There's High Water Everywhere

Suspicious Activity? We Didn't See Any...

Looks Like 3 Generators and a Sluice or Big Water

Want the water pretty much to yourself? Want a challenge? Well fish when no one else fishes or just go for a boat ride. Last week I started thinking it would be cool just to get on the water and see what fishing on 10,000 + CFS is like. Talk about new water? The side channels, islands and main channels are all different on this flow. I wouldn't really suggest getting out on these flows, but it's fun to try just once....and maybe a few more times.

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Brent and I took off for a morning and early afternoon float. My shuttle wasn't answering so I gave Brent a choice, drive his vehicle or run from Happy Hollow to Center Hill Dam after dropping the truck. Brent is a triathlon competitor and he showed up that morning with running shoes. His time for the shuttle was 24 minutes...  

The Heron Was Just Hanging Around

While Brent was running the shuttle, I rigged the rods and surveyed the water. The herons seem to be growing in numbers and are becoming more colorful every trip. While I was rigging rods I kept one eye on a heron that decided he wanted to get closer than usual. The streamer rod was rigged and the gulls were flying. Before anyone gets worked up over a shad kill, we didn't see any gulls diving and no shad floating. It's tough not to wonder if the gulls aren't preparing for something. 

The Shoals at Lancaster

A Balloon Indicator Almost Ready to Use

Balloon indicators are good for fishing high water and they hold up heavy nymphs with extra weight. Also, they are inexpensive and easily adjusted. The wind was strong for most of the day and they cast pretty good, so we may use more of these this year. We used these in the side channels and parts of the main channel were we float the heavy stuff when we wanted a break from the streamers.

Fish Tails

The Caney Fork River

Waiting for a Passing Meal

So on the Caney fish are being caught on this flow. It isn't easy, but it's a change of pace. There are literally only a few spots to wade and those are at the ramps. Wading anglers should keep on tying flies until the water drops to a more normal flow. For the boaters out there, the water is moving real fast and getting in the trees and across the islands is dangerous. Drifters have an upper hand navigating the trees but it can get serious in a hurry. The ramp at Happy is clear and there were a couple boats there drifting down and running up a few hundred yards. No one was trying anything too out of the norm, except for us and that was only after thinking things through first.

The River Gauge

A Midge Among Streamers

The Elk River- The Elk is pushing water throughout the week and we are getting a window here and there on the weekends. The hatchery brats are doing pretty well surviving on midges and scavenging for other meals below the surface. The windows of opportunity are small but TVA is giving us small windows for our fix, in spite of the lake levels and continuous weekly rains. So thank you TVA.

If you are going to fish the Elk, keep an eye on the water level and get out if you think it might be rising. You can always get back in if things check out OK. Also be on the side of the river your vehicle is on when the water turns on. This river is not a river that anyone can cross when the generator begins to push. 

Elk River Operating Guide (the blue line)

TVA works the releases based on this guide. This is today's snapshot. The red line is the line that matters to us right now. The red line clearly shows the weather events so far this year. The blue line is the operating guide and when the red line and the blue line meet, we get to fish. That may be an over simplification of the operating guide, but why muddy the waters with extra theory...

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Musky Waters- The musky waters have been up,up and up. The visibility has been low and we don't even get out when the water is pushing like it has been this week. Hopefully we will have a musky report in the coming days. There it is the report from Middle Tennessee. With all this water anglers are preparing for the upcoming Spring. Trips are already getting booked for the Spring and if the water gets to a more manageable level the streamer trips are just around the corner. For anyone thinking about booking just give me a call, text or send an email. This is a good time to start planning.

Fishing Report...

A Colorful Elk River Hatchery Brat

Here we go with the same old song and dance...Mother Nature just isn't seeing things our way and continues to fill the lakes while the folks in charge of the water release try their best to keep our lakes at winter pool.
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The Caney Fork- water releases have been 24-7 at 10,000+ CFS. It becomes more and more tempting to get out there and just see what, if anything, is happening. So I still suggest not getting on the river while continuing to fight the urge.
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The Obey had some windows of  1600+ CFS, which is a decent flow for floating. It isn't the best but it is doable. Wading has been non-existent so far on the Obey this Winter. Hopefully the weather and generation will cooperate in the very near future.

Fish Tails

The Elk River- continues to see some windows for wading on the weekends. On weekdays, well check generation schedules but don't expect great things. We made a trip to the Elk to wade after a huge storm came through a couple days back. Surprisingly the water was somewhat clear and the fish were hungry. There was minimal surface activity and we went with nymphs above midge droppers. The nymphs produced several hatchery brats in a short window. The tug was good to feel and we even had a visit from a muskrat. If there is a window and the opportunity is there, I would suggest your favorite nymph. Adjust the indicator as needed and don 't get lazy with the adjustments, because the fish seem to hunker down in off-color water. 

Elk River Report

2012 Fish Tails

The Elk-is finally showing some good windows of opportunity. The water level in the lake is falling, in-spite of all the rain we've had this Winter. The fish of the Elk River have responded well to the generation and  are hungry when the generators shut down. When the generators are off there is zero release. The only water entering the river is from the feeder creeks. The feeder creeks have been clearing up pretty quick after rain and the generation is flushing the muddy water, unlike the Summer months when it takes a while for the river to settle after a rain event. 

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Several anglers have been commenting on the healthy rainbows in the river right now. The stocking trucks have been gone since November and the fish are holding their own. Fish nymphs! Nymphs under indicators are working well, so are buggers swinging in the current. Remember the water is lower and adjusting the indicator is a must. The next time I go down and the water is this low a soft hackle under a dry fly will be on the tippet, at least for a while.

On the Caney Fork we have water, water and water. The lake level at Center Hill is still well above winter pool. Great Falls continues to release water as fast as Center Hill, the Caney Fork and the Cumberland can take it.  We are still not floating on these high flows, but if the air temps get low enough.....who knows we might go for a quick float. 

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The flows on the Musky streams have been a bit high this week as well and more rain is in the forecast. Look for some more reports from those waters, but for now we are going to chase trout in the coming weeks.

This week I have spent some time reading a book by local angler and author Bob Shanks. Around the Next Bend is a book about fishing from Tennessee to Montana. The chapter "Remembering the Little T" is a first hand account of a great river, the Little T,  that by many  angler's memories, including Bob's, had prolific hatches and the bugs of those famed hatches produced some fat trout and fine angling.  If you want an autographed copy of the book for only $16.00 (shipping included) contact Bob at bshanks29@gmail.com. The book would an excellent addition to any anglers bookshelf.

Fly Pattern Report

Rubber Skirt Fire Tiger

The water around Middle Tennessee is receding. There have been some windows of opportunity on the Elk and it looks like we may be getting on the river in the coming week. The Musky waters are lower and the fish are easier to see when they follow. Center Hill Dam is still releasing large amounts of water but there is relief in sight. The release forecast shows the US Army Corps dialing back some flow and that may be the opening of streamer season on the Caney Fork. 

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I haven't gotten out this week because of some things that came up. But, in the downtime I have been working on some Winter patterns and dug through some files for some river photos of things we have seen over the past few trips.

Someone Bought This Boat New at One Time

Some Patterns Simply Need a Name

Articulated Fire Tiger 

Albert Einstien

Tennessee Fly Fishing Report

Feathers, Fur and One Eyeball

The Holiday Season is over. Time to get back to work and back to play. Center Hill Dam continues to run three generators around the clock. We find other alternatives when the Army Corp turns loose of that much water. Dale Hollow Dam is releasing two generators and it is OK to float, but that float is quick. Tims Ford Dam is starting to show some windows of wading opportunity. Floating the Elk River hopefully isn't far behind.

We have been out chasin some toothy critters while the tailwaters get back to some sense of normal.  We have floated a local freestone for musky three different times. On those three floats we've had 4 anglers, 3 follows, 3 fish on then lost and one fish in the boat. There is a lot to learn about this species and time is short. It is fun to pass the time on the water when a lot of folks are just sitting at home watching others on TV. Stay tuned for updates...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I wasn't going to post until after Christmas because we are taking a couple weeks off from all things fishing... The other night I got tired of tying musky flies (that whole time off thing didn't last) anyway I got tired of tying flies and was watching some fishing videos when this came up. Hands down the best fly fishing Christmas video I have found yet. Check out the creator of the video- Yukon Goes Fishing here.


Silver and Gold from Yukon Goes Fishing on Vimeo.

Musky on the Fly

Brent with the Days Catch

The latest Middle Tennessee Fishing Report:

The Caney Fork River- 10,000 + CFS (blown out)

The Obey River- 5000 +CFS (a fast ride and deep water- blown out)

The Elk River\- 3000 + CFS (fast ride, deep water, hard to row and harder to fish)

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With all that water David and Brent met me, we loaded up the big rods and went on a musky hunt.  The mornings have been cold lately with frost, ice in the guides and in the bottom of the drifter. The full moon and clear nights turn into cold mornings, which make us appreciate those Summer days of shorts and sandals. The rivers however are vacant of other anglers and that is some consolation. 

Toothy Critters

I had some large musky flies and some big trout streamers that I wanted to try. Brent and David were up first and Brent hooked up in the first 45 minutes of the trip. We tried several patterns. Some patterns looked better in the water than others and white was the color of the day.  I have been moving away from articulated patterns just a bit.  The head of the fly is important and the correct size is critical. The head of the fly pushes the water and some say gets the attention of the fish.  Wool, deer hair and buck tail have been just a few of the materials that work well. Pushing water has been the theme as of late and on this trip pushing water was also a priority.

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With Christmas just around the corner, trips to the river will probably be few and far between. The high water actually makes not getting out there a little more tolerable. This week will be a week of tying flies and buying Christmas presents. This has been a very good year; cicadas, brown trout in Michigan, more fish over 20" than any other year, North Carolina, big rainbows - bigger browns, skip jack and lots of friends fishing while having a good time. Yep, lots of good times! Thanks for stopping by and hopefully your Holidays will be an enjoyable time with family and friends. Merry Christmas!



Cortland Big Sky Review

When I used to play golf I had several putters. The reason, I said was because I liked to putt. In reality, I didn't have any money, so I spent many evenings at the golf course beside our house putting on the different greens while dodging the grounds keepers. With so many evenings spent on the greens I got pretty good at putting and ducking for cover. I bought, sold, traded, and borrowed putters while never really quite finding just the right putter. It is not easy to admit, but I am the same way with fly rods. Fortunately I have several  friends who help me with my search in finding the right stick. (FYI- finding the right rod probably will not happen for me).

One of the people who "helps" with my search, to find the right rod, is Leo at Cumberland Transit. Leo is heavy into bamboo rods, but also keeps tabs on the graphite and fiberglass sticks. A couple months or so ago I was sitting in the fly shop at Cumberland Transit looking at the different rods, searching this time, for a work horse to use on guide trips. When Leo asked if I had looked at the Cortland Rods, I said no I really haven't paid them too much attention, although Leo has been telling me about these rods for about a year now. When I got ready to leave he looked through the cabinet, pulled out the Cortland rod, then told me to take it with me to try. And, when I left the shop that day I had the Cortland 9'-5wt 4 piece Big Sky tucked under my arm.

For a couple weeks I forgot about the rod and then one day the rod was laying next to the boat and I rigged it up. The rod was on the next trip where it performed nicely. We threw nymphs with extra weight and the rod dropped the nymphs where we wanted. The rod was soft enough in the tip to throw and swing soft hackles. Also it had enough backbone to deliver a size #18 dry fly about 50' and the finesse to drop it in a slot the size of a... let's just say it was a tight spot. Then it showed it's true performance in a long hook set, with a #18 dry fly, into a 20" rainbow. Anyone who has hooked a large rainbow knows they fight different than a large brown. The brown will go down to the bottom and dig. A larger rainbow is more of a street fighter, jumping, twisting, digging and making those blistering runs before coming to the net. The Big Sky kept the fly lodged and took everything the big rainbow threw at it. A large fish in the net can make an angler look favorable on a fly rod.

Fast forward. We had used the rod for several weeks, but this time the test would be conducted by an angler who hadn't gotten a chance to fish in several years. Just minutes into the float we were hooked up and the Big Sky was bent with a nice hatchery brat stuck on the end of the line. After a few more casting tips our angler was launching the fly, with the Big Sky, about 30' then 40'. The only problem with launching 40' is, I expect the angler to do it every time. After awhile his cast was smooth and the rod was not overly responsive to a slightly "out of time" cast. Our angler was consistently casting 40 plus feet, with accuracy. In other words the Big Sky was not like some of the stiffer rods on the market that expect a near perfect stroke to perform.
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On another trip I gave the rod to an experienced angler. After a few casts and a hook-up this angler said the rod response is good. The tip of the rod feels soft, similar to the way some of the higher end rod makers rods feel (obviously not exactly the same and neither is the price) and has some backbone like the more stiff rods on the market. The rod weighs in at at 3.5 oz which seems light for a rod that retails for under $250.00. OK all that is wonderful and great, but what about those of us who are tough on equipment? I went in search of the Cortland Warranty.
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TO PROCESS A WARRANTY CLAIM:
For repair or replacement, please return the entire rod or reel, including any broken pieces. Be sure to include a note with your name, address and phone number and $10.00 for Reels, $20.00 for Cortland Rods and $30.00 for Diamondback Rods for domestic S&H. If outside the U.S. please contact us for shipping and handling charges.
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The Cortland Big Sky may not compete with the high end rods that we all like to talk about, wiggle in the fly shops and cast every time we walk in the door. (Yes rod envy is a problem). However for an everyday rod that gives good performance at a reasonable cost, the Big Sky is a great rod for the money. And, to quote Lefty Kreh "the rods now days cast a hell of a lot better than we do". This statement I find to be correct more often than not.

20 + Club

What's the 20 + Club? Well it is a group of anglers who have fished with us at various times over the past few years, and who have caught a 20" or above fish. Check them out here.  There are still more to add and we are getting to that.  Hopefully there will be more anglers joining the group over the next year.***
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With the water so high in Middle Tennessee the drifter is parked in the garage and unless something changes in the generation, it is doubtful the drifter will see the river over the next week or so. That being said, I am tying some streamers and getting ready for the winter streamer season which is already upon us.
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Christmas is just around the corner and we have gift certificates available for those of you considering booking a trip next year. Just contact me via phone, email or text and we will make the arrangements.
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And, check back next week for a fly rod review. We have been using a rod on the boat over the past couple months and it is time to review the rod's performance. Alright that is it for now and hope your week has been going well ! Screamin reels and all that stuff...

Fly Fishing High Water

High Water on the Caney Fork

Center Hill Dam is releasing water from the recent rains and to achieve winter pool. Great Falls is pumping water into Center Hill Lake and with the "water in - water out" philosophy, the US Army Corps is running two generators 24-7. So with a two generator release what's an angler to do? Well we went fishing on two generators. All that extra water opens up a lot of options on the river. We hit some back eddy's and side channels in a search for soft water. Big streamers and deep running bait fish patterns are working as long as you can get them down. There are some stripers in the river and the walleye boats are in the dam pool fishing their bait under floats.

There are Some of These in the Dam Pool

The dam pool gets a little crowded and the water gets rough with all those waves from the boats running up to the generators and floating back down. There are some fish hitting the top right now too, but we haven't gotten a good eat, although we have had some chances.

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The high water releases can be dangerous, so stay on your toes if floating the river. The water from the release is clear! The sluice has been turned off and the water temps are falling. Now the water release at the 2 mile point is a cooler 59 degrees. The good news is cool clear water - the bad news, there is a lot of cool clear water. Hang in there though the rains will let up and the lake level will fall, then we can resume our regularly scheduled fishing habits.    

                          

TVA is angler friendly on the Elk on the weekends. They have been running one generator during the week while drawing down Tims Ford Lake and turning off the water on the weekends. The fishing has been favorable with nymphs, soft hackles and with small streamers. The water temps are also favorable at 57 degrees which apparently is making for some happy fish. Even with the water still slightly stained the fish are responding well. The otters have been making their way up and down the river. Sometimes we see them a mile from the dam and at other times they show up at Farris Creek. Overall the Elk seems to be productive for man and creature.