South Holston River Fly Fishing - December Update

Flows are changing!

The South Holston has increased the 1300 CFS and is now running an Average Discharge of 2200 CFS.

It looks like they are going to keep that going until Sunday. They are forecasting 813 CFS for the Average Outflow. Keep your eye on the app to see exactly what this looks like.

For fishing, this means that our boat anglers will need to add more weight on their rigs with the increase in water.

We expect that streamer fishing should pick up in consistency from the 1300 CFS flows we did have.

Our wade anglers are out of luck until Sunday it looks like. The Watauga is generating most of today and it looks like Saturday and Sunday will be lots of generation as well with an Average Outflow of 1300 CFS. This can be a good time to tie a few patterns or sit at the shop and tell a fish story or two.

When you can find the afternoons where the sun is out and the temperature gets into the mid 50’s like today the mountain streams can still come alive this time of year.

We also have some rain coming in on Sunday it looks like so definitely bring your rain jackets.

If you’ve got any questions, definitely give us a call!

(423) 573-5668

FIVE FLIES FOR DECEMBER

If you are fishing the South Holston or Watauga Rivers during this December, these are five flies you want to bring in your box.

This is the season of midges! As you can see, they are the bug of the month. They may not be the sexiest bug, however they make up a large majority of the fishes diet this time of year.

1. Olive Midge #18-20

A classic fly here on the SOHO all year. If you aren’t locked and loaded with lots of Olive Midges, you are definitely missing out.

2. Micro Olive Bullet #18-20

This fly killed it fishing in the fall and it’s been producing through the winter. It’s a low-key pattern that gets the job done. It’ll fish on both a bounce rig and in-line rigs. We typically are starting with a bounce rig on our guided trips.

3. Stripper Midge #18-20

For our wade fishing anglers on both the South Holston and Watauga, the Stripper Midge is a stealthy staple that is great for low-water applications. When the sun gets high and the fish get picky, this is a great option. It’ll fish on high-water too!

4. Morgan’s Midge #18-20

The Morgan’s Midge is a incredibly versatile dry fly. Obviously, it will work when fish are rising on midges but don’t be afraid to fish this during a Baetis hatch or black Caddis hatch! Fish crush them. It can be hard to see on the water, so definitely consider fishing a larger dry fly in front of it.

5. Jake’s Fluffer #18
Jake’s Fluffer is technically a Sulphur pattern developed for here on the South Holston, but it could easily be mistaken for Blue-Winged Olive or small black Caddis. It rides high and is a great fly to put in front of your Morgan’s Midge.

Lots of bugs and still finding plenty of happy fish! December is off to a good start.

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South Holston River Fly Fishing - November Update

A quick update for fly fishing on the South Holston River in November! As temperatures drop and fall foliage flows down the river, the South Holston continues to offer solid fishing opportunities.

Weather and Water Conditions
10 Day Forecast

Lots of solid fishing days ahead. Lows will be mid-30’s, highs will be mid 60’s. Be prepared for colder conditions in the morning and take advantage of this manageable weather before things get really nasty. Not much rain ahead, but we could use it. We got some over this past weekend but could use more. Our mountain stream levels have been very low.

South Holston and Watauga Generation Schedule

For boat anglers, the flows on the South Holston have been great. The Time Period has been 1 generator from 7AM or 8AM - 8PM or 9PM. The Average CFS has been around 1300-1400 and the Average Outflow has stayed around 733. At this time, the next few days look to hold this 733 Average Outflow.

Don’t forget our spawning sections are closed until February 1.
This means that the full day generation is likely to hold. Boat anglers rejoice. Wade anglers head over to the Watauga. 

The Watauga River has been maintaining 240CFS throughout most days. With the South Holston generation, this is your best bet for sure. Check out Hunter Bridge and Lover’s Lane Bridge for decent access.

Fly Recommendations

Nymphing remains productive. Midges are the hot ticket as of late and this should continue until the spawn really gets going. With plenty of BWOs out, definitely give your favorite Baetis patterns a try. Just know, the midge nymph bite has been better for us. #18-20s. Copper bead!

For dry flies, most BWO patterns have been effective in size #18-20. Puffdaddy. Comparadun’s. CDC Thorax Emerger.

The Morgan’s Midge has been a great fly to add behind the larger dry. It imitates the small black caddis we are seeing very well.

For streamers, keep it simple with Wooly Buggers and small Dungeons. We like white and olive.

South Holston River Hatches:

Cloudy days. We’ve seen some epic hatches in the last week when the conditions are right. Typically it’s starting on the upper end around 11AM. We are seeing rising fish all the way down to Weaver Pike. On the best days, we see some Sulphurs, plenty of small black Caddis, and many BWOs!

South Holston Fly Fishing Guided Trips

Consider booking a guided fly fishing trip with our experienced guides. We can get you down the river, very safe and super fun! All levels of experience are welcome. This is a great time of year to do a half day trip in the heat of the day, especially with part of the river being closed for spawning.

chubby Chernobyl dry-dropper Rig

Using a Chubby Chernobyl dry fly as an indicator is a extremely effective way to make casting nymphs easier and maintain the stealth that a yarn indicator provides. It’s also a fun way to illicit more surface eats. While we don’t have many large terrestrials in East Tennessee. There are still fish willing to come up and eat the Chubby.

When is the best time of year to fish this rig?

We have found that May-September is the best time of year to fish this rig.

What leader should I use?

On this rig we prefer to use a 9’ 5x or 8’ 4x. We will use the shorter 8’ 4x when there is more wind or if the individual casting the line is newer. A shorter, stiffer leader casts more easily.

What tippet should I use?

On the South Holston and Watauga, we primarily fish 5-6.5x tippet. When water levels are low and clear, we will move to 6.5x.

How far do we put the flies below it?

Typically we put flies anywhere from 6-18in below the Chubby. This varies greatly depending on the section of river we are targeting.

BENEFITS:

• Using a Chubby Chernobyl dry fly as an indicator can be more stealthy than using a yarn indicator.

• A Chubby is also very sensitive to strikes so it’s easy to see when your nymphs get a bite.

• Ideally fish will eat your Chubby Chernobyl!

• This rig is also easier to cast than a yarn indicator. Because a yarn indicator is tied on to the middle of the leader, this can change the weight distribution of the cast often being more difficult for individuals with slower line speed in their cast.

DRAWBACKS:

• The biggest drawback to the Chubby Rig is that in order to change depth of your nymphs, you have to cut tippet off then add more. Using a yarn-indicator, the depth can easily be changed by sliding the yarn up or down the indicator.

• Using a yarn indicator, you can increase the amount of yarn to carry larger flies. On a Chubby rig, heavy nymphs can sink the dry fly.