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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:39 am, the temperature is 59.7 degrees.
We have a chance for thunderstorms today. It will be partly sunny with a high temperature around 80 degrees. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high in the low 80’s. High temperatures will be in the low 90’s later this week.
Little River is flowing at 202 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.00 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 220 cfs. The water temperature is 60.6 degrees this morning.
Streams in the mountains are flowing near normal. Water temperatures are good at all elevations. Trout are actively feeding. Fishing will be good unless a thunderstorm dumps heavy rain in the stream where you are fishing.
Dry flies and nymphs will work. A yellow sally stonefly dry pattern will be a good choice today. Your nymph selection should include small bead heads, squirmy worms, green weenies or pink weenies.
Fly fishing for stocked trout is good in the streams and rivers flowing out of the mountains and through the valleys. Try bead head nymphs, squirmy worms, green weenies or small streamers.
Fishing for smallmouth bass, rock bass and sunfish is good in the lowland rivers. Nymphs, streamers, crayfish patterns and small foam floating flies are good choices.
Old timers have said since I can remember, bluegill, shellcrackers and other sunfish begin spawning on the first full moon in May. If that is the case this year, the fish should be spawning now. I have found that to be true some years, and not so true in other years.
Bass should be active in most lakes and possibly spawning. I would target smallmouth bass by casting streamers or swimming nymphs along the rocky banks. Try foam floating flies and poppers too. That might work.
There will be long pauses in the generation at many dams today with some pulsing mixed in. Tailwater anglers should not have a problem finding a generation schedule to work with today. This has been a very good tailwater fishing Spring. This has been a very good fishing Spring overall.
I hired a painter, to paint the front of the shop, which needs it more often than the other sides due to the intense west sun. He is supposed to begin today. I also hired a company we have used before, to seal and stripe the parking lot. That is scheduled to be done in June. It will be accomplished in phases, so you will have access to parking during the project which will take two days.
The store is going to look great this year, with fresh paint what will look like a new parking lot. Paula and I bought the property in 2003. We soon began construction on the building and moved Little River Outfitters into the new digs about one year later.
Our store was designed from the beginning to be a fly shop and school. The parking lot can handle 50 vehicles. Since we are in the mail order busines, we chose to buy the lot next to the Townsend Post Office. We don’t drive to the post office to mail your packages. We walk.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
May 16, 2022
IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CANEY FORK TROUT FISHERY BELOW CENTER HILL DAM!
The US Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public input as they are planning to update their Water Control Manual for Center Hill Dam. The manual was last updated in 1998. David Knapp, who guides on the Caney Fork and other rivers, brought this to my attention.
According to David, the current manual requires only one hour of generation during a 48 hour period, which is not enough to provide cold water during the warm months. Years ago, before the dam was repaired, seepage helped maintain much needed cool water that is essential for a sustainable trout fishery. David says that is not the case now. If you love fishing the Caney Fork River tailwater, you should look into this and get involved.
The Corps will be holding a public meeting to discuss changes for the new manual on Thursday May 26th from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the Smith County Agricultural center in Carthage, Tennessee.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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