Current streamflow- 52.8cfs
Water temps- mid 40s
Current hatches:
Cream midges
Winter black stoneflies
Hot flies:
Griffith's Gnat- 18-16
Parachute Adams- 16-14
Rainbow warrior- 20-16
Perdigons- 20-16
Hot bead pheasant tails- 18-16
Today is the first day that we'll see a change in conditions in quite some time on the Tellico. The upper river has received 1/2" of rain as of this morning, with another 1/2" of rain predicted over the weekend. If we get what is predicted, it should be enough to help bring streamflows up for the coming week. Last time we got a little shot of rain, just before Thanksgiving, it was like a light switch, and trout fed heavily for the next several days, giving us a break from the low water and tiny flies that we've gotten accustomed too.
If you get up river this weekend, I would still take plenty of smaller flies (rainbow warriors, perdigons, midges), but you'll want to have some larger, heavier patterns such as blowtorches, walt's worms, Pat's rubber legs and similar patterns in case streamflows rise and/or become off-color. The trout should be far less selective under those conditions.
The tributaries are fishing well for wild trout, although the low water has caused a lot of leaf build-up that has slowed flows even further and can get in the way of a good drift. Hopefully, this upcoming rain will flush a lot of those leaves out. Expect wild trout to also go on a feeding spree with the increased flows.