Current streamflow- 542cfs (2.15ft)
Water temps- 45-50°F
The Tellico area got a decent amount of rain earlier this week and streamflows are coming down from 1200cfs, currently around 500cfs. At the current flow, the Tellico will be high but fishable. The warmer water temps will help as trout will be actively feeding and willing to move further to pick up food. Streamflows will continue to drop towards the weekend and I would expect streamflow to be between 300-400cfs by Saturday, which is plenty fishable. Pat's rubber legs, walt's worms, squirmies and weighted egg patterns would be my top choices for nymphs, fished with enough weight to punch through the extra current. It should also be a good weekend for streamers.
The temps are warm enough that the tributaries should also be fishing well. It'll be a good weekend to throw dries and droppers on Bald, North, Sycamore or the forks of Citico. You will likely see black winter stoneflies hatching this weekend. There's a good chance you'll see tan caddis and maybe even a few early March Browns.
Give usba call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 12.20.22
Current streamflow- 209cfs, 1.35ft
Water temp- mid to upper 40s
Hatches:
Winter Black stoneflies
Midges
Hot Flies:
Walt's worms (various colors)
Pat's rubber legs
Blowtorches
Perdigons (various colors)
Peach eggs
Streamflow on the Tellico is currently just above normal and the river is beautiful. The water has a habit of running crystal clear in the winter and at this time is very reminiscent of the gin clear glacial fed rivers that you might see out West. The river is currently as cold as glacier melt too, so don't fall in.
With higher flows and cold water temps, trout are sluggish and have moved out of the current as much as possible. This means that most fish will be settled into the deeper, slower, middle and tailouts of pools. There will be fewer fish in the fast pocketwater sections. The trout are still plenty hungry though, and will eat a variety of nymphs provided you can get your flies down to them. In these conditions, when tightlining, I often like to throw a heavily weighted nymph, such as a large Pat's rubber legs along with a small nymph like a Perdigon or Walt's worm. The heavier nymph will help you get the smaller fly down and in front of the fish. If indicator fishing, you may need to add extra shot to get your flies down.
This time of year, work water slower than you would in the warmer months. Feeding trout will not move far to take a fly, so you may have to make a few extra casts and get that fly right in front of their nose before they commit to eating it.
Best time to fish will be around mid day. Especially look for pools where the sun is hitting the water. Midges and winter stoneflies are most active in the midday sun, and trout will key in on this and begin feeding.
It looks like most of this week will be cold. Wednesday is the warmest day with a high in the 50s. Rain/snow mix is expected Thursday and Friday night. Should be a chilly but sunny weekend with great river conditions.
Give us a call, shoot us a message, or stop by yhe shop for the latest conditions. Tight lines.
Stream Report 12.14.22
Current streamflow- 289cfs
Water temps- mid 50s
Hatches:
BWOs
Tan caddis
Black winter stoneflies
Mahogany mayflies
Hot flies:
Walt's worms
Blowtorch
Rainbow warriors
Asstd perdigons
San Juans
Eggs
Pat's rubber legs
Prince nymphs
Hot bead pheasant tails
Today brings another round of rain to the Tellico. Stream levels are near perfect at the moment, but with an inch of rain forecasted for today, streamflows will undoubtedly rise. The forecast for the rest of the week and into the weekend is clear, so stream levels should drop out and bring excellent conditions for the weekend.
Trout are feeding heavily and taking a variety of flies in this higher water. Whether or not you can get your flies down to the fish will be the deciding factor on how successful your day will be. We prefer to fish heavier tungsten nymphs when the streamflows are 300cfs+ which is what we will likely to see this weekend. If you prefer to fish indicator rigs, make sure you have enough split shot or weight built into the flies to get down.
Streamers are also a viable option this weekend. Black or olive would be my colors of choice.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 12.08.22
Current streamflow- 873cfs
Water temp- mid 50s
Hatches:
Black midges
Tan midges
Black winter stoneflies
Tan caddis
BWOs
Hot Flies:
Pat's rubber legs brown/black
Blowtorches
Soft hackle hare's ears
Asstd. Perdigons
Squirmies
Eggs
Wooly buggers
Pine squirrel leeches
It's been at least a couple of months since the Tellico area has seen this amount of sustained rainfall and it was much needed. Rain from this week should keep streamflows at near perfect levels for the next week or two. More rainfall is forecasted for today and tomorrow with a break in the rain on Saturday until late afternoon. Expect high but fishable water with a little bit of color this weekend.
The trout should be taking advantage of the extra water and feeding heavily. A variety of nymphs should work provided you can get them down through the higher flows and to the fish. Heavy flies with tungsten beads or split shot to help them get down will produce fish. It'll also be a good weekend to throw streamers. I would prioritize dark or bright colors over natural this weekend.
Many trout will spread out into the tailouts and slower parts of pools and runs during high water so make sure to work the tailouts and edges during higher flows.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.
Stream Report 11.30.22
Current streamflow- 970cfs
Water temps- mid to low 50s
Hatches:
Winter Black stoneflies
Tan caddis
BWOs
Midges- grey, black and tan
Hot Flies:
Pat's rubber legs- 10-14
Squirmies & San Juans- 10-12
Eggs- 12-14
Walt's Worm- 12-16
Rainbow Warrior- 16-18
Asstd. Perdigons- 18-14
Flows are way up on the Tellico this morning. What was predicted earlier this week to drop .5" of rain ended up dropping over 2.5" in town and probably more in the higher elevations. It's going to be a couple of days until the river is fishable/easily wadeable. But when the flows drop, the fishing should be great.
Spooky fish that have been cooped up in pools and deeper runs so far this fall will have the chance to spread out and feed heavily. Higher flows will dislodge more aquatic and terrestrial insects making a wider range of food sources available for hungry fish. So instead of tiny midges and dries like we've been throwing these last two months, try your bigger and more bugger patterns this weekend such as Pat's rubber legs, squirmies and heavily weighted nymphs. Wooly buggers and other streamers will also be an excellent option with higher streamflows and more aggressive fish.
Flows will continue to drop today and tomorrow. I would expect decently fishable water on Friday. Early Saturday morning and Sunday evening will bring small chances of rain, but as of right now, the forecast shows a good window of clear weather most of the day Saturday and Sunday.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions. Tight lines.
Stream Report 11.11.22
Current streamflow- 80cfs
Water temp- mid 50s
That much needed rain has finally arrived! We've received 1.5" of rain in town and most likely more in the mountains. The stream gauge is currently reading 80cfs, up from 50cfs and is still rising. My guess is that the streamflows will tap out between 100-200cfs and drop out overnight, settling somewhere back around 80-100cfs tomorrow morning. These are prime streamflows so it should be a great weekend.
Our guide Pearson King and client who toughed out the rain today reported fantastic numbers and fish that were in a feeding frenzy with the higher flows. Trout were taking larger, bright colored nymphs and eggs which is a much appreciated break from the size 18-20s they were preferring during low water.
The river should be clear tomorrow morning and Sunday with better flows so if you've been waiting for higher water to fish the Tellico, take advantage of this weekend. It is hard to say how long a return to normal flows will last. There is a slight chance of rain Saturday morning and then a drop in temps and chances of rain next week, so hopefully the accumulative affect of this coming week will keep us at decent levels.
Stream Report 11.02.22
Current streamflow- 54cfs
Water temps- mid 50s
Hatches:
Tan caddis
Cream midges
Black midges
Small black stoneflies
October caddis
Hot Flies:
Griffith's gnat 16-18
Elk hair caddis 16-14
Yellow stimulator 16-12
Rainbow warrior 18-14
Pheasant tail 18-14
Perdigons 18-16
Zebra midge 18-16
Pink eggs 14-12
Pat's rubber legs 14-12
The series of fronts that moved through earlier this week brought a little rain to the area. We watched streamflows peak at around 100cfs and they've slowly dropped down to their current level of 54cfs. This gives us a little bit of relief from the low water but is still below the median for this time of year.
That's not to say that the fishing hasn't been excellent though. We've had a lot of success on guide trips with high number of good quality bows and browns. We have had a blast these last few weeks nymphing the pocket water with slightly smaller nymphs than usual, and then switching to small dries and small nymphs to target rising fish in the slower pools and runs. Whichever style you prefer, the fishing has been excellent on both dry fly and nymph tactics.
The tributaries are still fishing well. The biggest challenge in the tributaries right now is the amount of leaf litter that has accumulated in the slower stretches. We need a good rain to flush these out, but at most right now they're a minor inconvenience and fishing should still be excellent with a dry fly and short dropper.
Stream Report 10.26.22
Current streamflow- 70cfs (.7ft)
Water temps- low 50s
Hatches:
Tan midges
Tan caddis
October caddis
Small black stoneflies
Hot Flies:
Griffith's Gnats-14-16
Orange Stimulators-14-16
Chubby Chernobyls-10-14
Tag Nymphs-12-16
Perdigons-16-18
Frenchies-12-18
Rainbow Warriors-16-18
Soft Hackles- 12-18
Walt's Worms- 12-18
The Tellico area got a dose of much needed rain last night. Around 1/2" or more in some areas. The river is currently at 70 cfs. The mean for this date is 118cfs. The current streamflow is not high by any means but is an improvement over the 38cfs we've grown accustomed to over the past few weeks.
The trout have apparently not suffered from the low water and in fact it seems that they have taken advantage of the low flows to more easily target hatching midges and small tan caddis which have been hatching in high numbers on sunny afternoons. We as well as our clients and customers have had a lot of success sight fishing both stocked and wild trout with small dries and nymphs fished on short droppers.
There is just something thrilling about selecting the right dry, making the right cast, watching a trout rise to the surface and being rewarded with a spirited fight and fish to the net. Expect more of this style of fishing this weekend with additional nymphing opportunities with the added flows.
More rain is expected Saturday night and Sunday which may be the shot that we need to put us back at normal flows.
Give us a call, shoot us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions. Tight lines.