It's Been Awhile

Well folks, I know it's been awhile since I have posted anything. With the holidays upon us my plate has been pretty full. I've got a little time today so I thought I would write a quick update on how things are going around here.
The weather has been so-so for the past few weeks. We have had snow and alot of rainy days. That can be good though. It helps our water levels and our water table levels which provides a good outlook for spring fishing conditions. It also provides some good overcast days for fishing the DH waters and for stalking the post-spawn brown trout. All of these are good things.
The fishing has remained good so far this winter. The Hiwassee is in the process of having a small shad kill right now, which means that a white woolly bugger can bring a few fat fish to hand. The midge fishing and nymph dredging is still producing good fish on our Tellico and Nantahala DH waters. The fish are there and they are hungry, the hard part is finding the time to go with all the other things going on this time of year.
Well, as promised, there's a quick update on how our world is going. Hope everyone has a good Christmas and enjoys the holiday season that is upon us right now. Hope to see you back on the water again soon.

Great Southern Fishing Show

We are going to have a booth at the Great Southern Fishing Show held at the North Atlanta Trade Center. The event will be held Feb. 19-20, 2011 and will have featured speakers, casting demos and even a trout pond for the kids. This is not a fly fishing show, it is a fishing show. So no matter how you like to fish, you are sure to find something that will interest you at the show. It is going to be inside a huge building with several booths and vendors set-up to display their products and to talk fishing. If you go, be sure and stop by our booth. Hope to see you there.

Good Day at the Shop

Yesterday we had a couple of guys come into the shop to try out some fly rods. We had snow flurries off and on all day, 20 mph winds and temps in the mid 30's. One was looking for a Helios rod and the other guy wanted to try a Winston. They asked if they could take them to the water to see how well they roll casted. That was fine with us, so they headed across our yard on their way down to the river. They came back telling us how much they liked the rods and also told us they had caught a few trout each right around the bridge.
It was a good day for everybody. They got their fishing fix in and we sold a couple of premium rods. And of course we all enjoyed watching it snow.

Winter Hours

Effective December 5, 2010 we will only be open from 8am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Not enough business around here in the winter to stay open through the week. We will still continue to do our guided trips 7 days a week, so you can still contact Steve for any info. on these.

Favorable Flows

Noticed that TVA will be running 1 generator all day today. Same thing yesterday, don't know about previous days. Anyway, good time to get out and wade while you can. Lots of places that you can wade and fish on just 1 wheel if you are familiar with the river. If you are not familiar I wouldn't risk it. If you decide to go you still need to be careful and keep an eye out for rising water. They can always kick on that 2nd wheel at any time. Trust me, nothing good can come from getting caught out there when that 2nd wheel comes on. I've been there. It's not fun. Always have an exit route picked out just in case.
Some time today I am going to put a picture of the powerhouse on our website that you can click on and go to the TVA site that shows the generation schedule for the Hiwassee River. I will put it on either the Home page or the Fishing Report page. This will give people a place to go and check the schedule. Alot of people that are not very familiar with the river check the schedule of the wrong powerhouse when they plan their trip to fish the river. Hopefully this will help them out. If they don't read the blog or visit our website I don't guess it will help them much. Oh well, I'll do it anyway.

Winter Trout Fishing Tips for Mountain Streams

Thought I would post a few tips about fly fishing for trout on freestone streams in the winter. This should help increase your success while fishing our area Delayed Harvest waters.
1) Fish deep
Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water. For this reason, concentrate more on fishing the long, deep, slow moving pools. They generally won't hold in the plunge pools or riffles like they do in warmer weather. They are there in the summer because that water holds more oxygen. In the winter they have plenty of O2 and are more concerned with the safety that deeper water provides. Don't forget to add split shot to get that fly down to where they are holding.
2) Fish slower
When the water gets cold, the metabolism of trout slows way down. They don't have to eat as much and they become lethargic. They won't move or chase a fly as far as they will in warmer water. That's why you hear guides say that you have to "bounce it off their nose" in order to get a strike sometimes. Be sure and cover the water thoroughly before moving on to the next fishing spot.
3) Be stealthy
This is always important, but in colder water it becomes even more of an issue. The water is usually gin clear because cold water does not hold particulate matter like warmer water does. The fish can easily see you approach. They can also see you cast, so keep the false casting to a minimum.
These are just a few basic tips that should help you increase your catch rates. The winter fishing in this area can be great, so don't let the cold weather deter you from hitting the water. You may just have the stream all to yourself, so get out and enjoy the solitude!

Weather

We've had some much needed rain over the last couple of days. Streams should be back up to perfect levels which means continued good fishing. This was a good soaking rain and the front moved out this evening. The latest forecast calls for great fishing weather over the next few days, so get out and enjoy!

New Trip Offering!

We are pleased to announce that we will now be offering guided trips to fish the Nantahala Delayed Harvest waters in North Carolina. Last week we did a scouting trip over there (see pics from "Guide's Day Out" below) and had a blast. The river is really fishing good and has some 20" plus fish added to the mix. You can also get a "Southern Grand Slam" (rainbow, brown and brook trout) on any given day. The pricing on these trips is $300 for half day and $400 for full day. We have increased our regular pricing for these trips by $50 due to the driving distance and added expense that we incur to guide over there. These trips are definitely worth the money though. Beautiful area and big fish potential on every cast. I really had a good time fishing that area. Nice fish and a change of pace for me. You'll like it too!

Guide's Day Out

Had an opportunity to fish with a good friend of mine yesterday. Bob Borgwat (owner of Reel Angling Adventures guide service in Georgia) and I took the day off and finally got together to do some fishing. As you can tell by the pics we had a good day.

The day started off a little cold, but it didn't take long for the midge and emerger bite to turn on. We hooked 4 and landed 3 fish in excess of 20 inches, not to mention the many other smaller fish that came to net.

It was a much needed trip for me. Nothing like recharging the batteries with a good day on the stream.

New Shop Hours

Effective Nov. 1, 2010 we will go to our "winter hours" schedule. We will be closed Mon.-Thurs. and open Fri.-Sun. from 8:00 to 4:00. We will still continue to do our guided trips 7 days a week, so you can still contact Steve for any info. on these.

Gift Certificates

We are pleased to offer our gift certificates for guided trips again this year for the holiday season. These were VERY popular last year. They make the perfect gift for the man or woman "who has everything". They are available for our trips as well as our fly fishing classes. Don't forget to add one of these to your wish list.

Tellico Brown Trout

Here is a fine example of a wild Tellico River brown trout. She measured 17" and was all decked out in her finest spawning colors. These fish are on the prowl right now looking for a mate. If big, wild brown trout turn you on, then now is the time to be stalking them. Their hormones are raging and they are alot more careless than normal. If you go, good luck. Just remember: Please don't harrass them if you happen to find them on their beds. Just let them do their thing. These fish are not stocked, so their future population depends on them having a successful spawn. Let's help them out all we can.

Fishing Report

Hiwassee River

The fishing remains good on the Hi. Still plenty of fish and good water temps.. TVA is running some different flow schedules now, so keep a close eye on those when planning a trip. They have been wader friendly lately, at least from my observation. If wading was my only option to fish the Hi, I would get on the water as early as possible in order to take advantage of the low flows. At least that's how it is now. TVA can change it at any time though. But, as always, the earlier that you get on the water, the more options you will have. In other words, you're not wasting the day doing crazy stuff like home improvement or yard work. You'll be out taking care of what's really important: GETTING YOUR FISHING FIX FOR THE WEEK!
The fish have not been very picky lately as far as what they will eat. The standard Hi fly arsenal will work fine. You may have to work it a little deeper on some days, but they will bite. Don't forget about swinging those soft hackles. That has been the most productive technique for my clients lately.

Tellico River

Not alot to say about the Tellico DH except that it is fishing GREAT right now. We have been catching 13 and 14" bows like crazy. They are all fat and healthy too. Great fights with every hook up. You will not horse these fish in on 5x tippet.
I read in some forums that people are thinking that they did not stock the DH on time this year because when they went fishing they didn't catch anything. They stocked it as usual. Just because you didn't catch or see any fish does not mean that they aren't there. They haven't really spread out alot yet, but they are there. In fact, we caught about 20 out of the same run the other day. So believe me, they are there.
The hot flies on the DH have been #6 olive woolly buggers and #14 egg patterns. You have to get them down though. So don't be afraid to add some split shot if needed. Water conditions are still on the low side, so be careful in how you wade and approach the areas that you fish. Water temps are mid 50's. Conditions are almost perfect. We could use some rain though to get the levels up some. But all in all, I got no complaints. Great fishing and not crowded. The changing leaves make a great bonus too. Hard to ask for much more!

Tellico River DH

The Tellico River Delayed Harvest opens tomorrow. This is an event that I eagerly await each year.
It is an artificial only, catch and release only section that TWRA stocks each year for some good winter time fishing. They usually put some better than average fish in. Last year we even had some nice size brookies stocked in addition to all the rainbows.
This is some of the best fishing to be had in these parts, especially fly fishing. Not nearly as crowded either.
We are booking guided trips to fish the DH every day now, so if you're interested give us a call. These trips book quickly, so don't delay!

Fishing Streamers

I decided to write this article about how to fish streamers because it seems like 70% of the time when we tell our customers that they are hitting woolly buggers, they say that they have no idea how to fish a streamer. We certainly don't mind explaining how to fish them, but I thought I would post it here for the benefit of our readers and followers. So, here it goes:

When fishing a streamer, remember that you are using a bait fish imitation. Since you are imitating a bait fish, you want to be stripping the fly back in to you, just like the way a spin fisherman fishes a crankbait. When fishing in rivers that have good current, keep in mind that you will have to cast downstream or across the current in order to strip your fly in against the current. If you cast upstream, like a typical presentation, you won't be able to strip the fly in fast enough to give it any good movement, because the current will merely be washing it downstream faster than you can strip it in.
You may have to experiment with different retrieval speeds and even fish it at different depths until you find the right combination that the fish are looking for. If you need to fish it deeper, you can add split shot to your line or cast slightly upstream allowing your fly to sink to the desired depth before you begin your retrieve. Don't be afraid to experiment with speed and depth until you find the right combination needed to get strikes. There is really no "wrong" way to fish a streamer.
While stripping your fly in you may notice that fish are following it but not striking it. Most people will stop or slow down their retrieve when this happens, hoping that the fish will try to eat it if it stops or slows down. This is exactly the opposite of what you should do. Either keep up the same speed or strip it faster in order to entice a strike. You are counting on his predatory instincts to kick in so he will go ahead and try to eat your fly. Just like running from a bear, this will also entice the fish into attacking his prey.
Most of the time when the fish takes your fly, it will be a vicious strike. He is trying to kill the bait fish on his first contact. Sometimes when you get a strike, it will just feel like your line got heavy all of a sudden. Either way, just remember to keep stripping and to raise your rod tip quickly. This is the proper hook set for streamer fishing. If you try to set the hook quickly without continuing to strip your line in, you will not hook the fish well enough to land him.
This was just a quick article that I decided to write in order to maybe help some people who had questions about how to fish streamers. These flies can be the most productive type of flies that you have in your fly box. However, working in a fly shop, it didn't take long to realize that most people don't fish them because they don't really know how to fish them properly. As a guide, I have clients that ask me all the time to show them how to fish a streamer. After a quick lesson they are usually catching fish on them and telling me that they had no idea how easy it was to fish a streamer. They are also amazed at how effective they are at catching fish. Give them a try and see what you think.

Old Town Shipment Has Arrived!

We just got in our new order of Old Town canoes and kayaks. We have stocked fishing and play kayaks as well as some new canoe models to choose from. And don't forget about the Freedom Hawk Kayaks! If you're in the market for a fishing kayak you owe it to yourself to check these out before you buy. They allow you to stand and fish from a very stable platform, which is a very nice option to have when fly fishing. We stock the 12 and 14 foot models and also have demo boats available in each size for you to " test drive ". I have taken the 12 footer fishing on the Tellico and Hiwassee Rivers and was very impressed with its performance. Come on by and take a demo out and see what you think!

Hiwassee River Smallmouth

This smallie was caught last weekend on the Hi. It weighed in at 4 lbs. 12 oz. and was caught on a fly rod by a man that was trout fishing. Didn't get a length on it, but as you can see, it is a nice smallie. Congratulations on a great catch and thanks for sharing with us.

Another Clacka Sold

Our new Clacka that we've had for sale sold yesterday. It's new home is in Knoxville.
We will be getting a new one back to sale shortly, once they change over and start making the 2011 models. We are also waiting on our new order of Clacka accessories to arrive. We still have plenty of items in stock, but had to re-order several things and also get some new items to add to our inventory.

SOLD!

The used Clacka mentioned below has a new home. I knew it would go fast, but that was record time.

Used Clacka For Sale

We are selling our "shop boat" and ordering a new one. It's a 1999 ClackaCraft 16WF and comes with everything needed to go straight to the ramp and slide it into the river. It is red over white and ready to go.
These boats are hard to find used and for sale. You can order a used one from the company, but then you have to wait for it to be shipped in on a semi or drive out west and pick it up. Either way, that gets expensive.
If interested, call the shop at (423) 338-8500 and ask for Steve.

Fishing Report

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I just finished a stretch of guiding 4 full day trips in a row and haven't even logged on in a while.
The fishing has been off the hook all year. The fish are everywhere and they are hungry! This is the best fishing that we have seen on the Hi in about 5 years. Water temps are perfect and we have an abundance of insect activity, especially in the evenings. The river has and is recovering nicely from the previous drought years we have had.
The sulphurs have pretty much played out. We still spot a few now and then, but the trout are not responding to them at all. The isonychias are just around the corner and should become very important any day now. The BWO's and parachute adams flies have been the top dry fly choices lately. Zug bugs and Arkansas red butts have done the job for our sub-surface fishing. They have been taking them on the dead drift and on the swing, so don't be afraid to mix it up a little. They will let you know which presentation they prefer.... Quickly!
Until next time, good luck and be safe out there.

Fly Tying Materials Have Arrived

We have finally gotten our fly tying section set-up in the shop. We have a decent selection of materials right now and are planning on adding to it in the near future. As you know, there is a vast array of tying materials out there, and we can't stock everything all at once. If you come in and don't find what you need, feel free to let us know and we will try to get it in stock. That's one way that we are planning on adding to our inventory. So come on by and check it out.

Moe's Knows!

Moe's Southwestern Grill is now setting up at the shop on weekends with their catering service. They started last week and will continue to set-up every weekend through Labor Day. This has been a big hit with everyone on the river. Nothing like a big burrito or taco after getting off the water, since you are usually starving after a long day of fishing or floating the river. Not alot of choices around here when it comes to food. That's one of the reasons it is such a big hit. Not to mention that the food is great! Come on by and check it out!

Phenomenal Dry Fly Action

That's been the only way to describe it lately. Everyone is talking about how good the sulphurs are fishing. We even have a few BWO's in the mix. If you enjoy dry flyin', now is the time to visit the Hi. This action has been hot for awhile now, so you need to hurry!

Clacka Pics

As promised yesterday, here's a couple of pics of the new boat. If you are in the market for a new ClackaCraft Drift Boat, stop by and check this one out. She's a sweet ride!

 

The Clacka is Here!

I know I have told you guys for months now that we are a ClackaCraft Pro Shop and will be selling their boats soon. We had to wait on a shipment to come this way before they would bring ours to us to sell. Well it showed up last night. It is a 2010 16LP model and is a beautiful boat. We are the only Pro Shop in Tennessee, so we are the only place that you can walk-in and walk-out with a new ClackaCraft Drift Boat. We also carry Clacka accessories like oars, anchors, spare break-down oars, anchor rope, plugs, etc.. So if you already own a Clacka, we stock many of the items that you may need in order to get out on the water instead of waiting for them to be shipped to you.
I will post some pics of the new boat tomorrow, so be sure and tune back in to check it out. Or better yet, stop in and get a whiff of that new boat smell.

Fishing Report

The Hiwassee River fly fishing is red hot right now! The fish are really keyed in on the sulphurs. We are also getting some favorable flows for floating right now. The fish are spread out all over the whole river, making it hard to have a bad day of fishing. If you have ever wanted to try your luck on the Hi, now is the time. If you are not familiar with the river however, stop by the shop and check out the generation schedule for the day. Better safe than sorry.

The Stripers are here!

The stripers have been spotted on the Hi. They were seen Friday on a guide trip for trout fishing. The school of stripers were spotted just down river from the fly shop. They will be working their way up river and will be in the trophy section in no time.
We are now booking trips for those that want the opportunity to fish for these big boys. These trips book up fast, so don't delay if this is something you're interested in trying.

New Shop Hours

We are now open 7 days a week from 8AM - 4PM. Depending on the amount of traffic in the shop, we always have the possibility of staying open later than 4:00. If we have customers we don't mind at all staying later. So even if you come to the river after 4:00, swing by to see if we're still open. We'll be glad to help you if you need anything.

Fishing Report

We have plenty of hungry fish available. Catch rates have been reported to be excellent and the recent weather we have had could not be much better for fishing.
Fly fishermen are catching fish on a number of different flies so I won't attempt to list them all. The top 4 picks are: BHPT sz 16, Olive woolly buggers sz 6, Sulphur emergers sz 18 and Adams dry fly sz 16. Don't be afraid to drop the BHPT off the back of the bugger, this can be deadly this time of year.
The fish are spread out throughout the whole river. Don't think you have to fish high to catch these trout. You can fish down lower and stay out of the crowds. If you do this, you will often find that you are the only fisherman around. That is always a good thing, unless you get into trouble. So remember, be safe and watch for rising water wherever you're fishing. It happens quickly, so stay alert.

It's a Wrap!

Just finished up a couple of days fishing with Chris Bailey, host of Reel Outdoors TV show on The Sportsman Channel. We filmed the first day on the lower Hi and the second day above the Powerhouse. We have fished together before a couple of years ago, and as always, we had a blast fishing together again. He is a great guy and fishes VERY hard throughout the whole day. Gotta love that as a guide. Not sure when the show will air, but just keep watching it and you may see the episode from his first trip with us air again as well. He also does some trophy hunting shows. He travels all over the world filming and really puts on a great show.

Great Fishing

Fishing has been great in East TN so far this year. Lots of insect activity and hungry fish. I have been guiding a lot lately and exploring new waters on my time off. Not much time to post lately. As a matter of fact, I have to go now. The fish are calling. I may take some time and post some updates later along with some pics.

Sorry!

I have caught some flack lately from people who do apparently read this blog from time to time. They have commented on the lack of new posts lately. So, to those people, I apologize. I have been very busy lately doing guide trips, working at the shop, doing fly fishing classes and the many other tasks that have to get done at home when spring arrives. Sometimes there isn't enough time in the day left to post new things on this blog. So if I get behind on posting just be patient. I will eventually get around to it.
This blog has been around for awhile now and we still don't have any followers and only 1 person has commented on a post. So, with that in mind, I didn't really think that people would even notice the lack of current posting. To be honest, with the lack of followers and comments, the blog is really low on my priorities when it comes to marketing initiatives. It was started as more of a service to people interested in fishing the area. That is one reason we do our fishing reports on the blog instead of posting them on our website. It works well for the most part, but due to the lack of participation from the readers, I don't really consider it to be an important aspect when it comes to marketing the business. I may be wrong. It may be more important than I realize. Who knows? Anyway, I will try to do better in the future. Time permitting of course.

Kayaks are in!

As posted previously, we have been awaiting delivery of some Freedom Hawk Kayaks. Well, good news. They are here! We put one of them together Friday and I must say that I was impressed with what I saw. They are well made and engineered with fishing in mind. Come on by and check them out. If you are in the market for a fishing vessel, I really don't think that you can beat the deal on these. They have alot to offer and the price is not bad at all.

Please Help Feed Our Hungry Fish!

Fishing continues to be great in East TN. Large pre-spawn bows, big browns and the occasional smallie, all are adding up to be a great spring. If you are wanting to book a trip this year now is the time. We never know how long the great pre-spawn fishing will last for these big rainbows. These fish posted below were caught 2 days ago. No sign of it letting up soon, but it can't last forever. Once these fish move out, it will be very hard to find them again. Until next spring anyway. Well, there's the sales pitch, now enjoy the new pics.

Guides Day Out

I gave Skip a call the other night to see if he wanted to go looking for some pre-spawn rainbows. Skip is one of our guides, and if you knew him, you would know that it didn't take alot of convincing to get him to go. We found what we were looking for! Some beautiful bows were brought to hand. These fish were all in the 18-19" range and fat. Very healthy. Caught a few of their bucks too, but didn't get any photos of them. They weren't even close to the same size. These were all healthy, wild fish. NOT off a fish farm somewhere! They were caught in public waters too, not in a private trophy stream.
After we finished with these fish, we moved to another area and found dry fly heaven. We were surrounded by smaller wild rainbows trying to gorge themselves on Quill Gordons and BWO's. We had fish everywhere! And they were all hungry and looking up. Just the way we like it.
It was truly a magical day on the water. Some of the pics didn't turn out as good as I had hoped due to the weather and the lighting conditions, but that's O.K.. It was such a great day that it is etched in my memory anyway. I don't need the pics to remember that day!

Hiwassee Brown

Posting a few pics of a nice 22" 6 pound Hiwassee River Brown Trout. One of our guides, Skip, had a trip on the Hi the other day and they nailed this beautiful, healthy specimen. The fish was released unharmed to live and fight another day. Great job guys!

Tellico River

Spring finally here, Tellico River, nice rainbow trout, streamer fishing. What more do you want?

Fly Fishing Classes

Our FF classes have really taken off so far this year. We are already at 30% of the total number of classes done all last year. This is great news. Not only for the amount of new business that it brings us, but also for the fact that it is a great indicator of the continued growth in our sport.
In 2004, fly fishing was the fastest growing sport in the country. Those of us in this business remember those days well. Then, all of a sudden, things dropped off rather quickly. I don't really remember what the economy was like when we saw the increase or the sudden decrease, so I don't remember if it could have been a big factor or not. I hope the FF trend and the economy bounce back soon. Only time will tell.

Ordering items from HA website

We have had several customers that have asked us about getting an online catalog. These are mostly customers that live out of state, come up and shop with us while they're in the area and want to continue to buy from us even after they go home. Truth is, last year we were going to put an online catalog up during the winter months. We had a software engineer lined up to help us do that. Unfortunately, that fell through due to some prior commitments that he had.
For those of you wishing to place orders with us, all you have to do is find an item that you want from Orvis and email or call us at the shop. We will get the order # of the item that you want to purchase, take your payment info., get your shipping address and order it for you. The advantage to you is this; if we have it drop shipped to you from Orvis, you don't have to pay for shipping! We eat that expense. It's no different to us than ordering that item for the shop. Same shipping expense to us.
This is a great way to shop for those of you that like to support local fly shops, but enjoy the convenience of online shopping. It's a win-win situation for everyone!
We can also do this with any of our manufacturers, not just Orvis. See our website for a listing of manufacturers that we represent. You can order any of their items through us and save on shipping. If that item happens to be on sale on the manufacturers website or in their catalog, we can pass the same discount on to you. What do you have to lose?

HA Guide Service to be featured on TV....Again!

Received a call from Chris Bailey the other night. He's the host of "Reel Outdoors" TV show on the Sportsman Channel. Chris travels all over the world filming fishing and hunting shows. We guided him for a couple days in 2008 when he was up this way filming. I believe the footage he shot aired last May. We had a real good time and got some good footage of fishing in the area.
He's going to be back in the area the first part of May to do an appearance at the annual Etowah Hunting and Fishing Expo in Etowah, TN. He wants me to take him on a smallmouth trip while he's in. Like me, Chris is a big fan of catching smallmouth on the fly. He said he wants to do some filming for another show while he's in. That sounds good to me. Chris is a great guy and a real class act. He puts in a hard day of fishing while filming. I was actually impressed with how hard he fished during the day. We fished together on back to back days, and I don't think we took a break on either day. We both enjoy fishing hard.
I talked to him about our striper run that we have each year on the Hi. He sounded very interested in coming back around that time for some more filming. And if I know him, he'll be back. He's like me. He just can't resist the temptation of catching a 20-30 pound striper on the fly!

Hiwassee River Fishing Report

Hiwassee River fly fishing is off the charts right now. With TWRA continuing to stock through the winter and the fishermen staying at home, the river is laying full of hungry, aggressive trout right now. My guides have reported 40-50 fish days recently on guide trips. No real size on the fish yet, but high numbers all the same.
Nymphs and streamers have been the rule lately. Not much dry fly activity noted as of yet, but that could change at any time. The Hiwassee is noted for great insect activity and dry fly action, so we know it will really kick into high gear soon.
Our calendar is filling up quickly. Several trips have already been done and several more on the books to be done. If you are wanting to do a fishing trip this year on either the Hiwassee River or the Tellico River, be sure to call and book it as soon as you have concrete dates set. I have 5 guides on staff and they are all waiting to spend the day on the water with you. We are all excited about the upcoming season and have high hopes for the fishing this year. The drought is behind us now, and with the wettest winter in recent memory over with, we all think that the fishing can be excellent this year. One thing is for sure, we will all be out on the water to find out.

Steve Bryson

Head Guide

They're Heeere!

The Quill Gordons have arrived. A sure sign of spring!

A Few Pics

Posting a few pics of our fly shop and some fish porn.

Tellico River Report

Had a guide trip yesterday on the Tellico with a long time client of mine from Nashville. We had a great day on the water with many fish brought to hand. We also got to catch up on things that have happened in our lives since the last time we got to fish together. All in all a great day!
All our fish were taken on nymph patterns with the exception of the last fish of the day. A size 16 Killer Kiwi was the real workhorse fly for us, but we also caught a few on a size 16 BHPT.
Water temp. was 45 degrees and we noticed a few BWO's buzzing around. On the last stretch of water we fished, we tied on a size 18 BWO to see if we could entice a fish to rise. It wasn't long before a nice Brookie came up and crushed it. We tried a few more casts with no luck and decided to call it a day since it was getting dark on us.
We had a great day and are actually floating the lower Tellico Saturday to see how it is fishing. I'm posting a few pics from the trip below. Enjoy!
P.S. George was able to accomplish the coveted Appalachian Grand Slam, which is catching a brown, brookie and rainbow on the same fishing trip. He also did it with his first 3 fish. He caught a brown first, then a brookie and then a rainbow. The rest of the fish caught were all brookies. Great job George!

Steve Bryson

Head Guide

Certified Outfitter

Hiwassee Angler has become Tennessee's only Outdoor Channel Certified Outfitter for guided fly fishing trips. This is a huge honor for us. The Outdoor Channel is the nation's premiere TV channel for all outdoor enthusiasts. To receive their "seal of approval" really means alot.

Their selection process not only included a review of our services that we offer, it also included them contacting some of our former clients in order to get their opinions about our operation. As you might expect, they don't just hand out their endorsement to anyone. After all, they're putting their reputation on the line when they endorse an outfitter.

A Break in Sight

As I sit here on the computer, it saddens me to say that it is snowing again outside. Really coming down.
On the bright side, according to the weather men, we have a break in sight. Warmer temps are on the way and should be here by the end of the week. This will hopefully signal a return to normal temps for this time of year. This winter has been crazy for us. Hopefully these warming trends will continue and spring will finally get here. I know we haven't had it near as bad as some of the eastern seaboard, but it still tends to drag you down. Especially when we are so close to spring and great fishing. Oh well, back to the coffee and the tying bench.

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.