Releases

The Elk River: TVA is currently releasing 4100 + CFS and tomorrow the release will be 5100 CFS. They are releasing down the spillway, which is quite a sight. The generation release is 0 but don't be fooled 5100 CFS down the spillway is as high as I can remember. On a positive note the banks will get a good cleaning.
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The Caney Fork: The Army Corps is predicting 2 or more generators and currently releasing 6500 CFS. Tomorrow and the next several days it appears they are going to more the release to the "or more" and get the release up around 10,000 CFS. We will see what happens.

High Water (Big Bend.... Parliament)

High Water Browns

We caught the fish above while deep water nymphing. The higher water opens up a lot of places that normally are too shallow to effectively fish. I must have gotten lucky and dropped the nymph right in front of the fish. The nymph had been hanging up on the bottom so it made sense to wait before setting the hook. Once the fish felt the pressure, the fight was on. After several trips up-river, downriver and around the boat a time or two the fish finally came to the net. There are several things about this fish. The fish was fat, the photos just don't do the fish justice. It appeared to be healthy in the tail section and around the midsection. But, the inside of the fish's mouth was white and just beginning to turn flaky. It appears the fish is still eating well, however the days may be limited do to the condition of the mouth and teeth. Hopefully others will catch and release this fish before it goes and hopefully it will die of natural causes instead of finishing it's time in a cooler. It sure was a pleasure getting an opportunity to catch a holdover of this size.

Barry Putting a Bend in a Rod

A Wet Spring- It has been a wet couple months here in Middle Tennessee. The rain has been coming down it seems like every other day. The temperature has been mild as well. Right now as I type this report we have cancelled today's trip. This week tailwaters have been pushing but creeks and rivers have provided some short windows of opportunity This opportunity has helped some anglers get their fix.

Pulled Over for a Break

Even as TVA and the Army Corps release water to keep the lakes in check and make power, the fish continue to eat. Anglers are not getting as many shots and hook ups as they do on the lowest of water, but thinking out of the box helps. There is just plenty of water to go around right now. The release of the Middle Tennessee dams may depend on the downstream releases. Guess we will just have to wait and see how the releases fall into place.

A Gutsy Rainbow

High water nymphing has proven effective but it is not for the weak at heart. The boat has to be in just the right place and anglers are having to work to keep the evil's of drag from showing up at just the wrong time. It is not an easy way to fish and takes concentration. Streamers can be effective on these flows as well. Working the gravel bars and shoals is a good way to stir the larger browns that are chasing shad and those yummy fresh hatchery brats. 

Dan Hooked Up. Life is Good

Fishing on the area rivers and creeks is beginning to pick up. The white bass are making their annual run to spawn and such. They are taking a white, chartreuse or yellow anything when angler's find them schooling. Lot's of chases, nips and eats is what make these fish exciting. From time to time a larger fish will come to the net and that really picks up the heart rate.

Clinch River, Caney Fork and Elk River Fly Fishing

Healthy Colors on the Rainbow

The Elk River- The water level on Tims Ford Lake is above the flood guide. So, we have seen some morning and evening releases on the Elk for the past several weeks. This flow makes for a good float but the gravel bars are still eating the bottom of most boats throughout the float. This flow also provides opportunities to fish water that was previously off limits to most heavy nymphs. 

Stopping at a Gravel Bar Near You

There have been a couple of stockings so far this year. We have been searching for the holdovers, but grateful for the Hatchery Brats when they suck down a fly. Wading anglers will need to review the release schedule before heading to the river and most days can sleep in a couple hours before getting ready to go to the river. The flows are going to be a little faster, be careful wading where you would normally not think twice about going. We tried streamers on falling water without much luck. Nymphs still produced fish over our streamers. 

Why Do They Run to the Boat?

Four Great Things That Go Great Together

The Caney Fork River- The release prediction over the next several days says more of the same. The mid-week rains are driving the lake levels up and driving the higher generation. We have been out on the high water and the fish are eating, but the catching is tough. Slow rowing the boat while angler's fish sinking lines and heavier than normal flies is about the only way to get the offerings in the strike zone. When a big fish comes to the fly and comes into view, the heart rates go up. A strike gets an even bigger reaction and a fish to the net gets...well you get the picture.  
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Don't let the water and weather get you down. Summer is on the way. Relief is in sight and all that jazz. This weather pattern will be over and we will be wading and floating, while saying hello to old friends we mostly see on the river.

It's Not All About the Fishing. 

The Clinch River- Norris Dam is running one generator around the clock as this report is written. As the repairs to the weir continue it is important to keep an eye toward the generation schedule. The fish are fat and happy with a touch of a prizefighter attitude.  Wading opportunities are plentiful, but the best way to fish the Clinch under generation is from some type of boat and the best boat is a drifter. If you have been waiting to float the Clinch or book a future trip, now is a good time to get a date on that tailwater. Nymphs fished on one generator is a good way to pick up fish and streamers offer a shot at a nice brown or rainbow. For angler's wanting to book a trip on the Clinch give us a call or send an email. We can get you in touch with a guide who takes very good care of anglers and who is a fun host for your day on the river.

"High Water Everywhere"- Joe Bonamassa

Casting With Either Hand

As I was shutting the door Brent was standing by the boat casting. I commented to Rhonda that Brent had a nice cast and I also noted he's a lefty. With that we set up the shuttle for the next trip and it was time to get on the river. Brent and I skipped fishing the first part of the float while we discussed fishing from the drift boat. We were on the same page until Brent stood up and made his first cast with his right hand. Somewhat confused I waited a few more casts and said "I thought I saw you casting with your left hand earlier?" Brent said I probably did see that, but he could cast with either hand. I commented on how people like that really pi are few and far between and he said it opens up a lot of opportunity. See most people would just be jealous... 

We Picked Up a Bunch of These

Our plan for the day was to fish nymphs deep and then fish streamers where it seemed appropriate. There is a mud bank,early in the float, that has a slight current. There are almost always fish holding there waiting for a slow moving meal. This little nugget is a good place to judge an angler's drift and of course an opportunity to exam mending skills. Brent has both a good mend and clean drift. We sent a nymph down the lane and Brent popped a couple fish that were waiting at the drive-thru. 

The morning was fairly consistent. The difference between this day and a "normal" day was the fish were apparently holding in schools on this day. Or possibly they were just a little tighter to current than usual. Where we would pick up one fish we would boat two and sometimes three on this trip. That ran the numbers higher but there were some slower periods to deal with too.

Brent could cast well and was open to recommendations. We made our into some of the better streamer water and pulled out the streamer rod. We tried several different patterns as well as retrieves and finally landed on a Louisiana Toad Fly. That's right a saltwater fly that works on Louisiana red fish can also be effective on Tennessee brown trout. Color is always important and we tried a couple variations of color as well. We boated this brown just as I was reaching into the streamer box to get the next color on the chart. The next color didn't come out until well after lunch.

We stopped for lunch and slowed the day down just a little more. It was a nice to be outside. Although there was just a little more wind than we wanted. The temps more than made up for the wind and we took advantage of an early Tennessee spring like day. We wound down the day with good numbers and a couple nice fish to top things off. When the day was done Brent's left and right hand casting did open up a lot of opportunity.

Mark Throwing Streamers on the River

Crappie on the Fly

The phone rang and Mark was calling. He was coming in from St. Louis and wanted to get on the water. I started explaining the recent rains and how they have had an affect on generation and if he wanted to nymph fish we would have to reschedule. To my surprise, and I was darned glad of it, Mark wanted to throw streamers. Mark was working on streamers, single-hauling and double-hauling and of course he wanted to catch a fish.

High Water Everywhere

We left the dam and immediately we worked on the single-haul. After Mark found his timing we worked on his double-haul. It wasn't too long before the rod was bent and Mark was bringing the first fish to the boat. Water was rolling as the generation continued throughout the day. We kept at it, throwing streamers and looking for soft water. We would get an occasional drive-by, flash and a hit here and there. On this day it appeared the secret wouldn't be connected to the banks.  

Large Pockets of Soft Water

The beginning of the day found fish rising on the gravel bars in the middle of the river. We went to the middle of the river and a large brown took a swipe at a Zoo Cougar. The fish didn't commit but it did bring our excitement level up. We stayed on the lighter side of the color chart and went more for depth. Mark worked deer hair headed flies and got the speed just right. He was walking the dog almost right away as he learned to swim the fly. We went back to the banks working the soft water and the fish began to respond with more of everything but takes. 

The fish were still rising in the middle of the river on gravel bars. A fish rose off to our right. I told Mark we needed to go catch that one because the fish looked very similar to the "big one" we had been chasing all day. I back the drifter over in the area, Mark hauled the big streamer and dropped into the zone. The fish responded immediately and the fight was on. Mark played the fish perfectly as we chased it around the river. Finally we gained control and fish came to the net. We ended the day on that fish and another entry in the 20+ Club. Mark was accurate before he stepped in the drifter and he came a long way in his hauling skills. Mark put in the work and grabbed the reward. 

Fly Fishing Tennessee

Not Looking Down?

The Elk River: It is Easter Weekend and TVA has decided it best to flush some more water through the Tims Ford Dam. The release of 3700+ CFS on this small tailwater makes it dangerous to float and impossible to wade. Recently there was a release from the stocking truck and this should flush some of the stockers downstream.

Fly Fishing in the Snow, These Guys Are Crazy

Starting Monday it appears TVA is turning off the generator. The usual flies should work in the usual places. The water quality appears to be good right now. The clarity is good so fish can see your flies from a longer distance which is good. The fish can also see anglers from a longer distance and that is not so good. When wading try to position yourself and then stay put. Don't move your feet too much and when entering and exiting the water do so at a 90 degree angle from the bank (think 90 degree rule in golf). That will help a little when moving from pool to pool or run to run.

The End of a Good Day 

The Caney Fork: Shad are coming through the dam, but for the most part the only thing eating with consistency is the birds. In-spite of the fish not responding too quickly to the shad we are still presenting float shad patterns and getting some response. Streamers are also taking some fish. Bring plenty of different color streamers, but don't bother fishing anything but the white ones.

Brent Putting a Bend in the Rod

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Fishing in the Park should start coming around this week. The weather is warming a little and that in turn should begin warming the water. The unknown to this equation is the snow in the higher elevations. However, the hatches will be coming off somewhere, regardless of the snow melt. If you like to fish the small streams of the Park and want to learn some of the more intimate details, drop me an email and I can hook you up with the folks who guide the Park on a regular basis. These trips are certainly worth the time and expense.

Donnie and Brent joined me on a float the other day. The weather was Prego, everything was "in there". We started out on a cold thermometer, even the mercury was wearing fleece. Donnie has spent most of his time in the South and he, like me, isn't too fond of cold weather. But he, like me, wants to fish. Brent never really complains because well, who knows, he probably can't get a word in with Donnie and me complaining about the cold. There was some discomfort. But then the sun would come out and warm the air only to be snowing 10 minutes later. Like I said the weather was Prego, everything was "in there".

Some Slowly Retrieved Floating Shad Results

We started the day on floating shad patterns and fished them a few different ways. A super slow retrieve produce some action. Fish were busting the top and we were targeting them. When the fish stopped responding we went to streamers. Streamers produced swipes, drive-byes, hits, and then fish. We brought fish to the net on streamers and with the water falling I wanted to test some nymphs. Nymphs produced fish as well and we were in business as other boats headed to the takeout. It looked like we would be the last boat off the water...again.

Donnie, The Bearded Guy

A Face Only A Mother Could Love

We headed to the ramp eventually but not without stopping at a few more places. Brent hooked up with a big fish that took him upstream and eventually spit the hook. We kept fishing and drowning those nymphs. I took Donnie off the line Brent was fishing and put him in a riffle that falls into a nice productive hole. That's when Brent drifted a nymph where Donnie was fishing and Brent hooked a big fish... 

Full Bellies

This Fish Has Been in a Scrap With Something (Notice the Wound in Front of the Dorsal)

...while Donnie and I discussed me changing his line, Brent fought the fish and it tried all the tricks it could try. Finally I think Donnie stopped being mad at me the fish tried one last maneuver and went under the boat, Brent played the fish right away and never lost the fish's head. The Buffalo (no, not the Great White Buffalo) finally came to the net and then it was time for the hero shot. OK, I admit I wasn't going to touch that smelly thing. Brent grabbed the fish and we took the photos. Brent learned later why I didn't want to touch the smelly thing but that is a story for another day. Oh and as usual we were the last boat off the water.

Tennessee Fly Fishing

The Caney Fork River: The river is receiving a bit of reduction in flow now....finally. Still anglers can throw big meaty flies for that fish of a lifetime. The smaller fish, you know the fish that keep us entertained between the holdovers, were hanging on and just trying not to drown. Now those stockers are getting out and hoping for a morsel or two. When the flow is on the holdovers are in the soft water and edges. Drop offs that run parallel to the bank with slower current are also a good place to pick up nice fish. 
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It has been several weeks since we have seen low water on the Caney and that's a long time in dog years. The forecast for the river looks promising. Keep tying those flies the chance to use them is just around the corner.

The Elk River: We spent some time on the Elk over the past several weeks. While some anglers are complaining of slow days, we have been fortunate. The fish are responding to a well placed nymph. We have even been lucky and caught fish after several drifts. If the fish aren't taking after a few passes, wait a minute or two and lengthen the distance between the indicator and the fly. Let the water settle and don't move your feet or walk around in the boat. Dropping the fly in the zone one more time, even several more times, has produced another fish for the net.
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The Tennessee Valley Authority is turning up the release this week. The forecast for Tims Ford is showing a heavier release this week.  It looks like TVA is going to release water in the morning hours for at least a few days. Be sure to check the release schedule and Tims Ford Dam before heading to the river.

Smallies in East Tennessee: The smallmouth season is fast approaching and East TN will be firing pretty soon. The water temps should start to climb in the next few weeks and the smallmouth will be fattening up after a long and cold couple months. If you want to get into some smallie action on the fly, shoot us an email and we can hook you up with the folks who specialize in warmwater fly fishing. 

Gary and Scott's Day on the Drift Boat

Since the weather was near perfect and there was someone who needed to learn how to catch fish on the fly rod, in my mind we had two good reasons to go to the river. When Gary and I talked and set the date we had no idea the weather would be so good. The Weather Channel girl said 70 degrees and sunny, with a 15 mph wind (the only downside). That's OK some of our best trips were on windy days over the past few seasons. So we were off to help Scott catch his first trout on the long rod and to help Gary to catch his share of fish as well. And, unfortunately we also saw Mr. No Shoulders for the first time this year. 

Scott on His First Hook-up 

We pushed off from the gravel bar a little ahead of schedule, within a few minutes we were seeing bugs. Mostly we saw midges, but occasionally a caddis would pop. That was a good sign or so we thought. After some quick casting instructions and a lengthy mending discussion we were floating some productive water with nymphs. Scott got a hit and set the hook only to perform the perfect sportsmen's release. It wouldn't take him long to catch on to the take of a trout. Then both Gary and Scott began to bring fish to the net. Both anglers were into fish on a fairly regular basis. By the time we stopped for lunch the net was smelling fishy and both were in the groove.

After filling the tank with some lunch we got back to the fish. Scott was doing a good job with the morning's instruction and he "began to fish". What does "began to fish mean"? That means he was able to pick his spots, understands the currents and get a good drift. Oh, and he was catching fish.  Gary, who is a regular on the drifter, was in his usual catching mode and I was watching a plan come together. We stopped and fished a couple spots that usually we blow through. The new spots produced some decent numbers of fish and kept us entertained.

The morning bug activity was turning into an afternoon hatch and picking up. We found a pod of rising fish with only a couple trout actually eating adults. Although the fish were small they were active. We fished small adult dries through spinners, but the fish were spooky and were put down after just a couple drifts.  We stayed with them for a bit, but none wanted a sore lip. We went back to nymphs and immediately started picking up fish again. 
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The caddis were starting to come off and a large hatch was soon underway. I tried to get a good photo of the hatch (see above) but the photos don't do the hatch justice. As the hatch grew larger we expected the fish to rise. Except for the one pod of risers no other fish were willing to play with the caddis. As Spring continues we keep hoping the fish will begin to respond.

It seemed as though the guys enjoyed their day. As the sun started to fall behind the hills this trip was coming to an end. We slid into the takeout once again with Scott, a new fly angler, ready to pursue trout and Gary with another successful trip under his belt. The Weather Channel Girl? She hit the forecast and that made for another very good trip on a windy day.

Avery and Mark. Tailwater Nymphing Techniques

Gil Plates

Avery stopped me after a Calvary Outfitters meeting and booked some time on the drifter. He has been a creek angler for quite some time and recently decided to get some time on the drifter. His goal was to learn some additional fly fishing techniques. He would bring Mark, a long time angler and one who had previously spent time on the drifter. Mark is an accomplished fly fisherman. 
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When we arrived at the river we spent time talking to TWRA. The guys at TWRA are surveying anglers to get an idea of the fishing pressure among other things.

Avery Hooked Up

There were several boats rigging for the day. Everyone was in a hurry to fish and enjoy the 60 degree weather. We pushed off from the gravel bar to get ahead of the traffic. We lost the jon-boats at the first shoal and were quick to get into the more productive water. The rods were rigged with nymphs and we hit a long pool. They endured went through my usual mending instructions. Mend, mend, mend, the proper mend technique is something that cannot be expressed enough. We discussed how the mend compliments the presentation and it is not just about whipping line around in no particular fashion. Mark hooked up first on a drift across structure, with that the skunk was gone. Avery worked some swift water and this gave him some insight on mending in a run. Just as the run settled, Avery's nymph drifted into the zone and just like that he hooked up. The guys were into the fish.

Breaktime

The Guys Caught Their Share of These

We fished pretty hard in the morning and Avery was getting dialed in. He was hitting his spots and catching his share of fish. Mark was hitting the spots and had a great mend, but wasn't hooking up quite as often. I didn't see him miss fish, it seemed the fish just were not falling his way. We concluded Avery had the prime spot on the river, in front of the drifter. In my mind there is not a better place on the river than in front of a drift boat.
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We stopped for lunch and after eating, fished a run that will sometimes produce a decent fish. The guys worked hard on their mending in the slower and faster paced water. We continued on and it seemed we continued to catch the same fish over and over. 

Mark and Avery Working a Run

The day continued with the guys well into double digits. We floated into an all out caddis hatch. Size 14 caddis were popping everywhere. For the entire mile of the river and just before dark we continued to nymph. Why would we nymph with bugs popping? Not a fish was rising anywhere in sight. Maybe later in the Spring the fish will catch-on to a good meal...
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We slid into the gravel bar as the sun set over the hills. It was a pleasure to float with Avery and Mark. Avery came a long way in a short period of time. He had all the basic skills before coming on the boat. He became a better angler because he was able to apply previous fishing technique with new fly fishing skill. Mark has been around for a while and already caught his share of fish. He has one of the best and most subtle mends I have seen and it served him well several times throughout the day. The guys fish all over the southeast and hopefully they will share some of their successes when they return from future adventures.

Clear Cool Water  You're Welcome-  Springtime

Tennessee River Bass

After fishing in the snow storm on Saturday another member of my family commented that I am as crazy as my Dad, when it comes to fishing. It just so happened my Dad was out on the Tennessee River a couple days later, fishing gear, in the same weather. He is also a catch and release angler who is dialed in when it comes to crappie. Below is a quote from his report and a photo of his largest bass (7 lbs. 6 oz.) to date. The fish below still swims in the Tennessee River somewhere...

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(Report) Got a late start today and put in at the ramp about 8:30 AM and went crappie hunting. The day started out slow and only had 8 small ones and 1 small bass by 10:00 but as I scanned a different place I spotted a really big school of crappie on a ledge going from 10' or water down to 21' of water and these proved to be some hungry fish! I had 19 catches in a row and could have continued the string if I hadn’t had a bad, short cast and didn’t get the jig where the fish were. On the 21st cast continued the string with 5 more straight before missing a fish. That’s a lot of fun when you can get a string like that going! I wasn’t keeping fish today so didn’t even have the net out of the box when this big fish hit which I thought, at first, was a stripper but finally got him to the boat and then the scramble was on to get the net out of the box. Of course the net was under everything in the box and I thought for sure that the fish would get off before I could get the net out but got lucky. Dipped the fish up and brought it in to the boat ...

...I quit fishing at 4 PM with a total of 2 bass and 85 crappie....All in all a great fishing day.