Jeffrey Wilkins Fly Fishing Newsletter
Where Fly Fishing is A Professional Passion January 2010
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Scott Bertrand with A Mammoth
Rainbow
 
 
 diane_bertrand
Diane Bertrand with Another Mammoth Rainbow
 
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Brad Ball with a nice
Winter rainbow..
 
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larry_tomar
Larry Tomar with a
Large Rainbow
 
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Winter, perhaps
our Favorite Season,
is Now here...let's
Go Fishing!
 
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Bob Manning with
a Trophy Bow
 
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Snow in the VA High
Country...yes we fished
and yes we had a great
Day!

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 wally
Wally Wallace with
a rainbow on a Frigid
Day!!! 

 
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Some of our
Favorite Coldweather
Gear
 
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Its that time of
year again....I love it!
 
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Adam Harman
with a nice VA
Rainbow
 
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Billy Spicer with
a NC Brown.....
a Future Lefty Kreh here! 
Join Our Mailing List
Dear Friends,
 
Happy New Year and I hope you all are having a great new year so far.  I am sitting here looking out the window and thinking about how nice it is out today, it is near 60F but I am looking at a pond that is still 100% frozen all the way across.  Wow, its been that cold.  And its been that cold in the mountains.  Except for some of our private water its been a challenge to find water that is open enough or ice free enough to fish.  But the warm up has begun, and I am sure cabin fever is raging everywhere.
 
I keep saying it but I'll say it again.  The cold weather, rain, ice, and snow bode  well for the rest of winter and the spring.  We usually always have a good year after a wet winter.   And winter is here, we still have cold weather ahead, or at least very likely so.  So what better time to embrace the cold weather fly fishing we have available...most folks are pleasantly surprised.
 
I have been very busy, some with trips and a lot with the "seed planting" for the coming year.  This is the time this year's trips here and abroad are set in stone.  Schedules and itineraries are planned, reservations made, and marketing is in full swing.  And we are getting ready for spring as well.   It will be here before we know it.
  
  
So sit back and browse through this Newsletter and get ready for the remainder of the winter fishing season and a Spring season that will be here before you know it. 
 
 Thanks as always and Good Fishing and Happy New Year to You,
 
 
 
 
Jeff 
buster_lewis
 
  Buster Lewis with a beast of
rainbow on our December 28, 2009
Trip, we fished in snow showers all day long .....
Jeff Wilkins photo
 


Feature Article

Winter Fly Fishing by Jeff Wilkins

I absolutely love fishing, any fishing really.  And that's the way it always has been.  From my times fishing as a kid whether for trout or bream or bass the weather never really mattered as much as the fishing...or shall we say the weather never really dampened my aspirations to try to catch fish even in bad conditions.  I guess in that sense I was born an eternal optimist, often seeing possibility in even the most unlikely situations and conditions.  And apparently I was rewarded with a catch often enough that, well, shall we say, I am still doing that same thing in my guiding and fishing.....that is, seeing possibility in most any conditions........Read More


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Fishing Report
Be sure and check out our website fishing report for our most recent trips.   Its been wet but we have still managed to find some good fishing.  You can check it all out  here .
 
 
    stonefly_reel
   A stonefly nymph is a tasty winter morsel not only for small stream fish, but for any fish within eating distance, and they love them.... don't they look delicious?....Jeff Wilkins photo
 

What the Fishing is Like.....
 
 Wild Waters: 
Wild waters have been fishing very slow, in fact the past week at elevations above 2000ft you would be hard pressed to find fishable water.  A lot of water is frozen all the way across, and a good many streams all you find open right now is shallow riffle water, which is not where you normally find fish when it has been this cold.
     
 
    c_davenp
  Carter Davenport caught this nice rainbow on our 1/9/2010
       Guided trip....Fishing in the Snow was not only fun but
                  Productive too   .....Jeff Wilkins photo 2010
 
 VA/TN Tailwaters: 
In VA, the Smith River has been quite slow, in fact its been hard to get on the river with the Corps generating a lot. But a reprieve is coming.  No generation for tomorrow (Sat 1/16) or Sunday (1/17).  For next week, the schedule is as follows:  1/18 on 5am-11am, on from 4pm - 9pm, 1/19 on 5am -12noon, on 4pm-9pm, 1/20 through1/22 on 5am-11am, on 4pm-9pm.   In town in the stocked water Egg patterns, bead heads, Y2K's in pink and tan shades, and streamers will usually produce on the stocker rainbows.  In the special regs area, and up to the dam, try bead heads w/a small dropper of some sort.  Midges and little black stones #18, as well as a few early season BWO's can be had , especially on cloudy, dreary days.  Midges are always a good call.  Also, occasionally a larger fly like a pheasant tail flashback, Ck Nymph, or Tellico will work nicely.  Remember always double check as the schedule can change at any time..276-629-2432.
 
     Click here for a free printable Tailwaters Hatch Chart
   
In TN, the TVA has been running a lot more due to the heavy rains and snows  of the past two weeks in and around the Tri-Cities area and SW Virginia.  Its been 1 unit all day long and til midnight on the South Holston over the past weeks, but relief has come. The schedule has been off from 10am -8pm.  Tomorrow will likely be the same.  The fishing has been pretty decent with midges, bwos and blackflies, standard winter fare for the SoHo.   Take care to note that several areas, like Hickory Tree to Rivers Way, the Webb islands to downstream  of the 358bridge, and the islands around the Dead Chicken Hole are all closed now for the brown trout spawning season and won't reopen until Feb 1, 2010. 
 
On the Watauga the TVA had been releasing /spilling until further notice, but there has been some wade fishing available, and today the Wag' was off until 6pm, and 2 units from  6-8pm, so tomorrow will likely be very similar.  Nymphing and fishing dry /droppers is effective, as well as #20 bwos in the afternoons, mixed with a few black caddis and #18 Little Black Winter Stoneflies.  Usually by this time of the season the better fishing is above the confluence with the Doe River, as the Doe runs pretty cold and the river above is a bit warmer.   The Wag' always a good pm sidebar to the South Holston, or an all dayer if they are pumping on the SoHo.  The bwos come off here whether its cloudy or not.  One thing is for sure, if its not a gray, damp day you'll want to have some emerger patterns as the fish often totally ignore the duns.
 
 
 Release Info   South Holston    Watauga      Smith River
 
 Jackson River- - -- releasing 151cfs and water temperature around 38F, which is a cold temp but the level is great to wade.  January is a slow to so/so month on the Jackson, look for Black Caddis #18-20, small BWO's #20,24, and some midges as far as anything on top.    Dry /dropper rigs like the Smith will work well here. Also, I'd have a #14 or 16 bead head prince in the box as well as some Gary LaFontaine Caddis Pupa Tan size 14, and some Black Conehead Wooly Buggers, as the river can offer some decent streamer fishing in the winter.  Better fishing is coming
 

 
Smallmouth Bass:
  As far as the smallies and fly fishing, no fishing right now in our local rivers.    Right now is an excellent time though to fish some of the mountain reservoirs for them, and Lake James near Marion, NC and Kerr Scott Reservoir near Wilkesboro, NC, and TN's South Holston, Boone, and Watauga Lakes are some of the best.  This time of year spin fishermen are catching smallies on a float and fly technique that is deadly, and they are catching fish in 10 to 14 feet of water suspended off rocky points and bluffs.
 
 
   New River NC Flows
 
 
Local Bass /Panfish:  local Bass and panfish  are pretty slow right now as far as any reports I have gotten,  in fact your biggest challenge right now is finding water that isn't frozen.
 
 
 Private Water
 
A few days ago regular customers Carter Davenport and Patrick Williams and I fished near Glen Lyn, Va and caught some nice rainbows, three of which were 20 inch plus rainbow, and a total of over 75 fish on the day a day in which it never got above 23F.

 We have uploaded several new video clips to our YouTube channel, you can view them here  .  We have more trips here in the coming days and weeks and will have tons of great reports and photos to pass along to you.
 
 pat williams
  
   Mr. Patrick Williams of Chapel Hill w/one of over 30 fish on one of our recent trips.........January 9, 2010  .....Jeff Wilkins photo
 
Coming up in the next few months and actually all winter long  will be a prime time to sample some of this great water and fishing.  These waters offer great fishing all winter long and we are currently into the peak of the winter season when lots of large fish are caught.  So far  bookings are up over last year and we'd love to get you a great day on one of the 5 private waters we have available.  To book a trip  click here. We can put you on some water where we'll catch fish no matter how cold it gets....as the creek never freezes...Let's Go Fishing!!!!
  
 
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  tic_class
 Students at Sugar Loaf Elementary, with teacher Liz Cronan and Jeff look on at the aquarium housing the class's trout fry.  I did a one hour presentation on trout, fly fishing, and conservation.  I will be accompanying Steve Hennings and the class on May 3 to release the trout fry at Stone Mountain.....photo Steve Hennings 2010.

Trout In The Classroom
I recently took part in the Trout in the Classroom program with Blue Ridge TU's Steve Hennings and Brandon Frakes, and visited Ellis Middle School in Advance, and Sugar Loaf Elementary in Taylorsville, NC.  It was a blast, and we all learned a great deal.  The students are raising trout from fry, learning about stream ecosystems, water quality, pollution, entomology, trout biology, and more.  We were also joined by 2009 NC Wildlife Officer of the Year Chad Starbuck.  Check out some photos here , these were taken by Steve Hennings.


Upcoming Fly Tying Class
Beginning Fly Tying
Jan 27, 2010
Details Click Here
 

New Fly Tying Recipes
Click Here

Insect Photo Gallery
 
New Wall of Fame II Page
 
Current Fishing Report Information  
 
Fly Fishing U  Some great fly fishing tips
 
Fly Fishing Blog
 
 
     
    We have had a great start to the 2010 season so far even despite the the up and down weather and we realize that without you this business couldn't and wouldn't exist.  Thanks so much for your continued interest and business.
   
   I always say my favorite time of the year is cold weather, and it is.  Not sure if its the cold, bundling up, the solitude, the great fishing, or what specifically.  But all I know is folks would be pleasantly suprised at what cold weather fishing can be....and we're going to have some good fishing coming after the coming weekend....!
 
   Until next time, I hope you have some great fishing and catch some nice fish.  And by all means, if you catch one worth bragging about, don't keep it to yourself, let me know!  Best of fishing to you in the coming months and see you on the river.....   I wish you and your family a blessed 2010 Fly Fishing Season. 
 
May your casting loops be tight and all your hatches match...
 
Tight Lines & Threads......
 

jeffsig

Jeffrey Wilkins Fly Fishing
3703 Windspray Court
Summerfield NC 27358
:: 336-644-7775
 
 
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 frozen
 Ever seen a spot where no one, no matter how skilled, can get a drag free drift..?  Here's one, the river is frozen hard all the way across...
Jeff Wilkins photo Jan 13, 2010