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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:37 am, the temperature is 52.9 degrees.

It will be sunny today and through the weekend with no chance for rain. Today’s high temperature is predicted to be 79 degrees, falling to the middle to upper 50’s tonight. It will be warmer tomorrow and Sunday.

Little River is flowing at 199 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.98 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 80 cfs. The water temperature is 62.5 degrees and falling.

Rivers and streams in the mountains are flowing higher than median flow but at good fishing levels. Water temperatures are cool, even in the lower elevations. The water is cooler in the higher elevation streams, with the Cataloochee Creek gauge site reporting 58.6 degrees and Oconaluftee at Birdtown reporting 62.0 degrees.

These are ideal trout fishing conditions in the Smokies, at all elevations. This trend will continue at least through tomorrow. Trout are actively feeding. Dry flies or nymphs will work for you.

Lowland rivers exiting the mountains are flowing at good fishable levels. Smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish are active. Try poppers, foam floating flies, nymphs, streamers or crayfish patterns.

If you hope to wade fish on a tailwater today in the area, you will need to go early and fish further downstream from the dams. Some dams will be generating all day, including Douglas and Appalachia. TVA is also spilling at Appalachia Dam. Some dams will be fairly inactive early, then generating later. If you are boating, you will have more options. Check the TVA website t make a decision.

I prefer cloudy days when fishing on the lakes but I like to fish with surface flies or subsurface flies that don’t sink very deep. If it is overcast, fishing is much better considering the way I fly fish. Today, and through the weekend will offer us sunny days, with no clouds. I would go early or late when the sun is off the water. I would search for shaded banks to fish.

Poppers, foam floating flies, streamers or swimming nymphs are all good fly choices. Fish deeper in the mornings as the sun rises and shaded banks are hard to find.

Park Burson, our Orvis and Scientific Anglers regional manager met with Dave and Daniel yesterday. He showed them samples of new gear from both companies. Orvis owns Scientific Anglers.

I spent some time with Park, reminiscing. He began his career in the fly fishing business when our store opened 26 years ago. He was very young back then, the youngest sales representative we had met. At the time, he worked for Hardy. It is always a pleasure to visit with Park. We have been friends for a long time. If you attended Troutfest in the later years, you probably met him. He has fond memories of Troutfest. Park lives near Cincinnati.

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

Byron Begley
September 10, 2021

WALTER BABB MADE BAMBOO FLY RODS FOR SALE – CLICK HERE

Walter is selling a selection of over 50 bamboo fly rods. All but one was made by him. The other one was custom made for Walter by Walton Powell. Read the description of each rod on the list and contact him if you are interested in buying one or more than one. Even if you are not interested in a purchase, this web page is very interesting to read. Walter has made over 285 bamboo rods over the past 20-years. You will be working directly with Walter on a purchase and you can test cast the rods before you buy one at his home. Or, call him and he will ship a rod to you. His contact information is on the web page he and I created.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com