Can you beleive that Sulphurs are still coming off ? They are… the larger version 14 and 16’s . The hatch is not huge, but the fish are looking for them. All you need is a Compardun and a split Case Nymph, with or without the tungston bead. You will catch fish . That does not mean a flash back PT will not work, for it will.
Matt caught fish big time on a Jujubee midge, size 20-22, when he left the upper part of the river. He said when the sun went down, the browns quit eating the Jujubee.
I stayed up high and caught tons of browns. Mostly 10-12’s but an absolute blast. I fished a suphur dry with a split case nymph dropper, size 16. Then went with a loop wing midge , size 22. Close fishing.. basically tight lining, but using the sulphur dry as an aid. It more than worked.
The South Holoston is fishing very, very well at this moment. The weather is beautiful and the river is full of Brown trout. Who could ask for anything more ..
Tight Lines,
Rod C
Big Fish Blake[ I actually don't know his last name- we just call him Big Fish Blake] comes in here Friday and says, ” How did you do yesterday?”. Well , I had a good couple of hours Thursday, so of course my answer was, real well. Browns were laying around everywhere and it was easy pickings. The split case nymph was deadly. I took my time and and sight fished . It was flat easy. So I was feeling kind of cocky when I answered Blake. Great day and it was…. So I made the ego killing statement; ” How did you do ?”
The next statement made my jaw drop and my inflated ego explode. ” Don’t forget the Beetle. I caught 10 Browns this morning. The largest was 26″ and the smallest was 20″.” Dang… was the only comment I could make. Now , you know why we call him” Big Fish Blake”.
Friday evening , Matt let me out of the shop again for a few hours. Actually he felt bad, so I took advantage of the moment. Somebody needed to do some research and development on such a gorgeous day. 70 degrees and the mountains were orange – now that is gorgeous. The Browns matched the colors of the hills; Golden , with orange trimmings. And they ate , real well. Caught good numbers, 2 on Beeltes, one 16″ and another big fish did what big fish do: get off. I had ONE shot at Blake size fish. I spooked them.
There were ants all over the water toward dark. Fish definetly keyed on them. Of course I did not have any ants, but caught them on a Morgan Midge and a little black fly dry.
Suphurs came off up high and as usual a splattering of BWO’s were seen.
What a beautiful day to be alive and in the hills of Tennessee.
Tight lines,
Rod C
Gene Porter of Charlotte, NC meet up with me at the Shop for a day of wade fishing on the South Holston River. Gene had done some fly fishing so we set out to try and catch some fish. At our first stop we saw some trout rising to midges so I put on a Sulphur Comparadun with a WD-50 Dropper. Gene had several hits, but was having trouble getting them hooked up. After working out that problem we started getting fished hooked up, but we just couldnt get them to hand. Gene did manage to get one to hand before we moved spots to try and find a Sulphur hatch. The hatch had not started yet, and the fish were acting very picky. So we decided to eat lunch, and let the pulse clear out. After the pulse dropped the Sulphurs started coming off. So I keep the Sulphur Comparadun on and switch the dropper around till I found something the fish would hit. Well after several trail and error we started getting hits fairly regular. After a well the fishing slowed down so we move spots again, and got hits right off the get go on the Sulphur Comparadun. Gene was having problems seeing the fly, and we missed most of the takes. We did manage to get a couple of pretty little Rainbows to hand before we called it a day.
It was a beautiful day on the water, and I had a great time fishing with Gene. The fishing was tough, but we managed to get alot of hits an a few to hand.
If you would like a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
Kent and I decided to float the S. Holston for a day of fishing for fun. Well we got on the water just as it was coming up. We started fishing with a few hits right after we got started. Then the fishing slowed down. I missed a couple of good fish then caught a nice Brown about 17″. Kent hooked into a couple of fish, but lost them. Then late in the day he caught a Big Rainbow Trout that weight about 8 pounds.
It was a fun day on the water, and that was a great fish that Kent caught.
For a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.
Thanks,
Rod and Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
John Barker Jr. and Lawrence meet up with me here at the shop for a day of wade fishing on the South Holston River. John is from Shelby, NC and Lawrence is from Charlotte, NC. We got ready and headed down to the river. Today felt more like fall, and it was spitting rain. When we got to the river the trout were rising so we started with a Sulphur Comparadun with a Midge Dropper. The fish were a little tough so I kept switching flies till we found something that would work. We hooked a couple as soon as I put on a WD-40 as a dropper, but they seemed to turn off of it. So I switch over to another Midge dropper and we started getting hits as soon as I put it on. Lawrence was getting a good many hits, and after working with him on the hook set he started hooking up. Lawrence made a great cast into a prime looking area, and a big Brown ate the fly. After a long fight the fish came to hand it was a 20″ Brown in Spawning colors. Man that was a beautiful fish, and to catch it on a size 22 fly with Seagur 7X tippet was a great feat. After a few pictures we released the fish back into the water and watched him swim off. The fishing slowed down so we decided to move to another area. At the next area there was not much surface action so we went with a nymph rig. Both John and Lawrence caught several fish before we called it a day. It was a great day on the water and we got some rain that we need so badly.
A special thanks to David Arnold of Blountville, Tn. for his “Secret Fly” that Lawrence caught his big Brown on.
For a Guided Trip or flies for the tialraces give us a call at 423-878-2822.
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
I meet up with Claude Hager II and his son Claude Hager III from Kingsport, TN for a day of fishing on the Watauga River in East Tennessee. Claude was wanting to a float trip, and the Watauga has been fishing really well so that is were we headed to. We put in the water at about 9:30 and we were into fish right away. The fish were rising so I put Claude III a size 24 Parachute Adams on the fish started taking it right away. His Dad was fishing with nymphs and started getting into some fish also. We caught 7-8 fish before we even got out of site of the boat lunch. We didn’t get anything big, but we did see a few nice sized Rainbow that we just could get to hit. We had a Grand Slam in the boat right away, Brook, Rainbow and Brown Trout. We worked our way down the river and Claude III was still getting fish to rise to his little dry while his Dad was getting some hits on the nymphs. In the next set of running water Claude II hooked a nice fish that popped off and then Hooked into a BIG Rainbow an the fight was on. The Rainbow took off down stream straight into a lay-down and broke us off. We got a look at the fish, and it was in the 20″ range. The fishing slow a little before lunch so we pulled over on the bank to eat some lunch. After lunch we reached the Trophy Section, and that is were the fishing picked up again. Claude III landed a really nice Rainbow out of a fast run along with two other Rainbows, and Claude II missed a couple out of the same run. The samething happen when we got to the Caddis Riffle. Most of the fish were taking the Midge dropper on Claude’s Nymph rig. TVA ran a pulse of water for a hour and the water started picking up at the Caddis Riffle which made it alot easier to float through that section of river, and the fish keep hitting. Claude II got a little tired so he just seat back and enjoyed the float when his son fished the water hard. We made it down the Ledges and caught a couple of fish out of the Ledges. I parked the boat on the side of a fast run to let Claude fish it out. That was a great stop Me and Claude both caught a couple of smaller fish out of the run the Claude hooked into what I thought was a really big Rainbow. That fish fought hard and was never come up to let us see him finally after a long hard fight we got the fish to hand. It was a really nice fat 16″ Rainbow, but that fish fought like a 20″ Rainbow. It was a great way to finish the day.
I had a great time fishing with these guys, and we had a great day of fishing. We also caught a lot of pretty Brook trout with the biggest being about 11″. Just a great day on the water.
If you would like a Guide trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
I meet up with John Hammer and Perry in Elizabethton, TN for a float trip on the Watauga River. The weather had turned alot colder from the day before and I was not sure what that would do to the fishing. After putting the boat in we learned right away that it didnt hurt the fishing. Before we got throw the first hole Perry had several hits and John hooked into a big Rainbow that I would say was in the 20″ range that came unbottomed. As we worked our way down the river John keep hooking into fish on nymphs while Perry was having a little trouble getting the chase his bait down. We got to the back of a big hole and Perry had a big Rainbow eat his bait but just couldnt get him hooked up.
After lunch I switched John over from nymphs to a Olive Wooly Bugger. That was the ticket he started getting hits as soon as I put it on. All the way down by the Campground to the Caddis riffle John and Perry were hooking up about every third cast. They were nice Rainbows and Brooks that we where catching. The fishing slowed a little below the Caddis Riffle so we just keep moving downstream to the Ledges. When we hit the Ledges the fish were rising like crazy to the tons of Midges that were flying around. Perry was getting hits while John had stopped fishing an just enjoying the float. Perry handed me his rod and say “Show me how its done”, and I managed to landed the biggest fish of the day a 19″ Rainbow Trout.
It was a great day on the water with these two guys. The Watauga is low, but it is fishing very good.
If you would like a Guide Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
I meet up with Rod and Murry at the shop for a half day of wading on the South Holston River. Rod was a pretty experience while Murry had just picked up flyfishing. So I got Rod set up and let me start working the water while I worked with Murry on her casting. Murry picked up casting very quickly and was getting hit but no hook ups. So after working with her on setting the hook she finally locked in to a fish. She had to much slack in the line so the fish popped loss. After working with her on hooking, fighting and landing a trout on a flyrod I moved up stream to help Rod out. While I was up working with Rod I heard Murry yell she had a fish on. So I moved back down to help her with the fish it was a nice 12″ Rainbow.
After fish a little while longer we moved downstream to another section of river. Rod caught a nice Rainbow right off the bat while Murry fished the head of the run. I worked with Murry on mending and line controll in the faster water then move down to were Rod was. I got down to were he was and Rod caught a nice pretty Brown trout. We looked up and Murry had another fish on so we move up to see what she had. It was a pretty little Rainbow. After that we decide to call it a day.
It was a great day on the water with Rod and Murry.
If you would like a Guide Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
Richard and Lloyd from Brevard, NC meet me at the shop for a half day float on the South Holston River in East Tennessee. TVA was cut the water on at 3:00 so we put the boat in at about 3:15 an waited for the water to come up. Before I could even rig Richard’s rod up Lloyd had a fish on. I put Richard on a Sulphur Comparadun with a Midge dropper, and he started hooking fish as soon as I finish rigging him up. As the water started coming up the fish really go active and they were eating the Sulphur regularly. So I switched Lloyd over to a dry and he started hooking fish right off the bat. As the water continue to come up the fish continue to rise to the Sulphurs that were coming off. So I would just move the boat a little at a time when the fish stopped rising within casting range. Richard missed a couple of really nice Browns that rose to his dry. We caught about 20 – 25 Rainbows before we just had to move down stream.
We keep picking up a few fish on the nymphs as we moved downstream, and a few on streamers. Then Lloyd hooked into and land a really nice Brown trout, and Richard missed several on a streamer. We headed on down river there were Sulphurs on the water, but there weren’t many fish rising to them. So we continued to fish nymphs and streamers as we worked our way down the river. Richard caught a nice fat Brown on nymphs that really put up a fight. With TVA turning the water loss later in the even and the days getting shorter it started getting dark on us and the fish seamed to slow down as the sun dropped. Richard did end the day with a nice 14″ Brown. It was a great way to end the day.
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
Kurt Knaak and Gary, from Charlotte, NC meet up with me at the shop for a day of wade fishing on the South Holston River. We started out down the river and the fish were rising everywhere. I put Kurt on a BWO with a midge dropper and the fish started eating the Midge right off the bat. While I was working with Gary on his casting and presentation Kurt was hooking into fish. The fish were hitting Gary midge too, but he was having problems getting a hook in them. Gary got the hook set down and started getting into fish. Kurt was having a problem keeping the fish buttoned so I moved down to help him out. With small midges you can change rod angles on the fish alot and that was his problem. Kurt land one nice Brown Trout about 13″ before the fish stopped feeding on the surface. So we went up to eat lunch, and headed down to fish the Sulphur hatch. When we got to the water the Sulphurs were coming off, but the fish were not really feeding heavily on them. So we decide to move downstream a little ways to see if we could find some feeding fish an we did. I worked with Gary while Kurt fished some running water. Gary started hooking into fish on both the Sulphur Comparadun and the midge dropper. So I move up to work with Kurt. I moved Kurt down to a hole and put him on a Sulphur Comparadun with a midge dropper. The fish started taking both the Sulphur and the Midge. Not long after we started getting into fish the water come up on us so we move downstream to Big Springs Rd. to get again of the water.
At our next stop Kurt started fishing some slower deeper water with a Pheasant Tail and Midge. He was hooking into fish pretty regular including on big Brown that broke us off. Gary was fish a good run and getting a few hits. I moved up to help him out, but the fish we a little slow. Gary did hook a couple of nice fat Rainbows in the faster water, but the fish we just not active. So we called it a day when the water come up on us.
It was a great day on the water the fishing started out really good in the morning, but slowed a little later in the day.
For a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822.
Thanks,
Matt Champion
Champion Outfitters Guide Service
On Sunday, September 31 , Sulphur Fishing was good up high on the Holston .
TVA has cut it’s running back now, thank goodness. The projections are good for wade fishing this entire week. TVA is projecting 600 CFS of releases for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tomorro , not running til 3 p.m., which gives all day fishing on this river. With the cooler nites, fishing should be very good. Sulphurs in size 16-18 ; zebras in 20-24 : Black fly dries in size 24: BWO’s in size 20-22 : and pt variatons in sizes 16-20 will do the trick.
Tight lines,
Rod C
