Tyler In The Front Brace

Tyler and I have been talking about getting on the water for over a year. He was in between recording, tour stops as well as other things musicians do and there was an open date for the front brace of the drifter. So, we brought the schedules together. Eric needed some boat shots for his portfolio and we worked out the particulars. We decided on times and places then geared them up.

A few pulls on the anchor rope and the 40 lbs. of steel came up from the bottom. It was quiet except for an occasional boom of thunder in the distance. We could hear the water dripping off the anchor with a steady stream. We pulled on some rain jackets just as the second round of storms passed just on the other side of the dam.

Tyler stepped up to the front brace and launched a long cast into some rising fish. It wasn't long before he had his largest Middle Tennessee brown in the net. Not a bad way to start the trip. Eric stripped off some line and while the rain picked up he began casting. Tyler came back again with another fish, then another and another. We grew tired of netting his fish were happy he was catching fish and kept a good attitude as Tyler put the Helios to work. The guys searched out the most faint drift and each time the presentation was right they were rewarded. Mending was at a premium on this super-low water.

Eric caught himself some nice fish, including his best rainbow and then he went to work behind the lens. Eric captured some really nice shots, but for this report the shots are from my camera. Tyler did keep him busy while hauling fish after fish into the net. We grew tired of netting his fish were happy he was catching fish and kept a good attitude as Tyler put the Helios to work.

Eventually the rain let up and the biggest storms passed. The fishing kept getting better. Tyler was dialing in his presentation and catching fish in places, on most days, we normally just row through. Eric kept the shutter on the camera busy with some nice action shots. 

The presentation on this low water is critical. A dead-drift with a nymph or with a dry/dropper has been the most productive presentation. But, if an angler is lucky enough to get a deeper riffle to themselves a soft hackle will bring some fish to hand too. 

It wasn't long before a round of generation hit us. The drifter picked up some speed as we floated along trying to dredge up some bigger fish with larger flies. The water was muddy from the rain and storms and was the only thing that slowed Tyler down. We ground to a halt at the ramp and pulled the drifter up and onto the trailer. Overall it was an extremely productive day. It was a day that doesn't come on every trip and one that should be remembered for some time. Eric did a nice job capturing the images for the day, Tyler did an outstanding job on the Helios, and I really never grow tired of netting fish that are brought to the net from either casting brace.

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.