Fly Fishing Adventures
in the Southern Appalachians
in the Southern Appalachians
Hello Southeastern Anglers and welcome to summertime in the southeast. Just a heads up. Fishing on the Hiwassee River is going to be great for the next 2 months. Spring has been mostly cool, and damp and we have plenty of cold water going into the month of June this year.
Many of you know all our great guides, but some of you may not. Over the next few months, we will put the spotlight on each of them in hopes that you get to know them a little better and give us a call to fish with them when you can.
Garner grew up hunting and fishing in North Georgia. After spending time guiding in western Montana, he moved back to the southeast to focus his guiding career on the stripers, bass and trout that sparked his love of fishing as a young boy. More recently, Garner and Laura relocated to Reliance, TN on the banks of the Hiwassee River where they welcomed their son Wilds in December 2023. When Garner is not out on the water guiding or hunting elusive turkeys, you can find him spending time with his family, hiking, biking, fishing, and traveling, preferably to places with good fishing, good food and good music.
Garner is also a sales rep for Tidewater Sales, supplying local dealers with Orvis, Scientific Anglers, Fulling Mills, and Sitka outdoor products. Just ask and he can give you the full rundown on how the newest gear is standing up in the field and in the market. Below are a handul of near-term available dates that Garner has open.
If you would like to take the opportunity to get to know Garner a little better, just give me a call and let's get something scheduled.
Thanks,
Dane
770-655-9210
News flash! We are now in the drift boats on the Hiwassee River and should be for the season. Plenty of water.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I know it has been a while since our last report. Sorry... it is just that time of year. I am proud to report the Hiwassee River has been fishing wonderfully. The photos here are all from recent trips on the HI, except for maybe one. Until this week, we had been doing most days in the inflatables and mother nature has been kind to us on most trips. Hiwassee Lake is now full to summer pool and river flow rates are increasing. The drift boats are dusted off and in use. The caddis have been hatching well and we should be staring down a full sulfur season at the stair-steps next.
We are still hoping that we might get on the Cumberland River early this year, but with the above average April and May rains, it is going to be close. The jet boats are ready and I am sure the fish are. There have been just a couple of fishable days there since last fall. We just need the rains in Kentucky to subside. If we do not get to fish it early, don't worry. I don't remember a year where we weren't on the water there by July.
I want to congratulate our very own Tic Smith for being a finalist in the Orvis Guide of the Year program for 2024. You can also listen to a recent podcast he made with Tom Rosenbauer here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-orvis-fly-fishing-podcast/id278930814?i=1000703805451.
If you like to scroll Instagram sometimes, add us to your favorites @southeastern_anglers, we try to post some cool pics and sometimes some videos of our fishing trips here in the southeast.
As always, call or email to book a trip with us or just talk fishing.
Thanks,
Dane
770-655-9210
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Folks, it is time to go. Here are a few fresh pics from recent Hiwassee River trips. The river is full of Jim Dandys right now, and even some of the bigger fish are showing themselves. This leopard bow decided to eat a blue winged olive on top and the other two showed to be partial to some shad patterns. It looks to me like both precip and temps are going to be about "normal" for the next 45 days or so (whatever that means). River flows are mostly good also. The next two months are definitely peak fishing days on the HI.
The Cumberland River - With a little luck, I think we will be fishing here April and May and then hopefully right on into summer. We caught an increased number of sizable browns here last year and can't wait to see them again in 2025.
Patagonia trips - We had an excellent couple of weeks on Lago and Rio Yelcho Chile in early January. Big Browns on top and good Patagonian summer weather. We head to the Rio Limay Medio in a couple of weeks to finish up our Patagonia trips for 2025 in Argentina.
We will report back on Patagonia and begin booking for the 2026 weeks next month in March. If you already know that have interest in our Patagonia trips for 2026, go ahead and let me know.
Lastly. Tic is rigging up the Clacka and waiting at the ramp. It's time to go!
As always, give us a shout and let's go fishing!
Thanks,
Dane
770-655-9210
To all of our Southeastern Anglers out there. Thank you and Happy Holidays. Just a big shout out to you, our guests, our guides, and the fisheries and resource management folks that make all of this happen. Here are some recent pics from the Hiwassee River since late October. We are now fishing the river daily and it is an excellent choice for a holiday fly fishing escape. The season is definitely not over here in southeast Tennessee. Bring friends and family for a nice day or half day trip with us here. This is the season to spend a little quality time with that special someone and catch a few trout on the fly too. The cool weather is pleasant with a lightweight jacket and sweater. The fish love it and the rainbows are in full color. The few fishermen out there have the river to themselves now, most of the paddlers are gone. Keep the HI on your radar for the next 120 days. This is prime time. We have gift certificates available for stocking stuffers also.
If you did not make it to the Cumberland River with us this year, it was a great season. Many fish within and above the slot came to the net and more brown trout than 2023. We expect 2025 to be an even better year. The jet boats are cleaned and serviced, and sitting in Burkesville should winter and early spring conditions present an opportunity there. Lake Cumberland is in excellent shape for this time of year.
As always, give us a shout and let's go fishing!
Thanks,
Dane
770-655-9210
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I could also call this a late summer report, but I don't think anyone is late for anything. We are currently highlighting the Cumberland River in Burkesville, Kentucky for the next 60-90 days, and it is shining. I want to make sure that all of the southeastern anglers out there understand that while most of our regular haunts in East Tennessee and North Georgia along the Appalachian mountain chain are experiencing low water conditions, this is exactly the weather pattern that the Cumberland River thrives in. Lake Cumberland, the largest reservoir east of the Mississippi, has plenty of cold water in it. The water temperatures are excellent. The flow rates are excellent. The grasshopper and terrestrial population is prolific. There are a lot of rainbows and browns in the slot range coming to the net these days; many on large dry flies. The photos here are from a couple of weeks ago on the river. We have plenty of open spots over the next few months, especially if you have a tidbit of flexibility. A 2-3 day trip on the Cumberland River this time of year is hard to beat. 
Just a head's up that we also plan on starting up our fall Hiwassee River drift trips around the middle of October, possibly the 3rd week of October. we are waiting on a little cooler weather and water on the HI.
As always, call or email to book a trip or just talk fishing.
Thanks, Dane.
Mid-summer fly fishing update for all of the Southeastern Anglers out there. The second half is going to be big! We are in full swing now on the Cumberland River in Burkesville, Ky. Every day is somewhat different, but one thing showing some consistency is average fish size and quality. We are bringing some larger average fish to the net and more brown trout than last year. Most days are producing fish in the upper range of the slot limit and even some 20 inchers. Water levels are currently good with our anticipation of flows remaining favorable throughout the season.
The Cumberland River just may be some of the best fly fishing a Southeastern Angler can enjoy without getting on an airplane this time of year. We have good availability for August and September and a couple of open weeks left for October.
We will begin operating our Hiwassee River float trips after October 15th. Once the leaves are in full color and the season has changed, the trout of the Hiwassee River return from rest. Late fall through the remainder of the year is one of the best times for fly fishing on the Hiwassee.
This is how we score big in the second half. Please come and join us. As always call or email to book a trip or just talk fishing.
Thanks, Dane
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770-655-9210
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.
