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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:45 am, the temperature is 52.0 degrees.
It will be mostly sunny today with a high temperature in the low 80’s. We have a slight chance for a thunderstorm later. Tonight will be warm, with a low around 60 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms are likely tomorrow. It will be warm again with a high around 80 degrees.
Little River is flowing at 187 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.95 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 244 cfs. The water temperature is 56.7 degrees this morning.
Streams in the mountains are flowing close to normal or lower than normal. Water temperatures are within the trout’s preferred range. They are active.
Fishing is good in the Smokies. Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs. Try either or both in tandem. More important than fly selection is stealth and presentation. Don’t spook the trout and get a good drift. You will catch more. My dry fly selection would include Parachute Adams, Light Cahill, Elk Hair Caddis or small yellow Stimulator patterns. Euro style nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Tellico, Prince, Caddis Emerger and Squirmy Worms would be in my box. I would never go fishing for trout in a stream without Green and Pink Weenies.
Fishing for stocked trout in the rivers flowing out of the mountains is good, thanks to the excellent fishing conditions we have now. Nymphs, midge pupa and small streamers will work.
The lowland rivers have warmed and will continue to warm this weekend. Smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish are active. Nymphs, streamers and crayfish sub-surface patterns are good fly choices. Try foam floating flies and poppers. They might work.
As the lakes warm, fishing is improving. You could try foam floaters or poppers. I think streamers and swimming nymphs will work best but you never know until you try both. I would go early or late when the sun is off the water.
The turbines will be shut down for several hours at many dams in the region. If you are hoping to fish on a tailwater today, you have many options. Visit the TVA website from the links below to plan your day.
I helped a customer in the fly tying department yesterday, who was buying Supreme Hair. Supreme hair is a very thin synthetic material. He and some of his friends are planning a trip to Colorado. They were told, probably by the outfitter, they will need to tie #24 midges. Their strategy is to tie in two colors of one strand each of this hair, to wrap the body of the midges that will appear to be segmented. I pulled a pack of Tiemco 2488 hooks off the wall. Those things are tiny. We looked at the appropriate size of tungsten beads which are also small.
I have fished with midges, especially on tailwaters, but I don’t remember ever going down to size #24. I know for sure I have never tied them that small. I suppose you would need to use 7X or 8X tippet with a yarn indicator.
My guess is, those guys are going to be fishing for picky trout that have been hammered every day by a lot of fly fishermen. They are probably going on the trip this Summer and expecting low flows.
I have been selling fly tying hooks, beads and materials for 27 years.
I know for sure, we do not sell many #24 midge hooks to our customers. We’ve got them though, for those who tie midges that small.
By the way, I recently bought some 4X reading glasses to use when I am tying flies. They helped a lot. I’m going to use them on the stream too.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
April 30, 2022
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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