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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. The sun is shining this morning and it is already starting to warm up. There is a chance for scattered storms this afternoon. Just the normal summer weather pattern.
It is going to be warm again in East Tennessee today. Really it won't be too bad considering it is August. Cooler weather is returning later in the week.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PREDICTED HIGHS AND LOWS TODAY
| LOCATION |
HIGH |
LOW |
| TOWNSEND |
88 |
69 |
| GATLINBURG |
87 |
68 |
| ELKMONT |
82 |
67 |
| CADES COVE |
84 |
69 |
| NEWFOUND GAP |
76 |
64 |
| MOUNT LECONTE |
66 |
58 |
| CHEROKEE |
84 |
65 |
| SMOKEMONT |
77 |
64 |
This morning the streamflow gauge on the Little River is giving a reading of 2.36 feet or 354 c.f.s. This is quite a bit higher than the daily normal of 116 c.f.s. Water temperatures are also a cool 65 F.
Can you believe these fishing conditions? This time of year we are normally dealing with low, warm water. Right now the conditions are more like mid-spring. We have been very blessed with good conditions most of this year.
There is chances of afternoon thunderstorms today in the Smokies. You don't need to let this deter you from going, just be smart. Keep an eye on the water and an ear on the sky. Thunderstorms can pop up quickly. Water levels can also change fast. If the water clarity changes be sure you are on the trail/road side of the stream so you can get back without being stuck on the wrong side of the river.
Fishing has been good across the Smokies. I would be fishing dry flies. Yellow Stimulators, Neversink Caddis, Rob's Hellbenders, Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis Yellow are all fishing well. Sizes are #14 - #16.
Using a nymph as a dropper can be a very effective way to fish. This gives you an indicator for the nymph but also has a hook in your top fly. Green Weenies and Barbie Bugs are perfect for this. They are light so you can fish a slightly smaller dry. It doesn't hurt that the trout really like to eat them. Ants can be another excellent choice as a dropper fly. Ants work very well during the summer months. The hard part of fishing ants is that they are small and dark which can make them near impossible to see out on the water. This is solved by the indicator fly. You will know the general vacinity of where the ant will be.
When our Sage/Redington sales rep, Raz Reid, was here the other day he was telling us about Trout Spey fishing. It is the same concept as regular spey fishing but on a smaller, lighter scale. This is kind of an intriguing idea to me. It would definitely take some thought and getting used to. I think mostly it would be a mindset change. Many times we dismiss a technique because we don't understand it. I default to a dry fly because that is what I'm most comfortable with. Techniques like euro nymphing and Tenkara are extremely effective at catching trout in the Smokies but we don't consider them because they are different. It is hard to change from what you know works. If we decide to go down the path of Trout Spey we'll let you know what we think.
If you head out on the water today have a fun time. Watch for storms. Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Daniel Drake
August 6, 2018
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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