The bigger rivers are still a hit or miss and the water in the park has just now come back down from flood stage. The Clinch river is running high and the Holston river is a hit or miss. Fortunately when Freddy called me for a trip last week we had a break in generation, so I loaded up the boat and we hit the Holston.

The fishing was slow in the morning, but picked up around lunch time. When the sun started to shine, the bugs came off and the fish were feeding. Don’t count on a splashy rise though, because you will miss a lot of fish. Every strike that we had, we could barely see the water dimple. A small caddis hatch came off for about an hour and Freddy and Billy D. had fun throwing dries for a while.

Plus you couldn’t beat the scenery.

Around 2 or so we got back in the boat and covered the rest of the float before the night got us. Along the way Freddy and Billy D. would spot a fish and take turns casting. After a while they were calling their fish like the Babe. The fish were really spooky and longer casts with thin long leaders were a big help.

The trip started off slow, but finished out strong which is just fine with me. This was definitely a trip I will never forget and I look forward to fishing with these guys again soon. I had to throw this picture in here because it was my favorite.

The weather channel is calling for a good amount of rain for the next couple of days so pack a rain jacket. Also keep an eye on the generation schedule before you make your trip to the river. If you notice the water coming up don’t take any chances, get out. Have a blessed day.

Recommended Flies:

Lime caddis #18-20

Olive caddis#18-20

Black fly larvae#20-26

Black and gold zebra midge#18-22

Parachute Adams#18-22