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.

Fall fishing in the watauga has officially started and it's kicking off quite well. A decent amount of BWO's are showing up in the late afternoon, making for a good way to end the float. However, your best bet for success will be to stay in the nymph rigs. The water is very low and the obvious spots are getting hit hard. As a result, you need to focus on the less common spots. The fish are stacked in pretty thick though. Don't forget to rip a big streamer in the deeper holes. The big browns are hungry and aggressive before the spawn.

 

The Lower Holston is fishing quite well despite the recent warming. We do expect it to slow down tuesday and wednesday as a large frontal system drops in but by Friday it will have stabilized and will be back to good fishing conditions. The smallies are willing to move a good distance for a meal right now and the top water action has been pretty hot. Focus on medium body dark colored poppers and don't be afraid to use crawfish patterns subsurface also. There a good number of carp around and they are ready and willing to eat. It can be quite a rush...like a freshwater bonefish.