East Tennessee Fishing Reports

Matt has been on the water all but 3 days in June. He has a ton of reports and pictures to put up. He is just ” whipped” by evening time. [ that is southern slang for wore out, which is also  sotuhern slang for tired.].  So you must listen to me again. TVA is working on the dam , thus been running a steady 1500 CFS from 10:00 til midnite or so. This is THE Best Dry Fly Fishing I have ever seen. The Sulphurs are literally pouring off. What is so unique about the situation is the flow is absolutely perfect for dry fly fishing. The water depth is perfect and every fish in the river is rising to dries. Yesterday , if he rose, I caught him. Then when they got picky and went to cripples, I put one on and the better fish ate it.  Where fish ususally are on low water eating sulphurs, that is where they were yesterday eating them. The only difference in yesterday and low water was , you had moving water in those slow low water spots. This is quite a gift in some of those spots. I did not even mess with a dropper . It would have been fish after fish dry/ dropper fishing. I just head hunted. I left thousands of sulpurs on the water and just paddled in the next 2 miles without wetting a line. I now know why Matt is tired in the evenings. I was whipped!

Tight Lines,

RodC

This past week, the sulphurs have been pouring off. Dry fly fishing has been excellent!

Yesterday on our Float trips, the Sulphurs poured off. The group from Nashville said they had never seen so many fish rising.  Needless to say, the dry fly fishing was more than good.

matt and I have fished the spiiner falls late evening , during generation, and it has been a blast. Een eith the water running, the browns went to spinners ONLY when it got late

We do the half day Prime Time  Float  trips , also. This gives you the Sulphur hatch on high water. And if you plan it right , you can fish the spinner fall with the wheels on. So if you want to dry fly fish , let us know.

Tight Lines,

Rod C

423-878-2822

 

George III, George IV and Tommy Xanders came down from Cinnicitti, OH to with Me and Josh on the Watauga River. We put on the river in the morning and we got into fish as soon as we put in. The fishing was pretty good all morning not as good as it had been, but we were catching fish regularly. After lunch the fishing was a little slow for a while then we got back into fish. We were catching a good average sized fish, and some really nice Brook Trout. TVA cut on some water, and it caught up with us before we ended. So we put on deep nymph rigs, and George IV hooked into and caught a really nice Rainbow. Then it was George III turn, but his popped off right at the boat.

We really had a great time on the Watauga, and I really enjoyed fishing with George and Tommy again.

If you would like a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822. 

Thanks,

Matt Champion

South Holston River Fly Shop

423-878-2822

It looks like the summer routine for our friends, the Sulphurs, has set in. They are coming off in their usual summer places. Yesterday, Friday , June 6, they came off real well. Guys were celebrating everywhere. One friend said it was the best dry fly fishing he had ever had. Nothing but sulphur comaparduns for him- size 18- sulphur orange. We have them here if you need them.

Thursday, TVA was cleaning out the Weir dam. So it was shut off completely. Water was very low. Sun was high and hot. But yet sulphurs came off , and dry fly fishing was good. Hugh Hartsel stopped by with a client and he indicated the sulphur nymphs were everywhere.

With the water on, the sulphurs are hatching also. Size 16 and 18, plus BWO’s with the water running. 

I fished the spinner fall 3 times this week. It was good all 3 times. Although the rainWenn man Seven Stud Poker beispielsweise gratis casinospiele und ein Spieler hat bereits ein Ass als Door Karte und ein Paar bei der vier. ended it yesterday, just as it was getting going. Thursday, the spinners arrived fairly late. they began hitting the water around 8:30. Size 18’s they were. It wasn’t long before the water was alive with sippers. I got fish good on a size 18 comapradun with light wings until dark, when a group of good fish wanted spinners and spinners only. It is amazing they get that selective that late in the day. But they did. Especailly in the tail out of the big pool.

Comparaduns, split case nymphs, yellow soft hackles, sulphur spinners, and the little strippers were our best flies this week. Oh yea, Matt 0n his guide trips caught fish on beetles. It is about that time. Wish the cicadaes would arrive here. Don’t know whether they will or not.

If anyone needs a ” AS NEW” Factory Winston Boron BllX 7 wt. Been fished one time. A western trip was called off so he wants to sell it.  Warranty card has not been sent it yet. It is a great streamer , steelhead , smallmouth bass and boat rod. I am sure a very good light saltwater rod as well. It is so light and responsive, it will not wear you out chunking it all day. Retail $645- used one time $535 + $9 shipping in USA.

Tight lines,

Rod Champion

423-878-2822

email: foreverflyfishing@yahoo.com

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I met up with Steve and Bob from Atlanta for a day of fishing on the South Holston River. They we’re wanting to learn the techniques necessary to catch fish on South Holston. Due to an afternoon generation schedule with water from 1-7, we had to move down river to get well ahead of the water to get our day in. In the morning the fish we’re held up deep in the runs. We caught a dozen both browns and rainbows before we broke for lunch. The split case nymph had again proved itself to be the top dog of the nymph bite. A split case nymph underneath of a FBPT is a great combination. We headed up to Webb’s Store to take part in the afternoon buffet. Then went back further down river to see if we could find an afternoon hatch. We found good numbers of rising fish downriver that we’re taking sulphur emergers.

CDC Biot Comparaduns was the best productive dry with a yellow glass bead soft hackle we found up at the shop below it about 3 feet.
At the end of a good drift down stream, We let the soft hackle emerger swing up to the top, it seemed to drive the fish nuts. We caught good numbers of fish on the dry and the SH. We had a great day on the water despite the unfavorable generation schedule conditions. If you’re considering a trip up to the South Holston and want to see what the “fly” in fly fishing means then head on up this way.

Guide,
Josh McFadden

 

Allen and Doug meet up with me here at the shop, and we headed to the river. After arrived at the river and the fishing was a little slow to being with. Then things started warming up. Allen we getting into some fish, and Doug got into the action. Then before lunch Allen hooked into a really Big Rainbow in a run. It made a run then jumped and throw the hook back at us. I would say that it was a Rainbow about 20″. After a good lunch we tried a different section of river. We started out with nymphs and Doug got into fish. Doug hooked into a fish, and I know it was a nice fish right away. After a good fight we landed the 18″ Rainbow. We contiued to caught fish during the afternoon. Then things slowed down. So we headed to another section of river. The pulse hit us and it was the full water so we called it a day.

If you would like a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.

Tight Lines,

Matt Champion 

South Holston River Fly Shop

 

I met up with Giff and Michael today to float the watauga. The weather could not have been better. And just a short drift from the put in both these guys were landing fish. We fished several differant ways today catching fish on every rig.Michael’s first fish was a beutiful brookie about 14″. We anchored up in a good run and began to fish it with nymphs and both guys picked up a few fish. Giff hooked into a very strong brown that never even let us see it for the first 5 minutes. After several drag screaming runs down stream we got this very strong, awesome 18″ or so brown in the net. After the good fight with the brown we got into rising fish and both guys were catching nice fish on the dry. We continued to catch fish on dry and droppers the rest of the way down river. Both guys stayed after it and landed fish right up to the truck. Hard to ask for a better group of guys. Good times and alot of good fish.      

GUIDE,

Kevin Lowe

 

David Donn meet up with me here at fly shop. David is from Greensboro, NC. We headed down the river, and we started fishing. When we got to the water there was not much going on so we rigged up a nymph rig. After working with David on his mending he started getting hits. Then he hooked into a really nice Brown that give us a heck on a fight. After a good battle we landed the 18″ Brown. After a quick picture we watched her swam away. We worked why upstream we were picking up some fish. Then David decided to have a snack so he told me to fish. I made several cast then I got a hit. I hooked into a nice 22″ Brown trout. Man that fish gave me one heck of a fight. We got the fish to hand, and after a quick picture we let the fish go. We contiued to catch fish on the nymph rig then we started seeing some Sulphurs coming off and fish rising. So we switched over to a Sulphur Comparadun, and started catching fish. David was hooking into some really nice fish on the dry. Some we landed others broke us off, but we were having great dry fly fishing. There was a thick hatch of Sulphurs coming off, and fish were willing to take them. It was such a good hatch that we never even stopped for lunch. The Sulphur hatch lasted for a little over three hours, and the fish were feeding on them the whole time. We the hatch died down we decide to call it a day.

Man was a great day on the water two Big Browns and lots of fish over 12″.

If you would like a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.

Tight Lines,

Matt Champion

South Holston River Fly Shop

 

Alan & Wendy from Florida came by to spend a day of their vacation with us, on the Watauga river. Even with rain in the forcast we had a great day with with  just a few sprinkles and a little of a cool breeze. Alan had fly fished before and Wendy was new to fly fishing, she wanted to learn some and brought a book if she decided she did nt like it! The book never came out, she kept a fly rod in her hand for over 8 hours! Both missed a few strikes right off the bat then Alan was hooked up just minutes into the float. After a little work on Wendy’s casting she began to get the hang of it well, both took turns landing fish all down the river. After lunch we ran into some other boats but still continued to hook fish in every run. One spot yielded 3 beutiful brookies over 14″. Alan had landed a bunch of fish and broke a nice fish off that we never got to see, but was really looking to keep a big one on.  And then( like it does quite often) it happened! A soft voice from the back of the boat ” I think I got one!” One glance back and all I seen was a nine foot rod doubled over, a quick look to the water and flashes of a monster rainbow fighting in the current. After a tough fight a rainbow well over 20″ broke of only a few feet from the net. A husband and a guides heart broken and she was thrilled to have just hooked and got to see a nice fish if only for a moment. Fishing continued to be great all down the river and with over 30 fish coming to the net we called it a day. Thank you two I had a good time.

If you would like a guided trip give us a call    

GUIDE,

Kevin Lowe

 

Met up with Larry Newman for an eve. fishing trip on the South Holston River. We got suited up and headed out to find some hatches. Larry had some fly fishing experience but had never fished the holston. Once we got on the water , Larry was hooked up quickly with his first holston rainbow. That set the standard for the rest of the day. The weather was cool and overcast with thick fog. None of this bothered us and Larry stayed after it hooking and landing fish often. Toward the end of the day we got a good sulpher hatch and began hooking fish on the dry. We never had to move out of our first hole. Larry worked the water over very well and caught fish pretty constant. We even went in halfs on a nice rainbow that took the dry as I was handing him the rod! It was a good trip and Larry enjoyed how strong  Holston fish can be!

Guide, 

Kevin Lowe