 The seasons have changed! The weather is very cool in the Smokies and the water has gone from cool to cold. Colorful fall leaves are lit up by sunny bluebird skies. Mornings have been cold, mostly in the 30's, but it can be in the 20's on the high peaks.
We're still fishing plenty of dry flies from the middle of the day into the late afternoon, but we're also beginning to tie some nymphs on in the morning. Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymphs and others in #16 or #18 work well.
 The nice weather has made for some great floating too. The Clinch has fished better in the past month than it has in several years. Broken generators on Norris Dam kept the river at a constant flow which worked out great for both waders and floaters. One of the turbines has been repaired so we expect the flow pattern to change, but flows should keep the river very fishable. The Holston River is also fishing well when flow schedules make the river workable. Water temperatures remained cold all summer and there are good numbers of large fish in the river right now. We're already excited about the caddis hatch on the Holston next spring!
 We like to float the Tuckaseegee in the fall but water conditions have been too low up to this point. Water conditions on the Tuck are very similar to the way they were last year. The ongoing drought has kept flows to a minimum. Fish are in the Tuckaseegee and it is fishing well, but so far it is strictly a wade affair. Flows were bumped up enough to float by Thanksgiving last year. The Tuck continues to fish well through the winter months. We'll keep an eye on it and keep you posted.
Click here for our latest fishing report
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Which Strike Indicator Should You Use?
Choose the Best Indicator for the Situation
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 There are a ton of different strike indicators out there. Yarn, foam, stick-ons, twist-ons, footballs, and on and on. Heck, you can even use a dry fly as a strike indicator. We don't use just one type of strike indicator. We choose a specific kind of strike indicator based on the fishing situation.
Fishing miniscule nymph or emerger patterns to midging trout in slick water is far different than fishing large stonefly nymphs in swift water. Learn which strike indicators work best for a variety of conditions when you're fishing nymphs.
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The Prince Nymph:
One of Our Favorite Flies for Fall and Winter Fishing
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 The Prince Nymph is one of our favorite patterns. If you've fished with us in the late fall, winter, or spring there's a good chance we've tied one on your leader. We use this good looking nymph in the turbulent waters of the Smokies from November all the way through the spring. In fact, it's good any time the water is cold or high. We also like to use it when we float the Tuckaseegee. It's also an effective pattern on the Hiwassee River not to mention countless other rivers and streams across the country.
I've put my own twist on this common fly. First of all we like to tie it with bright red thread and red hackle. I can't really say if this makes it more effective, but I've been tying it that way for a long time and I hate to mess with success. We like to have it tied heavy and fish it deep. Tying it on a big hook like a #10 streamer hook allows us to get more weight in the underbody. The standard pattern calls for a tinsel rib but I prefer to use copper wire instead. It can take more abuse from hungry trout and actually helps to protect the body of peacock herl.
Click here to learn how to tie and fish the Prince Nymph
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The Season Isn't Over Yet! Weather is still good in November and the Crowds are Gone
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There is still some great fishing to be done in November. The weather cools down but the fish are still biting. Fishing is usually good in the Smokies through November. Fishing on the big rivers is often good through the fall and winter. The Tuckaseegee, Holston, and Clinch should fish quite well this fall and winter. Give us a call to get your day of fishing in!
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