Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us. It is Saturday again. Forget about cutting that grass....they say this is No Mow May. It like that. It is supposed to be about letting your grass grow so the "weeds" can flower and the pollinators have a food source. That is a good enough excuse to not waste time on yard work when you can be out in the mountains enjoying God's creation.
Time is fleeting. We only get a very brief moment to enjoy all the things that this world offers. Flowing waters, full of trout, will forever continue their path as they travel to the sea. Along those waters we meet folks on the same journey as us. Their time is as limited as ours. Don't rush too fast but slow down and listen to the stories of their travels also. Hear about that mythical brown trout which slid out of the shadows and consumed the foam beetle tied by their friend. The world lost one of those travelers yesterday. Mike Adams ( Mike's Magic Beetle ) finished his journey and passed onto his next adventure. Mike was a great person and a friend of the Shop and the angling community of East Tennessee. He will most definitely be missed.
We have all lost those in our lives who have helped us on our path to become anglers. Remember them the next time you approach that stream or lake and prepare to cast out and make memories of your own.
It did rain briefly in Townsend yesterday making the forecast of rain correct. It did NOT rain much. Water levels are still on the low side. This morning the gauge on Little River is reading 1.82 feet or 134 c.f.s. The daily normal is 226 c.f.s. There is a possibility of thunderstorms today but the chances aren't 100% so forget about that lawn and take advantage of a day on the stream.
Water temperatures are in good shape. This morning Little River is about 61F. We've been starting to sell some of the new Korkers wet wading Axis shoes already but for my comfort I'll still be putting on the waders for a little while longer.
Fishing reports from the mountains have been generally good. Lots of bugs are hatching and the trout are happy. Low water conditions have the trout spookier than usual. The top water flies are light in color, tans and yellows. The little yellow stoneflies commonly called Yellow Sallies have begun hatching. You will find the best hatches in the last couple of hours before dark.
Fishing a dry dropper rig is a good way to go. It gives twice the hooks in the water and covers your bases both on top and subsurface. If you haven't fished like this before it is pretty easy but has its quirks. Tie on a dry fly that is relevant to the hatch but one which is visible and has a lot of floatation. Something like a Chubby Chernobyl, a Dry Humper, a Stimulator etc. Then take a length of tippet about 24 inches long and tie it to the bend of the hook of that dry fly. Onto that you are going to tie your nymph. The nymph needs to be small enough that it is not going to sink the dry fly. A big Pat's Rubberleg or Double Tungsten stonefly are not ideal choices. Things like Green Weenies, Squirmy Worms, Pheasant Tails, Hares Ear etc are much better.
When you cast a double fly rig you can't make those tight pretty YouTube video dry fly casts. You need to do an open loop which comes from a rolling wrist motion. The two flies are not on the same plane so if your loop is too tight the nymph is going to snag on the line and tangle the whole thing into a mess. Make an oval cast and swing the flies around. You are making short casts into pocket water so you don't need distance on the cast.
If you head to the mountains today be mindful of the weather. There is always the chance for a thunderstorm to manifest itself and drop rain. Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Daniel Drake
May 13, 2023
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Parking Tags are now required to park your vehicle inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 15 minutes. Tags may be purchased at Visitors Centers, including the center in Townsend. Or, they may be purchased online. You can buy a daily, weekly or annual tag. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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