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Summer Fly Fishing Tennessee

 Christmas is the time for giving. We offered gift certificates over Christmas season last year and Matt took advantage of giving a day on the water to Larry. Being that these two guys both fly fish it was only fitting that when Larry decided to book his day on the water that he brings along the guy that was thoughtful enough to give a day on the water as the gift.

Matt and Larry made use of a good forecast with favorable generation and we were floating before the recreational crowd even got out of bed. Larry is experienced and Matt is proficient as well. Both are good casters and both are willing listeners. We moved slowly down the river on this day, picking apart all the likely places and pulling fish off blowdowns, mud banks and ledges. Ledges: I’m a fan of the ledge. Here is the definition of a ledge from of all places the 

Internet. 

Ledge- n

1.    a narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall, cliff, or other surface.

There is something about a ledge that gets my attention. See, most times a rock wall looks pretty much the same underwater as what we see above the water. Not exact but similar. But as a general rule of thumb if a rock wall has ledges you can see, it probably has ledges that are below the water’s surface that you can’t see.

The ledges are an excellent place for a fish to lay. If there is a current, even the slightest current flowing by a ledge there is a high percentage chance that current is going to carry a little more oxygen and possibly even a little food. And if that isn’t enough there’s a high percentage chance a fish is going to be laying next the that wall, along one of those ledges. If everything goes just right such as the correct presentation, with the right fly drifted or stripped at just the right speed you will get a hit. So if everything goes just right and the fish makes the right decision for us and the wrong decision, looking at it from the fish’s point of view, a fish will be picked-off the ledge.

Not only is a ledge a good place for a fish to lay but with all the possibilities the ledges bring it’s a good idea fish it thoroughly at different depths. Allowing a streamer to sink for different periods of time works and, on this day, we fished the ledges at different depths.  

The guys were hard at work most of the day. We fished nymphs at various depths. As always, we concentrated on the speed of the drift against the speed of the water. Larry was dialed-in and crushing-it from the front of the boat. He is at a place in life where he gets to fish on a regular basis and it shows from his approach, the cast and his presentation. Larry was in the front brace and making the most of it.

We stopped for lunch after a good morning. The guys slowed down their pace even more and I put new leaders and tippet as well as new bullets (flies) at the end of their rigs. 

So, with new flies tied and the guys fresh we started down the river again. Sometimes after lunch the fishing slows but the guys kept bringing fish to the net and the day kept going. 

Matt added some quality to the quantity with some respectable rainbows as the summer heat kept us hunting for shade when possible. 

We lost count of the fish and the places the guys pulled them from throughout the day. But it was a good day all around. Plenty of action and plenty of relaxation with good conversation. And it all started with a Christmas gift.

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.

Middle TN Fly Fishing

Nymphs on falling tailwaters- People often ask this question: Is fishing better on low water, rising water, full generation, or falling water? The answer to the water level question is more complicated than it sounds and the variables are too numerous to recite in quick conversation. Everyone has their preference and like everyone else I have mine. Falling water – Check.

We try to plan trips weeks in advance and it can be a crapshoot when it comes to generation schedules on the three different tailwaters. We take we are given and make the most of the hand we are dealt. 

Josh has fished from the casting braces of the Southeastern Fly on many occasions and when his text arrived with some dates, we set the trip for a couple weeks out. I had a tailwater in mind and was looking forward to floating it, only to find out a couple days in advance that the release was not great for fly fishing. We had a plan B which wasn’t a bad alternative. So, we agreed to meet and then off we went to enjoy a near perfect weather pattern and perhaps to also catch a few fish.

We pushed the drifter off the trailer on high water and soon Josh was fishing streamers, then when the water shut off, then we went to nymphs. Super-secret patterns were used and fish responded. After a few warmup rainbows and browns, we moved to the feeding lane in the middle of the river. Feeding lanes are important in this world we call trout fishing on the fly. Finding feeding lanes that carry oxygen and food are essential and if you add a little cover into the mix, well it’s almost a gimme. Almost.

Josh dropped the fly in the feeding lane and right at the edge of a pothole. That fly floated a few yards and the fish ate. It’s best if you are watching your fly or looking in the general direction and if you aren’t it helps to have someone behind the oars who is somewhat paying attention. I’ve been on both ends of watching the indicator and this time when the fish ate I just happened to be watching. First a grunt and then a quick calling of the angler’s name and Josh set the hook. It was a good fight and a clean fight and the fish put Josh’s H3 through its paces. We netted the fish and snapped a quick photo. We released the rainbow to grow and hopefully be caught again...by us. 

We tried an entire stretch of the river using dries but didn’t get a look. Consistent topwater season is around the corner. Just around the corner. We were back on nymphs and Josh was fishing well. We waited for a plastic hatch to develop and pass, then we moved into some particularly fishy water. 

Dropping the fly in the right place at the right time to achieve just the right presentation is another critical piece to successful nymph fishing. Too early and the fish has time to inspect it from top to bottom. Too late and the fly doesn’t get in front of the fish. Dropping it at just the right time will essentially trick the fish into making the right decision. How many times has a super-long drift worked better than a somewhat shorter drift? Think about it.

Anyway Josh dropped the fly in that definitive feeding lane. The fly sank and the indicator rolled over. It floated a short distance before the rainbow ate. When it did Josh paused and then came tight to the fish. The rainbow jumped and made a run, then jumped several more times and made a couple attempts to throw the fly. Josh did a nice job keeping the rainbow where it needed to be, away from the blowdown, and then guided it toward the waiting net. We snapped a couple photos and revived the fish. When the fish was ready it left the comfort of the net and swam back to the blowdown from which it came.

Just like that, Josh made another appearance in the Southeastern Fly 20+ Club. A place where he is no stranger. The rest of the day brought us more fish. The numbers weren’t huge but in the double digits. A double-digit day with a bit of quality thrown in wasn’t bad for Plan B.

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.

Alex and Marshall and a Day of High Numbers

We've been fishing together for several years. Marshall and Alex understand the program and we can get down to business pretty quick on a trip. Alex takes the front seat, me in the middle with oars and Marshall makes himself comfortable in the back of the boat. It's a good system that often yields favorable results. 

Today's trip would be nymphs and terrestrials. Nymphs fished with precise casts and nice drifts would be the ask from the anglers. Also there were donuts and fish and Snickers and soft drinks as well as Kings Hawaiian for the finest of bread aficionados. But mostly it was fish. The first twenty minutes or so were slow with only a few fish coming to the net. Then we started picking up the pace and the catch-rate came with it. 

We discovered a pod of browns with some rainbows mixed in to keep the techniques on-point. Just before lunch the catch-rate was getting pretty crazy and there were fish coming to the net before I could get the last one unbuttoned and revived. Our system was working...

After a stop on the gravel for a bite to eat, I think we were all eager to get the guys back into the casting braces and drown some more trained flies. It was mere minutes before the guys picked up where they left off. The flies kept working and we kept trying three of my favorite patterns. 

The Drift- It doesn't always have to be perfect. There are times we can get fish on the lift but the better fish come from a dead-drift that floats seamlessly over an obstruction such as a gravel bar, a blow-down or a rock bed. The pattern doesn't matter as much as the depth and quality of the drift. The right drift at the right angle with the right depth filled the Brodin all day long...at least until Alex and Marshall's arms got a little tired. 

So far the trips this year have been fun. We've caught some nice fish and had good numbers. It seems most trips are with repeat anglers which people say is a good thing. I just feel good that we always seem to have a good times with laughs and a chance to catch up with each others life. The fishing? Yes the fishing is important too and that why we focus to make angler's day on the water the best we possibly can. 

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.

Streamer Fishing Tennessee

We caught a heavy release of cold and clear water. Clear water, that's my favorite. Clear water gives me the best chance of seeing the most of the river bottom. With good glasses an angler can see the contours of the gravel bars and shoals as well as the large rocks and blowdowns that litter the river bottom. Good glasses are a must. With a cloudy sky the amber lenses were the choice for the day. 

When the shuttle was complete we started lessons with the roll cast. Ayham had been fly fishing one time prior to this trip, so we started with the basics and would work all the way to catching from there. He started out a little nervous with his cast, but he gained confidence and then came the distance cast. 

When the casts were long enough we started down the river on a swift flow. Our first choice of fly was the nymph with plenty of lead. The lead delivered the fly to the deepest depths of the river. Hunting.  But the fish weren’t interested. What is normally the hot ticket turned out to be a zero on this day.

We switched tactics. Even though this was his first time fly fishing from a drift boat and his second time fly fishing, Ayham was eager to try a different approach. 

The Echo saltwwater 6 wt. rod. It’s been a long time favorite of mine. This rod is probably 10 years old. It has been used as a streamer rod all that time and has taken everything from bluegill to stripers to musky with various types of streamers. It’s a good all-around stick and as with most trips the Echo was strung with the heaviest sinking line.We rigged up the rod with heavy line and a short leader. Then Ayham began to fish. We stopped to swing it and that’s where the first bite came. It was a simple hit and run it but gave us hope. Not long after with another good cast, the line began to swing. The fly caught up and the current began to push the fly sideways toward the swinging line. The line twitched and the fish came tight. Score one for the good guys in the green and white boat. 

We fished the area thoroughly and picked up a couple more there. The rope that was attached to the anchor was pulling tight, seemingly eager to move. The rope was pulled and the anchor came off the bottom. We were on our way again. Ayham fished the streamer slowly which brought the most fish to the net. We were feeling pretty good about the day. Just before lunch we came into a part of the river that has been producing good numbers. This turn has also been producing some fat fish, mostly rainbows, throughout spring. 

We were on a good flow and Ayham cast into some current that was flowing over a gravel bar.  This particular bar had been pushed up during the heavy rains and larger releases of the year.

The fly lazily floated across the bar in the swift water. A large butter belly rolled on the small white fly. Ayham came tight like all the other times that day. The large brown felt the prick of the hook and immediately came across the bar and then into the middle of the river. Our new angler never stood a chance. There wasn’t any time at all to get the big brown trout under control. The fish spun the drag as it headed to the middle of the river in search of deeper water and the safety of the darkness. Ayham tried to turn the fish but the damage had been done and the 12lb tippet broke.

The rod was no longer bent and the line was swaying in the breeze. A few strips on the line and it was to the boat. Upon inspection the tippet was cut clean. Yes this brown had enough years to have a full set of teeth and apparently used them to assist with its escape.

Another fly was tied on right away and we continued fishing our way downriver. We had lunch a short time later and then we visited all the likely places before the take out. We boated a good number of fish especially considering this was his first time to fish streamers with heavy sinking line. It was a good day on the river with no other boats in sight.

With the rods hung in the truck and the F/V Southeastern Fly on the trailer, we said our goodbyes. Ayham was on his way back to Houston on a morning flight and I was headed back to the tying bench getting ready for the next shot at that big brown on clear-cold water. Yep, I want my fly back!

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.

Fly Fish Middle TN

Lou called for a trip to the river. It was a wet and lousy winter and everyone wanted to get a date for a float. Lou called at the right time and we were able to get him on the schedule and before any of us knew it we were meeting at the ramp. Ramps (or gravel bars) are an interesting place to spend just a little-bit of time. People are launching boats, trying to fish, skipping rocks and generally just passing the time. While running the shuttle angler's will often fish a little and eventually will just take in the day. This time when I returned to the boat, Jessie and Lou were just talking and passing the time. It's a great way for them to spend to spend a little time and to catch-up before the action starts.

Lou stuck the first trout while lifting a nymph. The rainbow hit the nymph on the rise and that was that, the skunk was off the boat. A short time later Jessie took his first on a dead-drift. So we were on our way to a good day, there were smiles and Krispy Kremes all around.

Fat rainbows and big-fat cigars make the days for anglers. While the fish were coming off blow-downs and off gravel bars the bigger fish came out of creek mouths. We ran nymphs through the runs across shoals and along the edges of small rock bluffs. The guys kept putting their flies in the places I asked them to put those flies and for the most part the fish kept coming. 

We are expecting good fishing into the summer . If you want to get into some good float trips, and who wouldn't, just shoot us a text or send an email to david@southeasternfly.co and we will get a date on the calendar. After a wet and lousy winter you will be glad you made the call.

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.

A Quick Fishing Report

I just came in from the river and wanted to put up a quick report. The fish are beginning to cooperate and the trout are looking healthy. Below is not the largest trout have caught since the last report, by any means, but it is one of the healthy fish that angler's are bringing to the net. For the most part we are nymphing and the fish must be eating down low or they just think our flies are tasting good right now. Either way we are netting our share.

Anglers and the guide are having fun aboard the F/V Southeastern Fly. Other waters are opening up for us and the calendar is filling. If you want to get out there and have a good day on the water just text, call or email. We will be glad to get you in the casting braces.

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.

Joe and Greg- Old Friends on the River

The rivers that have friendly generation and the freestone streams have been good to the folks in the casting braces. So when Joe reached out to get some R&R in the casting braces I knew this was going to be a really good trip. Last year Joe had a good trip and this year he was hoping for the same. We shoved off and got right down to business. It wasn't long at all before Joe and Greg were bringing fish to the net. We dialed in the depth and the right pattern within the first several minutes and, well the guys started adding numbers as we searched for the nicer fish. 

The first several trips of the year are normally some of the best and not just for
numbers. The quality of the fish have been there both on freestones and on the tailwaters. Joe knew the routine and Greg wasn't far behind as we searched for those quality fish. The river did not disappoint and both of the anglers got into clean lines while increasing the count of fish coming to the net.

There is always one best fish on these floats. This trip it was Greg's turn to have that fish. Most of the fish were in the deeper holes, but from time to time we would find a good one close to structure. The drift? Oh yes the drift. We always encourage a good drift. Greg was fishing close to a small blowdown and had the right line with a clean drift...drag-free. The fly stopped and Greg set the hook. We followed the fish through the rest of the pool and onto the next shoal. The boat came to rest against some other structure and with the net waiting Greg got that fish turned and then it slid across the wooden hoop on the Brodin. 

From the time we shoved away from the gravel bar this was an enjoyable day. There were no other boats on the river and fresh water all day. The anglers and the guide were enjoying just a good day all around. This trip really helps to set the pattern for this season and I am excited to get anglers in the braces to have some really good trips down the river this season. 

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.

Spring and the White Bass

After a long and wet winter everyone is hoping spring is here. With the arrival of better weather comes the arrival of the white bass. These striped friends are running up most rivers that flow into our area lakes. When the bite is really on, it is on for sure. Find one and there will be more. Some of the lowest miles of the local tailwaters are (and soon will be) ripe with these little jewels.

What about flies? I don't want to give away anyone's secrets so I will only say get the fly in the fish's face, which means when fishing holes it needs to have some weight a lot of times. What about fly color? Not to spill the beans here and there certainly aren't any secrets in this department. Any color works and any color combo works as long as it's mostly or all white. 100% white has worked best for us with a little flash added. Notice we said a little flash.

We are ready to do white bass trips and trout trips as anglers are finally able to get in the casting braces and I am warming the rowers seat. It seems like we went from no place to fish to options with a couple tailwaters waiting to open up. The calendar is opened and we are booking days. If you are ready to fish call, text or email and lets get on the river. Thanks for stopping by!

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.

Josh Comes Back and Gets Into the 20+ Club Again

It's been a minute since we had a old fashioned fishing report, but we have been filling seats in the Southeastern Fly. As we enter the leading edge of winter it's a good time to reflect on late summer and fall. During late summer, I got a visit from Josh and we hit the river with Brent. I have waited since that day to post this photo and report, because I didn't want too many people showing up in this "super-secret fishing hole". So, we waited on this one. I'm pretty sure no one will know where we were fishing .

So what was going on? We had already floated the river in the early morning and we just went back to the pool to kill some time and laugh at the recreational folks who were tying up the ramp. Frankly, it was exciting backing the trailer down the ramp, while two trucks took up the launching end. But, finally after politely asking someone to move their truck, we dumped the drifter and got down to business.

There was minimal movement in the water and we were done for the day so we just picked up the slightest flow and dropped some nymphs in to see what happened. The action was slow and the sun was hot. But, the conversation was good and we were keeping ourselves entertained by watching the  ramp, which was nothing short of the zoo. We were bobbing around and had the best vantage point for viewing the carnage that is a public boat ramp now days.. 

The nymphs were producing fish here and there as people and watercraft came and then went. The sun was almost unbearable...almost.

Slow moving nymphs with perfect dead-drifts were all that was working. While other boats were chucking big streamers with no action, we at least were keeping ourselves somewhat busy with a fish here and there. Besides, we had already done our float, this extra time on the water was a bonus and we had nothing but fun in mind. Chucking big streamers is macho and all (you've heard how some folks are- "yeah dude we are throwing streamers and only going for trophies...blah, blah, blah") but heck we aren't afraid to float nymphs anywhere and occasionally catch a nice fish or two.

There we were bobbing around in the pool and bringing some fish to the net and fending off the occasional boat that wanted to fish our water. And that's when our somewhat peaceful float was interrupted by...Josh setting the hook.

The fight was on right away as Josh began a tug of war with something that had the ability to pull hard enough to stay deep for an extremely long period of time. The fish pulled the drifter around for a while as Josh struggled to gain control. Josh is no stranger to catching big fish, but this one was different and it was perfectly content with staying on the bottom... thank you very much.  

Eventually with some coaxing the fish came off the bottom and Josh began to gain some line and control. It was a fight worth watching as the fish slowly pulled like a train leaving the station. Brent and I were watching and giving orders from time to time just to see if Josh might have the ability to take our heckling and still gain line. Josh did well with both tasks.

The fight probably didn't last as long as it felt and eventually Josh tricked the fish into the net. It was nothing short of a good time and always made better when other people are watching. The fish was a nice one, well above the 20" mark. Josh was happy and this fish apparently made it worth his drive from Mississippi. It was a nice catch for the F/V Southeastern Fly taken from the super-secret fishing hole.

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. 

Fly Fishing With Nymphs

On this video we talk about fly fishing nymphs and give some tips learned from the front brace of the drift boat. Hope you enjoy!

Fall is on the Way to Tennessee

Even though the temperature today is 96 degrees and the grass in my yard is so dry it crunches, I promise Fall is just around the corner. The wildlife is starting to move around and get ready for the changes in the seasons and so are the fish.

It's been eight years since the last time Gary fished with me and we did a trout trip on that occasion. This time we spent a couple days on the private warmwater and Gary managed to catch his share of bass as well as some bluegill that would make any angler proud.

Day One- it was poppers all the way. As a matter of fact we fished a bunch of different colors and they all worked. But, as is the case with most fishing there was one color that worked batter than the others. Green. Lite green and dark green with spots worked all day. Sure there were periods of slow bites. But when fishing would slow we would simply begin to make a move and the fishing would get better. At the end of the day we were on a BIG green slider and had managed to bring some nice fish to the net on that bug as well. Yep, that bug is my favorite.

Day Two- The storms were coming. The weather was predicted to hit the area just before lunch and although the early morning of day two was quite pleasant, we had already cut back to a half day in preparation for what was to come. We started out on Gary's streamers and picked up some fish. Then we went back to the slider and picked up a few fish. As we picked up fish the wind picked up too. We were making our way around the banks and going through the color-wheel just in case. Gary, pulled out a dry and, well, he caught'em on that too. Basically everything we tried, Gary brought a fish to the net. 

The winds picked up more and more throughout the morning until it blew in some down-right nasty weather. We made a mad rush to the ramp and just as I was pulling the drifter onto the trailer the bottom fell completely out. The wind, rain, and lightening put an end to our fly fishing for the day. Gary headed off to East Tennessee for some smallie fishing and I headed back home to wash the boat and get things ready for the next trip.

We still have a few October dates open. This year is winding down and with the fish moving it's a good time to get in the casting braces of the F/V Southeastern Fly.

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.