Appalachian Angler : Fishing Report May 5

Due to the recent incline in fishing trips and guide bookings in general it has been a challenge to keep a constant update on this thing - and I apologize.  The caddis peaked on Easter Sunday it seemed - with tan and blonde caddis still smattering the river, and fish still being caught on emergers.  As in years past, the sulfurs have not been too far behind - sometimes right on top of the same hatch!  Caddis continue to swarm on the small streams with lots of sightings of some relatively big (12-14) yellow sallys, and the inch-worm bite has gotten stronger.  The delayed-harvest was recently stocked and lots of fish have been stuck by lots of anglers already - so if you want some DH love you better get quick!

wild style

that is some DH love

There has been a mix bag of trips from small stream half-days with beautiful sunshine and great water levels, to full day float trips full of mayflies and rising fish - with all sorts of weather thrown in.  Obviously the South in general has had a slough of torrential weather and both East TN and the high country were not spared either.  Even in some of the trophy section's murkier water of the year on the 2nd and 3rd - the fishing stood strong.  Even in some fuunky generations - the fishing stood strong.

On either end of both days of falling water the sulfurs decided to pour out in some pretty epic numbers at times.  At one point in the ledges there were handfuls going through rip seams and current lines at a time.  Plenty of fish fell victim to the wet flies before the hatch and during the hatch - as well as big size 14 comparaduns for the risers in the pocket pools.

nice wet fly fish

Nymphing has continued to be strong with sulfur emergers and nymph patterns (p.t. micro-may anatomay), soft hackles for the wet flies - all staying in the 14-18 range.  Midges (20-22) have started to pick back up again with the cycles of the bugs through the bulk of the spring - and there has been a lot of terrestrial-like bites under the trees and in the shadows...

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