Hello everyone, it’s been awhile since we wrote a fishing report for the Watauga. For that I apologize. First things first. The Watauga river still hasn’t cleared up from hurricane helene. The river still has a brown color. It’s a slight improvement over the last few weeks, but it’s not running clear yet. With that being said. JJ has been spending his time adapting to the river conditions. His efforts have been producing fish for his clients. Today was no different. They had a very successful trip on the Watauga River. Winter is some of the best fishing of the year. If you would like more information on fishing this winter please call (704) 773-4497. I could go on and on about winter fishing, instead I will leave you with a photo from today’s trip.
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report June 7 2024
Hello Everyone,
We’ve been staying busy on the Watauga river. The TVA has been running water most of the day. There has been windows of low water each day, but it has been random to say the least. That’s not what you want to hear if you’re a wade angler, but it has provided some great fishing from a drift boat. The most consistent rig has been a nymph rig. Getting flies down deep is the key. We have also been getting some fish in the slower edges with dry dropper rigs, but the nymph rig has still been the top producer. An attractor followed by a zebra midge or a frenchie has been working great on the nymph rig. For the dry dropper we’ve been using a terrestrial followed by a stripper midge. Give us a shout if you would like more information, or if you would like to book a trip. Email is wataugariverguides@gmail.com and phone number is 423-202-5184. If we don’t answer, please leave a message and we will call you back asap.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report May 31st 2024
Hey Everyone, I apologize for the lack of fishing reports. The Watauga river has been fishing great. Most of the fishing is nymphing. We are having a few periods of dry fly fishing, it’s not been everyday, but there have been some sulphurs hatching. Sulphur nymphs, midge pupa, and attractor patterns have been working well. Give us a call if you would like more information, or if you would like to book a trip. 423-202-5184
Tight Lines,
Huck
Tight Line Fly Fishing
Hello everyone,
I’ve been getting quite a few questions on tight line fly fishing. There are several names and similar techniques, euro nymphing, Czech nymphing, mono rig, to name a few. Each of these techniques are similar in that you are casting and fishing with only the leader, not the fly line. I am calling what we are doing tight lining, or tight line fly fishing because we are not limiting this technique to one style of fishing. This is often thought of as a wading tactic. We have been working and tweaking this technique to be fished from a drift boat both from anchor and while drifting. Nymphing is the first thing that people think of with tight lining. You cast out and maintain contact with your nymphs as they drift. With this rig you have the ability to control the depth of the fly, which we want to be near the bottom. You feel the flies bouncing across the river bottom and make depth adjustments without changing the rig, but by moving your fly rod and tightening your line. The beauty of this system is the amount of control that you have over your presentation. It is this control that allows us to fish each water type, depth, and speed efficiently. This is not only a nymphing technique, streamers and even dry flies can be fished effectively using this method. We have been working with several proven leader formulas, tapers, and combinations to best suit our needs on the Watauga and South Holston. If this sounds like something that is interesting to you, please give us a shout at 423-202-5184, or wataugariverguides@gmail.com. We do lessons as well as guided fly fishing trips.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report
Hello everyone,
Welcome to Watauga River Guides. We’ve had a good week on the Watauga river. We are seeing some blue winged olives hatching, not big hatches, but we have been able to have some periods of dry fly fishing. Nymphing has been the most productive. We’ve been fishing some attractors such as egg patterns along with bwo nymphs and midges on long, light tippet. We have also been using some tight line techniques that have proven to be very effective even on picky fish. We have been adapting these tight line tactics to be fished from a drift boat while drifting as well as from anchor, which makes this style unique.
If you are planing your own trip be sure to have plenty of small flies. The blue wings are an honest size 24, but the fish will take a 22 bwo puff daddy. The midge pupa that we are fishing range from size 18 to 22.
If you would like more information about our guide service, or if you would like to book a trip, please call us at 423-202-5184 or email us at wataugariverguides@gmail.com. Hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report October 22, 2023
Hello everyone!
Thank you for stopping by. The leaves are changing, the weather is perfect, and the fishing is great here in northeast Tennessee. We have been fishing a traditional nymph rig with long leaders and light tippet. The flies have been tiny midges and bwo nymphs, attractors have been working well too. We are seeing some blue winged olives, some days more than others, but when they are hatching we have had some good dry fly fishing. We have also been fishing a tight line technique. I wouldn’t call this euro nymphing, but more of a combination of tight line tactics that have proven successful from a drift boat. If you are curious to try a different style of fly fishing, this would be a good option. If you have any questions about our services, if you would like to try your hand at tight lining, or if you would like to book a trip, please give us a call. I hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report
Hello everyone,
Fall is in the air here in northeast Tennessee. The flows on the Watauga have been great and so has the fishing. Nymphs are the game right now. Blue winged olive nymphs and midge pupa patterns have been producing well. Long leaders, light tippet, and drag free drifts are the key. We have also been employing some tight line techniques that have been producing well. The long term forecasts show a mild winter. Which should be some outstanding wintertime fishing. If you would like more information about our guide service, or if you would like to book a trip, please contact us at wataugariverguides@gmail.com or give us a call at 423-202-5184. I hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report
Hello everyone,
We are off to another great summer on the Watauga river. We’ve had great river conditions so far this year. Nymphing has been great with good numbers of fish coming to the boat. Midges are the fly of choice. Long leaders and light tippet are key. We have July dates available. Feel free to give us a call if you would like to get in on the action. (423)202-5184. Or email at wataugariverguides@gmail.com
Hope to see you on the river
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing
Hello everyone, hope you’ve been getting some time out on the water. I will cut right to the chase. The big news is, sulphurs are hatching! We’ve had some great dry fly fishing. The bugs are size 16 and 18. We’ve been fishing hair wing comparaduns, puff daddy’s, as well as cdc sparkle duns. If you are a wade angler, remember to check Wilbur dam for the TVA release. Wilbur controls the river. If you have any questions about our guide service, or if you would like to book a trip? Please don’t hesitate to drop us a line at wataugariverguides@gmail.com or 423-202-5184. If we don’t answer, it means we’re on the water. Please leave us a message and we will call you back. I hope to see y’all on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report
Hello everyone,
It doesn’t seem possible, but here we are and it’s almost May. Spring has been great on the Watauga. The flows have been consistent and the fishing has been good. The low clear water calls for good drifts, and light tippet. We’re still getting some fish on caddis, mostly on pupa. The fish are settling back in and taking mayfly nymphs and midges. I hope that everyone has had a great spring. If you have any questions about our guide service or would like to book a trip, please give us a call at 423-202-5184 or email at wataugariverguides@gmail.com
Tight lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report
We had a great week on the Watauga. In typical April fashion we had a crazy mix of weather. The fish still cooperated no matter what the weather threw at us. We fished nymphs, dry-droppers, and had a period of dry fly fishing that was the icing on the cake. Midges, caddis, and blue winged olives along with attractor patterns worked well. Just keep an eye on the generation schedule. The TVA ran water a couple of days last week unexpectedly. Remember when you’re looking at the schedule, that it is Wilbur dam that you need to check. If you are interested in our guide service please feel free to give us a shout at 423-202-5184 or wataugariverguides@gmail.com. I hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fishing Report
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re well. We have enjoyed some mild temperatures and good flows on the Watauga river. Nymphs have been the game. We’ve been catching fish on midge pupa fished deep under an indicator. We are starting to see a few dries hatching, not enough to be predictable, but it’s a good sign of what’s to come in the next few weeks. If you have any questions about our guide service, feel free to email us at wataugariverguides@gmail.com or give us a call at 423-202-5184. We hope to see you on the river.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fly Fishing Report.
Hello everyone,
I hope that you all are doing well. We’ve been fishing the upper Watauga river on high water. The bite has been consistent. High water nymph rigs have been working well. We haven’t been seeing many rising fish yet. Midges have been the majority of the insects. Attractors are working well also at times. The weather has been better than average and the river hasn’t been crowded. Give us a call if you would like to get out on the water. 423-202-5184
Tight lines,
Huck
March 2023
Hello everyone! We are excited for spring. Recent rains have had the water levels all over the place. We’ve been having varying flows from the TVA. Periods of high and low water each day. If you plan on wade fishing, please pay close attention to your surroundings. We’ve been floating the Watauga, planning our area based on the flow predictions. Nymphing and dry droppers have been productive. Midge pupa and bwo nymphs are on the menu. It won’t be long before we start to see black caddis, which is our favorite time of year. We hope that winter has been good to each of you and look forward to fishing with you in 2023. As always, if you have any questions please email us at wataugariverguides@gmail.com or call 423-202-5184.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fishing Report
You can feel fall in the air! I’m just a little excited for fall. It’s my favorite time of year. Fly fishing has been great on the Watauga river. Nymphing is where it’s at. With some occasional dry dropper fishing mixed in. For the most both size and numbers are coming on the nymph rig. Long leaders and light tippet are the secret. Our 10’ Syndicate 4wt rods protect the tippet like nobody’s business. It won’t be long until the blue winged olives get started and I am looking forward to it! Feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions or if you would like to book a trip. I hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fishing Report
Hello every one. I hope that you are all doing well. We have been running wide open for the month of June. The Watauga has been fishing good. We’ve been fishing a lot of terrestrial patters on the surface, dry dropper rigs, as well as nymph rigs. The nymph rigs have been the most productive as you can imagine, but the terrestrials and droppers are working too. It has been a midge fest under the surface. The minimum flows are lower than normal which requires 6x and smaller tippet and good presentations. Some folks get scared when I tell them that we’re fishing 6x, but the Syndicate 10’ 4wt rods do a great job handling fish. It’s been a great summer so far. The sun is aging and the fish are eating. We couldn’t ask for much more. We have some July dates still available after the first week. Give us a shout if you would like more information about our trips, or if you would like to book. I hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fishing Report
Hello everyone, I hope that you are all getting to enjoy this beautiful weather. The fishing has been great. We are now in the recreation flow schedule for the summer. Meaning the TVA releases water every weekday from 1pm-6pm and noon-6pm on Saturdays. This isn’t the best news if you’re a wade fisherman, but I thought I would give you a heads up. The good news is, that cool burst of water every afternoon helps keep temps in check and the fish healthy. We’re seeing more crowds on the river this year than ever before. With that being the case, we have switched up our game plan and it has been working great. Midges and a few terrestrials have been our go to flies. We are seeing a few sulphurs, but they haven’t been hatching with enough consistency to plan for. It’s more luck if the draw if they hatch or not that day. We have been blessed with a great year so far, and it keeps getting better. If you would like more information on our trips and services please drop us a line. During the day when we are out on the water, email or text is best. But feel free to call and leave a message as well. We will get back to you as soon as we get off the water. Hope to see you on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga River Fishing Report
Hello everyone, I apologize for not posting a fishing report sooner. The TVA has been running some water. If you’re going wade fishing please check the schedule for Wilbur dam before going. Both low water and high water have been fishing good. A few sporadic sulphur hatches are still occurring. However they aren’t consistent enough to count on having a hatch daily. Small midges have been the name of the game on low water. We’re fishing attractors and midges down deep during periods of high water. It has been a great year so far. Please send us a message or give us a call if you would like to book a trip.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Watauga river fishing report
Hello everyone,
I hope that this spring weather has been treating you well. The Watauga river has been fishing great. We have been fishing a lot of dry/dropper rigs with midges. A split case nymph and a stripper midge have been hard to beat under an indicator. April and May have been great and I can’t wait to see what June holds. Feel free to send us a message or give us a call. We would love to get you out on the water.
Tight Lines,
Huck
Spring time fishing on the Watauga river
Hello everyone, the weather has been nice last few days and the fishing has been great. We’ve had a good mix of low water and high water from the TVA. We have been catching fish primarily on nymph rigs with the occasional opportunity to fish dries to a few rising fish. Midges are working well under a strike indicator. As well as some attractor patters. I hope that everyone had a great winter and we are looking forward to fishing with you again this year. I do need to stress one point. We are a CATCH and RELEASE guide service. No trout will be kept by any of our guides. This has never been an issue until now and we are getting requests to keep fish. We simply will not do that. It is our responsibility to maintain the fishery to the best of our ability and we feel that catch and release is necessary. As always if you have any questions about our services, please feel free to give us a call or send an email.
Tight Lines,
Huck