The South Holston has been fishing fantastic and for those that don't know it, November is the best month of the year on this river. The tail end of the sulpher hatch is happening right now, but they are few and far between. That said, the Blue Wing Olive (my favorite mayfly) has taken over and the fish have keyed into them. TVA hasn't been releasing much water on the weekends so wade fishing is excellent. It's not uncommon to have 30+ fish days right now. These fish love a size 20 quill body blue wing or a CDC comparadun right now. However, when TVA releases, but those little bugs back in the box and bring out the meat! The browns will start spawing very soon and they are extremely aggressive right now. You had better believe that we'll be out their every day we have water, with or without clients. This is the best opportunity of the year to catch 10lb+ brown trout on the holston. Give us a call to book your november trip.

The watauga has been consistently fishing better each day. With the much needed 4 days of rain, we anticipate it to improve even more. We're sticking to the sub-surface nymphing for the most part. We are seeing a few BWO's though and will jump to a dry fly / emerger if it is warranted. We're making sure to be right on the bottom and we're focusing on secondary seams and fast water. The rainbows are piled up in those slots because of the low water we've had all season. The browns are working toward their spawn as well so we'll start seeing more and more action from these guys soon.

Well folks the productive days of catching smallies will be coming to a close pretty soon. As many of you know winter smallie fishing can be done, but it's tough and not the best use of your time. With the 4 days of much needed rain this past week we're anticipating about two to three more weeks of targeting this great fish and we'll probably call it good for the remainder of the season. We're still catching a few on top water but we have moved back to the the sub-surface baitfish patterns like clousers and shag shads. We're fishing them on Teeny intermediate lines and putting good numbers in the boat, just not a lot of 4-5lb fish. If you're addicted to smallies, give Rod or I a call and grab one of the last spots of the season for these guys.

On the South Holston, the conditions couldn't be any better. There are afternoon hatches of BWO's and Sulphers. The sulphers are waning but the BWO's are coming on strong. Fish a size 20 Comparadun BWO or a Thorax with the under hackle trimmed very slim. These fish are picky, but they're worth it. In high water, bring out the big sticks and the 4 inch streamers for a shot at some big brown trout. It's just before the spawn so they are aggressive.

The smallmouth fishing has been eractic lately, but we have them dialed in. With the recent cold front, stay sub-surface with a white/white clouser or a white/gray clouser. Fish an intermediate line and a medium size fly. Focus on the shoals and any minor change in water depth. There is plenty of grass and you'll usually find them stacked up on the edges waiting to ambush the baitfish. By 3pm, switch to a popper and focus on the cut banks. With the afternoon warmth, the bigger fish will congregate in these locations, particularly those with shade.