Fly Fishing Near Huntsville

The leaves of the trees along the river that provided shade throughout the hot months are getting some color. The brooks and browns are getting their color as well. Our clothing has gone from shorts and breathable shirts, to waders and a couple layers to keep warmer in the morning and evening. Fall has arrived. 

The rivers have been fishing well. Most every trip has produced good numbers of fish with some nice fish thrown in to keep things interesting. We have been fishing with several beginners and they have been much improved at the end of the day. To all those who have floated on the F/V Southeastern Fly, so far, this year...Thank You! For those with dates still on the schedule take a few minutes on the days leading to your trip to practice accuracy casting up to 30 feet. Accuracy is much more important than casting 90 feet of line. Practice in the back yard has been paying dividends while in the casting braces.

The Caney Fork River- We continue to see clear water. If you go back through the years of fishing reports you will notice the water in the previous years has been stained throughout September and October. The water from the sluice, in those years, has been off-color compared to the water coming through the generators now. We count this as a blessing especially when sight fishing. If the weather holds and we don't get a big rain event we should see this clearer water continue through the time the Army Corps turns off the sluice.

The bug life on the Caney Fork is improving with the usual hatches of the mighty midges and some nice Mayfly hatches to catch the angler's eye. The fish are looking up, but not past the surface film in most cases. Anglers who find dry fly action should make the most of it when they stumble into a that situation. Midges and nymphs have been the grocery of choice for most fish. A well presented nymph will bring'em to the net more often than any other grocery in the cart. The river is getting a lot of attention right now so don't be surprised to see many other anglers at all the usual spots.

The Elk River- The water clarity on the Elk right now is about a foot. The lack of rain has turned the water color from clear throughout Spring to a more green color now. The fish in the upper river are still looking for food though. There has been minimal rain over the past several months in this part of the state. This little tailwater could use about a four hour period of generation just to flush debris and take away some of the weeds in the lower section. What is the good news? 

The good news is the fish remember our flies. If you fish this tailwater, I would suggest nymphs. The word accuracy comes back to mind for this river as well. With the off-colored water comes the need to place the fly right on their nose. Nymphs have been working better on this river than anything else, but drag on the nymph is evil for this river. So bring patience and a clean presentation.

There is a quick report from the rower's bench. The musky are waiting to be chased. So, when the water level gets just right the F/V Southeastern Fly will see a sight change of venue for month or two. Once real cold weather is here we will be back on the tailwaters looking for the "shad hatches". Angler's are already on "Will Call" for both of these events. Hope everyone has been enjoying themselves as much as we have been enjoying ourselves. 

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.