It was a very nice weekend on the river to say the least. Overcast skies and balmy february temps caught my attention and forced me to drive to the fish. Saturday was spent in the South Holston, attempting to make an unsuspecting trout rise to the surface with a size 20 BWO pattern. It worked moderately well, but surprisingly, there weren't as many bugs as I had anticipated. Conditions wereperfectfor these beautiful mayflies. Unfortunately, the trout were less than impressed. I did catch a few, but once I went subsurface with an emerger pattern, it was lights out. Every third or fourth cast was a fish for about 2hrs. Again, conditions were perfect.

Sunday, well Sunday was a different story. I tried my attempt at the Watauga and honestly, it fished better than the Holston, but I was far more frustrated. I probably missed a dozen fish in the first 1/2 hour. I was fishing a 16 green copper john and trailing a 20 BWO emerger off the back. I'm sure it was the emerger that was causing the brief hook-up and long distance release, but my frustration level was the same. The afternoon was flat terribly though. Winds steady at 30 with gusts to 50 made fly fishing all but impossible. I wasn't that interested in casting per se, I was concentrating on high sticking or long line nymphing, but even that was a challenge. Somehow the winds managed to grab a fly line with an 1/8" diameter and drag it through the water uncontrollably. I finally gave it up, drank a beer, and went home to spend time on the vise.

So, there ya have it sports fans....fishing is pretty darn good. Not great, but certainly better than the honey do list. With no football on TV, you might as well be out there....just check the weather first.

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This is technically our off season so it give us the opportunity to go fish ourselves. We do occasionally run a trip but mostly....it's just us fishing. The fishing has been pretty darn good too. The Watuaga is fishing superbly right now. Daily Blue Wings are abundant and large for that size mayfly (size 18). The fish will readily take a CDC comparadun or even a parachute post. Sub-surface will definitely produce the largest fish and the most numbers also. We had them take green copper johns, beadhead pheasant tails, Graphic Caddis Pupa, and of course midge larva. The streamers are still very effective in high water. However, the most fun is drinking a few beers, catching a few fish and just enjoying the comfortable afternoon temps and the good company while awaiting the caddis hatch in April.

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Technically, we fish year round, BUT, it's our off season and that affords us the opportunity to do some fishing on our own. The river is fishing extremely well right now honestly. Consistent afternoon BWO hatches bring the small/medium size fish up from 2-4pm. During the day nymphing with a pheasant tail and a 22 black fly larva or midge is producing good results. TVA hasn't been flowing water recently but when they do, a big nasty streamer pattern is always deadly effective when fished with a T-300 sinking line down deep and fast. Your best results for numbers will be in the upper river but the bigger fish live down lower and your odds go up because the lower section isn't pressured that much (comparatively). All in all, we aren't running many guide trips right now, but it's a great time to be on the river and we'll be happy to take you on a wade trip if they aren't running water.

Technically, we fish year round, BUT, it's our off season and that affords us the opportunity to do some fishing on our own. The river is fishing extremely well right now honestly. Consistent afternoon BWO hatches bring the small/medium size fish up from 2-4pm. During the day nymphing with a pheasant tail and a 22 black fly larva or midge is producing good results. TVA hasn't been flowing water recently but when they do, a big nasty streamer pattern is always deadly effective when fished with a T-300 sinking line down deep and fast. Your best results for numbers will be in the upper river but the bigger fish live down lower and your odds go up because the lower section isn't pressured that much (comparatively). All in all, we aren't running many guide trips right now, but it's a great time to be on the river and we'll be happy to take you on a wade trip if they aren't running water.