All the streams in the park are getting to be a little low. Alan and I sneaked out of the office yesterday to the high elevations of the park along Walkers Camp Prong and later to upper Little River. I made a few cast from the bank without wading. I had a hard time seeing my size 16 Little Yellow Quill fly when it was 20 to 30 feet from me since losing sight in my right eye. The lower water levels surprised me even though I had seen the USGS levels. We had an average of two inches of rain Monday and Tuesday of this week, yet the stream levels were all well below normal levels. Apparently, the low water table and dry conditions of the forest soaked up the rain fast. We do have about a 20% chance of rain beginning tomorrow through Sunday with better chances next week.
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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 149 cfs at 1.60 ft
(Good wading up to 250 cfs and with extra caution up to 309 cfs)
West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 43.5 cfs at 3.02 ft (Good wading up
to 65 cfs and with extra caution up to 95 cfs)
Oconaluftee River: Rate 299 cfs at 1.52 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 700 cfs)
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 50 cfs at 2.32 ft. (Good wading up to 145 cfs and with extra
caution up to 160 cfs.
Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are all a little below a normal level.
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 Now:
Streamers:
Brown Sculpin: 6
White Belly Sculpin: 6
Articulated Sculpin and Leeches: 4
Blue-winged olives: 16
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
American March Browns: 12/14
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Light Cahills: 14/16
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Slate Drakes: 10/12
nymphs and spinners
Green Sedge Caddis: 14/16
larva, pupa, adults
Little Yellow Stoneflies: 14/16
nymphs
adults
Eastern Green Drake: 8/10 (Abrams and Cataloochee)
nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
nymphs and adults
Sandwich Hoppers: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, Green, Brown, Orange
Carpenter Ants: 16/18 Black, Brown
Japanese Beetles: 14/16
Inch Worms: 10, 12, 14
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