October River Report - South Holston & Watauga Rivers
South HolstoN RIVER
October was a beautiful month for us here in East Tennessee. We had great flows on the South Holston for both wade and boat anglers. Most days have had 1300 CFS generation for part of the day. We don’t recommend wading above 500 CFS. Most days have allowed for wade anglers to fish either in the morning or evening on low water. Even though the weather is cooling off, the fishing has still been very good on all sections of the South Holston.
For fly selection, we have noticed that smaller patterns have been noticeably better lately. We are fishing lots of size #18-#20 midges on both high and low water.
With the sun setting earlier, it can be hard to see small Baetis, Midge, and Caddis patterns when fish are rising. One tip is to add a large dry such as a Pink Albert as an indicator. We recently swung BWO Puffdaddy’s and caught fish very consistently after the sun set.
Closed Spawning Areas
*The orange sections highlight what areas are closed. Images courtesy of Ian Feathers!
The South Holston spawning areas are closed for the season as of November 1 and will remain closed through February 1st.
There will be less folks out in the winter as temperatures drop. This makes for a great opportunity to capitalize on lower pressure. We still have plenty of float and wade areas to fish. Look out for great BWO hatches in the winter for wade anglers and solid streamer action for boat anglers.
Hatches
Blue-wings have really ramped up throughout the last couple of weeks and this will hold throughout the winter. Overcast days seem to produce more consistently. Go fish when you can and hope for the best!
There have been a good amount of midges that fish are rising to. There are a few Sulphurs still around so don’t be afraid to blind cast to your typical spots where fish rise. A well-placed Sulphur or BWO Comparadun can get eats when few bugs are out. We have spent a few evenings drifting targeting likely spots as we float which have produced nice fish. This is always a fun welcomed change from watching an indicator.
On low-water, 6.5x tippet has yielded more consistent bites than 6x it seems. For high-water, usually 5.5x tippet does just fine for the averaged sized dries. On smaller midge patterns, we will go down to 6x.
Flows
It seems like the 1300 CFS will continue to hold for our high water. We are fine with this as the fish and the bugs have both been happy. We are fishing both bottom-bounce and deep in-line rigs with about the same results. If one is slow for you, switch it up and try something different.
Looking Ahead
We expect November to have less river traffic than October because the spawning sections are closed and the weather will start to get nasty.
This does not mean that you should stay home, just the opposite! If you have the time, we can get some great winter fishing. We expect the nymph bite to still be decent, but probably don’t expect to reach as high numbers as the summer and fall months. Grab a warm Skwala jacket and head to the river to find some solitude!
Click here for the South Holston Dam generation schedule!
Suggested Patterns
Nymphs
Micro Olive Bullet #18-20
France Fly #18
Olive Midge #20
Copper and Black Midge #20
Dry Flies
Morgan’s Midge #20
Sulphur CDC Comparadun #16
BWO Puffdaddy #18
BWO CDC Comparadun #18
WATAUGA RIVER
With good flows and consistent fishing on the South Holston, the Watauga has not been getting much attention throughout the last month. However, this has started to change for us as October has come to a close.
Wade fisherman should definitely keep the Watauga in mind if flows are high on the South Holston. Anglers have been having success on midges and perdigons such as the Master Baetis, Olive Hot Spot, and Bullet Quill. Try fishing the top fly on your in-line rig as a tag fly rather than tying it on to the bend of the hook. This can increase your top fly hook up rate!
We have found some large rainbows rising on midges so definitely keep an eye out for that. In addition, we’ve noticed some nice BWO hatches that have been worth stopping to fish.
For nymphs, we have been fishing a shallow in-line rig mostly. A chubby rig can still produce results, however we have noticed not as many fish are rising to eat the Chubby compared to earlier in the fall.
Looking Ahead
With the weather cooling, be on the lookout for cloudy days that will produce some BWO hatches. For wading anglers, Lynn Valley, Hunter Bridge, and Lover’s Lane are good places to start looking. Boat anglers should be prepared with the necessary BWO dry flies as they are floating through the middle river sections. The nymph bite should remain decent, but similar to the South Holston, the numbers may not be as high as other times of year. Oh well! Have fun, enjoy being out of the house, stick a couple fish.
Click here for the Wilbur Dam generation schedule!
Suggested Patterns
Nymphs
Olive Bullet #18
RC Leggy #16
France Fly #18
Olive Hot Spot #18
Dry Flies
Birchell’s Hatch Midge #20
Morgan’s Midge #20
CDC Thorax BWO #18
BWO Comparadun #18
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
New Skwala 150 and 350 Merino
With chilly days already upon us, having a dialed in cold weather fishing kit is key for enjoying a day on the water. A winter clothing system starts with great base layers. Skwala’s merino line up is the solution to staying warm on the water. Wear the Thermo 150 Hoody every day. If it warms up and you can take off the layers, no problem. This breathable hoody can handle it. If temps drop fast, this is what you want next to your skin to wick sweat and be your foundational piece. The next layer is the Merino 350 Hoody and pants. Wear this over the top of your 150 to create breathable, insulation that moves with you. Cotton kills. Good chance you will get sweaty wearing cotton and then freeze your butt off when the temperatures drop again. Merino fixes this.
Key Features
Merino also naturally resists odor, so when you’re on day 4 of that week-long trip, your buddies won’t complain about the smell.
95% hand-selected New Zealand Merino wool.
Grown in New Zealand, spun in Germany, built into the most comfortable Merino layers you’ve ever worn.
Shuttle Service Contacts
Both guys will be solid shuttles on the South Holston and Watauga! Tell them we sent you.
Ronny - 423-737-7767
Jeff - 423-741-4884
Guided Trips
Looking to wade fish or float the Watauga or South Holston? We love to focus on education and helping accelerate your fly fishing learning curve.
Even during the colder months, the fishing can definitely still be worth the trip. Nymphing, BWO hatches, and streamer fishing are all programs that are in effect with winter smallmouth coming very soon! Avoid cabin fever with a Yeti cup full of coffee and a good attitude.