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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 64.8 degrees.

Today will be partly sunny with a high temperature in the low 80’s. There is a 60% chance for scattered thunderstorms this afternoon.

Little River if flowing at 187 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.91 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 107 cfs. The water temperature is 66.5 degrees this morning.

All streams in the Park that have USGS gauge sites are flowing higher than normal for this date.

So, we have great flows and good water temperatures. We could not ask for better conditions on the last day a July.

Fishing is good in the Smokies. Trout are taking dries and nymphs. I think they will eat about any reasonable fly. The trout’s metabolism is high, so they need food. One good source of protein this time of the year comes from land based insects, terrestrials. Keep that in mind. A great combination is a foam floating beetle with a Green Weenie dropper.

More important than fly choice is stealth. Don’t let them see you. Dress to blend with the forest. Stay low if you can. Don’t cast a shadow over the area you are fishing.

And, you need to get a good drift. Make sure your fly is drifting at the same speed as the current it is in. That is not easy to do, 100% of the time. I think that is impossible. However, the longer you can achieve a good drift, the better your chances are for a hookup. If you are fishing with a dry fly, compare the speed to the bubbles.

Lowland fishing will be good today, especially when the sun is off the water. Smallmouth bass are taking poppers and floating foam flies. Fish the shaded areas. You may also catch rock bass and sunfishes on smaller poppers, nymphs or streamers.

Lake fishing will be good early or late, and when the sun is obscured, Poppers, foam floating flies, streamers, Puglisi Threadfin Shad patterns and Rubber Legged Dragons will work for you.

TVA and the Corps are generating at some of the dams today. I would take a look at the Clinch River. You should be able to work with their generation schedule. Click on the link below. Anglers in Kentucky may also be able to work with the Wolf Creek Dam schedule, especially if you are floating.

I am still tying Pheasant Tail nymphs, about 3 per day. I’m tying red ones now. I’ll switch back to purple or natural by Friday. I’m building up an inventory for Paula and I to use this Fall. On next week’s Wapsi order, I’m planning to bring in new pheasant tail colors, black, bleached and bright green. You just can’t beat a Pheasant Tail Nymph, anywhere you fish for trout.

I placed a large order with Whiting Farms on Monday. They had much of what I want in stock. I’m looking forward to getting that order in and out for you.

The fly tying department is in great shape. I have been working on it diligently for a year. And, the sales have grown substantially. I order every week and keep adding new materials. The hard work is paying off. You would not believe how much time it takes to manage that department. Think about the hundreds of small items displayed there.

That is my favorite department. I didn’t run that department for 2 ½ years and I missed it.

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

Byron Begley
July 31, 2019

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com