All the streams in the park are are flowing well below a normal level with clear water. There is no rain predicted for the park until Sunday. You are going to have to use a good strategy, stay hidden from the trout, use flies that match the most plentiful and available insects. They will get a good look at the fly in the low, very clear water There are still a lot of good hatches taking place. We received two good reports from customers fishing the past few day.
Check out our sister websites: www.flyfishingyellowstonenationalpark.com & www.perfectflystore.com
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 46.4 cfs at 1.32 ft. Good wading up to 300 with extra caution up to 375 ft
Little Pigeon River: Rate 15.2 cfs 2.67 cfs at 2.81 ft (Good Wading up to 225 cfs with extra caution above 350 cfs.
Oconaluftee River: Rate 143 cfs at 1.13 ft (Good wading up to 700 cfs with extra caution up to 750 cfs.
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 39.4 cfs at 2.18 ft. (Good wading up to 200 cfs extra caution up to 225 cfs.
Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are flowing well below a normal level and clear.
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;
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
Great Autumn Brown Sedge, size 10, pupa and adults
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Midges: Cream midges and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
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 there isn’t anything 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