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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:13 am, the temperature outside is 51.9 degrees. Almost .80” of rain have fallen in Townsend over the past 24 hours. It is raining now, fairly heavy.

The rain should end by about 10 am. The high temperature today is predicted to reach 58 degrees. It will be colder tonight, with the low dropping into the low 30’s, possibly to the freezing mark. Tomorrow will be sunny and warm. More rain is predicted Wednesday and Thursday.

Little River is flowing at 377 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.41 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 309 cfs. The water temperature is 56.1 degrees this morning.

If the streams do not rise too much today, fishing may be good. The water temperatures are fine. Though it will be cold tonight, fishing may be good tomorrow. It will be warm.

Then, the rain will be back, Wednesday and Thursday. It will be cold at night during the weekend. So, water temperatures could drop to below the trout’s preferred range.

I don’t know what to think about the weekend fishing. Maybe it will be OK. Maybe it will not. I’ve got a feeling the water will be cold. The weather pattern could change for the better.

You should plan to be at the shop Saturday for our last Winter free fly tying demonstration. The event will feature Walter Babb.

Walter has been fly fishing in the Southern Appalachians for 60+ years. He and I have been good friends for over 20 years. Walter has been teaching our beginner fly fishing classes, and fly tying classes since we started our school over 20 years ago. Walter makes and sells bamboo fly rods. They are beautiful. Walter is meticulous. It’s the same when he ties flies. When he ties several of one fly pattern, they all look identical.

I do not know anyone, except maybe Lefty Kreh, who knows and remembers more about fly fishing, than Walter. That is the absolute truth. I also do not know anyone who would disagree with that statement.

Walter will be at the shop between 10 am and 2 pm. All you have to do is show up. Sit down and talk to him as he ties his fly patterns. You will enjoy the day.

You may not have seen this video production called The Heartland Series. It is a story about Walter and his bamboo fly rods. It is well done. The host is our friend Bill Landry. The producer is another friend of ours, Steve Dean. Watch it below.

Walter and I spent 30 hours in my truck one time, going to and from the Catskills in New York. I laughed the whole time we were together. He has an unbelievable sense of humor.

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

Byron Begley
February 26, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com