Fall Fly Fishing Is the Best
At least, fall fly fishing is the best if you ask me. Lots of great arguments can be made for each of the other seasons. Even now, as I'm still enjoying summer beetle fishing for brook trout, I know there are plenty of great things about the warm months. However, I'm a cool weather guy, and the fish seem to like cool weather also.
The next three to four months will offer some of the best fishing of the whole year. In fact, going through pictures from last year shows some of the best fish caught all year happened in November and December out of the drift boat. I had some amazing days fishing for myself in the Smokies as well.
In the rest of this newsletter, find a quick fishing report, a new fly fishing for brook trout video, some new blog posts, and of course, our current open dates for guided trips. Thanks for taking the time to keep up with us here at Trout Zone Anglers and reading this newsletter!
|
|
New Fly Fishing Video on YouTube
Some of you have probably noticed that I'm trying to make more video based content. To that end, I recently added another camera to the lineup. The new GoPro is opening up a lot of possibilities when it comes to filming.
Recently, I took advantage of an off day to go fishing for brook trout on a favorite stream and also spent time getting familiar with the GoPro. Lots of footage was obtained, and I spent time wading through it all to come up with a new short film on fly fishing for brook trout in the Smokies. The picture above is a screen grab from the footage shared in the video.
If you enjoy the film, please subscribe to the Trout Zone Anglers channel on YouTube and also please share it with your fishing friends! Thanks!!!
Backcountry Brookies in the Great Smoky Mountains - 4k
P.S. Make sure and watch it in 4k for the best quality!
|
|
The Annual Review of Why I Love Fall
There are many reasons why I love fall fly fishing. However, this blog post from a couple of years ago really summarizes things best. You may have read it before. For those who don't want to read, I'll share a few pictures below from past years in autumn as well. Notice it isn't just the fish I love about fall, but they are a compelling argument in and of themselves.
READ: Fall Is My Favorite Season
|
|
Fishing Report
For once, I don't have a super current fishing report. That's because I've been on vacation the last couple of weeks and haven't been on the water since two weeks ago. That said, here is what I was seeing then and what I expect to see moving forward.
Smokies Report
The Smokies are fishing very well thanks to a couple of tropical systems that have moved through over the last month. Flows are amazing for this time of year and the fish are healthy and hungry. A couple of weeks ago, I saw lots of golden stonefly shucks on the rocks along with isonychia (slate drake) shucks. Nymph imitations of each were working well. I stuck with a traditional Tellico nymph in size 10 for the golden stones and my isonychia soft hackle in size 12 for the slate drakes. Fish approved of each!
Moving towards fall, both of those patterns should work but caddis should start being important again over the next month or two. Blue-winged olives can hatch very well in fall on cloudy or rainy days. An often overlooked fly for fall is a midge pattern. When the water gets low and clear, consider a small zebra midge for those picky fish in the mountains.
Finally, don't forget your terrestrial box. We've still be doing well on beetles, ants, and inch worm imitations among other things. On high water days, don't be afraid to throw a streamer as well.
If you have additional questions on hatches, consult this hatch chart on our website. Also, this page on flies for hatches may also be useful.
Tailwater Report
We are now into the late summer drawdown of area reservoirs. That means that high water can be an issue if you are looking for wading opportunities. We spend a lot of time in the drift boat this time of year. Be aware that tailwaters are dealing with seasonally low dissolved oxygen and the warmest temperatures of the year. On most of our tailwaters, you can still keep fishing, but should probably keep the fish in the water more than usual. For the most part, midges, scuds, sow bugs, and worms should get fish in the net. Don't forget to bring a streamer rod if you enjoy fishing that way as well!
Mid to late fall can provide good fishing if flows stay down. In fact, we see some of the largest fish of the year caught during this time frame. Late fall into winter brings back the great streamer fishing we love. From December onward, fish will move for a big meal, and if we get a cold winter, the shad kill can be the biggest fishing event of the year.
|
|
Pivotal Moments in Angler Growth
About a month ago, I put some thoughts together on angler growth, my own that is. Do you ever take the time to look back on your journey as an angler and consider how each step along the way helped you to become the angler you are today? That is always an interesting proposition. I could have pulled from a lot of different moments for this blog piece, but the ones that made it in are what came to mind at the time I was writing.
If you have time for a longer than usual read, check out my blog post on Pivotal Moments. It is interesting to wake up one day and realize you have made a lot of progress as an angler. Still, there is always more to know and learn. I can't wait to see what the next major pivotal moment is in my own personal angling journey.
What have your pivotal moments been? How did they help you become a better angler?
|
|
Interested in Smallmouth?
Next year, we hope to be offering a few more smallmouth trips. Guide Travis Williams is going to be less available moving forward (more on that in next month's newsletter), but should still be able to do some smallmouth floats. I'm also going to be looking into a few more options for smallmouth. In the meantime, here is a quick smallmouth report and video to get you excited to chase these amazing fish!
Chasing Brown Fish on New Rivers
|
|
Guided Trip Availability
Because of the popularity of the next three to four months for guided trips, we are booking quickly. If you are still wanting to do some fishing this fall, don't wait much longer to get something booked. Here is the availability for each guide over the next few months. As always, email me at TroutZoneAnglers@gmail.com to book. You can also call or text me at (931) 261-1884. Thanks!
For Trips with David Knapp (Caney Fork, Clinch River, and Great Smoky Mountains)
October 5, 13, and 14
November 4, 8, 9, 22-24, 29-30
December 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15-17, 20-22, 27-30
For Trips with Travis Williams (Great Smoky Mountains, Clinch River, Smallmouth Bass Rivers)
As I already mentioned, Travis is going to be much more limited in the number of guide trips going forward. This is actually a great thing for him, and I'll be sharing more about that in next month's newsletter. That said, please simply email, text, or call for his availability.
For Trips with Pat Tully (Great Smoky Mountains and Clinch River)
September 9, 10 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, and 30
October 5-7, 12-15, 20-21, 25-27, 29
November 1-4, 8-12, 15-19, 22-24, 29-30
December - Still good availability
|
|
What Is Your Favorite Season and Why?
Now that I've spent this whole newsletter talking about how much I love fall (and I'll probably do the same thing for the next three months), I'm thinking about the reasons I love winter fishing, spring fishing, and summer fishing. Yes, the summer fishing is starting to seem distant since it is almost over for another year. Still, with winter right around the corner, I have lots to look forward to that season as well.
Everyone has a favorite season I'm guessing. Everyone has good reasons for their own choice. So, what is your favorite season and why? It may or may not be fishing related. Let me know!!!
|
|
Thanks For Reading
Again, thanks for reading our email newsletter. I really appreciate the support from each and every one of you. I hope you are getting plenty of time out on the water and have had a great 2021 so far!
Sincerely,
David Knapp and the crew at Trout Zone Anglers
|
|
|
|
|
