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!