Thanksgiving Angling

First things first - the delay in posts has been due in whole to the fact that we have been as busy as ever with fishing trips this time of year....A guide can consider himself lucky to be guiding all the way up to December - we can only thank those of you who have come fishing with us and continue to support what we consider to be the finest in angling opportunities!

So - over the holidays the trips went generally well....Not much pressure on the streams so the fish did seem to act a little bit happier than usual.



The spawners on the tailwaters are still showing themselves and some anglers/guides are taking advantage of this - but like in other posts - pleeaaassseee treat these fish with the utmost of care....No need to sit on their beds ALL day long and try to catch them all - it is not fair to a species that is trying all it can to survive in our redneck world.  Dragging eggs in front of faces for hours until one finally protects the bed is not guiding or angling - you know who you are....On a lighter note - the blue wings have been continuing to show themselves with all of the foul weather..Size 18-22 imitations under the water column along with some dry activity has been producing fish.  These blue wings are so small that some would consider them baetis - but this is not entirely true....The baetis have been showing themselves as well but remember that baetis have the triple tail and are also a tinge browner than a true blue wing olive...They are so close it shouldn't make a difference but some guides swear by it.....The tailwaters continue to be consistent all the way through the holiday season so enjoy east TN while you can!!!

The small streams have been benefitting from the small amounts of rain we have seen in the high country and spawners are starting to show up everywhere.  Streamer fishing in the confines of a tiny stream can really be rewarding and let your creative side out!!  While most of the fish caught are browns there are some brooks spawning if you know where to look...

Haden just returned from the Bahamas taking his guests down there.  Through the years you hear a lot of tremendous stories from Andros - but the stories always share a common thread, unbelievable fishing experiences...Not too much bad weather - good lights for sighting the grey ghosts - and light pressure all makes for some great experiences.  He's headed back in a few weeks so give him a call if your interested!

On an unrelated note - the Mountaineers are playing first round playoffs this weekend - lets go all the way to Frisco!!!!