All the streams are down a lot from the recent rain. Little Pigeon River is down to a near normal level. Little River is still a little to high to wade safely but should be okay very soon. The streams on the North Carolina side of the park are all still too high to wade safely but falling back down fast. Today’s high will be seventy degrees with a 70% chance of showers. Tomorrow’s high will be seventy-seven degrees with clear skies. Good hatches continue to take place.
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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 454 cfs at 2.55 ft
(Good wading up to 239 cfs and with extra caution up to 300 cfs)
West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 118 cfs at 2.9 ft
Oconaluftee River: Rate 788 cfs at 2.31 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 850 cfs)
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 148 cfs at 2.76 ft. (Good wading up to 200 cfs with extra caution up to 250 cfs.
Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are still too high to wade safely.
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: 4
Blue-winged olives: 16 nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Blue Quills: 18, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Quill Gordons: 12/14 nymphs, emerging duns, duns and spinners
Little Brown Stoneflies: 12, nymphs and adults
Little Black Caddis: 16 pupa and adults
American March Browns; 10/12, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Green Sedge Caddis, size 16/14, larva, pupa and adults (Abrams Creek)
Hendricksons/Red Quills: 12/14, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
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.
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James Marsh