A view of snow on Thunderhead Mountain from our home in Townsend
The weather has cooled down, there's been snow in the Smokies on several occasions, and we've started to sleep in most days. We're only guiding a little bit now and just a few trips remain on the calendar for us to do. It's been a great year and we'd like to thank everyone who has fished with us and everyone who has dropped by our website to read our fishing report and blog. Right now we're on a big push to get our new books complete and in print. You can read more about them in this newsletter. They should be ready in about a month and we're taking pre-orders.
A Holston River rainbow from the past month
We're still getting out on the water and doing some fishing. The tailwaters have remained good. The Holston has been fishing really well! We've even been casting dries to some steady risers. Many of the fish are in the 6"-9" range but there are plenty of fish like the one pictured. Guided floats over the last month yielded several fish like the one pictured; most of them rose to dry flies. The recent rains we've had have caused TVA to start generating more, but we should have plenty of opportunity to fish the Clinch and Holston.
Tuckaseegee River Brook Trout
The Tuckaseegee River near Dillsboro, North Carolina has also been fishing quite well. We've only waded the river so far, but we're now seeing flows for floating thanks to some much needed wet weather. This is a really fun river to fish with streamers and we always encourage anglers to learn more about these methods that pull up some of the best fish in the river. Large brook trout are one of the main draws of this river. This is Jim Gibson from Michigan a few seasons back.
The streams in the Smokies will fish at times, but the cold weather we saw in late November and early December made it tough. The mild weather we're experiencing should get the fish moving well and the fish are undoubtedly happy about the water levels which have come up to where they belong. We usually limit winter fishing trips in the park to mid-day hours for the best shots at fish. Warm and mild periods are the best times to hit the streams in the Smokies. Also watch for days following rain. Winter rains almost always warm the streams by a few degrees and can lead to so excellent fishing.
We're going to take advantage of our down time to get some fishing in for ourselves. Be sure to keep checking our fishing report and blog. We'll keep it updated through the winter.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Click here for our latest fishing report
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Pre-Order Our New Books
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We've been hard at work on two new books. They won't be available until January but you can get a special price by pre-ordering your copies now. Fly Fishing for Brook Trout in the Great Smoky Mountains - Advice From the Guides This book is for fly fishers who love finding out of the way streams filled with eager brook trout. It took us two years of hiking and fishing to research this book which includes previously closed streams opened by the National Park Service in 2006. The book includes stream descriptions, recommended flies, and rare facts about brook trout in the Smokies. You'll even find our recommendations for rod and leader lengths for each stream. Full color, 100 pages, 4 1/2" x 6", $10.00Available in January
Pre-Order Your Copy Now
Fly Fishing with Streamers
Advice From the Guides Fly fishing with streamers is exciting and it's the best way to move the biggest trout in the river. Trout take streamers in big rivers, meadow streams, and rocky creeks and this book covers them all. Fly Fishing with Streamers explains effective techniques by presenting clear instruction with easy to understand diagrams. Flies, equipment, and presentations are discussed but the book goes a step further exploring the reasons why trout take streamers and why these strategies fool large trout. Methods for fishing from drift boats and wading are both covered. Full color, 100 pages, 4 1/2" x 6", $10.00Available in JanuaryPre-Order Your Copy NowOrder before January 16 and get both for $18
Order both books with Rise Rings & Rhododendron before January 16 for $40
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Fly Fish Through the Winter:
Tips To Make the Most of Fishing in the Cold
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Even though the weather is cold and the fish don't rise very often winter is one of our favorite times of year to go fishing. Crowds are rare and the woods are quiet. No fish are as rewarding to catch as those on a cold day.
Check out these tips to maximize your odds of catching trout while having a good time on the water this winter.
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Skull & Bones:
Our Best Midge Pattern For the Tailwaters
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Midges are a staple trout food in tailwater rivers everywhere. Our tailwaters in Tennessee are no exception and we've been fishing midge patterns for years. Over time we've settled on one fly that seems to outperform the rest.
I started calling this little fly Skull & Bones because it is deadly. There are very few times when a midging fish won't take this fly. This has been one of our staple fly patterns on the Clinch and Holston Rivers. It's even proven itself on our annual trips to Montana's Madison River. We'll even tie it on as a dropper in the Smokies during the fall and winter months.
We've laid out the steps for you to see how to tie this fly just in time for winter midge fishing.
Click here to learn how to tie and fish the Skull & Bones
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Advice From the Guides - A New Feature in Our Newsletter and Fishing Report
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We answer questions from fishermen almost everyday. Now
we've decided to put some of these questions on our Fishing Report
& Blog so more people can see the answers to some really good
questions we get from fly anglers.
Have a
fishing question for Ian & Charity? We'll shoot your answer to you
via email and we might post it in a future entry of "Advice From the
Guides".Question: How do you decide what fly to tie on when you get to the river?Question: What size fly rod do I need?Question:
Could you please suggest a method of attaching a yarn strike indicator
to the leader, preferably one that can be removed without crimping the
leader?Read the answers the guides have to these questions
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Hazel Creek Fish Camp April 23-26
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We've set the dates for our spring camp on Hazel Creek. We've hosted three of these camps and they're always a good time. Great fishing, excellent food, and the beautiful surroundings on Hazel Creek provide the perfect long weekend.We provide the tents, padded cots, all the food, and the shuttle across Fontana Lake. You bring your sleeping bag, clothes and fishing gear. We even have carts to carry your gear to camp.Come fish with one of R&R Fly Fishing's guides or just come along for the amenities of camp and fish on your own.Learn MoreBook Yourself NowThis trip is always extremely popular so be sure to book early to reserve your spot. Space is limited.
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Gift Certificates Available for Any Trip We Offer
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We can get gift certificates to you quickly! We can make them for any amount or for any trip we offer.
Give us a call and we can simply email you the gift certificate and you can print it out. It's quick and easy!
Give us a call toll free
866-SMOKY-FLY
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Read Past Newsletters In Our Archive
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Maybe you're a new subscriber or you want to go back and find an article from a past newsletter. Now that's easy to do!
Visit Our Newsletter Archive
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