We had the mildest, calmest storm I have ever witnessed in Pigeon Forge yesterday. We didn’t see a drop of rain before 2:00 PM. All the weather forecast I saw before yesterday morning painted all day Saturday as a very stormy one. I never heard it thunder. The best way to determine exactly when it is going to rain, is to go fishing and when you start getting wet, leave or wait it out. Personally, I have always just put on my rain jacket and continued to fish.
I guess I will get over blasting the weather guys and quote them as to what they think the weather will be for today and tomorrow. Today will be clear and mostly sunny wit a high in the upper seventies. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with a high in the lower eighties with a slight chance of a thunderstorm.
All the streams in the park appear to be in very good shape with close to normal water levels. Today should be a good one.
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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 228 cfs at 2.15 ft
(Good wading up to 239 cfs and with extra caution up to 300 cfs)
West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 78 cfs at 3.29 ft (Good wading up
to 65 cfs and with extra caution up to 125 cfs)
Oconaluftee River: Rate 372 cfs at 1.67 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 850 cfs)
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 73.7 cfs at 2.43 ft. (Good wading up to 250 cfs with extra caution up to 300 cfs.
Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are all near 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 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
Blue Quills: 18
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Light Cahills: 14/16
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Little Yellow stoneflies: 14/16
nymphs
adults
American March Browns: 12/14
nymphs
emergers
duns
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.
Thank you for visiting our website
James Marsh