Wintertime Tailwater Report

The Drifter at Rest

The Caney Fork- There were some windows of no generation this week, but the sluice was open. Now the US Army Corps is running two on for several hours and then one on for several hours. The lake level is falling and then leveling out. The river doesn't fall completely to a one generator level, which leaves some different pockets and back eddy opportunities. Streamers are working pretty good with all three species of trout coming to the meaty stuff. 

Healthy Tailwater Holdovers

This week Anthony and Dan joined me for a float. The fishing was good when the wind was low and we found a fish here and there as the wind howled. We found low water and fished the shoals, drifted through the pools as we discussed the happenings of the Winter. Sometimes the trip to the river is almost as adventurous as the day of fishing. This morning started out like many other mornings. It was cold with frost as I pulled the drifter out of the garage. I stopped by Anthony's and we hooked the boat to his truck then took off to meet Dan. We picked up Dan and sped off to the river. Sped to the river, those seem like a harmless words. Dan was telling of his 10 Day Southern Most Amish Furniture Tarpon Islamorada Trip to the Keys, when the words Sped to the River were added to passing an officer who was driving too darn slow in the fast lane. The words Sped to the River then took on a new life jut a few minutes later. Those words would also delay our trip to the river. Soon we were discussing the finer points of small town traffic court with the officer, while all I could think about was being late to the river. I didn't mention that to the officer as he explained how much Anthony's ticket "would have cost, $290 something" if he decided to write a ticket vs. just a warning. Thank you's from all of us and we were gone, leaving the officer in the rear view mirror, probably wondering 'what the hell kind of boat is that?'. 

Low, Clear Water

The Obey- This river had some nice windows of zero generation this week and continues as I type this report. If you make the trip to Celina, the flow on no generation will be low and slow after the water falls out. Use the small stuff as the fish get a good look at whatever food they are deciding to eat and matching the food they eat daily is no secret to catching nice fish. Dark colors, although color on nymphs seems to be secondary to size and shape, which really seems to make color third in line, anyway dark colors this time of year seem to turn a fish's a bit quicker than a light color. Slow painful, eat a sandwich while it floats, are the type of drifts you will find on this tailwater. ***
The Elk River- this river is fishing very good right now and if someone is thinking about booking a wintertime trip to dust off those early season cobwebs, this would be the float I would recommend. The action is good and there are many different types of water to help re-engage those angling skills. There are shots at nice fish and the hatchery brats keep anglers entertained as well. Presentation is a key to this river right now. The water is that early-year clear so the fish get some inspection time before making their decision. The wintertime float is discounted so give me a call if you want to get out.

Fish Tails

Musky in Tennessee?

..the answer- Yep

Tennessee Musky from Bend Pool Media on Vimeo.

Tennessee Musky Fishing

These Fish Can Be Anywhere

Brent and Mark joined me for a day on the river. This was supposed to be my last day before getting back on the tailwaters for a while, or at least until the next big rain event comes. This trip started with almost immediate action. Mark was first up and still within site of the ramp when a large toothy musky took his fly. The fish came from structure, took the fly, turned hard and bit right through Mark's bite tippet. It was over before it stated but left Mark shaking and saying the same thing over and over... "that was the biggest fresh water fish I have ever had on the line". That is a pretty common response.

Fly Fishing is Like a Balancing Act Sometimes

The stick balancing on the end of this blow-down has been there for several weeks. The water, rain and wind have not knocked it off. No one has come along in a boat and taken it off and it has not dried out unevenly, then fallen off. Apparently, the stick was in the right place at the right time, with the right current and seems to be somewhat lucky. Fly fishing can be like that stick on the end of that log just looking for the right current while hoping luck will be there in the end. 
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We all know about currents, especially on the tailwaters. Center Hill was pushing over 10,000 CFS for over a month (seems like a million months). This week the US Army Corps dialed the generator back to one, with a release of 3600 CFS. Relief is finally here for most floating anglers and the wading folks see the water levels heading down, down ,down as their day also draws near. While I am typing this report it is snowing and it rained some last night as well. The weather forecast calls for rain 3 out of the next 7 days, but it does not appear to include any significant rain events for the Center Hill Lake area. We need to some more cold weather to get a good shad kill and wake those trout up!

Fish Tails

Tims Ford is releasing water during the week, which makes for some interesting floats on falling water. The fish have been taking the usual stuff with little surface activity. Soft hackles swung in the low current on the weekend are still producing and don't be afraid to tie a soft hackle on as a dropper below a nymph. This technique can produce fish from the end of the drift just as the line begins to tighten, which puts the soft hackle into action.

This Fish Bloodied Some Knuckles 

So, back to the musky action. Mark followed up his first fish on the day with a follow from a smaller fish. Brent was next up with action. He hooked up on a section of river that looked good, but has never produced. We saw the fish sitting in the middle of the river, in the current on a shoal and the next thing we knew Brent was saying fish-on. This fish was on long enough to get the net and position the boat, then we stood there as the fish moved upstream and toward the bank. I just knew Brent was going to boat his second musky, but the fish made a turn and then came unbuttoned.  The fire tiger color was working. Next it was my turn and luck was on my side this time. The musky hit and the 10 weight BVK did the rest. The musky came to the boat and even bent the rod in butt section, where all good fish bend a rod. After some bloody knuckles and cut fingers the fish was released back into the hole from which it came. 

***

The day continued with additional sight fishing and some big follows. We found some fish that would follow and then sulk and refuse to follow again. Everyone saw some action and at least had a fish on the line. Musky are not easy to catch, the days are long and action can come at anytime. It's a good way to pass the time when the tailwaters are not at their best. And it is cool to hear someone say  "that was the biggest fresh water fish I have ever had on the line"...

A Day on the River

The Weapons of Choice

"If I can just get a follow". That quote was from fellow angler Steve H. who went to chase some musky with me. Before the day was over he would have his follow and then some with one nipping musky. We would also have the"one that got away story". Here are some of the photos from the day...

Steve Delivering the Groceries

Some Musky Munchies

Musky Tricks

40" of Musky vs. several inches of  Musky Munchies

The Kick of the Tail

Throwing the Fly Right Back at Us - But a Good Action Shot

Is There Relief Around the Corner?

Quite Calming

A check on future generation and future weather is showing a possibility of getting on the water under some semi-regular wintertime conditions. The future generation on the Caney Fork is predicting a shut down of a couple generators, which gets us back to a one generator release and maybe a sluice to go with it. That will be a welcomed change for anglers. Hopefully the fish will realize what is going on and get into the main river channel before the water falls out. The trout may have an IQ of 6 but their instincts make up for other shortcomings. We are hopeful on all counts...

They Never Stop Hunting

The Obey is keeping with the usual release and the predictions are unchanged. Expect the same release this coming week as last week.and possibly in the next few weeks. The initial  Obey stocking is not far away and the shad that come through (during regular years) brings those big trout up the dam. Two events that are worth the trip up there. We will see hat happens in this unusual year.

Fish Tails...

The Elk River- is slowing down the release and this weekend saw a window of no generation. The trout are hitting the usual nymphs and smaller streamers. For the coming weekdays the forecast predicts several hours of zero generation during the middle of the day this week. Beware of the unexpected releases though. 

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The release guidelines that were put into place a few years back are helping the trout, in my opinion. Several years ago it was tough to catch a trout near the dam during the first few months of the year. Sure there were some fish in the river, but now the fish appear to be holding over with a more healthy look. 

***

Below is the operating guide and the red line reflects the rain we received over the past 48 hours. We really dodged a bullet on this latest rain event, thankfully, and that appears to be opening up some windows of angling opportunity!

The Elk River Operating Guide

There's High Water Everywhere

Suspicious Activity? We Didn't See Any...

Looks Like 3 Generators and a Sluice or Big Water

Want the water pretty much to yourself? Want a challenge? Well fish when no one else fishes or just go for a boat ride. Last week I started thinking it would be cool just to get on the water and see what fishing on 10,000 + CFS is like. Talk about new water? The side channels, islands and main channels are all different on this flow. I wouldn't really suggest getting out on these flows, but it's fun to try just once....and maybe a few more times.

***

Brent and I took off for a morning and early afternoon float. My shuttle wasn't answering so I gave Brent a choice, drive his vehicle or run from Happy Hollow to Center Hill Dam after dropping the truck. Brent is a triathlon competitor and he showed up that morning with running shoes. His time for the shuttle was 24 minutes...  

The Heron Was Just Hanging Around

While Brent was running the shuttle, I rigged the rods and surveyed the water. The herons seem to be growing in numbers and are becoming more colorful every trip. While I was rigging rods I kept one eye on a heron that decided he wanted to get closer than usual. The streamer rod was rigged and the gulls were flying. Before anyone gets worked up over a shad kill, we didn't see any gulls diving and no shad floating. It's tough not to wonder if the gulls aren't preparing for something. 

The Shoals at Lancaster

A Balloon Indicator Almost Ready to Use

Balloon indicators are good for fishing high water and they hold up heavy nymphs with extra weight. Also, they are inexpensive and easily adjusted. The wind was strong for most of the day and they cast pretty good, so we may use more of these this year. We used these in the side channels and parts of the main channel were we float the heavy stuff when we wanted a break from the streamers.

Fish Tails

The Caney Fork River

Waiting for a Passing Meal

So on the Caney fish are being caught on this flow. It isn't easy, but it's a change of pace. There are literally only a few spots to wade and those are at the ramps. Wading anglers should keep on tying flies until the water drops to a more normal flow. For the boaters out there, the water is moving real fast and getting in the trees and across the islands is dangerous. Drifters have an upper hand navigating the trees but it can get serious in a hurry. The ramp at Happy is clear and there were a couple boats there drifting down and running up a few hundred yards. No one was trying anything too out of the norm, except for us and that was only after thinking things through first.

The River Gauge

A Midge Among Streamers

The Elk River- The Elk is pushing water throughout the week and we are getting a window here and there on the weekends. The hatchery brats are doing pretty well surviving on midges and scavenging for other meals below the surface. The windows of opportunity are small but TVA is giving us small windows for our fix, in spite of the lake levels and continuous weekly rains. So thank you TVA.

If you are going to fish the Elk, keep an eye on the water level and get out if you think it might be rising. You can always get back in if things check out OK. Also be on the side of the river your vehicle is on when the water turns on. This river is not a river that anyone can cross when the generator begins to push. 

Elk River Operating Guide (the blue line)

TVA works the releases based on this guide. This is today's snapshot. The red line is the line that matters to us right now. The red line clearly shows the weather events so far this year. The blue line is the operating guide and when the red line and the blue line meet, we get to fish. That may be an over simplification of the operating guide, but why muddy the waters with extra theory...

***

Musky Waters- The musky waters have been up,up and up. The visibility has been low and we don't even get out when the water is pushing like it has been this week. Hopefully we will have a musky report in the coming days. There it is the report from Middle Tennessee. With all this water anglers are preparing for the upcoming Spring. Trips are already getting booked for the Spring and if the water gets to a more manageable level the streamer trips are just around the corner. For anyone thinking about booking just give me a call, text or send an email. This is a good time to start planning.

Fishing Report...

A Colorful Elk River Hatchery Brat

Here we go with the same old song and dance...Mother Nature just isn't seeing things our way and continues to fill the lakes while the folks in charge of the water release try their best to keep our lakes at winter pool.
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The Caney Fork- water releases have been 24-7 at 10,000+ CFS. It becomes more and more tempting to get out there and just see what, if anything, is happening. So I still suggest not getting on the river while continuing to fight the urge.
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The Obey had some windows of  1600+ CFS, which is a decent flow for floating. It isn't the best but it is doable. Wading has been non-existent so far on the Obey this Winter. Hopefully the weather and generation will cooperate in the very near future.

Fish Tails

The Elk River- continues to see some windows for wading on the weekends. On weekdays, well check generation schedules but don't expect great things. We made a trip to the Elk to wade after a huge storm came through a couple days back. Surprisingly the water was somewhat clear and the fish were hungry. There was minimal surface activity and we went with nymphs above midge droppers. The nymphs produced several hatchery brats in a short window. The tug was good to feel and we even had a visit from a muskrat. If there is a window and the opportunity is there, I would suggest your favorite nymph. Adjust the indicator as needed and don 't get lazy with the adjustments, because the fish seem to hunker down in off-color water. 

Elk River Report

2012 Fish Tails

The Elk-is finally showing some good windows of opportunity. The water level in the lake is falling, in-spite of all the rain we've had this Winter. The fish of the Elk River have responded well to the generation and  are hungry when the generators shut down. When the generators are off there is zero release. The only water entering the river is from the feeder creeks. The feeder creeks have been clearing up pretty quick after rain and the generation is flushing the muddy water, unlike the Summer months when it takes a while for the river to settle after a rain event. 

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Several anglers have been commenting on the healthy rainbows in the river right now. The stocking trucks have been gone since November and the fish are holding their own. Fish nymphs! Nymphs under indicators are working well, so are buggers swinging in the current. Remember the water is lower and adjusting the indicator is a must. The next time I go down and the water is this low a soft hackle under a dry fly will be on the tippet, at least for a while.

On the Caney Fork we have water, water and water. The lake level at Center Hill is still well above winter pool. Great Falls continues to release water as fast as Center Hill, the Caney Fork and the Cumberland can take it.  We are still not floating on these high flows, but if the air temps get low enough.....who knows we might go for a quick float. 

**

The flows on the Musky streams have been a bit high this week as well and more rain is in the forecast. Look for some more reports from those waters, but for now we are going to chase trout in the coming weeks.

This week I have spent some time reading a book by local angler and author Bob Shanks. Around the Next Bend is a book about fishing from Tennessee to Montana. The chapter "Remembering the Little T" is a first hand account of a great river, the Little T,  that by many  angler's memories, including Bob's, had prolific hatches and the bugs of those famed hatches produced some fat trout and fine angling.  If you want an autographed copy of the book for only $16.00 (shipping included) contact Bob at bshanks29@gmail.com. The book would an excellent addition to any anglers bookshelf.

Fly Pattern Report

Rubber Skirt Fire Tiger

The water around Middle Tennessee is receding. There have been some windows of opportunity on the Elk and it looks like we may be getting on the river in the coming week. The Musky waters are lower and the fish are easier to see when they follow. Center Hill Dam is still releasing large amounts of water but there is relief in sight. The release forecast shows the US Army Corps dialing back some flow and that may be the opening of streamer season on the Caney Fork. 

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I haven't gotten out this week because of some things that came up. But, in the downtime I have been working on some Winter patterns and dug through some files for some river photos of things we have seen over the past few trips.

Someone Bought This Boat New at One Time

Some Patterns Simply Need a Name

Articulated Fire Tiger 

Albert Einstien

Tennessee Fly Fishing Report

Feathers, Fur and One Eyeball

The Holiday Season is over. Time to get back to work and back to play. Center Hill Dam continues to run three generators around the clock. We find other alternatives when the Army Corp turns loose of that much water. Dale Hollow Dam is releasing two generators and it is OK to float, but that float is quick. Tims Ford Dam is starting to show some windows of wading opportunity. Floating the Elk River hopefully isn't far behind.

We have been out chasin some toothy critters while the tailwaters get back to some sense of normal.  We have floated a local freestone for musky three different times. On those three floats we've had 4 anglers, 3 follows, 3 fish on then lost and one fish in the boat. There is a lot to learn about this species and time is short. It is fun to pass the time on the water when a lot of folks are just sitting at home watching others on TV. Stay tuned for updates...