Little Pigeon River is flowing at an okay level to wade this morning. Little River is a little too high to wade safe and still rising. Oconaluftee River on the North Carolina side of the park is still too high to wade safely. Cataloochee Creek could be safely waded with caution. Very good hatches are continuing to take place. Be sure to see the updated fly recommendations below. Today’s high will be seventy-two degrees with light rain showers. Tomorrow’s high will be eighty-five degrees with clear skies. Sunday will be 89 degrees with clear skies.
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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 321 cfs at 2.35 ft
(Good wading up to 239 cfs and with extra caution up to 300 cfs)
West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 77 cfs at 3.34 ft (Good Wading up to 125 cfs with extra caution up to 250 cfs.
Oconaluftee River: Rate 1020 cfs at 2.39 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 850 cfs)
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 212 cfs at 2.98 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 a little 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
Little Yellow stoneflies; 14/16 nymphs and adults
Giant Black Stoneflies: 4/6, nymphs and adults
Golden Stoneflies: 10/12, nymphs and adults
American March Browns; 10/12, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Green Sedge Caddis, size 16/14, larva, pupa and adults (mostly Abrams Creek)
Cinnamon Sedge Caddis, size 16/18, pupa and adults
Eastern Green Drakes 12/14, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners (mostly Abrams Creek)
Light Cahills, 14/16, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Eastern Pale Evening Duns, 14/16, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners
Sulphur Duns, 16/18 nymphs, emergers, duns and spinnedrs
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