The South Holston has been generating so much lately, I have been fishing the Watauga River a little each day this past week. It seems TVA is not generating on the Watauga during the week days. Matt thinks it is because of construction on the new Siam bridge.  And when bridge workers are not there, during week ends , TVA is generating. That held true this past week.

The Watauga is a  25  minute trip from our shop.  So it works out real well. If one is generating, we can drive quickly to the other.

The fishing was good.  The first two hour day produced a 20″ or so brown. That fish had been working hard on a bed. I had NO idea that fish was a bedding fish. I could not tell there was a bed. Only by his tired fight and watching him upon release did I have a clue. The bed he went to was barely noticable. This river has so much round copper rocks , a bed does not show up. I would not have messed with him had I known that. That rascal hit a size 20 BWO dry fly. His rise was just like the 3 other smaller fish that had eaten the dry. In the glare, just a subtle sip. I left the area when I saw him sit down with a female.

The next day- Wednesday, I fished a BWO hatch for an hour. Fish were rising and eating but all were small fish. I mean 6″-10″ small. Probably landed 15 before giving up on the dry and went to nymphs.  My first nymph fishing in forever, it seems. I had forgotten how much fun it is to watch that strike indicator go down. The size of fish went up quickly .  Not big fish, but solid 12″ and a couple pushing 14″.  Fun never the less.

Thursday afternoon  went to another stretch and fish nymphs completely.  Stepped in the water and busted 10 quickly, then had to work like heck to catch 3 more. I don’t know why the quick drop off. I expect not enough weight. Of course, I had no split shot. Got  a store full of them, but none on me. Go figure.  But I was still using a 3/32 tungsten bead and heavily weighted nymph + another 5/64 tungsten beaded nymph. That is a lot of weight . But flows are up, so in faster deeper runs, it was not enough.

There are a couple places in the past always had good BWO hatches all winter over there. As soon as river flows allow, I am going to see if history repeats itself.

On the S. Holston, this past week, drift boat trips had had rising fish. Dry Fly fishing at Christmas on high water. Ain’t that something.

Tight Lines,

Rod