# End of January Outing



## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

Like many of you that have not been able to get on water, I have been in the same situation as both long hours at the job and weather had prohibited me from casting a fly. The wife and I had dinner with some dear friends just before Christmas and made plans to go to Tennessee together the last weekend of January. The weather down south has not be cooperative and the river that I fish most often down there, the Hiwassee has very much been blown out since the first of November. Typically when we wade this river, the flow is less than 300 CFS and I was hoping for a reprieve that the water would be dialed back enough to get in but much to my dismay, they continued to run 5,100 CFS down the river which is a swift boat ride at best. During heavy flow, there are few options unless you have a drift boat as there is little room to make a casts from the banks with all the brush and trees that line the river. The footbridge that crosses over the river allowing access to the powerhouse walls has been closed for repair and that area is really the best for fishing from the bank as there is plenty of room to make roll or traditional casts. Since our choices were limited, we decided to head up to the Tellico which is a natural freestone river that holds good populations of trout. Before we left, he wanted to drive down to the Hiwassee to see the river and the powerhouse as this was his first trip to Reliance and wanted to check it out. Driving along the river we could see the river was very high and fast with a greenish tint, there were several drift boats on the river but other than that, a river full of fish and no way to cast to them. At the end of the road is an area to access the footbridge, we could see a number of cars parked there (usually TVA employees) which struck me odd as there should not be any vehicles there if the bridge was closed. We parked the car and walked up the hill and could see that the bridge was open and not a single soul fishing from the wall on the opposite side; I turned to my friend and said, "change of plans, we are fishing here". We went back to the car, grabbed our gear and proceeded across the footbridge to the other side of the river. With the fast water conditions, we had no other choice than slinging heavily weighted streamers which did pay off. We lost a good number of fish due to the swift current but did get a fair amount to hand including two 20+ inch trout, a few KY bass and about a dozen yellow perch. It was a good weekend with warm temperatures filled with fishing, trap shooting, hiking, awesome meals, laughs and great conversations; all the elements of what great memories are made of.


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## FL-boy (Feb 12, 2013)

Awesome trip. Way to scout out an opportunity! A buddy is wanting to take me down to TN is late spring for a trip, I've never been


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Nice fish.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Awesome! I become more of a fan of Tennessee every time I go there to fish. Wonderful state.


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## flytyer (Jan 3, 2005)

It sounds like you had a great time down there! Awesome looking fish. Glad you took your friend over to check out the foot bridge.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

TheCream said:


> Awesome! I become more of a fan of Tennessee every time I go there to fish. Wonderful state.


Thanks all. Cream, I am obviously a very big fan of Tennessee as most of my posts are based around fishing the waters down south. Being a resident and a native Ohioan, I do enjoy fishing the streams and rivers of this state and there is plenty of good water right here at home. My favorite species to pursue happens to be trout which does limit places to go here in Ohio however, with 1,000 miles of streams and rivers that hold trout in eastern Tennessee alone, there is much more variety and flexibility to find a place to fish when factors such as weather or pressure exists. When you take into consideration that your TN fishing license has reciprocity in the NC rivers and streams in the National Park, you further increase the number trout streams you can access. Personally the Hiwassee has and remains my favorite river to fish in Tennessee, it’s beauty is unparalleled and the fact that it is less than 10 minutes from my place in Reliance makes it so easy to optimize my fishing time while down south. The tranquility and beauty of the mountainous setting further enhances the experience, I just never get tired of going there.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

flyman01 said:


> Thanks all. Cream, I am obviously a very big fan of Tennessee as most of my posts are based around fishing the waters down south. Being a resident and a native Ohioan, I do enjoy fishing the streams and rivers of this state and there is plenty of good water right here at home. My favorite species to pursue happens to be trout which does limit places to go here in Ohio however, with 1,000 miles of streams and rivers that hold trout in eastern Tennessee alone, there is much more variety and flexibility to find a place to fish when factors such as weather or pressure exists. When you take into consideration that your TN fishing license has reciprocity in the NC rivers and streams in the National Park, you further increase the number trout streams you can access. Personally the Hiwassee has and remains my favorite river to fish in Tennessee, it’s beauty is unparalleled and the fact that it is less than 10 minutes from my place in Reliance makes it so easy to optimize my fishing time while down south. The tranquility and beauty of the mountainous setting further enhances the experience, I just never get tired of going there.


How far is the Hiwassee from the Bristol area? I have only fished the South Holston/Watauga areas and a few smaller streams near Elizabethton.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

From Bristol to Reliance you are looking at a 3 hour trek. From Cincy to Reliance or Bristol it is the same time frame, approximately 5-1/4 hours as the area I fish on the Hiwassee is situated approximately 13 miles off the Georgia and 8 miles off the NC border. I too have fished the SoHo, never the Watauga although I hear it is decent fishing. The Clinch is a closer choice to venture to if you are looking to try yet another tail water, it is technical fishing but can be rewarding. I caught my personal best trout, a 30" brown on the Clinch about 7 years ago.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

flyman01 said:


> From Bristol to Reliance you are looking at a 3 hour trek. From Cincy to Reliance or Bristol it is the same time frame, approximately 5-1/4 hours as the area I fish on the Hiwassee is situated approximately 13 miles off the Georgia and 8 miles off the NC border. I too have fished the SoHo, never the Watauga although I hear it is decent fishing. The Clinch is a closer choice to venture to if you are looking to try yet another tail water, it is technical fishing but can be rewarding. I caught my personal best trout, a 30" brown on the Clinch about 7 years ago.


At least for wade fishing, the Watauga seems to fish "easier" to me. I tend to catch better fish on the Soho but have to work for them. Trout in the Watauga seem to act like they have never seen a zebra midge before. I've had some ridiculous days there when it feels like if you go 4 or 5 drifts without a take something is wrong.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

TheCream said:


> At least for wade fishing, the Watauga seems to fish "easier" to me. I tend to catch better fish on the Soho but have to work for them. Trout in the Watauga seem to act like they have never seen a zebra midge before. I've had some ridiculous days there when it feels like if you go 4 or 5 drifts without a take something is wrong.


I am sure you had better success on the Watauga, it is stocked more heavily than the Soho and those fish are hungry. The SoHo has a high reproduction rate so it receives considerably less fish annually and the carry over fish are wise. With that being said, the quality of fish on the SoHo is much better and more difficult to catch. I have had great weekends on the SoHo, #16 parachute pheasant tail emergers and size 22 BWO dries landed one after another. It was in March several years ago, we encountered the most epic hatch of BWO’s on a overcast afternoon that I have ever experienced in my life. Since they were so small, I had to tie a size 16 on with a tailing size 22 about twelve inches behind just to know the proximity of my bug, the water was boiling I had no idea if they were eating mine or others because I could not see it. They were taking the BWO until the Sulfurs starting hatching in conjunction with the BWO’s. We switched over to that pattern but refusal after refusal as these wise fish would come up and count the knuckles and look at the shape of the larger patterns we were tossing at them and then turn away. Bottom line is that I cannot say enough about the SoHo, if you want the chance to catch large fish, that is one of the best in the Eastern U.S. to do so. Wading, it has it challenges as when the they release water, it is like a tsunami and it will catch you by surprise the wider tail waters are more forgiving and you have some time to exit. Tennessee fisheries are awesome, glad you are getting a chance to get acquainted to them.


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