Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:40 am, the temperature is 49 degrees.
It is extremely dry. Our county is considered to be in a severe drought. Some counties nearby are in an extreme drought. And, there are counties nearby considered to be in an exceptional drought. We are under a burn ban. Campfires or charcoal fires are banned in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These conditions are similar to 2016.
There is a 60% chance for rain today and a 90% chance tonight. The high temperature today will be around 70 degrees dropping to about 50 degrees tonight. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high in the upper 50’s falling to near the freezing mark overnight. Sunday will be sunny with a high in the low 60’s.
Streams in the mountains are flowing very low. Trout are spooky and difficult to catch. To be successful, you will need to stay hidden. Dress to blend with the forest. Stay low. Wade as little as possible. Use fine tippet. Make long cast while still getting a good drift. Show the trout your leader but not your fly line. Nymphs and dry flies should both work for you.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers is slow to fair. You may do OK fishing in the deeper pools and runs using streamers or crayfish patterns.
There are some generation schedules tailwater anglers can work with today, but not many. Check the TVA website from the links below to see what your options are today.
We are holding a free fly tying demonstration tomorrow (Saturday) between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. The featured fly tyer is Jonathan Yeager from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jonathan is a Tenured Professor of Religious Studies (PhD) at UT-Chattanooga. He and his family have a home fly tying business, tying and selling flies. All you have to do is show up for his demonstration. Jonathan is an excellent fly tyer.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
November 17, 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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