I’ve had another health fight the past few days. I’m sorry for the missed reports but it isn’t possible for me to do them from LeConte Hospital where I have been recently. I see email revealing several okay reports from customers fishing for brook trout in the high elevations the past four days. The streams are all in okay shape from a level standpoint but getting too warm in many areas. I just hope anyone doesn’t fish water above 70 degrees because it isn’t necessary and can hurt the trout hooked. There is plenty water in the upper middle and higher elevations that is cool enough to fish. Today will be a hot one with a high temperature in the middle nineties. There is a slight chance of afternoon popup thunderstorms. Tomorrow will be another hot day with a high in the low to mid nineties. There is a chance for thunderstorms. Sunday should be cooler with highs in the upper eighties and a chance of a thunderstorm.
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Smoky Mountain Stream Conditions:
The streams with links that have nearby USGS Station Real-time stream data: Click the links to see updates:
Little River: Rate 154 cfs at 1.85 ft
(Good wading up to 239 cfs and with extra caution up to 300 cfs)
West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 52.4 cfs at 3.05 ft (Good wading up
to 95 cfs and with extra caution up to 125 cfs)
Oconaluftee River: Rate 282 cfs at 1.48 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 850 cfs)
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 44.2 cfs at 2.30 ft. (Good wading up to 200 cfs with extra caution up to 250cfs.
Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are all down to safe to wade with caution levels
Weather Forecast: (click the boxes below for more detailed weather information)
https://forecast7.com/en/35d71n83d51/gatlinburg/?unit=us
https://forecast7.com/en/35d48n83d32/cherokee/?unit=us
Trout Flies Currently Needed or needed very soon;
Streamers:
Brown Sculpin: 6
White Belly Sculpin: 6
Articulated Sculpin and Leeches: 4
Blue-winged olives: 14
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Light Cahills: 14/16
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Little Yellow stoneflies: 14/16
nymphs
adults
Green Sedge Caddis: 14/16 (mostly Abrams Creek)
larva
pupa
adults
Slate Drakes: 10/12
nymphs
adults
Sandwich hoppers: 12/10/08
Japanese Beetles: 14/16
Black Carpenter Ants: 16/18
Recommended Fishing Strategy:
Keep in mind, the strategies I am recommending is for the maximum odds of catching numbers of fish. Many prefer or favor a dry fly and by all means there isn’t anything wrong with that. It’s just a fact that if nothing is hatching at the time, it reduces your odds of success. You can still probably hook some trout, just not as many as if you fish subsurface. Of course, this is also based on using good techniques and the right flies. Some guys don’t know how to fish below the surface.
Strategy:
Not all of the insects you see above will be hatching in the same location. It is usually only one or two. It varies with the elevation. Some are just starting in the low elevations and some about finished in the higher elevations. If you fished the day or two before and know where something is hatching, fish the nymph or larva stage of it. If you haven’t fished the day or two before, until I spotted something hatching, I would fish the BWO nymph. If you spot something hatching (coming off the water), change to the appropriate emerger, dun or adult imitations of the insect.
Tips for Beginners:
Don’t let anyone intimidate you by contending that fly fishing is more difficult to learn and master than other types of fishing. It isn’t.
Thank you for visiting our website
James Marsh