April 18 - April 24

Hello everyone!  Fishing is awesome right now.  Many great fish are being landed here in Jackson County on the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail and the surrounding area.  The weather is perfect and stream flows are good. 

We had some anglers take a 20 plus inch Brown Trout on a Greenie Weenie last week.  We are seeing hatches of BWO's, Blue Dun's Hendrickson's, March Brown's and Tan Caddis just to name a few.  I have actually seen some Hoppers so terrestrials will start becoming a part of the diet before long. 

On the Tuckasegee DH Section nymphs still reign supreme.  Girdle Bugs, Buggers, Hares Ear, Prince, Pheasant Tail, Stoneflies, Worms, and Mops are the core ones to use.  You will see some Caddis and some March Browns so some dry fly action may be good to try.  Dry dropper rigs can be productive.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is fishing really well.  We are seeing a lot of good hatches and the trout are responding.  The water levels are good and the vegetation is starting to fill in.  I was on the water Sunday Morning with some clients and it looked like it was snowing with all the insects flying.  We are seeing Dark Hendrickson's, March Browns, Blue Duns, and some large Tan Caddis.  I did some stonefly cases on some rocks.  They was in the 1 inch range so that means some Stoneflies are hatching out also.

I would recommend Elk Hair Caddis in Tan and Olive, Yellow Stimulator, Yellow Palmer, Parachute Adams, Parachute Pheasant Tail, Dark Hendrickson, Blue Dun, March Brown, and the Charlie Whopper.  Also attractors such as the Royal Wulffs or Coachman will be affective.

Nymphs that have been working include Pheasant Tails, Hares Ear, Black Stoneflies, Zug Bug, Worms, and Girdle Bugs.

As always feel free to contact the shop with any questions you may have. 

Tight Lines!