The first official spring day is still two days away but we've been feeling spring like for a few weeks now. Weather patterns have remained inconsistent with gorgeous sunny days and cold dreary days splitting time with rain systems. This has been one of the wettest winters I can remember. We'd sure like a chance for things to dry out a bit. Hopefully, the tide will turn soon.

Our spring season has started off with a bang. High waters have kept us off a few of our rivers, but are also opening doors for us on some of our other rivers. The Hiwassee and South Holston tailwaters love the extra flow. Maybe I should say that the guides love the extra water. The high flows allow us to do drift boat trips on sections that are normally too low during the spring. We're certainly enjoying that aspect of the wetter than normal winter.

Hiwassee River The Hiwassee is on fire right now. That's about the only way I can sum it up. Current flow patterns are two turbines 24/7. This is the way we like it on the Hiwassee. The fish can spread out and utilize the entire river for feeding and cover. I temped the water yesterday afternoon and got a reading of 50 degrees. The water clarity is good with just a slight emerald color to it. Perfect conditions for guided fly fishing on the Hiwassee River. Scott N. Managed to land two doubles on St Patricks Day. A double is when and angler catches two fish on one cast with one fish eating the point fly and a second fish eating the dropper.

The fish are in great shape. It's obvious that the winter time delayed harvest has been a positive benefit for our trout. All the trout are spunky, colorful and active. The bite has been steady to incredible depending on the weather and the hatch. Early brown stoneflies are popping with regularity most days. These little stones are about a #16 and can be fished with dry or wet patterns. The Hendricksons #16 have started popping in the afternoons, especially when it's sunny. The fish will isolate on them if they are hatching in numbers. A #16 early brown stonefly

We were in luck a few days ago when it was sunny and warm. The bugs hatched out very well and the fish wore them out all day long. We fished a dry stonefly or hendrickson with #16 dropper nymphs and our lines were tight all day. When it was all said and done, we'd boated 119 fish and there's no telling how many we missed or long disntance released. The next few days were a little more modest with catch rates near fifty fish a day, but the action was still steady. The next few weeks should only get better as spring weather gains a little stronger foothold on the south.

As for our other favorite rivers....We'll, we've really not had a good opportunity to fish them much. Both the Clinch and the Holston have been giving some occasional windows, but they have been short and falling later in the day. I have spent some time pulling streamers on the Clinch on high water and was impressed with the fish I saw. I'm really looking forward to seeing some low water on these two rivers. TVA is scheduled to begin filling area lakes soon. In the meantime, we'll keep working the Hiwassee River and loving the spring hatches.

Our April calandar is filling fast. The weekend of the 6th and 7th is my only open weekend remaining. We still have some availability for weekdays so give us a call if you want in on our great spring guided fly fishing trips. HEre's a picture I snapped of a large raptor on the Hiwassee. My expert friends have identified it as an adolescent bald eagle but it bears a strong resemblance to a golden eagle.



Captain Rocky Cox

Man! What a fantastic day on the river. A light jacket morning turned into a flip flop afternoon in the driftboat. The river was on fire again today. We started on winter stoneflies as the sun hit the water and finished with a massive hendrickson hatch. We fished dry dropper all day and our lines stayed tight. My buddy kept count and he said we caught 119 trout between he and I. I don't know if we did that well but I can say we slayed'em. Can't wait to show this action off tomorrow.

We made it! We survived! Winter is over. Winter might have something to say about that though. East Tennessee received a dusting to several inches last night. Spring is fighting back though as this weekend will see highs in the 60's. It's time to get out and wet those lines.

With springs arrival we have a few other important dates and reminders to share.

Your Tennessee fishing license and trout stamp expired last Friday. Click here to visit TWRA's website to renew your fishing license and trout stamp. Also, as some of you may already know, TWRA now has a one day all species non resident license available as well as the classic three day model. All of my out of state anglers have applauded these options.

March 10th, This Sunday we spring forward an hour as daylight savings time begins. I know this is welcomed news to everyone that enjoys being outside.

Thursday March 14th. We'll be speaking at the Clinch River Trout Unlimited monthly meeting. My presentation is titled "Drift Fishing Tailwaters for Trophy Trout" and will last about an hour. It's free and open to everyone. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the parish hall of St. Francis Episcopal Church, 158 W. Norris Road, Norris, Tenn. Come out and say hello, enjoy the show and hear some of the good things the Clinch River Chapter is doing to help the river.

Now onto the fishing. The Hiwassee is flat out on fire. Fish counts of 75 - 100 fish are not uncommon on our recent floats. We're still seeing a few shad and white patterns are still turning up above average fish. We're also seeing the spring bugs starting to move. Best setup is a heavy white streamer of your choosing with dark nymphs (#14 - #16 princes nymphs) trailed as a dropper. The recently ending Delayed Harvest season was a huge success and the river is chock full of healthy fish.

The Clinch River and Holston Rivers are both coming into form. Scattered flow schedules have kept us scrambling but things are starting to settle out. We're expecting steady, fishable flows in the next few days. We will be out there pulling streamers until the steady flows start up.

Let's go fishing!

September fishing report and fall preview.

September 20th, 2012

Here we are. Late September and fall will show up on our doorstep this weekend. It's been a great summer here in the southeast, but I'm ready for fall. Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, including great southern trout fishing. The changing season brings cooler nights and comfortable daytime weather and the trout love it. Some of the best fly fishing in the southeast will be happening in the next three months, and the fall colors will provide a gorgeous backdrop. All of our regional tailwaters should provide great opportunities for anglers looking to bend a rod. Now's the time to book your fall guided fly fishing trip. October and November will be busy.

Our weather has been fairly nice this summer. We've had some heat like always but late August and September were very comfortable. The entire Tennessee valley experienced a large rain event earlier this week, as a very fall like cold front pushed east. Some areas saw over 5" inches of rain. Hopefully we won't see too many more of these type rain makers for the rest of the year. Anyway, for the next few weeks expect cool or even cold mornings and comfortable days. Make sure you dress in two layers.

Clinch River The Clinch has been seeing fishable flows on most days. The river muddied up some from the interstate down earlier this week. I canceled my Tuesday trip but the river has cleared well enough to fish Wednesday and was perfect for today. It had just a slight stain and the normally, crazy spooky fish lost a lot of their inhibitions. I expect it will be gin clear again by the weekend. Norris lake is currently sitting around 1010' feet and is about where it needs to be on TVA's operating guide. The tailwater should continue to see workable flows as long as we can dodge future 5" rain events.

The fishing has been very good over the past month. We spent a lot of time pulling streamers in the stained water yesterday, but the bite was solid. Today, like many of our other days on the Clinch, was spent nymphing. The fish were dialed in on a little #24 emergent midge that I tie and they were crushing it. We fished it about 12" deep under a tiny piece of poly fuzz, and almost every eat came complete with a lighting flash under our indicator. Truly one of the most fish filled days that I've ever spent on a river. Dave....if you read this, you were the man today! It didn't matter if you were looking at your indicator or not, 15mph wind gust or sunny calm, chewed to shreds fly or fresh from the fly box. I honestly think you could have caught them without a fly. Great day man!

Hiwassee River The large rain event earlier this week was perfect for the Wass' and our fall lineup. As you may or may not know, the Hiwassee tailwater and supporting watershed love the rain. We should be shaping up for a great season on the Hiwassee River, as TVA will be running the water and we'll be floating the drift boats.

The Hiwassee Delayed Harvest regulations will go into effect on October 1st. I was pleasantly surprised with TWRA's venture into a tailwater DH last year and am eagerly looking forward to it this year. The river will become 100% catch and release, and artificial flies and lures only from October through February. October is going to be a lot of fun this year. I can't wait for the large orange October Caddis and dry fly fishing.

Cumberland River The flows have been very fishable on the Cumberland for the past couple months. The USCOE have bumped up the flows this week in response to the heavy precipitation, but the schedule still leaves a good low water window. We're really hoping to avoid any more large rain events in the Cumberland watershed. So far so good, lets just keep our fingers crossed.

The fishing on the Cumberland has been very consistent. Stick to the gravel bars and shallows to find the active fish. I've really not been seeing too much in the deeper water. The late summer terrestrials weren't quite as good this season as the majority of the active fish seem quite content in the faster water. We've been doing well with a variety of nymphs. Just remember tungsten and dark colors. Over the next month we should see the big browns making their way towards the shallows.

South Holston I've spent several days on the South Holston over the past month. We've been splitting time wading in the mornings and floating in the afternoon. I'm expecting to see a little more flows over the next few weeks but that's not a bad thing as the water flow makes the river perfect for the drift boat.

The fishing has been very technical at times. I watched several large brown trout rise up and refuse natural sulfurs. Now that's picky fish. They demand a great presentation, on a long and light leader. Not necessarily the easiest thing to do in slick, glassy water. Everything changes once the water comes on and we enter the drifter. The fish are much less picky when the rivers pushing some water. Fooling a trout with a dry fly is one of life's little pleasures. Fooling these mayfly PhD toting trout is very rewarding.

Please note that a significant portion of the river will close to fishing in November for the brown trout spawn.

Now's the time to get on the books for October and November. We look forward to seeing all the fall regulars again and welcome everyone looking to see what guided fly fishing in the south is all about. See you on the water.

Captain Rocky Cox

865-388-9802

East Tennessee Guide Report

Everything changes for us tomorrow. Most of east Tennessee's kids will be starting school, and we'll be seeing less traffic on area rivers. Not that its been crowded by no means, but places like the Hiwassee are about to be a lot more peaceful. Now's the time to start planning your September and October guided float trips on one of our southern tailwaters.

Our area weather has been a little wetter than normal over the past few weeks. Pop up showers have been possible most every day. We've noticed an increase in flows at many of our trout tailwaters. The fishing has been very dependable when your floating on your target flows. We've been playing the river hop to keep us on the best fishing. Right now, we're primarily just booking the dates and deciding where to fish the night before the trip.Here's a look at my picks for the best guided float trips in east Tennessee and the southeast as we move into late summer.

Clinch River
Guided float trips on the Clinch River are still the top pick for east Tennessee. An ever changing flow schedule has kept us on our toes though. Weekend flows are still managed under the TVA Recreational Schedule. So the weekends are a sure bet. The weekday schedules are a little more sketchy and are day to day on being a go or not. Norris Lake never reached full pool this summer.

The fishing has been great. The fish have enjoyed the cooler, wet weather and the bite has shown it. Fish are not as spooky as they were a month ago, especially during the mid day hours. Our sulfurs are all but gone. I still see a stray now and then, but those are being left for the swallows. Nymph fishing under a light indicator is the bet bet for staying hooked up. Terrestrials are providing for some exciting strikes so don't be afraid of using a hopper pattern as your indicator. We're seeing our best quality fish on our guided Clinch trips.

Hiwassee River
The Hiwassee tailwater is our most dependable float trip right now. High water is great for our drift boat trips, and the trout. If we can keep seeing some rain in the watershed, we should have water well into the fall.

The fishing on the Hiwassee for trout has been pretty solid. We're not seeing many fish over 13" inches but we're catching plenty of fish. The fishing here isn't as technical as the Clinch so the trips are well suited for any skill level and anyone seeking a bent fly rod. The trout are eating dries well, including Isonychias #12, Blue Winged Olives #18 - #22 and #16 Ginger Caddis. Their also eating a variety of wet flies and nymphs with reckless abandon.

Cumberland River
The Cumberland watershed ha taken on a good dose of rain over recent weeks. Flows are much more angler friendly in the early morning hours and further downstream. The COE is releasing a large amount of water mid morning and it's best to be downstream of it to extend your fishing window.

The good news is that the fish are eating really well when the water is low. Tungsten beaded flies between #14 - #18 are working best right now. Best patterns seem to be darker nymphs with less flash and more buggy. We're still rising some trout on hoppers but the best terrestrial bite is later in the day than we've been able to fish due to the higher flows. The fish quality has been great....all fish are hard fighting and look good.

Other Rivers.
We're starting to see more opportunities to fish other local rivers now that we're doing a bit of river hopping. Two of the notable rivers are the Caney Fork River near Cookeville TN and the South Holston River near Bristol. Both Rivers should make for a great destination over the next few months. They will be a favorite choice of many of my long time clients who are looking to see some different waters. Both offer shots at trophy trout and both are fun places to toss flies.

Dodging storms on the Cumberland.

I spent Saturday on the Cumberland with some old friends. The fishing was fantastic when we were fishing. The bite was hot with us working small nymphs under light indicators. It was shaping up to be a banner day.

Unfortunately, we spent 45 minutes hunkered down on the bank, letting a close by thunderstorm pass. High water caught up with us a few hours after the storms and that was the end of our fishing. We rose a few more fish but the bite had obviously changed.

Always nice to spend the day on the Cumby.

July 30th, East Tennessee and Southeast Fishing Report

This summer seems to be flying by. Fall will be here before you know as July wraps up with August on deck to finish out the season. This has been one hot summer indeed. We're pushing the 90's everyday near Knoxville and the rest of the southeast. You'd think the heat would have us down but you'd be mistaken. We've had a great summer season and the fish have been doing their part as well. Our tailwater streams are still flowing cold and are fishing very well. I'm expecting things to hold like this for the rest of the summer and into fall.

Clinch River The Clinch River remains our top pick for guided fly fishing trips near Knoxville. Although the days are hot, we're seeing a cool fog on the river for the majority of our trips. The fog provides us a breath of fresh air and makes for a nice way to beat the summer heat. The TVA is operating Norris Dam at great levels for float trips, giving us early morning low water and afternoon higher water.

We're catching a mixed bag of fish right now. Plenty of brook trout are biting during the morning and the rainbows and browns are coming on later in the day. The best and most consistent action is still on small nymphs fished with stealth. Use the smallest indicators you can and even stretch your leaders out to 13' to 14'. Don't ignore the hoppers and cicadas in the trees. They tend to work best with the water on.

Hiwassee River Our guided float trips on the Hiwassee are very dependable right now. We're not catching large fish, but we're keeping a tight line most of the day. This is the place to go if your looking for easy numbers. We've got daily water to insure your trip goes off without a hitch.

Currently, I'm still wearing isonychias out. I've been fishing a trailing nymph behind them and splitting the action. I'm pretty sure you can catch fish on just about anything you fish with.....I just prefer to work the dry flies this time of year. On a side note, I saw Tony Wilson on the water yesterday.

He was fishing with a friend and took the time to row his wooden boat over to say hi. For those that don't know Tony, he's one of the pioneering river guides of the southeast, and one of the best guides I ever had the privilege of working with. He taught me a lot and not a day goes by that I don't miss seeing him on the water. It was great seeing him out enjoying the day.

Cumberland River We're seeing great flows for guided drift boat trips on the Cumberland every day. Currently, USCOE has the water off during the early morning hours and then running a good amount more during the heat of the day. Flows are still fairly cold, measuring around 58 degrees. I'd expect USCOE to start their constant sluice in the next few weeks. This will also be a good flow.

Fishing is best in the faster water and runs. Look for fish in the riffles, and current seams along the bank. Some fish are holding in deeper pools but they seem very slow to react to flies. Best flies and techniques right now are focused on nymphs. Hopper/dropper rigs are producing a little, with an occasional big fish. The hopper fishing should get better as summer wears on, a higher flows fill in the river.