Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:42 am, the temperature is 35 degrees.

Today will be sunny with a high temperature in the low 60’s, falling to the low 40’s tonight. Tomorrow will continue to be warm with a high in the low 60’s and a low in the low 50’s overnight. We have a chance for showers tomorrow afternoon.

This is going to be a very warm and wet week. Temperatures will range from the 60’s to even the upper 70’s.  Lows will be in the 40’s, 50’s and even in the 60’s Wednesday night. Rain is possible most days this week after today.

Little River is flowing at 876 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 3.13 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 360 cfs. The water temperature is 44.4 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing much higher than normal but they are receding. Wading will be limited today. If you go, stand in safe water casting weighted nymphs or tandem nymph rigs.

I talked to a couple of anglers where were here from the north yesterday They fished a small stream and did fairly well. One guy caught his first wild brook trout ever. He was thrilled and showed me a photo on his phone. They had a guided trip booked Friday on the South Holston. The river was muddy but they did manage to catch trout on streamers.

Fishing in the low elevation stocked trout streams will be better today as the rivers are flowing lower than yesterday. Nymphs will probably work best for you.

TVA and the Corps of Engineers plan to generate or sluice at most dams today. There are some breaks in the generation scheduled so check the TVA website where you may find a tailwater fishing opportunity.

Fishing for trout in the free flowing rivers will likely improve significantly through the end of February due to the warming water. The weather patterns may change but right now, the chance for an early Spring is promising. We could see high water at times. We expect that.

When the water temperature is sustained near 50 degrees, the trout become active and the Spring aquatic insects will be on the water and mating. It usually begins in the low elevations then moves upstream when the water warms in the higher elevations.

I don’t know for sure that will happen over the next few days but the chance for much improved fly fishing in the mountains looks good to me right now from a water temperature perspective.   

Bryan Begbie will be conducting a Free Fly Tying Demonstration today from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm. Bryan runs the fly fishing program at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain resorts in Walland, just up the road from Townsend. You will enjoy Bryan. He is a pro.

You do not need a reservation to attend our FREE fly tying demonstrations. Just show up at the shop.

Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.

Byron Begley
February 19, 2023

Private Instruction Fly Fishing Classes will be offered by us again this year.  If you know someone that has been thinking about getting started and you don't want to be the one untangling their lines while they learn have them give the Shop a call.  Classes are small, limited to two people per instructor.  Our Beginner day consists of half day instruction at the Shop where they will learn casting, knot tying, theory....then in the afternoon the class moves to the stream for practical application of skills learned.  The investment is just $300 for one angler or $400 for two.  We have all the equipment needed.  All the student needs is a fishing license and to dress for the weather.  It is the perfect way to get started.  Call for more info! 865-448-9459.

We also have some more advanced learning options.  Classes can focus on general nymphing tactics or even a more specific Euro style nymphing class.  Casting instruction for learning new skills like Double Haul or improving distance can also be done.

FREE FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS EACH WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY MARCH

We will be holding many free fly tying demonstrations on the weekends over the next two months, some on Saturdays and others on Sunday afternoons. CLICK HERE to see the list of fly tyers who will be demonstrating, including the dates and times. These demonstrations are free. No reservation is necessary. All you have to do is show up at the shop. This schedule could change due to unforeseeable circumstances, including weather conditions, sickness or other causes. Check this fishing report where any cancellations or changes will be posted.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com