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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:50 am, the temperature outside is 59.4 degrees.
The rain came yesterday at 3:45 pm and lasted until 11:39, with a total accumulation of 1.14 inches. I heard thunder early yesterday evening. The Knoxville Airport reported 1.04 inches fell there.
It is windy now, with gusts up to 18 miles per hour recorded so far in Townsend this morning. Today and tonight will be wet and warm. We may get another inch of rain through the period with higher amounts in thunderstorms. We may see wind gusts to 30 miles per hour today. We are under a flood watch. Rain is likely every day through Friday.
It looks like the rain will end by Saturday, with dryer conditions through the weekend and next week.
Little River is flowing at 1,350 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 3.82 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 341 cfs. The water temperature is 48.4 degrees this morning.
Little Pigeon River at Sevierville is flowing at 4,260 cfs, 5.22 feet on the gauge, compared to median flow of 720 cfs. The current flow is a record for this date based on 67 years.
Oconaluftee River at Birdtown is flowing at 2,050 cfs, 3.56 feet, compared to median flow of 595 cfs. The water temperature is 45 degrees.
Tellico River is flowing at 1,530 cfs, 4.32 feet, compared to median flow of 374 cfs for this date. The current flow rate at the Tellico Plains gauge is a record for this date, based on 73 years of data.
Cataloochee Creek is flowing at 488 cfs, 3.69 feet, compared to median flow for this date of 136 cfs. The water temperature is 44.4 degrees.
Needless to say, the streams in the Smoky Mountains or nearby are flowing high. Wading is not safe. Conditions will probably worsen, before they improve this weekend. It will be very windy today, creating another hazard in the forest. This is not a good day to be fishing in the mountains.
Tennessee Valley Authority is generating, sluicing, and in some cases spilling at their dams, in anticipation of further rain in the region.
I talked to my old friend Pete at the shop yesterday. He was buying fly tying materials. We both lamented the fact that, due to the high water, there is nothing else to do.
Tom came by to see me yesterday. He said his cattle are sinking up to their ankles in his pastures. He also said he got stuck in his back yard and had to be pulled out. I asked, “What are you doing driving in your back yard?” He said, “I was not driving, I was walking”.
Since December 1st, we have had 18.57 inches of rain at the airport. Normal is 11.71 inches. We are close to 7 inches above normal in less than three months.
Everyone is going to be happy to see normal again.
I’m going to be busy in the fly tying department this week. Orders will start arriving tomorrow from Renzetti, Wapsi, Hareline Dubbin and Umpqua. These are big orders. The fly tying department has been a busy place during the past few months.
I am still learning to use our new store management software, which we began using January 2nd. The management system runs our cash registers, customer addresses, gift cards and merchandise inventory. This is “state of the art” software, that replaced our old system we had been using since 1998. This stuff is so much better.
We expanded our spinning department. We have had one since we opened. The new one is about 4 times larger. Unless I am wrong, we are one of only two stores selling fishing licenses in Townsend. We offer it as a convenience for our customers and always have. Many people who buy fishing licenses from us, do not fly fish. They use spinning tackle. Many are children, here with their parents on vacation. Now we have a much better selection for those customers. Paula and I attended a show in Nashville in January where we decided what to stock and buy for the department.
I worked on our sunglasses and optics department while Paula and I were in Hilton Head last week. A new display and a lot of new sunglasses and readers will be arriving in a few days. I placed orders from there. Sales in that department have fallen over the past few years. I’m trying to do something about it.
It is daybreak. The wind is blowing very strong. I would not want to be fishing in the mountains right now. It is extremely windy there.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
February 20, 2019
NOTICE: Great Smoky Mountains head fisheries biologist Matt Kulp will be giving the State of the Park Fisheries Address at the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited's February meeting. Date: Tuesday February 26th.
The chapter meetings are held at Barley's Restaurant in downtown Maryville, Tennessee. Social hour begins at 6 pm. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm. You do not have to be a TU member to attend. Newcomers are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited has partnered with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, voluneering and raising funding, since 1993.
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Fly Tying Classes January, February and March 2019
Taught by Walter Babb and Brian Courtney
Beginner to Advanced
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE |
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Respond to: info@littleriveroutfitters.com
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