We have own Paul Maclean here in Maryville, TN
by Josh Pfeiffer on Feb. 19, 2012, under FA News
A special thanks to Jayson Alexander for writing a great article in the Daily Times, our local paper. He talkes about the hatches and the great fishing that the Smoky Mountains has to offer this time of year. The article mentions our guide service and what we do. It is a great article and is well written, so you should check it out, it’s titled “March Madness” and is on 5B of the sports section. It’s so cool to see fly fishing getting so popular around here. Thanks again Jayson and way to go on the fish.
Smallmouth fishing with the one who started it all
by Josh Pfeiffer on Feb. 18, 2012, under Fishing Reports
One day last year, Byron and I were smallie fishing and Lefty’s name came up some how and Byron told me that Lefty loved to smallmouth fish. I thought, how cool would it be to take him floating for a day and get to see how it’s really done. Well, after talking some more with Byron and some of the folks on the Troutfest committee we came up with a great idea for the auction on Friday night. Since we were going to auction a float trip off anyway why not add Lefty into the mix.
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.
Finally seeing some winter
by Josh Pfeiffer on Feb. 11, 2012, under Fishing Reports
Yesterday, I was going to get caught up on bass flies for the season, but I knew the weather wasn’t going to stay nice for long, so fishing the park sounded like a better idea. I got to the river later in the morning thinking that I could find some bugs hatching, but they weren’t. I started fishing with small stoneflies and picked up a few fish with them.
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.
Cooler weather coming
by Josh Pfeiffer on Feb. 10, 2012, under Fishing Reports
We have had a run of warm weather recently, but it looks like it might be coming to an end for a little while. Last week we had days that were in the 60′s, but this weekend we could see the high being in the 30′s. These cooler nights have dropped the water temp down to the low 40′s and it will probably get even colder this weekend. The Quill Gordons and BWO’s have been hatching every afternoon though, as long as the sun is out so don’t leave your box of dries at home. The East, Middle and West prongs of the Little River have all been fishing great, but it seems that the fish on the East prong are feeding more on the dries than any other streams.
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.
BIG Quill Gordons
by Josh Pfeiffer on Feb. 03, 2012, under Fishing Reports
Today was a great day to be in the park and there were a lot of folks fishing. I got there around 11:00 am and there was a good amount of brown stones on the water and some tan caddis on the banks. Nothing was rising to the bugs, but it didn’t stop them from taking nymphs. Around 1:00 pm the unthinkable happened and a Quill Gordon hatch came off on Feb. 3rd. This has been a weird Winter but I’m not complaining when #10 bugs are flying around.
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.
Good hatches in January
by Josh Pfeiffer on Jan. 30, 2012, under Fishing Reports
It has been nuts in the Smokies for the past couple of weeks with temperatures in the 50′s and 60′s and we are getting several good hatches throughout the day. Not to mention the water levels have been perfect. I actually wasn’t going to leave the house today, because I needed to get some fly tying done, but with the sun out and warm weather I thought what the heck. When I got to the river there were a lot of grey midges coming off and the occasional small black stone, but nothing rising just yet so I started with nymphs.
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.
Streamer fishing
by Josh Pfeiffer on Jan. 23, 2012, under Fishing Reports
Fishing streamers can be a tough game and it can wear you out, but it can also be a good way to catch bigger aggressive fish. Today the water on the Little River got up to about 4 ft. Now I don’t recommend fishing the park when the water is this high, but we try to fish spots from the bank so we don’t have to wade. The fishing was pretty slow this morning, but picked up after lunch when Joe caught the first fish.
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?
Floating the Little
by Josh Pfeiffer on Jan. 22, 2012, under Fishing Reports
Fishing the park this past week has been kind of spotty with high water here and there, plus the water temps have been jumping up and down. Usually when it gets like this we like to fish Middle Prong (Tremont) or Abrams Creek. Abrams is spring fed through Cades Cove so the water temps are a bit more stable in the Winter. Just watch where you wade, because the bottom is full of slanted ledges and slick rocks. I suggest not getting in over your waste.
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.
A great start to the new year.
by Josh Pfeiffer on Jan. 11, 2012, under FA News
The weather has been kind of spotty lately with rain, but the air temps couldn’t be better for January. All this week it has been in the 40′s and 50′s and the park has great water levels. The fishing has still been pretty good, if you can get your nymphs to drag the bottom (a lot of shot). Also use smaller patterns if the water is clear and go with a grey or olive nymphs. If the water is on the higher side like it has been the past few days use something a bit bigger and easier to see, like a stonefly pattern.
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.
