Release Schedule:

Nolichucky

French Broad River (near Asheville)

Pigeon River (TN side)

Fly Suggestions:

Black, White and Chartreuse Streamers.  Crayfish.  Poppers.

General Information:

The French Broad has almost cleared up from all the flooding that occurred last week.   Visibility is about 1-2′ in deep water and about 3′ on the banks.  Water is still about 3-4′ above normal at Blantyre and still a little cold.  As long as we don’t get too much rain this weekend, the bite should be on.  Poppers are on the verge with the warm temperatures moving in.

The Smallmouth have not been exploding on flies yet.  The bite has been slow and soft, so make sure you manage the slack in your line so you can feel the slightest take or use a strike indicator to help see the strike.  The slow take may also force you to delay your hook set.   The bigger fish have been known to pick up a fly and just hold it for a moment before committing.  Since the bigger fish have exceptionally hard lips, it can be tricky to get a good hook set if the fish doesn’t commit.

To get in on the fun… Let the professional fly fishing guides from Curtis Wright Outfitters show you why fly fishing for Smallmouth Bass has been the talk of the town over the last couple of years.

Be sure to check back in on our weekly stream report for updates on fishing conditions, fly selection, and more. And be sure to stop by the shop Mon- Sat for stream specific flies, techniques, and other information from our great fly fishing guide staff.

We offer guided trips 7 days a week. Any one of our great guides would be happy to help you dial in your favorite water, and perfect your fly fishing skills.

Gear recommendations:

Rod: Fast Action comparable to Scott “S” Series rods 9’ 6-8wt.

Leader: 9-12’ 3x-5x Florocarbon.

Leader options: Straight mono (5′ butt section 20lb. test,  5′ tip section 14lb. test).

Vest:  A vest with a work station and plenty of room for big flies.  Fishpond Waterdance or comparable.

Boots: New Chota STL wading boot.  This is a great boot for the money that will last through years of abuse.

Net:  EGO S2 Slider Landing Net

Hot Fly:

Blue Popper

Release Schedule:

Davidson Stream Flow

Hatches:

March Browns, Caddis, BWOs, midges, Sulphurs, Hendricksons

Fly Suggestions:

March Browns, BWOs, Sulphurs, PMD emergers, Headlight Caddis, Lowe’s midge larva, Little lucy, disco midge, micro stone (yellow and black), elk hair caddis, rock worm caddis, midge emergers in gray, black, brown, cream. San Juan worms and eggs. Most any fly from our Davidson River Fly Selection Box would also do…

General Information:

Spring Fishing on the Davidson has been phenomenal. Recently we have had some great dry fly action.   We have plenty of water, so the fish are spread out all throughout the riffles and deeper pools.  We’ve gotten several very nice browns out of the river recently and we have mostly been fishing nymphs and emergers with indicators.

Gear recommendations:

When the water is clear, like it has been, flouro0carbon is a must. For tippet material, I always suggest 6-7x flourocarbon tippet and Seaguar Grandmax. The water is still pretty chilly, so the bite has been starting once the sun is up over the trees. Make sure to wear a good pair of sox if you go. The Smartwool socks that I wear all spring do the job well. The sun is out now too, so make sure to protect your skin with a Simms or ExOfficio fishing shirt.