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Troubling news for brook trout in North Carolina. Click HERE to read more.

Winter Fishing....Why We Love It

One common thread that you will notice if you look at fly fishing guide service websites or follow the guide's blogs is that we all love fishing in the winter. There are several reasons for this. Not only is it a slower time for the guides, but there are many other reasons for this often misunderstood phenomenon. I've listed a few of the reasons below:

No Crowds
We can all relate to this one. The winter months seem to be the only time that you can truly enjoy the solitude of being waist deep in a pristine trout stream, or even floating a river with no other boats in sight. This alone is worth the trip to many of us. As a guide we get accustomed to dealing with crowds of other fishermen on a daily basis while working clients on productive water. After all, productive water draws fly fishermen like a moth to a flame, as it should. But on many of our tailwaters we also have the added numbers of recreational paddlers to deal with throughout the day. Nothing wrong with that, and they are certainly entitled to the same waters, but it is nice when you have less crowded waters to enjoy. Even they would agree with that.

Migrating Fish
Many of us enjoy the search for migrating fish that occurs in the late fall and winter months. Depending on your location, this could mean steelhead, salmon or brown trout. These fish will migrate in the colder months for spawning purposes. It can mean lots of suffering for the fisherman that stands out in the cold water drifting flies, but as they say, "The Tug is the Drug". I promise you that when a steelhead slams your swung fly you will forget all about the weather! Granted, it doesn't happen as often as we would like, but that's what makes it so special. After all, no one makes fun of deer or duck hunters. Why do they look at us like we're crazy when they see us standing out in the water when it's below freezing? After all, it's as close to hunting as some of us get anymore.

Larger Fish
Now I know this one may seem kind of far fetched, but on average I think the size of fish being caught this time of year increases. Think about it, the mature fish are the ones that are migrating after all. Plus the fact that they have more body weight to try and maintain throughout the year. True, their metabolism does slow down, but they still have to eat more than their smaller counterparts. In fact, they will often eat their smaller counterparts to maintain that weight during the winter months. That's why those big, gawky looking swung flies are so effective.

Spot & Stalk
Going back to the hunting comparison, many of us enjoy searching for those big fish that often lie out in the open during the winter. The big brown trout are especially vulnerable during this time. These bigger fish spend the rest of their lives moving and feeding almost exclusively at night. During the pre-spawn migration however, they let their guard down as they search for, and court, their prospective mates. This, combined with the fact that the colder water is much clearer, makes it possible to locate these fish during their big move. Obviously we don't fish to them while they are actively spawning, but during their migration they're fair game. Just remember to follow strict catch and release guidelines, use barbless hooks and handle them carefully. After all, they're the future of our fisheries.

I hope this will answer some of the questions from perhaps a newer generation of fly fishermen out there that seem to think this is the off-season. True, it is an art in itself understanding the winter fisheries and how to approach fishing them, but with a little homework I think you'll find it worthwhile to say the least. In fact, I know a few people that almost exclusively fish during the colder months. Get out there and enjoy the fishing. Just be careful and stay dry! Good luck!

Tellico River Fishing Report

    The Tellico River remains a top fishery throughout the Delayed Harvest season. The water is gin clear, and at last check was running at 41 degrees in the DH section. The trout continue to take common nymph patterns that are dredged deep through obvious runs. We also caught several stripping size 6 olive buggers through deeper channels.

    On our guided trip earlier this month we got to spend some time on the North River as well. We were looking for some post-spawn brown trout, which sadly eluded us on this trip, but we did catch several wild rainbow trout in a short period of time. We were fishing in the lower stretches and were pleased to see such good populations of fish that far down the river. North River continues to improve as a wild trout fishery each year. This time of year provides virtual solitude on that river, and the fishing is as good as it gets on any wild stream in this state. That combination is hard to find anywhere else, especially in the Smokies. Look for North River to become a destination fishery in the future. I know it already is for several that are in the know, but I think it will continue to gain in popularity.

    Speaking of wild streams in Tennessee, many people simply don't realize how good North and Bald Rivers can be almost any time of year. With several miles of good trout water available you can easily fish some sections the entire day without encountering another fisherman. That simply can't be said for the Smokies, which at times feels like a circus environment due to the shear volume of traffic that you have to deal with throughout the day. The solitude alone makes our streams worth the trip. Come check them out for yourself. You'll be glad you did!

 

 

Gift Certificates Available

We still have gift certificates for guided fishing trips available for those fishermen on your list that are hard to buy for. They can be delivered before Christmas and really do make the perfect gift for anyone on your list who enjoys fishing.

Thomas & Thomas Fine Fly Rods

We are pleased to announce that Tellico Angler will now exclusively provide T&T rods to our customers. As always, our customers are welcome to bring whatever rod they choose to fish with on our guided trips. However, for those that want us to provide the rods, or if they just want to test drive a T&T rod, we will have a large selection to choose from.

In our humble opinion, these are the best rods on the market today. They are also one of very few brands that are entirely made in the USA. Every process and every component used in making these rods is a product of the USA. That can't be said for many products used in fly fishing today. We are proud to support such a company and hope that you will join us in showing your support to a great American company.

 

 

Fishing Reports

Hiwassee River

The delayed harvest season is in full swing now. TWRA has stocked the river with some very nice fish and good numbers of them. We've had great weather, including some much needed rain, and things are looking very promising for the winter fishery.

 

We've had good success throwing some big, meaty streamers on sinking lines, but also swinging some tiny soft hackles and even dry flies. The fish seem to be hungry and more than willing to cooperate with a good presentation.

Water temps have remained in the low 60's and we have the occasional caddis and BWO flurry, but no defined hatches to speak of. The winter stones have not shown themselves yet, but the mild weather has certainly kept a varied mixture of insect activity going throughout the day.
The brown trout are certainly on the move looking to pair up for a successful spawn, but I can't say that I've seen any yet. They have lots of hiding places on a big tailwater like the Hiwassee, so you just have to have faith that they are there. Not easy to spot these fish when they are generating water, or any other time for that matter.
The TWRA will continue stocking efforts on the Hi during the delayed harvest season. Rumor has it that we already have some trophy size fish stocked, and even some brook trout are going to be thrown into the mix again this year. Looks like another great season in store for those of us who enjoy fishing the Hiwassee in the colder months. You should definitely give it a try. 

Tellico River
 

The Tellico also has its own version of a delayed harvest season in progress now. Much like the Hiwassee mentioned above, TWRA stocks some very nice fish in here as well. The Tellico is a freestone stream, so the water levels depend entirely on rainfall here. Fortunately we've had a wet October so far and the levels are perfect for fishing right now. The water is also clear as can be, which helps us in our search for mature brown trout that are on the move and looking for a mate this time of year.
The typical streamer and nymph patterns continue to produce fish here year round. Stealth and presentation are the 2 most important concepts here. Like any freestone trout stream in the southeast, stealthy wading and appropriate colored clothing can make the difference. Running through the water or wearing your blaze orange hunting cap will probably not produce many fish for you during the day. Try to blend in and wade quietely though, and you may get a shot at a nice mature brown trout. Nothing like a good spot and stalk on a wild brown trout in gin clear water. If that doesn't excite you then you should probably find a new hobby.
Again, I haven't spotted any brown trout moving around on the Tellico, but I did spot 2 separate pairs of mating rainbows recently. I know, I know, before you bombard me with e-mails, rainbows are spring spawners, right? Well for the most part, yes. But they have been known to spawn in the fall as well. Maybe it was a so-called "false spawn" or something, I don't know, but they were definitely rainbows and they were definitely performing the spawning ritual. False spawn or not, it was still cool to watch!

Fishing Report

Hiwassee River

Conditions remain favorable for wading anglers on the Hi. TVA is still filling the lakes to summer pool and we are only seeing pulsing schedules right now. The drift boat fishermen have been concentrating on the middle and lower sections and have reported good results as a whole.
Guided a couple from Alabama yesterday on the lower river and had a very nice day. Lots of tan caddis present and the fish were taking tan EHC size 18 on the dead drift and the swing. Lots of rising fish throughout the day and approx. 50 made their way to the net. Not nearly the size of the trout being caught on the upper river, but fun to catch anyway.
Water temp. was 59 degrees and it was crystal clear. Beautiful weather with very few clouds in the sky. The fish were still holding in the middle of the river, working the seams and the slower water. This should continue on the lower section until the water temps start to creep up. This is a very under fished section of the river that always seems to produce well for us in the early spring.
The closer we get to Memorial Day the better the flows should look for drifting the upper river. This depends on the amount of rain, of course, and how fast TVA can get the reservoirs up to the desired levels. It's the same game every year, but this year should prove to be phenomenal on the Hiwassee River. It will definitely be worth the wait!      Steve    

Finally!

Here it is folks....March 1st! The day that many of us in the local fishing business consider the first day of Spring. Flies are tied, boats are clean, rods are rigged and trips are being booked. Looking forward to another great year!