Tennessee trip report 5/22-23, 2016

[PV_Premier]

Well this doesn't hold a candle to the trip report from Jurassic Lake, but...

Fished this past Sunday/Monday in Tennessee with my dad and a guide friend of ours from Foscoe Fishing Co in Foscoe NC (a highly recommended outfitter if you ever find yourself in northwest NC). Sunday fished on the Wautauga River in Elizabethton, TN, and Monday on the South Holston in Bluff City, TN. Both are typical eastern tailwaters which are hatchery supported but with significant reproduction of introduced fish. The W has about 6000 fish per mile and the SoHo has over 10K.

Fishing on the W is pretty easy, the fish are not particularly smart or picky...and also not that big, average size being 12-14". The SoHo is a different story with a lot of large, wily browns that have been there for a long time. An average fish there runs about 15-16" and lots over 22".

Big fish for us was a 24" brown on a size 24 red midge (2nd image below). Oodles of average size fish out of both rivers. Almost all fish were taken subsurface, lots of indicator nymphing with a healthy smattering of grabs on swung soft hackles as well.

Here are a few photos from our weekend.

[PV_Premier]

I was out again on the W this past weekend, fished on Monday. Fishing was a little tough, but we found about 30-40 willing players across 4 rods/2 boats/6 hours, and I got my newer Redington Hydrogen 3wt some nice trout mojo that it was missing up til now.

The big news was the 28"/8-9# brown I stuck. Definitely the biggest brown I've caught in the US and possibly bigger (heavier) than many I've caught in NZ. It was a complete goat rodeo, but somehow we managed to get it in the boat.

I'll post a few pictures tonight or tomorrow of the most recent trip and the 'big boy'...or if you follow me on IG you've already seen them.

[daveiam]

I'm heading to that very spot this coming week. I have fished it before with a guide (High Country Angler) and it was a terrific day, with about 70 trout caught. All but about 10 were very decent fish, with two big browns brought into the boat.

This is a beautiful part of the country. I would have never considered eastern Tennessee a trout fishing destination, but I changed my mind pretty quickly.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Amazing the amount of great fly fishing in the United States that we have never seen.

Thanks...............