Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:46 am, the temperature is 58 degrees.
Light rain fell overnight in Townsend, with an accumulation of .17 inches.
Today will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature in the upper 50’s, dropping to the middle 40’s tonight. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high in the middle to upper 60’s and a low in the middle 40’s. The next chance for rain is Saturday night and Sunday.
Little River is flowing at 45.3 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.27 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 87 cfs.
Though some streams in the Smokies rose overnight, they are still flowing lower than normal. Normal in October is low. Water temperatures are within the trout’s preferred range in the low to middle elevations.
Fly fishing for trout in the mountains is fair. Most trout are hiding in the broken water to avoid detection in these low water conditions. Brown trout have been spotted out in the open pools preparing to spawn.
Do everything possible to stay hidden from the trout, including wearing clothing that blends with the forest. Use light tippet and small flies. You may need to cast further than usual. A dry fly with a weighted nymph dropper is a good tactic to use right now. Anglers are catching trout in the Smokies. Others are reporting slow fishing.
Fishing for stocked trout in the lowland rivers is fair. Fishing would be better with higher flows. Trout are holding in the deeper pools. Drift small nymphs through the pools using a dry fly as your strike indicator. You may want to try using midge pupa tied to very light tippet.
Fishing in the lowland rivers for smallmouth bass is fair. Nymphs, hellgrammite patterns or crayfish imitations are good fly choices. The bass will be holding and cruising in the deep pools.
Fly fishing on the lakes is fair. It will be overcast today which is a favorable condition. It may be a little breezy today. Cast to the banks or cover using weighted streamers. Let your flies sink deeper as your retrieve slowly.
There are some tailwater fishing opportunities below a few dams. Look closely at the Norris Dam schedule on the TVA website. Check the schedule at Center Hill Dam. There may be other options as well.
We had a very busy day at the shop yesterday. It seemed like a Saturday. I worked upstairs all day and helped a lot of fly tyers. Fly tying season has begun.
Leaves have turned brown and they are falling. You will probably catch a lot of leaves in the rivers and streams, which is typical this time of the year. I know that can be annoying.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
October 26, 2022
For the first time since 2019, we will be holding our Free Fly Tying Demonstrations on Saturdays. The demonstrations will begin at 10 am and last until 2 pm. You do not need a reservation. Just show up and enjoy. These demonstrations will kick off November 5th, and last through mid-December. Then, they will resume in January.
Mike Adams will be tying on Saturday November 5th. Mike is a retired fly fishing guide who lives in upper East Tennessee. He is an excellent fly tyer who has come up with some unique trout patterns to share with you. When Mike demonstrates at the shop, we always have a big crowd.
Bill Boyd will be tying on Saturday November 12th, with his granddaughter “Half Hitch”. Bill lives in Dayton Tennessee. He has been a regular, with his dad and wife at many fly tying demonstrations, Troutfest and other fly tying shows. You can learn more about Bill on the Dubbing Teasers website by CLICKING HERE.
Mike Bone will be tying on Saturday November 19th. Mike has been guiding, mostly on the Clinch River and Holston River trout tailwaters for decades. He is also an accomplished smallmouth bass guide. Everyone likes Mike. You will too. CLICK HERE to visit Mike’s website.
Saturday December 3rd - Jimmy Jones will be demonstrating today. Jimmy lives in Maryville. He is an avid Smokies angler and golfer. He ties some very interesting and unique flies that work very well in the Smokies.
I have learned new techniques, watching Jimmy tie.
Saturday December 10th - Walter Babb will be demonstrating his unbelievable fly tying skills. Many of you know Walter. Most people in the southeast have at least heard of him. Walter is a legend. He loves tying Catskills trout patterns. He is also a well known bamboo rod maker. Walter tells good funny stories. This demonstration will be well attended.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
|
