December River Report 2022 - South Holston & Smallmouth
As this is the last River Report for 2022, we are wanting to hear back from our readers to improve our River Reports for the upcoming year. What information do you want to know moving forward that we have missed? What did you like and dislike about our current river reports? Let us know via email.
South Holston
Much is the same for the nymph bite in December. Both Bottom-Bounce and In-line rigs have worked well. Definitely fish sowbugs and scuds, these flies have heated up for us lately. It can often be hard to beat the Rainbow Sow Bug on a bottom-bounce rig!
Winter is a great time of year to also target fish by swinging BWO soft hackles. We have been using a two-handed rod lately which is a lot of fun! You can create the same swing effect with a single handed rod by using sink and intermediate leaders.
The generation schedule has changed away from the 24 hour flow which has allowed a few hours for wade anglers to enjoy winter fishing. Definitely keep your eyes on the TVA App as the generation schedule is subject to change.
Dry Fly Fishing
With the flows and weather, we are still seeing some good hatches of BWO, Midges, and Caddis. The path to becoming a dry fly ninja demands commitment, especially in the winter months! These fish can be tricky to target, but are a lot of fun. Look for fish that are consistently feeding in the same lane. As always, it takes long leaders and light tippet to consistently catch fish with dry flies on the South Holston. Make your shots count and use stealth when approaching fish so you do not spook them. We typically put the larger BWO dry in front of the smaller Caddis or Midge dry. These small flies can be very difficult to watch float down the river but having a Puffdaddy in-front can be a great indicator.
Looking Ahead
Especially with more wade access, mind the redds! It’s important to walk around these spots on the river bottom. Do not set up intentionally trying fish to mating fish. It is not worth it.
Keep in mind two sections of the South Holston will be closed for spawning protection from November 1 until February 1. Here are visuals of exactly where the river will be closed.
Huge thanks to Ian Feathers for the images as well as GIS/map/cartography support!
Suggested Patterns
Nymphs:
Olive Quill #18
Weiss Dark #18-20
Olive Midge #18-20
Rainbow Sowbug #18-20
Dry Flies:
Morgan’s Midge #20-22
Black Caddis #20
BWO Puffdaddy #18-20
BWO CDC Sparkle Dun #18
Smallmouth
During December we have been chasing Bronze. As the weather cools, the smallmouth fishing warms up! For our wintertime smallmouth rig, we have been using a Red Truck Diesel 7WT with a Scientific Anglers Sinking Leader. Rotating flies quickly has been key for us on days where the bite is slower. Varying retrieve styles is also important to consider, on a recent trip we picked up quite a few fish by dead-drifting flies.
Suggested Patterns
Fuego Flies Shad Pattern
Todd’s Wiggle Minnow
Kreelex
Looking for additional river info? Shoot us an email. or give us a call.
info@theflyboxtn.com