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. 

Elk River Gift Certificate & Fishing Report

The Stained Water of the Elk

The Elk River- The Elk is fishing good in the upper section. Although the water is stained and the bottom is getting the orange coating on the rocks and gravel, the fish seem to be happy. We didn't try swinging a Bust-a-Brown, but I would be someone else's favorite fly rod an angler could get some big numbers before the TVA turns the water loose again in a couple days. The water temperature is running about 57 degrees, according to my thermometer dropped down to 4 feet.

Another Elk River Hatchery Brat

Wyatt's birthday present from his bride was a trip to the river and a day of floating the Elk. Wyatt has fished some but not as much as he probably likes. We started at the dam and were into fish within seconds of the fly hitting the water. We started on a double nymph rig with a large nymph on the top and a much smaller Dano-Majic on the bottom. The fish responded to both flies, with the bottom fly seeing about 70% of the action. Wyatt picked up on the casting and mending real quick and then surprised me when he started asking questions about reading the water. He was reading the water and putting casts where the fish were supposed to be, well before lunchtime.

Fish On Again

Mother Nature came out to show off on this day. We saw the usual heron, otters, ground hog and squirrels. A hawk flew over a recently cut corn field and deer came to gravel bars on two separate occasions to get a drink. The wildlife was out and about as a storm was rolling into the area. We fished until we couldn't see the indicator anymore and then called it a day. The center section of the river was a little slower than I like, the lower section probably would fish better if we would have rolled in before the sun went down. Still it was a good day on the Elk with good water temps and low flow.

***

The generation looks like it will turn on in a day or so and 100 CFS is about as slow as we see on the river at anytime of the year. The grass that plagues the river is getting pushed out so that will free up some additional opportunities to seek out better water while drowning nymphs. Everyone we talked with was having a good day or coming back after recently having a good day. The next few days of heavy rain and storms will probably keep the river quiet,. After the generation ceases again I would expect the action to pick up where it left off. It was a pleasure spending the day with Wyatt watching him get more comfortable casting and mending while reading the water.  I am looking forward to the next trip.

Wyatt Working on His Rig at Just About Dark

The Caney Fork River- The Caney has seen some increased generation from the heavy rains of last week and it looks more rain is in the forecast. The temps are running about the same as last week. The big difference is the big sluice is now turned off. The generation is just that, straight generation. After the runoff from the recent rain events is discharged and pushed downstream the water will hopefully clear. This is the time of year we begin turning to streamer action as the fish begin to listen to those internal clocks and seek out protein. Nymphs and small midge patterns will still get their attention and the optimist in me says all will be right on Middle TN's favorite tailwater.

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There isn't much more to report as we all wait for the rain to come and go across the mid state. If you are looking ahead to streamer season we will have some open dates coming up for those 3/4 day streamer floats. Also, there is an event that I am working on that may help everyone become a better tailwater angler. Stay tuned for that information. For now hope to see you on the river!

David with a Recent Rainbow



Elk River and Caney Fork River Fishing Report

The Caney Fork River- The water color on the Caney Fork continues to improve. When the release is stopped the water begins to clear and continues to clear until the next round of generation. The browns, rainbows and brook trout are beginning to take streamers during the release. This is good news for anglers who prefer to deliver the groceries. The window of really good streamer fishing is short. Start throwing the big stuff about 30 minutes after the water starts to rise and continue for about an hour after the release is begins to slow. Obviously  the times are different for different sections of the river. The sluice water is now releasing at 60 degrees and on sunny days it warms to 62 a couple hours later. After the water levels out nymphs, both big and small, have been working pretty good as well. 



The Progression of the Sluice Release

The Elk River below Tims Ford Dam- Generation has been one of the stories on the Elk. TVA continues to draw down the lake with use of the generator and the water levels are a bit too high, even for the drifter. Although fish are hitting on the bigger release we don't feel it is safe for trips. TVA has been giving us some relief on the weekends.

The next couple days of rain will muddy the water on the Elk, but hopefully it will be clearing before the weekend.  If TVA can give relief this weekend fish will be caught on the usual patterns and they will still be holding in the usual spots.

This Little Brown Got Real Aggressive on a Good Sized Streamer

The Brookies are Still in Full Colors

Getting Ready for Winter

We are going to have a few open dates over the next few weeks. This time of year means the potential of large fish as they begin to fatten up for Winter.  The rainbows are aggressive right now and the browns are trying get back into fighting shape as they come off the spawn. We are going to do the 3/4 day trips, due to shorter daylight. If you are an angler who is looking for a good early Winter trip, now may be the time to give s a call and try for a potential fish of a lifetime.  

Calvary Outfitters Trip (part II)

Here are some more photos from the Calvary Outfitters Faith and Fly Fishing Weekend

Calvary Outfitters Trip (part I)

The Rainbows Were Colorful

The guys at Calvary Outfitters took a road trip to Ridgecrest North Carolina over the weekend. Most of us left sometime Thursday for a much needed retreat. Ridgecrest provided an excellent atmosphere for the group, some of who came all the way from Dallas Texas. 13 guys, 4 days, all chasing browns, rainbows and brookies.

The North Carolina Mountains

A NC Brookie

The first day we split up and fished several rivers. Each group took several anglers, each of different skill levels. North Carolina has well known rivers such as the Davidson, the Cherokee Trophy Waters, the Tuck and some not so well known waters that will remain unnamed. All rivers gave up fish to the fly and when we hit the water the weather was as good as it gets in the month of November. 

Can You Name This Dam?

We didn't confine ourselves to just one river, just one section or even just one state. Some of us crossed back into Tennessee to catch some East Tennessee trout on the Watauga. The Watauga gave up it's fish to the CO guys. Nymphs, dry flies and soft hackles produced fish as anglers presented a variety of patterns. These are just a few of the pictures that were taken over the weekend and there will be more to follow. On the way home it was apparent the trip was a success, because the plans for the Spring trip began before we crossed the Tennessee state line. (more pictures to follow)

Clear Water

Holy Water on the Watauga River in Tennessee

Caney Fork River Fishing Report

The Elk- The big story on the Elk is the water release. TVA is drawing down Tims Ford Lake, for winter pool, and the water release is tough to forecast. Over the weekend the water release was showing 800+ CFS and the next few days are up and down. Anglers should call TVA before going to the river and shouldn't be surprised if the info changes on the drive. If you find an opening in the water release keep a sharp eye on the water levels. I have been on the Elk when water is released unexpectantly and getting out wasn't the easiest thing to accomplish. In short be careful and stay on your toes.

Center Hill Dam Sluice Release

The Caney Fork- Expect the water to be somewhat more clear than the past month. Visability is getting better, although it still is not back to where we all like it. In a few weeks hopefully it will be running at normal clarity (whatever that is) and the fish will respond. The browns apppear to be finishing their normal Fall activities. The water tempratures are running 62 degrees at the 4' mark, taken about 2.5 miles from the dam. So, really the water temps are about the same as usual for this time of the year.

This Heron Kept a Close Eye as We Passed Under

It has been a lazy past couple weeks as we wait for the water to clear and the scheduled trips get back underway. Brent and I went to the Caney and started the float on one generator. We both threw streamers and were trying to move some bigger fish before the US Army Corps turned off the generation. The water was a bit more clear than a few weeks back, when I took the pictures of the sluice release.  We found two things...1) the brookies are aggressive toward streamers. 2) there is a large brown lurking right down by the

Some Brookies are Very Colorful and Some Are Just Starting to Get Their Color

Brent was on the oars and we were working a shoreline. The water was slow on the edge with some faster current toward the middle of the river. I watched the streamer come out of the darker water and a large fish coming in behind. The fish was within striking distance, but wasn't making any moves to get in front of the offering to make an eat. At first the fish looked like a striper, but as it got closer it proved to be a brown. The big brown came to the boat following the streamer and then when it got to the tip of the rod, the fish turned and went under the oar blade. The big brown made two circles under the oar blade and then turned back toward the darker water. The fish hesitated for an instant and then swam away and down toward from where it came. Yes. I threw the streamer back in and no the brown never ate. The fish was one of those fish that sticks with an angler for a while. 

An After Lunch Snack & A Couple Sticks

After that brown we waited for the water to begin to fall out and dug out the nymph rod. We went with a bead head nymph and an egg pattern. Last year we had luck on eggs and picked up some nice rainbows. This year the egg patterns haven't been as productive. Brent got back in the casting brace and we were working a bank on falling water. We worked some blowdowns and stayed mostly in current seams. As Brent worked the nymph I worked the oars. We fell into a steady pace and spotted some fish, then the indicator took a dive and Brent set the hook. At first we thought it was just a usual customer, but then the headshakes started and Brent was in a fight. The fish made a couple short runs and then started to come to the boat. When fish come to the boat they either do one of two things. 1) they run under the boat possibly seeking shelter, or 2) they make a reel screaming run. Personally I like to hear a reel sing so option 2 gets my vote. This brown turned it's tail and took off. Brent got the rod turned, then brown's head turned, and the fish came to the net. The nymphs were catching nice fish again. This brown looked to be fresh off a spawn. It has the big tail, long body and appears to be in need of some protein.

Brent's Largest Brown of the Year

This time of the year leaves and blowing wind create a hostile dry fly environment. When we arrived at my favorite dry fly stretch the wind and leaves made it pretty miserable to fish dries. So, we went back to nymphs and picked up more rainbows. Toward the end of the day, when the winds dies down, we went back to the dry fly and fished to rising fish. The story wasn't as exciting as Brent's brown trout but we had the dry ready, saw the fish rise, threw the dry upstream of the rise, the fly drifted a few feet and the rainbow ate the dry. Yep, it seemed easy and if nothing else it was a cool take. Streamers brought out the big ones, nymphs took the fish of the day and dries capped off a good day of just "Gettin Out There".