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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 6:05 am, the temperature is 43.0 degrees.
     
We have a 30% chance for showers today and tonight. It will be cloudy today with a high temperature in the mid-50’s. Tonight’s low will be in the mid-40’s.

The coming week looks good. It will be warm during the day with a couple of chilly nights thrown in but for the most part, good fishing weather. We’ll probably get some rain at times.

Little River is flowing at 239 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.16 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 150 cfs. The water temperature is 48.7 degrees this morning.

Fishing should be fair today. Stream flows are excellent. The water is fairly cool, but not too cold in the low to mid elevations.

You might do best using nymphs, weighted. I would use one of my favorites, or a pair of them. Try a Tellico, Prince, Pheasant Tail or Hare’s Ear.

Watch for a blue wing olive hatch. This is a good day for that. Those bugs like cloudy days. You may find other aquatic insects on the water. If trout are rising to them, switch to dry flies that mimic what you see.

Brown trout are hungry. They will be feeding well, for several weeks. The same is true of brook trout. They have been busy working on the next generation.

If I were fishing instead of working today, I would try the Middle Prong of Little River. Or, I would fish the East Prong above the Sinks toward Metcalf Bottoms and upstream from there. You may want to fish Lynn Camp Prong. Abrams Creek is a good choice, especially near the trailhead, where the water is warmed from springs. I would fish later, instead of earlier, if I couldn’t fish all day.

The fall colors have faded for the most part. Leaves are falling. Tourists are in decline. After this holiday weekend, it changes here. This is a wonderful time of year to be in the Smoky Mountains. For one thing, you can see more, things you miss when the trees are full of green leaves. From now, through late Spring, there will be less people in the Park.

The mountains are clearly visible from anywhere on the front of our house. The mountains have been blocked by leaves since early Spring.

I can see our neighbor’s porch light through the trees this morning. That is something I have not seen since last Winter. Some days, the mountains are snow covered, when there is no snow here in the valley. It is often raining here, and snowing there.

Winters are typically mild here. Sure, we get cold temperatures and sometimes, heavy snow. But, we have those warm days too. The warm winter days, are perfect for hiking into the backcountry to fish. You may not catch many trout but the solitude is worth the lack of fishing action.

Hiking and backpacking during the Winter can be a great experience, if the weather is right. You will often find yourself alone in a beautiful place. Winter is peaceful and quiet.

Yesterday, I set up a new category on our new online store. In it you will find only the 19 new products from Fishpond. You can see it by CLICKING HERE. Though this is 2018 merchandise, these models are available now.

My favorite new Fishpond product is the Sawtooth Aluminum Clipper that sells for $29.95. It looks like the prior models. But, it is different and better. The improvement is in the cutting jaws. Also, check out the Burrito Wader Bag that sells for $59.95. If you like retractors and zingers, you will love the Fishpond Arrowhead Retractor, that sells for $29.95.

Of course, Fishpond has new luggage pieces, bags and backpacks. One backpack is submersible. So it can be used as a boat, kayak or canoe bag too. Check everything out.

Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters below. We tend to send out about 2 per week during the holidays. You will see gift ideas.

I will spend the Winter adding new products to our new online store. It is missing about 100 fly patterns. I have to photograph those and it’s a big job. I will add Scott Rods, since we are now a Scott dealer. We have some in the shop now for you to see or buy. We will build the fly box department. That didn’t get done this Summer. It will. Everything that is new, and available this Spring will be added.

I edited this report. I know it is not Winter yet! I don’t know where all of this “Winter Talk” came from. But, it’s coming soon. I guess I’m just looking forward to Winter.

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

Byron Begley
November 12, 2017

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com