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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. Happy Mother's Day! We are looking at another absolutely gorgeous day in the Smokies. The sun is already shining and there is no rain on the charts.

The streamflow gauge on Little River is giving a reading of 1.78 feet or 151 c.f.s. This is lower than the daily normal of 215 c.f.s. Water temperatures are still holding steady at 63F.

Conditions in the Smokies are great right now. Many people are wet wading now. We have been getting good reports from all the streams. I even saw some pictures of nice fish that a customer caught right in Townsend. Tube season has started. So if you are going to fish in town you will have to contend with the plastic armada.

Dry flies are working well right now. Lighter colors are generally the rule of thumb. Light Cahill, Sulphurs, Yellow Parachute Adams and yellow sally patters are all good. Sizes are going to be #14 - #16.

Fishing a nymph dropper can be very effective. The dry fly acts as your indicator but it also has a hook in it. This time of year a green weenie makes an excellent dropper fly. It matches the hatch and is light enough not to pull the other fly down.

Yesterday was a big day for Tenkara rod sales. The wall is looking pretty thin right now waiting to be re-ordered. Have you looked at Tenkara? Anglers seemed to very polarized about this method of fishing, I won't go into the comments. The reality is that a Tenkara rod is a specialized tool. Does it do everything well. No. Does it do what it is made to to well. Yes. Tenkara gives you excellent line control and a direct connection to the fly. It is really made for small stream fishing which is what we do here in the Smokies.

If you like simplicity then Tenkara is perfect. All you need is your rod, a line (the tapered nylon one with some tippet tied on) and your fly. That is it. There are specialized flies tied with the hackle forward which can be very effective if you fish with them, but really almost any fly will work with a Tenkara rod. The exception is streamers. Streamers don't work because you can't get the stripping action.

Tenkara is perfect for backpacking, especially for those trips where fishing isn't the main focus. Weight is a big concern when you have to carry everything on your back. Being able to have all your fishing gear way mear ounces is a big advantage.

A Tenkara rod is another tool for your arsenal. Stop by the Shop and we can give you the skinny on all you need to know to get started.

It's Mother's Day today. Does your Mom or wife like to fish? Hopefully. More and more ladies are getting into the sport. My Mom never got into fishing. She did however, tirelessly drive my brother and I to the mountains so we could fish. Mom's are good like that. Sacrificing their time for their kids. Give mom an extra hug today and thank her for all she's done.

Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.

Daniel Drake
May 13, 2018  

Respond to: info@littleriveroutfitters.com 

We have an Aquatic Entomology Class scheduled. It is going to be on Saturday June 16. The price is just $100 for this all day class. Space is limited so give us a call to get your name on the roster. 865-448-9459.