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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 6:04 am, the temperature outside is 59.9 degrees.

It rained yesterday and last night. The Knoxville Airport reported .29 inches while Townsend got about the same amount, .26 inches.

It will be very warm in the region today and through the weekend. Rain is expected today and tomorrow. We may get up to ¾ of an inch during the period. It will be breezy too, especially tomorrow.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PREDICTED HIGHS AND LOWS TODAY

Little River is flowing at 242 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.11 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 238 cfs. The water temperature is 43.0 degrees this morning.

Little Pigeon River is flowing at 501 cfs or 2.16 feet at the Sevierville gauge. Median flow there is 286 cfs.

Oconaluftee River is flowing at 525 cfs or 1.91 feet at the Birdtown gauge. Median flow is 402 cfs. The water temperature is 41.2 degrees.

Cataloochee Creek is flowing at 118 cfs, compared to median flow of 70 cfs. The water temperature is 41.0 degrees there.

Water temperatures are rising sharply in all streams in the Smoky Mountains. With warmer days and night predicted today, through the weekend, the temps will rise much further. Warm rain will contribute to the rise in water temperatures. This condition is very favorable for improved fishing.

Rain will probably not be significant. There is a chance you will find high or stained water in some streams this weekend, but that is not likely.

Unless we do get more rain than predicted, fishing should be fair to good this weekend. It will be overcast today and tomorrow, another advantage for the fly angler. Windy conditions are likely at times every day. That is the most likely negative factor this weekend.

I would plan on using nymphs, weighted and fished deep. My favorites for many years are, Tellico, Prince, Hare’s Ear and Pheasant Tail in many sizes. Streamers may work too. Try a Muddler Minnow.

Should you see a blue wing olive hatch, with trout feeding on the surface, switch to a BWO dry fly or emerger. There is a good chance these aquatic insects will be active.

This may be your best fly fishing weekend for a while in the Smoky Mountains. Conditions may not be perfect but water temperatures this warm are rare in early December. I am hoping for water temperatures rising into the 50’s by tomorrow.

We are all scrambling at the shop, adding products to our new Point of Sale computer system. The new system will launch January 2nd. Hopefully everything will progress smoothly. So far, it looks good. I’m not planning any days off in December except Christmas Day.

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

Byron Begley
November 30, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com




Walter made the rod this Fall as a donation for the non-profit Needy Family Auction held in Sweetwater, Tennessee. The auction will be held at 5:30 pm, at the Sweetwater Primary School on Highway 322. You may bid by phone by calling 423-337-1212.

“The rod made for this year’s auction is a 7’ 6” 2 piece 5-weight taper originated by E.W. Edwards. He was an employee of the H.L. Leonard Rod Company, and later formed a brief partnership with Ed Payne and F.E. Thomas, Leonard employees who later started their own rod making business.

Around 1915, Edwards discovered his heat treating process, that flamed the cane to a dark brown and added amazing power to the shaft. During the next four years he and is oldest son, William E. built approximately 1,000 bamboo fly rods.

In 1919, Winchester purchased Edward’s company and convinced him to supervise rod making. High-end Winchesters built during this period were quality rods. The best Edwards Winchester was the 7 ½ ft. model, which became very popular in the Catskills and made that length the popular stream fixture it is today. Winchester low-end rods were not very good, however and after five years as foreman, Edward left to go out on his own.

This is a flamed single tip rod that casts at all distances. I tested it with a double taper line. It comes with a quality rod bag from CSE and a rod tube made by REC. It would be a good mountain rod for the Smokies and anywhere else.

Additionally, a box of dry flies and dry, dropper type nymphs are to be auctioned separately.”

Walter Babb 2018