JaSkynyrd, Hiwassee River, Rainbow, Brown Trout, 5/21/13

[JaSkynyrd]

We have been going up to the Hiwassee River pretty frequently for the past few months. The fishing has been great, and I'm mad at myself for just this year discovering this amazing fishery. This time the weather was a bit iffy with thunder and lighting, but we caught fish and made it down in one piece, so it turned out pretty good.

We've been spin fishing and fly fishing (mostly spin) and catching them on Panther Martin spinners with gold blades and black bodies with yellow dots in the 1/16 oz. size. A couple weeks ago I finally saw what I would say was a major hatch, literally hundreds of thousands of bugs over the water and the trout were just going nuts. I saw with my own eyes, without exaggeration, at least 600 topwater strikes. it was unreal, nonstop action. We caught a few on our flies, but they didn't match exactly, so we didn't do as good as we could have done with a better fly. This week we matched it almost perfectly, and while there was a lot less topwater action, we still got lots of hits and caught a few on light Hendricksons in a size 16.

It's going to start getting real busy up there next weekend with tubers and that will probably carry through the summer, but if you get there around 6 or 7 in the morning you can get a good bit of fishing in before the tubing starts up at 10.

Have some pics! (the first two are from trips earlier in the year)

 

[Nitro66]

Thanks for the report, looks like fun.

 

[EricM]

emoThumbsup emoThumbsup emoThumbsup emoBigsmile

 

[SpurHunter]

I have wondered where you have been hiding..in the mountains I see!

 

[BILL DANTZ]

I have bank fished up there years ago with canned yellow corn and did very well just below the dam and just to be able to say, yes I have caught a trout. Do they still have the trophy area where you can only use artifical bait?

 

[drumking]

Ditto what EricM said. emoBigsmile emoGeezer

 

[rsimms]

Just another reason Southeast Tenn. fishermen are blessed. Thanks for sharing. emoThumbsup

 

[swamp]

Beautiful river.next time you fish it try a size 5 gold rapala
I wish you had got the chance to fish the little t.

 

[Tenncrapie]

My backyard and I've not fished it in 10 years due to the Rockfish eating most of the trout and the influx of tubers and rafters. They have no respect for someone fishing.

 

[flycaster]

Thanks for that report. i am real curious as to what the 'major' hatch was you saw. I would hope you saw a good caddis hatch, it would be time for that. Hoping for some reduced generation soon to be able to wade fish.

 

[Fishin Fool]

emoThumbsup emoToast emoThumbsup

 

[JaSkynyrd]

flycaster - 5/22/2013 8:07 PM

Thanks for that report. i am real curious as to what the 'major' hatch was you saw. I would hope you saw a good caddis hatch, it would be time for that. Hoping for some reduced generation soon to be able to wade fish.

I didn't know at the time what it was, but I looked up pictures of different flies and these were dark caddis flies. I had twenty of them on my boat at one time, and the little clumps of grass would have a hundred of them hiding out on it.

 

[JaSkynyrd]

Tenncrapie - 5/22/2013 7:50 PM

My backyard and I've not fished it in 10 years due to the Rockfish eating most of the trout and the influx of tubers and rafters. They have no respect for someone fishing.

You oughta get back out there, the fishing is incredible and I haven't seen the first tuber . I know that will change next weekend, but still you can get out early and have the river to yourself for hours.

 

[JaSkynyrd]

BILL DANTZ - 5/22/2013 12:10 PM

I have bank fished up there years ago with canned yellow corn and did very well just below the dam and just to be able to say, yes I have caught a trout. Do they still have the trophy area where you can only use artifical bait?

Yes they do, and we've caught some good ones through there.

 

[Muskrat]

Looks like a lot of fun. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tnvs1]

I haven't fished for trout in 20 years. The pics are great and sure brings back memories. Thanks for the report.