Meet Jack Frost

For those of you who do not live in the High Country - we were just blasted with some fresh snow to start our winter season!  The totals from the region are super varied - but up on the mountaintops I know the averages are over 2 feet...Here in the valleys we got a lot of snow - around 10" or so!  Before all the snow showed up I got the chance to do some small stream guiding for the spawners and it was extraordinary!  We saw easily 50+ fish in a 2 mile stretch of stream - fish crawling everywhere!! Last week we were over on the South Holston floating through the closed stretch below the Islands - and it was very eye-opening to see how many spawners were soaked on their beds...Unreal I tell you - if you doubt the power of that natural native brown trout fishery - I would suggest checking it out for yourself.  The TVA has been flowing some water from the generators but have not gone full tilt just yet....

Railin on some snow chewers

If some of the small streams get thawed out there might still be a shot at some spawners - but I have a feeling locally the fish are getting ready to slow down - especially with the next storm blowing in on Saturday night.  Tennessee will continue to fish strong through the cold - when they start generating the bugs will come - they have to.  As of now blue wings/baetis are still the dominant bugs along with some cased caddis over on the Trophy Section.  The streamer bite should pick up right before the annual slow down.  Some guides are duck hunting - some guides are tying flies - a lot of guides are busy at other jobs - but I guarantee all guides would like to be fishing that generation on the South Holston when it starts coming....

On another unrelated but obviously will be mentioned note -
The Mountaineers are on their way - cruising through Western Illionois last weekend in the snow and will be taking on defending national champ Villanova on Saturday.  Lets show up and get loud!!!

DEMONS COME OUT!!