3.14.10 South Holston River Fly Fishing

I really don’t know how to start this report! Josh and I were both itching to float the Watauga River. With high flows and prior commitments and awesome hatches on the Soho we just hadn’t made it over in a couple weeks.
Well once we got to the put in the TVA had surprised us with an un scheduled generation. Heavy rains had blown the Doe River out and put a lot of off colored water in the river. We floated anyway!

The fishing with all the bad conditions at once was rough. After a brief shower and only a couple fish we decided to row out. At the ramp our truck hadn’t been shuttled and it took us an extra 45 minutes to get squared away.

So now we are underway once again. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed to the South Holston River. And once there high water, again the TVA had changed the schedule.

Feeling super deflated we drove up river to find the water was actually falling! First time for the day we were in luck. Falling water normally equals good fishing. Josh wanted to scout one of my favorite spots for a guide trip later in the week so we found a parking spot. Josh sprang from the truck and began grabbing gear at a hectic pace. I ask what was his hurry, He pointed at the water and said”LOOK!!!”. The surface was alive with rising fish. Some of these risers were real bruisers. Changing rivers had me rigged all wrong, so all I could do is turn my back and try to quickly rig with the sound of constant splashing ringing in my ears. Which for a dry fly fisherman such as myself is torture! Just seconds later McFadden’s voice broke rise sounds, “FISH ON FISH ON!” I turned in time to see the fish bend his Winston Biix almost double. This made getting a good knot tied even harder. I had a good idea of what bugs were on the water so I tied on a straight up BWO & off I went.

Years of hatch hunting and dry fly fishing the Soho has taught me a few tricks to use during bigger hatches. I started scanning the water for bigger fish. I see a good fish rise and fired a cast to it. And from no where a 13 inch bow hammered the dry. After a quick release I spotted a big fish rise. After a few cast made a little tricky by the wind, FISH ON!! A gorgeous 17inch brown.

For the next 45 minutes fish were coming to hand ever few cast alot of 12 and 13 inchers. I found another big fish rising and then a huge fish rose just in front of me, I was literally drifting the fly closer to my legs than the tip of my rod. I never hooked that fish but a few cast later I was in a war with an 19inch brown. This was a feisty long thin fish that just did not want to come in.After landing my second fish over 17 I called it a day and headed to the truck.
Josh came to the truck and being the hatch had slowed wanted to try 1 more spot down river. After a short drive we hiked into a spot we don’t fish as much as we should. I carried a streamer rod for some deep holes for Josh to use. I didn’t plan on fishing. At the first spot Josh stakes claim to the next run, so I started tossing a streamer 3rd or 4th cast and WAM!!! A heavy heavy fish then slack! DANG… Josh was rigging so he let me know that it looked huge too bad it got off… (THANKS BUDDY). The day started off so bad then got so good I just couldn’t complain. So I stripped in, checked my rig, and cast again. WAM WAM FISH ON Heavy fish after a brief tug of war I netted the beautiful colored up 22″ Heavy rainbow. I was excited i ran out of the water like a little school girl so Josh could snap a pic. What a day.
Guide,
Kevin Lowe
P.S. Hatch Hunting doesn’t get much better!!!