Who wouldn’t want to fish with Lefty, he’s such a cool guy and we could learn more from him in one day than in a lifetime on our own. Well, Rufus and I sent out a few emails and Lefty was down for it. He said he would love to do it. That’s the type of guy that he really is. So Monday, May 21st, the day after Troutfest, we will be taking Lefty Kreh and the highest bidder fly fishing for smallies. What an awesome experience to float on our local waters for the hardest fighting fish on the planet with the man who basically made fly fishing popular and to this day, is still the biggest name in the  industry.

We will spend the day floating in a Hyde drift boat and all the gear, lunches and drinks will be included. The only thing you’ll have to bring is your since of humor. It will be a great day on the water and one we won’t ever forget. Thanks Lefty for donating your time and skills to Troutfest.

Even though the adult bugs weren’t hatching, the fish were still feeding on them underneath the water. The fish weren’t on the bottom either because my rig wasn’t very deep. I mainly focused on riffle areas that I have seen bugs hatching in. After catching a few more fish I moved up river and noticed a better fish sitting on the bottom feeding. After a few casts I was hooked up with one of the prettiest browns I’ve ever caught. The Lord has been especially good to us these last couple of weeks, because catching fish like this is a rarity in Smokies.

I have never had a fish try so hard to throw the fly. He must have been crossed with a smallmouth.

Later in the day there was a fairly good hatch of Blue Winged Olives, Blue Quills, Brown Stones, and the occasional Quill gordon. The fish would definitely feed on the easy meal as it floated by.

Today, I went up in the park to fish with some buddies in the snow and the BWO’s, Blue Quills and Brown and Black Stones were hatching. It seems like the bugs are going to keep hatching whether it’s hot or cold. How good the hatch will be could vary by the weather. These are some pictures of the Middle Prong of the Little River while it was snowing.

Hopefully this cold front will be out of here quickly and we can get beck to throwing size 10 and 12 dry flies on a regular basis. The fishing has been really good rain, snow or sun. If you would like to book a trip just call or email us. You won’t want to miss this hatch.

We have been catching bigger than average fish on dries every time we go out. That’s just what the Quill Gordon hatch does to these fish.

Be careful wading around the areas with gravel, because some of the rainbows seem to have started spawning early. We have noticed  several redds throughout the East prong. Now they aren’t nearly as big as the redds that the browns make, so you really have to watch for them.

Ashley and I headed to Abrams yesterday to see how the Gordon action was on that creek. They were definitely coming off but nothing was feeding on them. There were also a lot of BWO’s hatching, but still the same results. It seems like the fish on Abrams haven’t gotten used to them enough to feed on top.

They didn’t hesitate to eat a nymph though.

We mainly fished smaller stonefly patterns and pheasant tails and that seemed to do the trick. We didn’t have to weight them very much either, because the fish seemed to be off the bottom. Nymph fishing is probably going to be your best bet for the next couple of days and if you do see some bugs on top don’t be shy, put one on and you might be surprised at what comes up to take it. Have a blessed day and wade safely.

This guy’s wings hadn’t dried fully yet and was a sitting duck.

Once I noticed that the hatch was steady I put on a #12 dry and on the next cast caught this nice rainbow.

The water was around 2.4 ft and though I didn’t temp the water, Quill Gordons usually start hatching at around 50 degrees. The air temp got up to 62 degrees so it was a very nice day to be out and I’m sure we will get a cold front at some point, but if you can, get out and enjoy it while it lasts. Last year I found a nice fish feeding on dries and I missed it 3 times and so did some of our clients, but Tyler caught it and redeemed us.

Today that same fish was in that exact spot feeding on dries again, but he didn’t get away this time.

It is really cool to catch fish on dry flies, but catching a big fish on a dry in the park is uncommon. With these big bugs hatching it is probably the best time of the year to do it. To most folks February is still too cold to fish and there aren’t many people in the park which is why the fishing can be really good. If you have cabin fever and need to get out and fish give us a call and let us show you the Smokies best hatch of the year.

My second cast of the day, this fish grabbed my nymph.

Later on in the afternoon the bugs really started coming off and there was a good mix of black stoneflies and black caddis. The fish were kind of selective at first, but after more bugs came off they were getting hungry. With the sun high and bright you will probably want to stay hidden. Around 3, Blue Wing Olives started coming off and the other bugs were pretty much done. The BWO’s were the thickest hatch for a while and the fish were loving it.

Two completely different looking rainbows that came from the same section of river.

Good dry fly fishing in January, it couldn’t get better than this. Pretty soon the Quill Gordons and Blue Quills will be hatching. They should start coming off in late February, but if the weather stays warm like it has been, who knows, maybe in a couple of weeks. I have heard from several people that they have seen a few Gordons on the lower stretches of the Little River. That is crazy.

I had to take a picture of this. A bunch of frog eggs in Elkmont.

http://littleriveroutfitters.com/pages/fishing/report.htm

Joe knows browns and is very good at catching them.

I am a nymph fisherman, it’s my favorite way to fish and is the most affective way to fish the park in the Winter. I suggest using bigger nymphs in high water and smaller nymphs on low water. Also, use an indicator and split shot because it will help you find the bottom and see the subtle strikes. Sometimes changing up methods is fun and watching a bigger fish chase a streamer is a rush. Joe has some really good looking flies and knows how to use them, so we get creative when we fish together.

These guys came out of nowhere and surprised me.

The water has been in the 30′s and 40′s for the past couple of weeks and today the temps got a little warmer, so we thought the fish would be fired up. They weren’t as active as we thought. Even though we didn’t catch a lot of fish, we were still pumped with the results. Either way, can you really have a bad time fishing?

Smaller grey nymphs, pheasant tails and stoneflies are all good choices, but they won’t do you any good if  they aren’t on or near the bottom. The fish are really pretty up on Abrams, probably because of the limestone rich bottom. There are also a lot of good hatches including Green Drakes in the Summer.

TWRA stock trout throughout Townsend in the lower Little River. Along with the stockers there are a lot of hold over fish from the past few years. We like floating the Little for these fish in the Winter because the water tends to be slower and the stockers don’t seem to mind the cooler water. Flashy attractor nymphs are probably the best way to go. If the water is off color use a larger fly, but if the water is clear go a little smaller.

Here is Ethan with a nice bow he picked up off the bottom with an attractor pattern. Remember, just because it might be cold or the water might be on the high side there are still quite a few options to choice from. If you just can’t stand the cold you can always stay in and tie flies and pop in a fishing video. If you are getting cabin fever and have to get out and fish, give us a call, we would love to show you the best time possible. Have a great day and may the Lord bless you.

Also keep a close eye on your indicator, because the strike can be very subtle and you could miss a lot of fish. There are still some bigger browns trying to fatten up from the spawn. The will eat pretty much any nymph you put in front of them as long as you don’t smack the water with your line and indicator. Try not to go out and only focus on catching a pig, because you are missing out on a lot of really good fishing. I usually always catch my biggest fish when I’m just out having fun. If the water is higher when you get to the river, remember that you can usually go with a heavier tippet, just in case you do get that big one on.

My friend Ethan and I were supposed to go Musky fishing today or tomorrow, but everything is blown out right now and even though there is a chance to hook up with a giant fish on a 10 wt it’s just not worth it. Speaking of Muskies, the First Annual Musky Fly Fishing National Championships is going to be held here in TN on March 24th (http://zero2hero-aftonangler.blogspot.com/2012/01/first-annual-musky-fly-fishing-world.html). There are going to be lots of awesome fisherman there and really cool boats. A friend of mine Todd Gregory who owns Towee boats(http://www.toweeboats.com/) is one of the guys who is putting on the tournament and has invited us to come and fish it.

Check out Todd’s skiffs and the Musky championships it should be a fun event.