July 31, 2017

It sure seems like July has just raced on bye.  July presented some good fishing with mother nature blessing us with rain on a pretty consistent basis.  Float trips for Small Mouth Bass were very productive and wade and walk trout fishing was very good.  Mountain stream flows are still good and the water temp is keeping the trout active.  I still suggest being on the water at first light and that means 6AM or a bit later and you can usually be done fishing around 9:30 or 10AM and take the middle part of the day off.

I did fish yesterday morning and it was real good before another guide from a local guide service felt it was necessary to enter the water one pool up from me, literally, I could have cast and caught the guide and clients with my dry fly.  I hope the clients had a good day!

BOC Guide Leland Shockley with a Charlie Whopper eating trout

Now then with that being said the bite was real good.  I landed some really nice Wild Brook Trout!  They were eager to take my #14 Hoppilator.  I was fishing 6x tippet off my Appalachian Furled Leader while using my Orvis Recon 3wt.  I really like my Recon or the Orvis H2 8'6" 4wt mid flex, which is 35% off, for a lot of the streams in the GSMNP. 

I did move to another part of the streams and I worked a dropper rig.  I continued using the Hoppilator as my top fly but I added my Messer's Nymph in a size 12.  This rigged produced some good trout as I was working some deeper runs and pools.  I did not land a Brown but the Rainbows were good size. 

I suggest using Ants and Beetles as well as Inchworms for your terrestrials.  Messer's Smoky Mountain Caddis, Charlie Whopper, Hoppilator, Orange Stimulator, Adams, and Purple body dries should complete your box for trout.  Also a couple Griffith's Gnats should be in their too.

Poppers, Stealth Bombers, Diver Shad, and Claw Daddy's should be in your streamer box. 

Call or stop in if you have any questions. 

Tight Lines!