OUR WATERS
The upper corner of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina has some of the best fly fishing opportunities in the country. Thousands of mountain streams, free stone rivers, and a host of some great tail waters that can be fished twelve months out of the year. We offer fly fishing for several species including Rainbow, Brook, and Brown Trout, Small Mouth Bass, as well as the ever elusive Musky.
SOUTH HOLSTON RIVER
The South Holston River in my opinion is the #1 trout fishery in the east. It is a tail water that flows roughly 14.5 miles from one of the cleanest lakes in the nation, and has consistent, year around temperatures that’s perfectly suitable for trout. The SoHo as we call it, has epic baetis hatches that last nearly all summer long. At 8,000 fish per mile, you can catch some serious numbers of wild brown trout while at the same time, have the opportunity to catch that trophy of a lifetime. I have fished all over the country and the South Holston river is second to none!
WATAUGA RIVER
The Watauga River is a lesser known tail water that flows in East Tennessee from Watauga Lake. Although most people think of the South Holston when they think East Tennessee tail waters, the Watauga is truly a great trout fishery with its own unique identity with a trout population of around 5,000 fish per mile mixed with strong rainbows and wild brown trout. The Watauga river is home to the biggest mothers day caddis hatch east of the Mississippi. Clouds of size 10-12 granum caddis fill the sky, while schools of 16-20 inch trout gorge themselves on the surface. Truly a dry fly fisherman’s dream, there is just nothing else like it on the planet!
NOLICHUCKY RIVER
When the weather is hot, and the water is low……….there is nothing like fly fishing for small mouth on one of the wildest freestone rivers in the east. The Nolichucky (which stands for “River of Death” in Cherokee) starts at its confluence of the Toe and Cane Rivers in North Carolina and flows through a gorge that crosses into Tennessee. The Nolichucky gorge is home to some of the very best white water rafting in the east, and is in my opinion, one of the prettiest places on earth. It is not uncommon to see black bears swimming in the rivers as bald eagles soar above. But beyond the wildlife and the amazing scenery, the smallmouth that live in those waters are some of the strongest fighters pound for pound that you will ever face, and to see one smash a popping bug on the surface is an experience that you will never forget!
DELAYED HARVEST WATERS OF NORTH CAROLINA
The Delayed Harvest program in North Carolina is one of the best fisheries management programs to ever benefit the fly fishing enthusiast. The DH program starts around the first of October and ends at the end of May. Several mountain streams in the area are stocked in October, November, March, April, and May by Wildlife Management and is a purely catch and release program until the summer months come into play and the keeping of fish that are susceptible to the warmer temperatures are once again allowed. Our guides grew up on these waters and know them like the back of their hands. 100 fish days are not out of the question on these waters and are the perfect place to hone your fly angling skills.
HOLSTON PROPER
The Holston Proper is a section of tail water in East Tennessee that has some of the largest and best small mouth fishing in the South. The bug life that is sustained by the tail water flowing from Fort Patrick Henry Lake help feed the bait fish, which in turn create the opportunity to grow small mouth bass that is almost uncharacteristic to the size and numbers of other local freestone streams.
CHEROKEE / NANTAHALA NC
The Raven Fork in Cherokee North Carolina, is home to the biggest trout in the Smokies. You can expect to catch rainbow, and brown trout that exceed 20 inches, some measuring in the mid-30 inch range. Oftentimes anglers fishing this section will catch the trout of a lifetime. Access is great and the wading is easy. Fishing to a gnarly, giant brown trout, while the Elk graze in the background is an experience you will never forget and many don’t even know is possible for our area.
The Nantahala River named one of the top 100 trout rivers in North America, is that perfect trout fishing destination. The NC state record brown trout was caught on the lower nantahala and weighted 24lbs 10oz! Trophy trout, and many smaller wild trout inhabit the deep, clear waters of the Nantahala.
SMOKY MOUNTAINS
The Great Smoky Mountains contain more than 300 trout streams totaling over 700 miles. Encompassing over 500,000 acres, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides some of the best small stream wild trout fishing in the Southeastern United States. The park actually sits in two different states, Tennessee and North Carolina and we guide on both sides. We practically grew up in the park and have fished its waters ever since we were old enough to hold a fly rod. We can show you waters and fish that most don’t even know are there!
