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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. Today will be a tough day be inside trying to work. It is going to be another perfect spring day.

Water levels in the Smokies are coming down. This morning the gauge is giving a reading of 2.43 feet or 377 c.f.s. This is higher than the daily normal of 235 c.f.s. Water temperatues are good at 52 F. The streams are flowing clear.

A large variety of bugs have been hatching in the Smokies. Anglers have been using the standards like Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis and Thunderheads. More hatch specific patterns would be Light Cahills, Light Hendricksons, March Browns, Sulphurs, and Yellow Stonefly (Yellow Sally). I would have a variety of sizes from #12 on the Cahills, Hendricksons and March Browns to #16 on the Sulphur.

Where should I go fishing today? That is a question we get a lot in the Shop. Hmm. It really depends on several factors: How much time do you have? Do you want to hike or stay near the road? What do you want to fish for?

There really isn't any need to launch an expedition and hike miles into the backcountry in search of trout. The Smokies is blessed with miles upon miles of excellent streams right next to the roadside. Little River Road gives you access to wild rainbow and browns. We usually tell people to go from Metcalf Bottoms upstream to Elkmont becuase there is more wadable water and it generally fishes a bit more consistently. From the Y to the Sinks the stream has bigger, deeper pools and bigger rapdis. There are plenty of trout in this section and also some smallmouth. You can find larger than average trout down there but you will have to use some different tactics than you would use in other streams.

Middle Prong of Little River is another great roadside destination. Some days it seems like everyone in the Southeast has Tremont as their destination. Like Little River, the entire stream has a good population of trout. Earlier in the year the lower section of river along the paved road can be good. It gets overlooked by a lot of anglers. 2 miles up the road changes to gravel by the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont. The gravel road is around 3 miles long and offers great fishing. One nice thing about Tremont is that the road is an up and back so the traffic is usually a bit slower and lighter than you will find along Little River Road. In the dry months the area can look like a black and white picture with the trees coated in dust.

The West Prong of the Little Pigeon River is off the side of US 441/Newfound Gap Road. This is a great place if you want to not be roadside but not a long walk in. You just park at any of the Quiet Walkways and head down the hill. The lower stretches have long pools that can be great fun in the early part of the year. As you go up the mountain the gradient increases and you will find plunges and lots of rocks. This is a good stream to fish late in the summer because you can get to high elevations and find cooler temperatures. In the high elevations you find brook trout.

If I had all day to fish I would drive over the mountain and fish the Oconoluftee River. I enjoy the Luftee. It flows right along Newfound Gap Road down towards Cherokee. The river is very straight with riffles and runs. You won't find the big bend pools like Little River has. Because it is a farther drive it doesn't see as many anglers as Little River. Oconoluftee has browns, rainbows and brooks in the upper stretches.

Looking quickly at the TVA site for the tailwaters it looks like they might have stopped sluicing on some of the dams. Be sure to check the flows before heading out. They are ALWAYS subject to change.

NYMPHING TACTIC CLASS on SATURDAY MAY 5th!
If you have been fly fishing for awhile and just want to improve your skills, we have a Nymphing Tactics Class coming up on Saturday May 5th. In this class you will learn techniques for fishing nymphs more effectively. The first part of the class is here at the Shop where you will work on some new casts and learn about equipment, rigging and theory. Then after lunch the class heads to the river where you will put this new knowledge to practical use. The cost of the class is $150 and includes lunch. There is still plenty of space but you need to call to reserve a spot. 865-448-9459.

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

Daniel Drake
May 1, 2018  

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