Sunday, January 5, 2020

Fishing Report

Elk River- The Elk saved our season this year. We nymphed all season with some days of terrestrials mixed-in to stir things up a bit. The Elk has always been my home away from home and a place to go when I want to get away. It's the perfect river for a full day float too. With great places for lunch and several different water-types to really help anglers with their techniques.

Winter on the Elk means small streamers and nymphs too. Both work well. The small streamers tossed against the many rock walls and across the gravel bars are deadly. Bigger trout come alive from places you might not think they would be sitting too. That includes the many gravel bars and shoals too. Try white and if that doesn't work try white (yes you read that correctly). Yellow is OK as well and on some days it's the ticket.

Nymphs produce throughout the year. Wintertime nymphing can be very rewarding when others are into midges. The Elk has midges and they work, but nymphs historically have produced 3-1 over a correctly fished midge.

The Caney Fork- As you can see from the photo above we have already been hard at work on the Caney Fork. If you read the Winter Means Streamers article above and apply those techniques you can have some good days on this river. But, be off your game just a little and it can be a long day.

The dissolved oxygen (D.O.) levels are once again on the rise. The D.O. levels were extremely low this fall and fish were "hunkered down" (that's a technical fly fishing term) which made most everyone's results dismal. But, we are seeing a turnaround with the fish and we have high hopes with some good early results to back up that feeling. Generation is going to be key to success.

Personally I cannot wait for the skipjack to enter the river. These fish, also known as Tennessee Tarpon" are an absolute blast to fish for and a good way to get ready for a pass down the river in search of trophy trout. 


Musky Waters- As I write this newsletter we have been on the musky waters. Since we had a such a dry fall the days and results have been limited. I do expect the musky action to pick-up as we move into the later stages of winter.

The Obey- This river has fished well this fall. We had a couple slower days, but as the Cumberland River level fell and we caught falling water on the Obey, we had really good days. This river is all about nymphs in the fall with some midges thrown in for good measure. If the generation cooperates there will be some good floats this winter as well. The Obey is a good getaway and the fish cooperate on nymphs even under one generator. There's also a secret the Obey keeps that is worth exploring in the winter. I will save that for another day though.


If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river call/text 615-796-5143 or email david@southeasternfly.co to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our HomepageTo sign up for the latest edition of Southeastern Fly News Click Here

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