So with all the excess rain we have had in East Tennessee on the South Holston and Watauga Tailwaters the rivers are high and TVA is puching lots of water through the dams. Most folks think that with all the water it is streamer time, we are seeing some great BWO hatches on the Watauga and BWO and Blackfly hatches on the South Holston. When the BWO’s are coming off the clients are hooking up best with a loop wing biot bodied emerger pattern that our guides have been working on. The fly sets deep in the film giving that “stuck in the shuck” look that turns on that predatory instinct of the trout. Here are a couple of these fly, one is a BWO and the other is a Sulphur imitation. When putting floatant on the fly, hide the body and tail in between your fingers and only apply the floatant to the loop wing. This really makes this fly ride low in the water, don’t pick it up at the end of the drift, let it sink and twitch it a couple of times before picking up to cast back up in the run. I hope this information helps you have a better day on the water.
When the mayflies are hatching on the South Holston or Watauga Tailwaters in East Tennessee, do you struggle during the time they are feeding on emergers just under the film. I use this easy to tie knot on a three soft hackle rig that has made for some memorable days for clients on these great tailwaters. I use an anchor soft hackle with a oversized brass or copper bead in the thorax, the upper two flies are standard biot body, peacock herl thorax soft hackles. This system is tied on a straight piece of 3x or 4x fluorocarbon leader. The first fly is 6 feet from the flyline/leader connection and then each fly is 20 to 36 inches below that. Here is the video on tying the dropper knot. I hope this information helps you have a great day on the water.
Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you have a great 2013
Here is the first newsletter for the year, it contains all our trip specials and what shows and fly shops we will be at. Check it out and let us know your thoughts.
As you gather with your family and friends I wish you a joyous holiday season. Thank you for being part of my life and making it so rich and rewarding.
So you want to target big browns with streamers, we can make it happen. It doesn’t matter if you have never thrown big heavy flies on sink tips or sinking lines. I have developed the right rod, reel and line systems that make it possible for everyone to have a chance at one of these big trophy browns that the South Holston and Watauga Tailwaters are known for. Here is a sampling of some of the fish from the past week.
Don’t forget about the Winter Smallie Floats, yes thats right smallies in the dead of winter. A float this past week yielded 30 smallies and some nice rainbows all in the same stretch of water. If you want to try some winter smallies, I am having a introductory price for these new floats, $295 for a trip down this awesome section of river. Here is some of what’s available.
We are launching a new website after the first of the year and are already promoting it on Facebook, click here: East Tennessee on the Fly click on the like button and be sure to send your friends to like it as well.
One quick note, Debbie Griffith, please call me at 423-360-1468, your email address did not come through on the email you sent me.
So you think that with winter coming your smallmouth bass addiction has to end until next spring? Not here in East Tennessee, we have the privilege of having a smallmouth bass fishery that gives us a great bite on smallies all year. The winter fishing season brings out the Trophy Bronzebacks. You want to try out this crazy winter fishing for smallies, send me an email to fishwithrandy@embarqmail.com and I will send you and introductory trip coupon good from November 26th, 2012 through February 28th, 2013. This coupon will be good for a one or two person, six (6) hour float on this special water for only $295. Smallies in the dead of winter, yeah you heard right. There also may be some big trophy trout in the 4 to 10 pound range thrown in at no extra charge.
Tenkara style of fishing has become very popular and my recent casting and technique demonstrations have really brought out folks looking for information on this new style of fishing. I am seeing a new group of fisher persons who want to get into fly fishing but get frustrated with the traditional western style of rod, reel, line, leader, tippet and fly. Then there is all the casting techniques, mending skills, stripping skills, and such. With Tenkara it is just simply rod, line and fly. The cast is simple and the new rods that Temple Fork Outfitters has brought onto the market make casting effortless. The folks I worked with on casting at the recent WNC Fly Fishing Expo were amazed at how quick they picked up the casting skill needed, you could see the confidence that they could go fly fishing and not have a high level of frustration. The Tenkara style of fishing is bringing new blood into the sport and I like this. I know how much I, my friends and clients enjoy the benefits of being in the great outdoors and it makes me happy to see others joining in on this fun. You need to take a hard look at Tenkara and join in on the simplicity of it, don’t we all need something a little more simple to help bring down the stress we all face each and every day in out lives.
When looking at outdoor gear for your fly-fishing, canoeing, wading/hiking outings, what is on your list of standards that this equipment must have for you to look at these products and then purchase them? As a fly fishing guide I look at the same attributes you do, only I have to make sure that these same criteria are met more aggressively.
We fly fishing guides expose the products we use to many days of hard, often abusive use and if the product is not well designed it won’t last long. There is one thing I won’t tolerate, that is a piece of equipment that lets me down, especially on a guided trip. This is why I choose the companies products I use very carefully. I will purchase these products from a local fly shop or other outdoor equipment company and then spend a good amount of time testing and literally trying to make it fail. Then if it can stand up to my and my fellow guides abuse, then I bring it into my guiding business for my clients to use.
That is one of the reasons I choose Chota Outdoor Gear Company for my wader, boots and rain gear. They are outdoorsmen designing products for you to use in your outdoor activities. Not only do they design, build and sell them, they use it themselves. The owner Frank Bryant personally tests each and every piece they design to ensure it will be what you need in your outdoor gear. I have been using their products for over three years in my guiding business and have not had one failure on any product. My customers talk about the many great features of the Chota products. The customers who return from year to year and wear the same waders and boots, also the occasional rain jacket, and they talk about well they hold up.
So if you are looking for the best gear for you’re for outdoor experiences check out Chota Outdoor Gear. You will not be disappointed, because I know I’m not.
Be sure to come to the WNC Fly Fishing Expo in Asheville, North Caroline this coming weekend November 3rd and 4th. Chota Outdoor Gear will be there displaying all their new products for 2013 as well as the great products already out there. The owners and I will be working the booth this weekend. Be sure to stop by and talk withus. We will be glad to answer all the questions you have about the products, and we can also talk some fishing, canoeing or hike if you like.
I will be doing casting demonstrations on the casting pond during the weekend using the new Temple Fork Outfitters Tenkara rods. I will be teaching the different casting techniques and giving you tips on how to use these rods. This new(old) type of fishing has been around for years in Japan but just started being introduced in the USA a couple of years ago. Be sure to come watch the casting demos, I will also be tying some Tenkara flies and building level line systems in the A & S Outfitters or Chota booths during the weekend. See ya there!!!
until the snow is flying. The browns on the Watauga and South Holston are making redds and beginning their spawning ritual. The colors on the browns have been spectacular this year.
Soon it will be time for our Winter Float Trip Specials and you can go sling some streamers for the big trophy trout these tow tailwaters are noted for. Keep an eye on this blog for the Winter Trip Special pricing announcement.
Mark your calendars for November 3rd and 4th, 2012 and be sure to attend the WNC Fly Fishing Expo at the Ag Center in Asheville, NC. It is located across the street from the Asheville Airport. If you want to learn more about Tenkara casting and fishing techniques then be sure to come to the show. I will be giving casting and fishing technique demos on the casting pond throughout the weekend. When I am note giving casting demos, look for me in the A & S Outfitters Fly Shop booth, you may also find me in the TFO, Chota and Flymen Fishing Company booths as well. I hope to see you there.
The Fall fishing season is upon us, we are seeing lots of Blue Wing Olives on both the Watauga Tailwater near Elizabethton Tennessee as well as the South Holston Tailwater near Bristol Tennessee. The Watauga Tailwater is also having awesome Cranefly and Caddis hatches during the day. We have been fishing the past week with nothing but dry flies and having a ball. The fish give us all kinds of rises to the dries, from explosive hit and run to gentle sipping “where did my fly go” takes. The folks are loving fishing dry flies all day.
Here are a few of the happy folks from the past couple of weeks.
Doubles on dries!!
look at the tail on this one
A father and son fishing/golf trip, Rich’s first trout on the fly rod, way to go!!
Day two, another good dry fly fish for Dad!!
We can’t forget about the smallmouth and largemouth bass on the Holston Proper
the Todds Wiggle Minnow getting it done!!
The time is now to start thinking about booking your trips as we begin the “Hunt for Troutsquatch” on our Fall and Winter streamer trips, I am already booking dates in November and December for these memory filled trips. Give me a call and get yours booked.
We are also blesses with wintertime smallmouth bass fishing, nothing like catching trophy smallmouth bass in the dead of winter. Give me a call to get the lowdown on this great winter fishery.
What a great weekend guiding the Saluda River Trout Unlimited group from Columbia, South Carolina. We did smallies on the Holston Proper, and trout on the Watauga and South Holston. The fishing was good and the company was great. The TVA made it challenging to get our floats in but we worked around the generation schedules and got in the trips. The weather was great except for right at the end of the day on Saturday, we had to take refuge in a riverside shelter in the Cedar Rapids area while it rained cats and dogs. I think I pumped nearly 4 inches of water out of the boat before rowing out in the dark. Here are some pictures from this great weekend.
Mark your calendars for October 8th and come see me give a presentation to the Saluda River TU group. I will be speaking about how to be more successful on the South Holston, Watauga and Holston Proper rivers when you come to visit out great fishing destination.
