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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 6:58 am, the temperature outside is 69 degrees.
It is overcast and light fog is partially obscuring the Great Smoky Mountains this morning. There is an 80% chance for thunderstorms today. The chance for thunderstorms will remain through Thursday night and beyond. The chance is lower tomorrow, but very high Thursday.
We experienced heavy rain in a thunderstorm yesterday in Townsend, with a rainfall amount of .73 inches.
That storm and others missed the Little River watershed. Currently, flow in Little River is 114 cfs, or 1.63 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 150 cfs. The water temperature is 68.9 degrees this morning.
Rain did fall in the Little Pigeon River watershed. Flow there is 536 cfs, 2.18 feet, compared to median flow of 261 cfs.
Oconaluftee River got some rain and they must be getting more right now. The flow is fine now at 518 cfs, 1.98 feet, compared to median flow of 359 cfs. However, the river is rising and it is temporarily turbid.
Cataloochee Creek got a shot of rain last night before and after midnight. Flow is 85.2 cfs, 2.49 feet, compared to median flow of 71 cfs. The creek level is currently receding.
Tellico River was not affected by rain yesterday or last night.
Fishing is good. I heard some very encouraging reports yesterday, like we have been hearing often lately. Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs.
My choice right now would be a foam beetle dry with a Green Weenie dropper. But, other patterns might work just as well. More important to your success is stealth and presentation. Don’t let the trout see you or your fly line and you will catch more. Fish the choppy water where the trout are hiding, especially in streams that are flowing low.
The streams are warm in the lowest elevations. Move upstream to a higher elevation where the fishing will be best. You may not have to go far to find cooler water. There will be no sunshine today, so I doubt if the streams will warm much further. But, it will be warm today, so you can just use a thermometer and try to find temps under 70 degrees. Sixty five degrees or cooler would be best.
Though no widespread severe thunderstorms are predicted today, there may be some isolated strong storms with wind and heavy rain. Keep an eye on the water level where you are fishing. There is a possibility for flooding.
I clicked on a few TVA links below. There may be fly fishing opportunities on some of our trout tailwaters, especially if you are boating. Check the flows yourself to determine if you should go to your favorite river.
This is a good day to be fly fishing on the lakes, if you don’t mind getting caught in a thunderstorm. That is something I prefer to avoid. I stay close to the boat ramp in case we have to get back quickly, when the chance for thunderstorms are like we have now. It will be overcast. That is a huge benefit for fly fishermen who fish the lakes in a boat, kayak or canoe.
Well, the painters are finished painting our building. It looks great. The timbers on the overhang over the entrance need more stain. They have been neglected. The wood is dry and soaking up the stain. Paula and I plan to rent a scissor lift this fall and add more coats. While we are at it, we may repaint the front of the store. Jack and I did that last year, so the painters didn’t do it again.
How about those elk? Three young bulls trekked over the mountain from North Caroling into Tennessee again, like last year. It is only a matter of time before we’ll see more on our side of the mountains. Maybe they will populate Cades Cove. It is possible we’ll see them at our house some day.
CLICK HERE to watch the video and read the story about the wanderers who are visiting here from the Tar Heel State, on the WBIR website. It is interesting.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
June 18, 2019
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com |