October River Report 2022 - South Holston & Watauga
South Holston
We saw Sulphur mating columns many times throughout the last month. The afternoon hatches were as good as any we have seen throughout this year.
About the middle of the month, the SOHO experienced low oxygen levels in the upper portion of the river. To raise the oxygen levels in the river, the dam began sluicing. Because of this, we have had varying flows of both low and high water.
When we fished high-water, we used our Standard Bounce Rig. Our fly selection was consistently midge & frenchie variations, as well as the Rainbow Sowbug.
On low-water, we primarily dry fly fished as the hatches were fantastic. Most of the time, we fished a single Sulphur dun pattern or PuffDaddy. Between hatches, we’d also run a dry-dropper rig. For the top fly we’d fish a CDC Sparkle Dun #16 with a Mayhem Emerger dropper.
When we did nymph on low-water, a Micro Mayfly and midge under a yarn indicator were our go-to. Find the fast moving water and riffles when fishing this setup. Oftentimes, fish were eating the fly on the swing. Don’t be afraid to let your flies swing out at the end of your drift.
BWOs have shown up strong within the last week. Fishing a dun pattern with trailing Mayhem Emerger is a great way to target fish when you see them feeding on dries. It’d be easy to think that the Sulphur hatches are done, however as I’m writing this I can confirm there was a legit hatch on the river last night. Don’t be afraid to double dip on your dry-fly rig. One sulphur as the lead fly, with a BWO behind it.
Dry Fly Fishing
As the weather cools, BWO’s will become more prevalent. It seems like BWOs are prone to hatch when it’s 40 degrees and you’d rather be at the house eating chili and watching football. It’s almost always worth creeping out to your favorite dry fly spot to fish the afternoon hatch that fairly consistently peaks between 2-4pm.
Set yourself up for success
Make sure your leader and tippet is fresh
Dress the fly properly
Feed fish from above
Be on the river in the best afternoon hatch window
Looking Ahead
While the flows have been unpredictable lately due to trying to balance out the low oxygen levels, we do know that the fish will be spawning soon.
Mind the redds! Don’t set up intentionally on spawning fish.
Two sections of the South Holston will be closed for spawning protection starting on November 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!
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:
Olive Quill #16
Micro Mayfly #18
Weiss Dark Mayfly #18
Purple Midge #18-20
Dry Flies:
BWO PuffDaddy #17-19
BWO CDC Sparkle Dun #16-18
BWO Comparadun #18-19
Watauga
We’ve been fishing our standard low-water indicator rig or we switch it up and use a chubby with a single jig style dropper.
Keep a low profile. These fish can be heavily pressured. With low and clear water, take every advantage you can to maintain stealth. Fishing down to fish can help greatly with this.
Swinging flies can be deadly on the Watauga for our wade fisherman. Swinging down through riffles can be very productive and works well with the little wade fishing access that the Watauga provides.
We’ve had some great days streamer fishing on the Watauga lately. The upper sections have been producing well for quantity and the lower sections for quality. Olive, brown, and white are some of our favorite colors. Recently, a tan Featherchanger from Fuego Flies crushed when paired with a Airflo Streamer Max Shovelhead.
Click here for the Wilbur Dam generation schedule!
Suggested Patterns
Chubby Chernobyl
Red Butt Soft Hackle #14
Partridge and Orange #16
Bullet Quill #16-18
Looking for additional river info? Shoot us an email. info@theflyboxtn.com