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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. The sun is shining and the day is already beginning to warm up. Today will be a wonderful day to be out in the mountains.

This morning the stream flow gauge on Little River is giving a reading of 1.93 feet or 193 c.f.s. The daily normal for today is 225 c.f.s. Water clarity is good. These flows are about as good as it gets.

Water temperatures have been consistent all week. This morning the gauge is reading 58F again. Consistency is a good thing for trout fishing. As water temperatures rise and the air is warm the choice of wet wading or waders is a question we get. That is really a personal choice. I like to ditch the waders as early in the year as I can. Especially on warm days, wet wading is refreshing. Others don't like having their legs as exposed to the water, plants, and creepy crawly things.

Anglers have been doing well fishing with dry flies. There has been a wide variety of bugs hatching from mayflies to stoneflies. Light Cahlls, Yellow Parachute Adams, Sulphurs and Thunderheads are good choices for mayflies. For the yellow stoneflies or Yellow Sallies try a stimluator or Rob's Hellbender.

We should really start thinking about terrestrial patterns. Ant and beetle patterns are great in the warm weather. Ants can very difficult to see unless you are fishing a using a hi-vis parachute pattern. Using an ant as a dropper is a good solution. We generally think of nymphs when we think of dropper flies but there is nothing that says both flies can't be top water. Dave ordered in some new beetle patterns. One of them looks like it will be a killer. It is foam back with a white indicator and has either a yellow or red dubbed body. The yellow should work everywhere but I think the red ought to be very effective on the brook trout.

I was looking at the TVA pages for the tailwaters around the area. South Holston shows that it is sluicing again. The Clinch had the generators off very early in the day but then turned on one all day. I guess that is ideal if you are one of the fortunate with a boat. The Holston below Cherokee is running a pulse. Always check flows before making the drive and remember that they are subject to change.

We hear a LOT of fishing stories. It is always great to hear the excitement in people's voices as they tell you about that fish of a lifetime....or the one that got away. NPR has a segment each friday called Story Corps. If you've never heard it, people sit down and do a short interview with someone and tell their story. These are all archived at the Library of Congress. I've thought it would be good if there was some way to archive everyone's fishing stories. These are oral history not only of a sport but of people.

I was thinking back over fishing stories that I tell and remember the best. What struck me was that for me these stories don't revolve around fish. Other than a select few, I couldn't tell you what a specific trout looked like. In my memory, it is who I was fishing with and what happened on the trip that stands out.

Time goes by so quickly. In the end, our stories and memories are what stand the test of time. Each day we go and create experiences we are solidifying our place in history.

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

Daniel Drake
May 9, 2018  

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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.