Fishing Report
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Local Fly Fishing Report     
August 2011
By: David Newsom- Choo Choo Fly and Tackle 


Well summer is here, and the weather is hot. The bass fishing is still good right now and trout fishing is excellent on most of the local tailwaters. The flows on almost all of the tailwaters have made for good wade fishing this entire month. I have added a “Go-To” fly selection for the rivers listed below. These flies are tried and true favorites that will bring success any day of the week.

Trout Tailwater “Go-To” Fly Selection
1.    Pheasant Tail Nymphs (szs. 12-18)
2.    Zebra Midges (szs. 18-22)
3.    Rubber-legged Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (szs. 12-18)
4.    Orange and Green Soft Hackles ( szs. 12-16)
5.    Turk’s Tarantula (szs. 8-10)
6.    Elk Hair Caddis (szs. 14-18)
7.    Griffith’s Gnat (szs. 18-22)

Bass “Go-To” Fly Selection
1.    Popping Bug (szs. 2-6 colors: black and yellow)
2.    Swimming Baitfish patterns (szs. 3/0-1)
3.    Half and Half Clousers (szs. 3/0-1)
4.    Crawfish and Crawdad patterns (szs. 1-6)
5.    Frog Patterns (szs. 1/0-1)

Elk River- Throughout the month of August, TVA will be been spilling between 200 to 350 cfs on the river, which is still good for wade fishing. During August, terrestrial patterns work excellent. I would go with a Turk’s Turrantula, Parachute Hopper, or a Madame X in sizes 6-10.  I have had a lot of success lately with fishing weighted soft hackles in green and red colors, and prince nymphs. I normally do not fish prince nymphs on the Elk, but they have seemed to work well lately. August is one of the best times out of the year to fish the Elk, so take advantage of this good fishing time.

Toccoa River- The fishing on the Toccoa has been decent as officials have begun to stock the river again, and dam work has ceased. TVA has been keeping the flows anywhere between 150-500 cfs. The water is still cold, but it is a little off color. Larger than average fish have been caught, as well as the usual 10-12” fish. This river should begin to fish a lot better in the coming months. The fish numbers still might not be present yet, but the river is worth checking out this summer.

Hiwassee River- The Hiwassee River has been fishing great this summer. Access to the river is abundant, and can be wadeable up to 1 generator. If two generators are running, the river should be fished from a boat. During the summer time, the Isonychias are one of the premier hatches on the river and will last until the fall. Standard mayfly and streamer patterns will also work any day of the week. Expect to catch fish in the 10-12” size, but bigger fish can be caught. Fishing prince nymphs, pheasant tails, soft hackles, and A.P. nymphs is always productive. I would leave the midge patterns in the fly box.

Tellico River- Is our main freestone river nearby, located in Cherokee National Forest. Nymph patterns, such as the Tellico nymph, Pheasant Tail, and any yellow stonefly pattern are great selections any time of the year. It is also worth fishing the tributaries of the Tellico, such as the Bald River and North River. All of these waters hold a nice brown, rainbow, and brook trout population, and they provide seclusion from the crowds of people. With warmer temperatures, dry fly action will increase, and key dry flies to use this time of the year are: Royal Wulff, Adam’s Irresistible, the Humpy (Red, Yellow, Green), and Stonefly Stimulator patterns. Fish the pools of this river with a fast approach. Make a few casts to a hole and if you don’t get a take, move to the next hole. Bigger flies will typically work better in the faster moving water as the trout have less time to check out their food.

Tennessee River- The best fishing will be in the early morning, the evenings, and when there is good flow on the river. The milfoil that has shown up along the river banks provides great cover for bass. A frog pattern fly will prove to be deadly along these grass lines. This time of the year the bass are going to be in deeper water. Therefore, fish deeper structure and grass lines. Minnow streamer patterns, Barr’s Cat flies, and frog patterns will work the best during August.

I hope all this information will be helpful and good fishing!