Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:41 am, the temperature is 39 degrees.
This is going to be another beautiful day in the Smokies. The high temperature will be in the low 70’s dropping to the low 50’s tonight. Showers are likely tomorrow with a high in the middle to upper 60’s. There is a greater chance for rain tomorrow night with a low in the low 50’s. We have a 50% chance for rain Monday. The high temperature will be in the middle to upper 60’s.
Little River is flowing at 45.4 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.27 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 114 cfs. The water temperature is 51.6 degrees at the low elevation gauge near Townsend.
All streams in the Smokies are flowing low, lower than normal. Water temperatures are within the trout’s preferred range in the low to middle elevations. Most trout will be spooky and hiding in the broken water. Brown trout may be seen out in the open in pools or runs, preparing to spawn or spawning.
Stealth is essential to your success. Dress to blend with the forest. Cast longer to avoid being seen by the trout. Use light tippet and smaller flies than you would normally use. A dry fly with a weighted nymph is a good rig to use today. Fishing has been best later in the day from what I have heard some customers say.
Many rivers flowing out of the Smokies are stocked with trout. The water will be low today. Stocked trout will be mostly found in the deeper pools and runs. Small nymphs will probably work best. Get your flies down to where the trout are holding. Using a strike indicator will be helpful. Adjust the distance between your nymph and the indicator as needed. Use light tippet and try to stay hidden from the fish.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers is fair. Fishing may be better later in the day when the water is warmer. Nymphs and streamers are good fly choices.
Fly fishing on the lakes is fair. It will be sunny today which is not a good condition. The wind will be calm today, maybe increasing to 5 miles per hour later. You could go early or late and you may do better when the sun is low. Cast to the shaded areas with weighted streamers, fished deep and slow. You might also try swimming nymphs fished deep and slow.
There are some angler friendly generation schedules you may be able to work with today on some tailwaters. You may need to go early and pick the right spots to fish for a while on the Clinch River. Check the schedules at South Holston, Wilbur and Center Hill dams. Maybe you can work with those schedules and there may be others.
I found an interesting and informative article on the Fly Fisherman website called “A Modern Fly Box, Top Fiies to Catch Trout”. You can read it by CLICKING HERE.
We should be busy today at the shop. Anglers will be out enjoying the beautiful day. The Tennessee vs Kentucky football game is a night game. I’ve seen a lot of friends from Kentucky here this week.
I will be working in the fly tying department, helping customers. Many of our fly tying material suppliers are now stocking items that have been hard to get during the past couple of years. The suppliers are preparing for a good Winter season.
As we get into the fly tying season, our suppliers are also filling our orders quicker for some reason. That allows me to order more often. For instance, I placed two orders with Wapsi in 5 days. I have ordered from Firehole three times in 5 days. I still order from Hareline every 7 days, on Mondays, and they get that order to me by Thursday. Umpqua, Semperfli and other suppliers are performing well.
A huge pre-season order arrived yesterday from Fishpond. All the guys working downstairs were busy getting those items received and displayed. I saw a lot of new gear that was shown to us a few months ago. The store is stocked very well. The fly bins in the fly department are stocked extremely well. We are busy.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
October 29, 2022
FREE FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS HELD ON SATURDAYS
For the first time since 2019, we will be holding our Free Fly Tying Demonstrations on Saturdays. The demonstrations will begin at 10 am and last until 2 pm. You do not need a reservation. Just show up and enjoy. These demonstrations will kick off November 5th, and last through mid-December. Then, they will resume in January.
Mike Adams will be tying on Saturday November 5th. Mike is a retired fly fishing guide who lives in upper East Tennessee. He is an excellent fly tyer who has come up with some unique trout patterns to share with you. When Mike demonstrates at the shop, we always have a big crowd.
Bill Boyd will be tying on Saturday November 12th, with his granddaughter “Half Hitch”. Bill lives in Dayton Tennessee. He has been a regular, with his dad and wife at many fly tying demonstrations, Troutfest and other fly tying shows. You can learn more about Bill on the Dubbing Teasers website by CLICKING HERE.
Mike Bone will be tying on Saturday November 19th. Mike has been guiding, mostly on the Clinch River and Holston River trout tailwaters for decades. He is also an accomplished smallmouth bass guide. Everyone likes Mike. You will too. CLICK HERE to visit Mike’s website.
Saturday December 3rd - Jimmy Jones will be demonstrating today. Jimmy lives in Maryville. He is an avid Smokies angler and golfer. He ties some very interesting and unique flies that work very well in the Smokies.
I have learned new techniques, watching Jimmy tie.
Saturday December 10th - Walter Babb will be demonstrating his unbelievable fly tying skills. Many of you know Walter. Most people in the southeast have at least heard of him. Walter is a legend. He loves tying Catskills trout patterns. He is also a well known bamboo rod maker. Walter tells good funny stories. This demonstration will be well attended.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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