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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:13 am, the temperature outside is 47.8 degrees.

Today will be warm, in the upper 50’s. Rain is predicted today and tonight. Rainfall should be light today, and heavier tonight. Tomorrow will be colder, with a high in the low 40’s. There is a chance for rain and snow tomorrow.

After a cold spell during the week, temperatures will warm Thursday, continuing through the weekend.

Little River is flowing at 267 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.15 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 362 cfs. The water temperature is 46 degrees this morning.

Fishing may be fair today. It could be good. The water temperatures are rising. If that continues, and it should, through the day, fishing will definitely improve. Daniel told me yesterday, customers are reporting catching trout. And, they are reporting hatches in the afternoons, despite the colder water we have had before today.

If you go today, be prepared with Quill Gordon, Blue Quill and Blue Wing Olive dry flies. You may encounter a hatch of either or all, most likely during the afternoon. These hatches are sporadic, so you may not be at the right place, and the right time. Or, maybe you will be.

If you see bugs on the water, and the trout are not rising to them, tie on a Quill Gordon wet fly and try that. You may want to drop a nymph off the wet fly.

Otherwise, use nymphs. A good choice is a Bead Head Pheasant Tail, especially the Quasimodo Pheasant Tail with the copper bead.

Fly fishing in the Smokies should really pick up later this week. We’ll enjoy Spring-like weather again. With high temperatures in the mid to high 60’s, and lows in the 50’s, the water will warm and trout will become more active.

Aquatic insect activity will pick up. What is hatching, depends on where you are. I don’t know what to expect. I do know the temperature conditions will be good, especially next weekend. Rain is expected, Saturday and Sunday, so high water is possible.

It appears the weather will treat us well through at least March 25th.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is blowing water through the dams in our area, including those with trout tailwaters below. They are sluicing at Norris Dam.

I hope you can get out today and enjoy fishing in the Park. Take a rain jacket.

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

Byron Begley
March 11, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com