If you ever wake up early and get all of your stuff ready to go fishing, but don’t know what to throw, go outside and look at your bumper, or as we like to call it, the hatch chart. It will tell you all you need to know (colors, sizes, etc.).

The park has been fishing great with several hatches coming off and fish rising to them. The main hatch is still the Yellow Sallies with a few Golden Stones and Cahills mixed in. If you see lots of bugs flying around and not much happening on top of the water use the Joe Grobarek philosophy, if all else fails throw the adams. Also don’t forget about the terrestrials. Most folks think that it has to be summer before you throw terrestrials, but if they are out crawling around I guarantee that the fish won’t refuse one hitting the water.

We have been spending most of our time lately on the lower rivers fishing for smallies. We’ve seen plenty of topwater action during the day, but streamers have put more fish in the boat. The spawn should be over with shortly and the bigger fish will be hungry and looking for anything that swims, crawls or floats.

Dave and Chris helping us break in our new Sage VXP rods.

Everyone has one of those stories where the big one got away, but I can verify Chris’. He stuck a pig and after a few second it came out of the water only to show us how big he was and to throw the fly right back at us. Chris if you are reading this, I feel for you. After a much needed break to clear his head we were back to fishing and it wasn’t long before they were doubled up and Chris had forgotten all about it.

Check out the size of that Redeye.

When we got to the end of the float they said that it would be cool to catch a few trout, so we rigged up the 5 wts, put on some nymphs and it within a few minutes they were both hooked up.

Dave with a nice Holston bow.

Chris stuck another pig, only this time it was a big bow and with one jump we saw the line curling back and watch it land in the boat . At that point we just laughed and decided to call it a day. These guys were great fisherman and even better company, but the best part about taking a father/son trip is listening to all the trash talk on the ride home.

Dale is from Nashville and has done a good bit of bass fishing and has done some fly fishing, but hasn’t done them both at the same time. It didn’t take ole Dale to long to put both together and start catching some fish. In fact I think it was like the 5th cast and he was hooked up.

Not a trophy, but he hit a popper like he was.

Fishing poppers takes a little time to learn and involves a lot of patience. In fact you really have to believe that what you are throwing is going to work. Sometimes the fish aren’t turned on and they are very selective, but they seem to always be enticed by a topwater fly if presented right. After a short lunch break we switched to streamers and Dale really started working the river. He caught several more and lost some nice ones, but it happens. We had a great day and Dale really seemed to catch on to fly fishing.

Byron from Little River Outfitters and I have been trying to get out and fish for a while, but during the fishing season it’s tough. Well it all fell in place this week and to the river we went for some popper action. The weather was nice and the fish were biting. When the sun was high though, the fish were pretty finicky and patience was a must. Here is Byron fighting a smallie that sipped a popping bug.

With hot days and cloudless skies, smallmouth can sit under a fly for a long time before they eat it, so stayed focused and wait. That was the case for most of the fish we caught today. Of course when you get used to that pattern, that’s when they blow up on it and surprise you. You’re never going to catch every fish that hits your fly, we didn’t today, but that’s part of the fun. In fact we lost some really nice fish today, but  that’s fishing. Byron had to keep reminding me of that, because I’m a pollock and can’t except it.

Our cicada that we have been tying produced a lot of fish, which was nice to see. I have a few more small changes to make on it, but I think we’ve got something. I think I made Byron a believer in it. We had a lot of fun and it was nice to fish with a good friend. Remember to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen out there in the heat.

Tyler and I hit the water early today for some smallie action and it started with fish blowing up on topwater. This time of year the water temps are perfect and because of the constant chance of rain everyday, it keeps the clouds overhead which equals perfect popper action. The first 2 casts caught 2 fish, one being about 12 inches, the next being this guy.

Now normally I get worried when we catch fish right off the bat because of the first cast curse, but this time of year is peak time for topwater so Tyler and I smiled at each other and kept chucking bugs. Of course we have a rule between us that after a fish like this we switch positions, so after 2 casts I was already back on the oars. It wasn’t long before Tyler started ripping some lips too.

The topwater action was non stop all day long, which isn’t out of the ordinary for this time of year, in fact, if you are looking to catch a trophy smallmouth on topwater, now is the time. We have been working on some new topwater flies too and wanted to spend some time fishing them, so today was perfect. Tyler actually stuck a fish that would have dwarfed mine, but as quick as he was on he was off. All it took was a quick shake of the head and the leader snapped. With the hot days getting to be the regular thing, we focus a lot of time on these fish because they thrive in warmer temperatures. They are also very exciting to catch and can really get your blood flowing.

Not to mention gorgeous

You won’t find a freshwater fish that fights harder than these bad boys and the fact that they do cartwheels to eat the fly is incredible. If this sounds like your cup of tea give us a call and we would love to show you some of these heavy hitters. Have a great day and be prepared on the water with a rain jacket.

Today I had the pleasure of taking out Dick Rollins for some of our smallmouth action. The fishing was pretty good and the topwater action was  definitely on. Dick is from Virginia where he fishes for smallmouth all the time on the New, James and Shenandoah Rivers. I really enjoyed fishing with Dick and learned how the folks up in Virginia do things, and got to show him a few techniques of our own. I love fishing with folks from different areas, because I learn a lot about the fishing in different places.

I was really impressed with Dick’s casting, he could throw it a mile and drop it into a shot glass. He also had Ninja reflexes when it came to hook sets, which was pretty good considering he was 69 yrs old. Dick caught some really nice fish and a lot of them were on top. Here are some monsters he managed to get to the boat.

It was a beautiful day and even though it got a little hot we really weren’t thinking about it much, because we had other things on our minds. Catching these fish is very exciting and they fight extremely hard and get acrobatic when they are hooked. Smallmouth can be very addictive and could possibly end your trout carrier. Tennessee is known for it’s smallmouth fishing and it is what my dad raised me on, so they have a strong hold on me.

We would love to show you some of these beauties, so give us a call and book your trip today. Have a blessed day and be real careful with fishing in this heat.

We floated today for smallmouth, and what a day it was. The topwater action was definitely earlier in the day and it didn’t take long for the fish to get back into hiding. They were willing to eat though. We caught a few fish early on top and around 9:00am they were all in the hard to get places. Lee Whitehead didn’t have any problem getting into those places because he wore them out.

The are definitely on the craw bite too because we caught way more of our fish on craw patterns than baitfish flies. They were pretty picky too on how they wanted the fly presented. It didn’t take us long to figure them out, but when we did it was game on. Lee is a big trout guy, but is reconsidering his favorite species after today. The weather is great and the water temps are perfect, it really doesn’t get any better than this.

We also got to see what high water and not paying attention can do to a boat on this river. I hope that whoever was in this boat got out safely and is ok. Keep in mind that this boat is made of metal.

I had to get a shot of the raft sitting in the riffles when we got out and wade fished. It was a great day on the river and the Lord blessed us with great fishing. Give us a call for some of this incredible smallmouth action while it lasts.