August River Report 2022 - South Holston & Watauga
South Holston
August has been a high-water month here on the SOHO. We’ve seen very predictable flows which have been good for the fish and boat anglers. The nymph bite has been lights out at times, but can slow unexpectedly. We recommend starting early in the morning. Bottom bouncing and deep in-line fishing have both been producing about evenly for us. Check out how we set up our SOHO High Water In-Line Rig! Trying different water columns can be key if the bite slows down. We are fishing lots of scuds this time of year, which can produce high number days. Try adding some CDC or partridge to your pheasant tails also, some days this has been the difference for us. Midges and frenchies are always on the rotation as well.
Dry Fly Fishing
Afternoon/evening hatches were fairly consistent. At times, the bugs wouldn’t show up as you would expect but you can always force feed a few fish if you know where to look. We have been seeing some small black caddis and midges as well. Standard sulphur dry flies have been working well for us the last month. Puffdaddy’s, CDC & Deer Hair Comparadun’s, and Sparkle Dun’s are go-to’s.
Having long, stealthy presentations are key to getting fish to eat. Check out our video on “How to Set Up Your SOHO Dry Fly Rig”.
Release schedules for the upcoming day are typically available by 6 p.m the day before.
Click here for the South Holston generation schedule!
Suggested Patterns
Nymphs:
Rainbow Scud #18
Beadhead American Pheasant Tail #18
Purple Midge #18-20
Frenchie in Shrimp Pink & Purple #16-18
Dry Flies:
CDC Comparadun #16-18
Sulphur Puffdaddy #18
CDC Sparkle Dun #16
Jake’s Fluffer Sulphur #18
Watauga
Truthfully, we have not been fishing the Watauga much lately. Fishing and flows has been solid on the SOHO. You can find us over there!
Backcountry Fishing
Our small streams have saved the day for our wade fisherman over the past month with the consistent generation on the SOHO. The fishing has been strong and it can be a great change of scenery. When we go fish in the backcountry, we will almost always start out fishing a single dry fly or a hopper-dropper rig. Small streams are the perfect place to hone your dry fly skills. If the water is off-color from recent rain, don’t be afraid to fish a Pat’s Rubber Legs or a Dungeon streamer. We have many local streams to find some peace and quiet as well as big fish. Some of our favorite streams are Tennessee Laurel, Whitetop Laurel, & Roan Mountain. If you need help finding a place to park, just reach out. We are always happy to help you get on the water!
Suggested Patterns
Prince Nymph #14-16
Hare’s Ear #14-16
Elk Hair Caddis #14-16
Stimulator #14-16