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Welcome to the Fishing Report form Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:56 am, the temperature outside is 67.6 degrees.
It will be partly sunny today with a high temperature in the low 80’s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely today. Tomorrow will be cooler, with a high in the upper 70’s and there is a greater chance for rain and thunderstorms.
Little River is flowing at 105 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.58 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 108 cfs. The water temperature is 68.0 degrees this morning.
Rain fell in the Little Pigeon watershed overnight. Flow is currently 518 cfs or 2.15 feet, compared to median flow of 257 cfs. The river is rising at the Sevierville gauge.
Oconaluftee River, Tellico River and Cataloochee Creek are flowing at or slightly above normal.
Water levels are mostly low in the Smokies today, so far. That may change over the next few days due to the predicted rain. Stealth is essential to your fishing success. Stay hidden from the trout and you will catch more. Dry flies and nymphs will work.
Most lowland rivers exiting the mountains are flowing low though at about normal for August. You will find smallmouth bass and other warmwater species in the deeper pools. Entice them with hair bugs, foam floating flies or poppers. Fishing will be best early and late or anytime there is cloud cover, which may be often through Saturday.
I checked the flows at a few dams this morning. There are some tailwater fly fishing options. TVA will be generating at most dams this afternoon and sluicing at some.
Lake fishing may be fair to good. Go early or late unless it is overcast. I would begin by casting top water flies to the banks. If that does not work, I would switch to heavily weighted streamers or swimming nymphs. Watch for gamefish feeding on schools of shad in the open water early or late. Watch for thunderstorms too.
It is cooler and the days are shorter. Fall is coming soon. Fly fishing anglers love Fall. Most anglers are not that crazy about August, me included. I’m ready for a change.
We are placing orders for tackle and flies to be sold next year. I will be working on our Umpqua fly orders today. They have a lot of great new fly patterns that will be available in 2021. Our sales reps are traveling, showing their dealers the new gear you will see next year.
I’m still learning to spin deer hair bass bugs. I am tying one every evening. Yesterday, I ordered Chris Helm’s “Spinning Deer Hair” DVD. When I get that, my deer hair fly tying will improve.
Chris passed away in 2014. I miss him. Chris spent his retirement years traveling around the world, teaching people to spin deer hair. He taught and demonstrated at our store at least twice. He was a very nice and helpful person, with a knack for teaching something that is a mystery to many.
Chris and I were talking on the phone one day, planning a trip to our shop. I mentioned one date I thought would be perfect. He told me he would be in England then, demonstrating at a fly tying show. He loved that show.
If you are interested in learning this craft, I suggest you order Chris’ DVD from Bennett Watt Productions. You can order online by CLICKING HERE. It sells for $24.95 and shipping is free. I can’t wait to get mine. You can also buy the downloaded version for $9.95.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
August 20, 2020
NOTICE: FLY TYERS WEEKEND HAS BEEN CANCELLED THIS YEAR.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com |