Striper on the Fly

Won't be long now. Each year when the water temps warm up on the lakes, the striper hit the TN River in search of cooler water temps. They always make their way up the Hiwassee River where they find the cooler water and the food they need to survive.
These things are a blast to catch on a fly rod. They are self-propelled mouths and feed heavily during their visit in the river. The one pictured below is about 18 pounds and considered to be on the small side when compared to others caught each year on the Hi. He took a rainbow trout imitation fly (if you look closely you can see it in his mouth) and really nailed it. If I remember correctly, I think he was caught on the first cast after being seen with his buddies swimming across current in front of the bow of the boat. He readily took the fly and the fight was on!

Fishing Report

The annual shad kill is finally on. This is a winter phenomenon in which the shad in our reservoir get stunned by the cold water temps and get sucked through the intake at the dam. Since the Hiwassee River is a tailwater, the dead shad get deposited into it when they run the turbines during generation. This all adds up to the trout becoming more active, feeding heavily on the shad and putting on some weight. It also makes a white streamer or other shad imitation a deadly weapon. The fish get keyed in on these shad and it really makes for great winter fishing. The big boys especially like to eat these, so this is a great time for any of you trophy hunters out there. We never know how long this will last, so if you would like to try your luck, don't delay. Call us today to book your float trip down the scenic Hiwassee River.
TWRA has continued to stock trout also. There are lots of trout in the river right now and they have seen virtually no fishing pressure this year due to the weather we've had and the high water generations that TVA has had to do all year. This coupled with the shad kill should mean phenomenal late winter / early spring fishing on the Hi. Enjoy!

Posted by: Steve Bryson, Head Guide

Coming Soon!

Well it's official. We are now going to be a dealer for Freedom Hawk Kayaks. We should have our first boats in within 2-3 weeks. This is great news! I have been waiting all winter to make this order. Waited until spring is almost here. That is when we usually bring our new lines in. Especially our boats or other high-end items. That way we don't have to sit on them all winter due to the fact that not many people are in the market for a fishing kayak in the winter months.

If you are not familiar with these boats, check them out by clicking here and you can visit their website.

 They are really different as far as fishing kayaks go. They give you the ability to stand up and fish. Anyone who has ever fly fished from a regular kayak can tell you how nice this option is. They also give you the ability to stand up and pole along, just like you see the guys do when they are fishing the flats in saltwater. If you are in the market for a new fishing kayak, you owe it to yourself to come in and check these "sweet little rides" out.  

Cabin Fever

All the guys at the shop have really got a bad case of cabin fever. This weather we have had lately has really gotten everyone depressed. We sit around the shop and tell fishing stories, tie flies, watch other people fish on T.V. and talk about how great the fishing should be this year since the drought is definitely over. In a way I guess it is kind of good to have this down time. I know that by the time our busy season is over I really need to recharge my batteries. It's just that this winter seems to be lasting forever.
We are sponsoring a fly fishing tournament on the Tellico River next month. We call it "The Tellico Two Fly". It is on March 6th and it should be alot of fun. We have 24 teams competing and all proceeds go to the Forest Service for them to use in their brook trout restoration program. We have really gotten alot of positive feedback about the tournament so we hope that we can make it an annual event. It is for a great cause and everyone is ready to get out and do some fishing by the time that March rolls around.

ClackaCraft Dealer

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to become the only authorized ClackaCraft Drift Boat dealer in Tennessee. This is a huge honor to us. We have a fleet of these boats and firmly believe that they are the best drift boats made. Period. We have guided out of these boats for years and they have never let us down. They provide the safety and handling necessary for us to fish our clients all day long with confidence. Not to mention the first class comfort that they provide. Click here to check out their website. If you see one that you just can't live without, come by the shop and we will hook you up with a brand new ride for fishing season.