The dry weather we had this Summer combined with a wet Spring is ideal for a Fall color season to last up to five weeks, possibly six. That’s great news if you’re like myself and wish to savor every bit of color and beauty these mountains display!

Hope you get out on the water this week and enjoy September fishing at its best!

Faith, Family, and Fishing

We’ll see you on the water!

Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/18/16

The Smoky Mountains have been receiving some much needed rain! Steady showers started last night and have continued off and on all day long. A good thick cloud cover has hung over the mountains all day and kept tempratures down. Currently it’s 71 degrees in Bryson City and 75 degrees in Gatlinburg. Of course higher elevations inside the Smokies, tempratures are much lower some in the low 60’s depending on location. This is great news for the stream conditions and the fishing!

This weeks forecast looks promising. Tempratures will reach low 80’s across the region with nightly lows dropping into the high 50’s. We have a chance of rain each day and progressing to 50-60% chance by Friday and the weekend. Taking a look at the extended forecast shows even better news for our region. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic Fall season in the Smokies!

Our guides are all reporting great fishing over the weekend inside the park. We have fished above 2,500ft and had fantastic results fishing both dry flies and nymphs. The dry fly action has been on fire! Trout are rising all over the place and more than willing to smash both Caddis and Terrestrials. Bring a double handful of bettles and small grasshoppers with you, along with Caddis and Stimi dries.

Faith, Family, and Fishing

We’ll see you on the water!

Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/16/16

It’s 64 degrees here this morning in Bryson City and we’re expected to get somewhere near 80 today for the high. I wish I could say it’s pouring rain out of buckets, but that’s not the case. We did receive some rain in the area last evening around dark. Some parts of the Smokies got slight amounts around Raven Fork and Straight Fork. The Tuckasegee River watershed got a little rain also.

Streams in the Smokies are still low and clear. The fishing has really taken off on higher elevation streams above 2,500ft. Even though it’s hot like it’s Summer, the trout know fall spawning season and winter is closing in on them and they better start fattening up. We are happy to report dry fly action is really top notch right now in the park. Trout are crushing dries and terrestrials fished near fast oxygenated riffles and runs. Grab a double handful of black ants and beetles before heading into the park this weekend to fish.

Due to the low water and hotter than normal temperatures we have suspended our Hazel Creek Back Country camp for next weekend. Recent scouting runs to Hazel earlier this week made us think twice about bringing anglers here at this time. Hazel Creek is low and in need of some rain. The water was warm of course on the first several miles below Bone Valley camp and in our effort to protect this valuable resource we have decided to suspended this trip. It’s our fear that hook mortality could be high and that releasing fish was going to be way too much stress on the trout. If you’re headed to Hazel this weekend, please keep this in mind. If you do fish there, hike up above Bone Valley and land your fish quickly and don’t take them out of the water. This same rule should apply to Eagle Creek, Twenty Mile Creek, lower Forney Creek, and lower portions of Abrams Creek.

Often times we will be reporting on other rivers and streams in the Smoky Mountain region. We do guide on more than just the Smokies.

The Tuckasegee River is flowing very low this morning, 299cfs near Bryson City. That’s about as low as I’ve seen Bryson City in a long time. Of course water temperatures are fairly warm, hovering around 71- 72 degrees yesterday with no generation. When generation hits that temp comes down around 63 to 64. Smallmouth Bass action on the Tuckasegee River has been good. We’re catching good numbers of Smallmouth and Spotted bass with a few Walleye in the mix. Big fish love a slow easy meal. So work your offerings really slow and get them in the bottom of the deep oxygenated runs. We still have sections on the Tuckasegee River that we are running float trips on for bass. We are not fishing for trout on the Tuckasegee River at this time, only for bass.

Traffic is going to be a bear in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg this weekend. The Fall Rod Run comes to town and with it hoards of traffic. Expect heavy congestion and long delays late afternoon and evenings. Use back roads or take the long way around, it’s going to be much quicker this weekend. Or you can do what I do, grab a lawn chair and sit on the sidewalks of Pigeon Forge and enjoy the hot rods!

We’ll see you on the water!

Fall Fly Fishing 2016

Fall Fly Fishing Smoky Mountains, Fly Fishing the Smokies, Trout Fishing Guides in Smoky Mountains Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Sevierville Tennessee

Fall Fly Fishing inside the Smoky Mountains

Fall Fly Fishing in the Smoky Mountains

Fall Fly Fishing in the Smoky Mountains is simply breathe taking! Fall leaf colors are popping everywhere as mother nature paints the landscape. While the leaves are at work turning more colors than a box of Crayons, the trout are also creating their own visceral spectacle.

Fall is the second peak for fishing in the Smoky Mountains. Literally every stream and river in the area will fish at its best again! If there ever was a time you wanted to try Fly Fishing, Fall is it!

Two locations to serve you best! Gatlinburg TN, and Bryson City NC

Rates starting at $87.50 per person!

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

Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Report 9/7/16, Great Smoky Mountains Trout Fly Fishing Guides, Fly Fishing the Smokies,

Southern Appalachian Brook Trout

Trout Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park fishes incredible for wild trout in the Fall. The park streams are the prettiest place we guide, and is home to the most beautiful fish in the region. The streams are full of Rainbow, Brown and rare Southern Appalachian Brook trout. You won’t find a more beautiful place to spend the day than inside the park. Dry fly action is on fire this time of year. Hungry trout smash your fly at over 40mph trying to get fattened up before winter sets in!

Cherokee Rainbow Trout

Cherokee Trout Fishing

The Fall Fly Fishing in Cherokee North Carolina is spectacular! Cherokee has 30 miles of water that is stocked twice each week with Rainbow, Brown, and Brook Trout. Cherokee also is home to the Golden Rainbow trout as well! Cherokee has a Fly Fishing Only Trophy Trout section that is world class. Fly Fishing for these monster trout will put a huge smile on your face. Trout here grow to massive proportions, the biggest fish we catch are here in Cherokee on the Raven Fork. It’s certainly trout fishing like you dream about, especially in the Fall!

Tuckasegee River Float Trip

Fall Fishing the Tuckasegee River

The Tuckasegee River is the hottest destination for fly fishing in the south from October through May! If you want to catch lots of fish, and big fish too, the Tuckasegee River is for you! Stocked heavily with Rainbow, Brown and Brook trout, the Tuckasegee River is a fisherman’s dream! With over 16,000 trout per mile in the Fall, this is one hot fishery! We offer both Wade Trips and Float Trips on this legendary river. Our guides have more experience on the Tuckasegee River than anyone else. Call ahead for availability, this one will fill fast!

Fall Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains, Fly Fishing the Smokies, Trout Fishing Guides in Smoky Mountains Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Sevierville Cherokee Bryson City

Fall on a Smokies trout stream

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!