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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 7:03 am, the temperature outside is 39.9 degrees.

Today will be mostly cloudy and warm, with a high temperature in the upper 50’s. Tonight will be chilly, in the low 30’s. Tomorrow will be sunny and warm, near 60 degrees. Sunday will be sunny and warm, in the mid 60’s.

We have some nice fishing days to look forward to this weekend.

Little River is flowing at 260 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.16 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 380 cfs. The water temperature is 46.6 degrees this morning. The water temperature rose to about 49 degrees yesterday.

Fishing is good. We are hearing it from most of our returning customers. Though the water temps have not risen above 50 degrees this week, the trout are active.

Trout are taking dry flies at times. You will see more aquatic insect activity in the afternoons. The Quill Gordons are about done in the low elevations. There are a lot of midges on the water. Blue Quills are still somewhat active. Other aquatic insects are too.

Be prepared with nymphs and dry flies. I would have some Parachute Adams dry flies in my box in several sizes. Wet flies and emergers are catching trout too. If dries or wet flies are not producing, switch to nymphs. Try a Bead Head Quasimodo Pheasant Tail. That is a great fly.

Fishing should remain good through the weekend. The low elevations will probably be best. But, you might find fishing is good in a mid elevation stream, like Lynn Camp Prong. The West and Middle Prongs of Little River are fishing well. The East Prong of the river, near Metcalf Bottoms and up toward Elkmont is also a good choice.

I am hoping to see 50 degree or warmer water this weekend. If we get that, fishing will be exceptionally good. I think it will happen, but this is a tough call to make. We are right on the edge. The weather forecast is more encouraging this morning, than it was yesterday.

TVA is still sluicing and generating heavily at the tributary dams. Flows are very high on our trout tailwaters. They are spilling at dams on the Tennessee River and at Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky. You will find high flows due to sluicing and generating at Center Hill Dam.

I will be so happy when our tailwaters are back to normal. Many fly fishermen are looking forward to that.

TWRA stocked Little River with trout last week. I didn’t find out until yesterday. Fishing is good in the river, through Townsend.

Daybreak has come this morning. Dark clouds have filled the sky. All the mountains I normally see from my office at the shop are clearly visible. I love fishing on cloudy days.

I hope you are able to fish this weekend. It is going to be nice here.

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

Byron Begley
March 22, 2019

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com

Nymphing Tactics - $150
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Euro Nymphing - $100
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