Dave Wilson and his Son Scott came up from Charlotte, NC to float the South Holston River with me on Tuesday. We started out and let Scott’s boys try to catch a few fish before we headed on down the river. We fished about a hour with the boys, and both caught a couple of fish a piece before Dave jumped in the boat. We ate lunch and headed down the river. There was Sulphurs on the water, but not as many as days before. The fish were not rising as well as they had been. Then the bugs started popping off pretty well, and the fish started rising. If a fish rose and we could get a good cast to them we pretty much got him to take. After a good afternoon of dry fly fishing we headed on downstream, and the fishing slowed down after the Sulphurs stopped hatching. We did manage to catch several more fish, but the fishing was not nearly has hot.

I had a great time fishing with Dave and Scott. I hope that I get to do it again.

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

Tight Lines,

Matt Champion

South Holston River Fly Shop

The South Holston River has been fishing really good here lately. I floated it Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. There were good hatches each day. Some days were bigger then others. On Monday, Thursday and Friday there was a great hatch on high water. With lots of fish rising. On Wednesday there was not as big of a hatch, but the fish sure were willing to hit.

There is also good hatches of Sulphurs coming on low water. We have been having good dry fly fishing before the water comes up on us. It has just been a great time to be on the South Holston River.

Great fishing,

Matt Champion 

South Holston River Fly Shop

Here is a picture of the 20″ Brown that David Aronld caught during the Sulphur Hatch.

Sulphurs are coming off on low water and pouring off on high water.  If you ever want to dry fly fish on high water, now is the time. The Sulphurs are absolutely coming off  by the thousands. Dave Williams let me pilot his lovely clacka drift boat yesterday . That is one dream of a boat. Anyway, TVA said they were cutting the water loose at 3:00. It wasn’t until 5:00 that they did. But man did the bugs pour off, until dark.  That has been the way it has been for the last week. Fantastic sulphur hatches with the wheels on.

All I do is work in the shop, close the doors, float til dark, and sleep. Well, I do take time to eat, as my belly shows. So I haven’t fished low water in a while. But Pedro and many reliable people have said low water fishing has been great. Sulphurs on the water from noon on. Pedro said he kept a comparadun on Saturday after the hatch died and the fish kept eating it. I know Matt and David Arnold fished Monday on low water and Sulphurs did come off. They whacked em. David caught and pictured a 20″ brown. But he cheated. He caught it on a split case nymph dropped below the Sulphur.

I know gas is high, but come fish this hatch anyway. You will be glad you did.

Rod Champion

I meet up with Ed and Arch from Columbia, SC here at the shop for a day of floating on the Watauga River in East Tennessee. We got on the river and the fish were hitting nymphs from the start. Ed started throwing some Streamers and he was into fish. We worked down the river throwing nymphs and Streamers, Arch was fishing the nymphs and Ed was throwing streamers. Both guys were hooking up pretty regularly. We got into a few rising and we were able to catch some of them on Emergers. After lunch we went back to fishing nymphs and the fishing was pretty good. The fish continued to feed on nymphs all afternoon. After the water hit us Arch was able to hook into fish on  a deep nymph rig, and then the water muddied up to much so we called it a day.

It was a great day on the water with Ed and Arch. Hope to do it again.

If you would like a Guided Trip on either the S. Holston or Watuaga River give us a call at 423-878-2822.

Good Fishing,

Matt Champion 

South Holston River Fly Shop

Tim and Hal for a half day float on Sunday and half day wade/half day floats on Monday and Tuesday. On Sunday they meet up with Josh for there half day float. The fishing was pretty good on Sunday both guys caught fish, but they caught the tail end of the hatch.

On Monday I meet them down on the river and we started fishing. The fishing was a little slow in the morning, but we were able to get into some fish. The fish were mainly taking nymphs and you had to work for them.  After lunch we hooked up the boat to fish the Sulphur hatch on high water. We found plenty of rising fish and were able to hook into a good many of them. Most of them were 8-12″ Browns, but Jim did catch one really nice 17″ Brown on a dry fly. Around 6pm we called it a day.

On Tuesday we wade up high on the river, and the fishing was alot better in the morning. The fish were willing to come up and hit a Sulphur Dry with a midge dropper. Then the Sulphurs started popping off and we were able to get in some dry fly fishing on low water before lunch. After lunch we hit the water to float, and the Sulphurs were coming off. Again we had plenty of risers, and the fishing was good.

I really had a good time fishing with Tim and Hal, and they got to brake in the new Hyde drift boat. It was a great three days on the water.

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

Tight Lines,

Matt Champion 

South Holston River Fly Shop

Kevin, Josh and I meet up with the TU group from Nashville, TN for a day of fishing on the South Holston River. TVA was running water so we were doing one of our Half day wade/Half day Float trips. We started out wading in the morning, and the fishing was slow to start our with. The water was really cold, and the fish were not out moving around much. So I just keep going deeper with nymphs in the runs, and we found fish. I switched up flies and made one cast, and hooked a really big Brown. I had him on for a little while then he just broke me off. So I tied everything back on, and gave the rod back to Darryl. He make a few cast in the same run I had just hooked the big fish in, and hooked a big Brown after a good fight we landed the 19″ Brown Trout. After we released the fish I headed downstream to see had everyone else was doing. On my way back up the river I saw him hook up again. I got back to him about the time he was releasing the fish. He said it was a 17″ Brown trout. Man what a great way to started the day. A 19″ and 17″ Browns.

After lunch we went down and put the boats in the water. We floated downstream and ran into the Sulphur hatch we had dry fly fishing for most of the float. We didnt catch anything big during the Sulphur hatch, but alot of nice Browns that were rising to dries.

If you would like a Guided Trip give us a call at 423-878-2822. Also don’t forget about our Half day wade/Half day float Trips for $300. It is a great way to go with TVA running as much water as they are.

Tight Lines,

Matt Champion 

South Holston River Fly Shop

I meet up with Allen and Bob at the boat ramp on the Watauga River in East Tennessee. We got the boat in the water and headed off downstream. We started catching fish as soon as we got in the water, and the fishing never really slowed down all day. The fish were really eating nymphs well and Allen was the first to hook into a big fish. After a good long battle we got the 18″ Rainbow to the net. After lunch the fish continued to hit the nymphs we were fishing. Then Bob hooked into a Big Rainbow, and after a good hard fight we got the 19″ Rainbow to the net. We called it a day after the water came up on us. Man it was a great day on the Watauga River. The fish were really feeding well, and we landed two big Rainbows.

If you would like a Guided Trip on the South Holston or Watauga Rivers give us a call at 423-878-2822.

Tight Lines,

Matt Champion

South Holston River Fly Shop

423-878-2822

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