Howdy folks. Just a brief update on our early spring trout fishing. Overall conditions are excellent. We are seeing some very nice weather for early March. Adequate precipitation for the reservoirs and rivers coupled with warm ambient temps on most days for comfortable early spring fishing. Average water temps on the Hiwassee River are just under 50 degrees. These are healthy temps for this time of year. When the water warms on sunny days, the fish are very active. As spring temps warm, both the insects and fish will become even more active. The river has experienced a considerable shad kill from the reservoirs above over the winter and the fish have been well fed as a result. White streamers are still getting results as this is changing over to a bug bite. The next two months, although a little unpredictable as for the daily weather, will produce our largest rainbows and browns of the season. So grab a cap and jacket and let's go fishing.
It has been several years since we have seen anything resembling "typical weather." In reading the spring forecasts, it looks like we may have a more average spring weather pattern in place, which will certainly be appreciated for a change. Our plans are to be on the Hiwassee River in Reliance daily for the next 120 days through June. We will be utilizing the new inflatables (pictured) as well as the drift boats on some days. Sometime in May or June we will start transitioning some trips to the Cumberland River in Burkesville, Kentucky for the first fishable spring days there as the river flows diminish. By July, we should be in full swing on the Cumberland River.
The pics here are all fresh from the Hiwassee River in the last 30 days...except for the last one. It is about 16 years and 9 months old. The shirt is long since gone, but the memories certainly remain.
As always, call or email me to book dates with our outstanding guides. I probably don't say it enough. I feel very fortunate and privileged to be associated with the finest guide team in the southeast or anywhere for that matter. I have fished with an awful lot of guides over the years in many places and our new fellows as well as the old hats are simply the best. Born of team spirit.
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Hello to all of the Southeastern Anglers out there! 2023 is showing itself to be a great year for trout fishing in our area. With a little less rainfall and generally cooler temps so far, our mainstay fisheries are in great shape. The Hiwassee River in Reliance, TN has been a consistent producer and will fish well through July with excellent lake levels, good flows, and cool water temps. The Holston River below Cherokee dam fished very well for the spring trout season, with more nice browns coming to the net than previous years. It is now transitioning to a smallmouth fishery in the lower reaches.
Due mainly to the lower precipitation levels, we have been able to start on the Cumberland River in Burkesville, Ky. earlier this year than prior years. The catch rates are excellent with trout within the slot limit coming to the net daily. The sulphur hatch here has been strong as we move into the terrestrial season. Dry dropper fishing is among the best in the southeast. The Cumberland River will most likely be the most productive trout fishery in the southeast for the next 4 months.
As always, call or email to book your fly fishing adventure with us. Our rates have remained the same and will continue to do so through this season.
It is already February 2023; so hard to believe. We have come out of our fly fishing show season, straight into our patagonia trips, and our very own southeastern trout fishing season is already here upon us. If we missed you at the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show this past weekend, hang loose, we were at the Cincinnati Fly Fishing show and will see our Atlanta gang in ATL next year.
Our spring here in the southeast looks plenty promising. Conditions are favorable. March through June will be prime season on the Hiwassee river and it is time to book the dates now. April and May are just about always the best months for the Holston river below Cherokee dam. Lake Cumberland is currently at its lowest winter level that I can remember seeing. This tells me that we are going to see some good spring fishing windows below Wolf Creek dam on the Cumberland river coming up soon.
No need to ramble here. Just letting everyone know that we are looking forward to a very promising season and it is best to book dates soon especially for the early season. Rates remain the same! All we plan on inflating is your ego. We look forward to seeing you on the water soon.
Give us a call. 770-655-9210
A happy New Year to all of the southeastern anglers out there! Thank you for making 2022 one of our best years ever. Just thought I would take a moment to usher in 2023 in a big way and present a little photo recap of some of 2022's best catches.
First - The crystal ball says: Go ahead and book early season 2023 fishing trips and take them too. The 90 day weather forecast is for average precipitation and slightly above average temps for our area. It has been years since NWS has forecast anything near normal weather for the Southeast. TVA and USACE have the major reservoirs we fish below at perfect levels. This spells excellent fishing opportunities for the first six months of 2023. The Hiwassee and Cumberland rivers should perform as well as or better than last year during this period. The Clinch and Holston rivers, which have been finicky during the last few wet years, should come much more back into focus for us as a spring fishing destination.
We added boats and equipment in 2022. The big items were a new center console jet and new 14ft Aire rafts set up for fly fishing. These new rigs give us multiple boats for all conditions and situations. I am especially excited about the fleet of rafts we have available for the variable flow conditions the Hiwassee will offer us for the first five months of the year. This opens up float and wade options and the gorge section during spring hatches and lower flows.
We continue to explore and host fly fishing trips to many areas of Patagonia. In 2022 we were able to spend over 30 days from norte to sur in both Argentina and Chile. Most of it was almost unbelievable fishing. Some of it was not. One week in Coyhaique I was able to land over 50 brown trout, 20 inches or better on large foam attractors. Another day found us lake fishing from the shore in southern Argentina for very willing 15lb rainbows on streamers. The first trip down in January 2022 was still plagued with covid travel restrictions and we probably should have postponed this trip. As adventurous traveling anglers, we faced the storm and marched on. Some fished daily for two weeks, some did not. We all came home the wiser for it. This particular trip goes under the column with volcano eruptions, earthquakes, and civil disputes. Our early season 2023 Patagonia trips are full. We are in the process now of kicking around early December 2023 venues which will be early spring time in Patagonia, with easy travel, reduced airfares, and pleasant weather in the north. We are also starting plans for our January/ February 2024 summer Patagonia trips.
Give us a call. Thanks.
Dane (770) 655-9210
For February 11th - 18th, 2023 we will once again be hosting our annual fly fishing adventure to the Coyhaique area of the Aisen region in Chilean Patagonia. With the exception of 2021 (Covid year), we have made this annual expedition for over 15 years... and it just keeps getting better.
Last month was one of the best fishing experiences of them all and the travel both down and back was successful.
Check out our Paloma River 2022 video here: https://youtu.be/i09SEHmSRl0
Happy 2022 to all of the southeastern anglers out there. I just wanted to share a few recent pics of what we have been up to so far this year. We always get the question: When is the best time to fish. Well, the best time to fish is any time that you can get out there; but for our larger trout and especially the browns, now through the next 45 days may be the best time of year to target them. Conditions and flows are often sporadic, the weather can change on short notice, lots of overcast days. These are the conditions that put the big boys on the hunt. Afternoon trips meeting just after lunch are not a bad way to go. Many afternoons see highs pleasantly in the 50's and the fishing can be excellent. The Hiwassee and Clinch rivers are good ones to head out for right now. As always, give us a shout and let's go fishing.