Stream levels are still very low. Some stream levels are up just a tiny bit from the recent rain showers and others remain at the same level. The dry ground soaks the rain water up as soon as it hits the ground before it can get to a stream. There is a chance of a little more rain today. The high today should reach the high sixties. Tomorrow’s weather should reach the low seventies with no chance of rain. I will leave Derek Porter’s report up since conditions will remain about the same as they were when he fished in the park.
Derek Porter’s report: We just got back from 4 days in smokies backcountry. As you know, the water is the lowest it’s been since 2016. Obviously had to use great caution approaching the creek and casting, moving around etc. We saw tons of Great Autumn Brown Sedge in the air – laying eggs all day long (usually you think of it as a dusk or dawn thing). Maybe because so much of the creek is in the shade all day? Also – tons of cream midges and BWO.
In my experience the Sedge are smaller than the size 10 you sell. I’d say they are 12 or even 14. This continues to be the case every year for me.
Caught a lot on cream midge pupa and bwo dun/emerger. Even though water temps started in the 40s every day we had dry fly action all day long. Dry/dropper was the best way for us to present the nymphs. The low current made it hard to keep drifts going on the nymphs and the dries were getting hit all day so it was a win/win.
Here are a few photos. Actually caught the big male on the Perfect Fly Articulated Black Bull Head Sculpin. All the fish we caught were in great shape. We didn’t see any redds or spawning activity and the females fins looked good. I imagine things will be kicking into high gear soon. Glad we were there before the spawn. Hope the forecasted rain really arrives.
Derek
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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 39.6 cfs at 1.27 ft
(Good wading up to 239 cfs and with extra caution up to 300 cfs)
West Prong Little Pigeon River (Gatlinburg): Rate 11.4 cfs at 2.60 ft (Good wading up
to 95 cfs and with extra caution up to 125 cfs)
Oconaluftee River: Rate 120 cfs at 1.04 ft, (Good wading up to 550 cfs and with extra
caution up to 850 cfs)
Cataloochee Creek: Rate 27.8 cfs at 2.17 ft. (Good wading up to 200 cfs with extra caution up to 250cfs.
Hazel Creek and the other larger NC streams flowing into Fontana Lake:
The streams are all well below normal levels.
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: 16
nymphs
emergers
duns
spinners
Green Sedge Caddis: 14/16 (mostly Abrams Creek)
larva
pupa
adults
Cream Midges: 20/22
larva
pupa
adults
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