The river’s pools are separated by long riffles, ledges, and chutes. As a frequent fishing guide in Gatlinburg, the majority of rivers we fish are a short drive from Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Smoky Mountain National Park, and the surrounding areas. The Pigeon River is one of our favorite smallmouth bass fisheries. Fortunately Doug had the day off and was planning on being in town to do some shopping or something. That means fewer people, less pressure and the best fishing. One of the areas we guide heavily is the West Fork of the Pigeon. Let Asheville Fly Fishing Company take you on our smallmouth float trips on remote sections of NC & TN rivers where we target smallmouth on the fly. Madison Boats 12,059 views Unplanned success! On the Pigeon River, the possession limit is one smallmouth per day with a 20-inch minimum size. We’ve been in quite a drought, but we saw periods of heavy rain, sun, clouds, and wind. Used everything from…” Marl Lake “231. Guided fly fishing on West Fork Pigeon River, NC. My question is, where is a good place for us to get into the river we can wade and fish?? The Middle Prong begins near Ramsey Cascades and gains significant flowage … The best fish of the day. These are all huge drainage rivers that offer a variety of scenery, water types, and fishing opportunities. ? Smallmouth can be found in the first few miles of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, as well as in the first 0.5 -1.0 mile of a few streams flowing into Fontana Lake near the park boundary (i.e., Eagle Creek, Hazel Creek, Noland Creek). It’s always about now when we start to fish new places for some variety and smallmouth bass are a fun way to still go fishing while doing something a little bit out of the ordinary. Flowing northward from North Carolina to Tennessee, the Pigeon River itself skirts along the eastern side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is a particularly generous river when it comes to fishing for Tennessee s state sport fish — the smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Latest Posts. Fall Fishing Starting to Cool Down November 18, 2020; Feels Like Fall in the Smokies September 21, 2020; A Wet August Sets Up the Smokies for Prime Fall Fishing August 31, 2020; Daily Thunderstorms Keeping Stream Flows and Temperatures Optimal for Summer Fly Fishing … Phone: 865-448-0467 The Middle and West Prongs of the Little Pigeon River each begin in the higher elevations and lush rhododendron thickets of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here you will find a two mile stretch of delayed harvest waters stocked with Rainbow, Brook and Brown trout. TWRA is managing the smallmouth bass fishery for quality fishing and larger smallmouth bass. Next, and perhaps most important, the scenery is top notch. We will use your e-mail address solely to provide information about R&R Fly Fishing. We do not sell, rent, or lease our subscription lists to third parties. The fish jumped a number of times and ran far enough down the river that we had to drift over a ledge to follow. Had a sneaking suspicion things were headed this way... KOA Campground on Little River Townsend, TN. The mighty smallmouth is found in over 2,000 rivers and thousands of lakes across North America, and readily strikes flies year around. February-November can produce high numbers of smallmouth and chances at trophy smallmouth from 2-6 pounds! This is one of the area”s best kept secrets. It’s a perfect place to drop the drift boat and explore new water. The Pigeon River … We also caught smallmouth … Daily Thunderstorms Keeping Stream Flows and Temperatures Optimal for Summer Fly Fishing July 29, 2020; Summer Fly Fishing Is In Full Swing in the Smokies and East Tennessee June 8, 2020; Smokies Gradually Open Up More Areas May 22, 2020; The Latest Update From the Smokies About the … A Wet August Sets Up the Smokies for Prime Fall Fishing, Daily Thunderstorms Keeping Stream Flows and Temperatures Optimal for Summer Fly Fishing, Summer Fly Fishing Is In Full Swing in the Smokies and East Tennessee, Spring Fishing Has Arrived in the Smokies, Extreme Wet Weather and Flooding in the Smoky Mountain Region, Getting Kids on the Stream in the Smokies, A Productive Summer of Fly Fishing the Smokies and East Tennessee, Late Summer Fishing Report from the Smokies and East Tennessee, Fly of the Month – Ian’s Rubber Leg Tellico Nymph, Fly of the Month – Guide’s Choice Parachute Adams, Congressman Burchett Fly Fishes the Smokies, Women’s Fly Fishing Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains. Guided fly fishing on West Fork Pigeon River, NC. Regulations vary from lake to lake or river to river. Go fishing!). Charity, Tim, and I have been exceptionally busy guiding this spring and summer and have fished very little together. Guided Smallmouth Bass Trips are one of our specialties. Frikkie Botha, a member of the Barkly East Angling Society, holds a beautiful smallmouth yellowfish taken on the Kraai River near Barkly East. Most of the fishable waters lie within the Shining Rock Wilderness Area near PO Box 60 Townsend, TN 37882 The fish were scattered along the gravel flats where we caught several on spinnerbaits and swimbaits. We floated the Pigeon River for smallies a couple of years ago and it’s been high on the list of places where we’ve intended to return. Clinch River Fly Fishing TN – Photo Credit David Knapp Trout Zone Anglers. Latest Posts. The Pigeon River … Near the headwaters, small plunge pools in these freestone streams hold lively populations of native brook trout that eagerly take well-presented flies. The Pigeon has several great things going for it. The river’s pools are separated by long riffles, … The day started with some mixed weather. Filed Under: Fishing Report, fly fishing, Tennessee. What more could you want? One of the best sections of water to fish is the West Fork Pigeon River that starts just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Haywood County. And as pioneering fly fishing techniques for trout became entrenched, so new ones evolved to target indigenous … Go fishing!). This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Tim tied on a big Woolly Bugger caught a decent smallie and a white bass almost right off the bat. Eventually the sky cleared to a bright blue and fish seemed to break all around us. There are only a few places in the country where you can regularly catch smallmouth bass the size of the ones in East Tennessee. We offer 1/2 day, 3/4 day and full day wade trips to many areas near Waynesville. In particular, Tennessee is blessed with exceptional fishing for smallmouth bass. Some areas are stocked and others are designated as wild trout streams. Latest Posts. Clinch River Fly Fishing. When cleanup projects began, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency implemented a 20-inch minimum size limit on smallmouth bass and allowed anglers to keep no more than one per day. Persistence pays! It is a beautiful day on the river….fish or no fish. Explosive surface strikes, scenic water, and a drift boat. Little Pigeon, Smallmouth. Charity with French Broad Smallie. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to Pigeon River. Smallmouth bass are the best fish to catch, and fly fishing is a superb way to catch them …. Most of the strikes came from bluegills, but smallies started taking swipes as well. Fall Fishing Starting to Cool Down November 18, 2020; Feels Like Fall in the Smokies September 21, 2020; A Wet August Sets Up the Smokies for Prime Fall Fishing August 31, 2020; Daily Thunderstorms Keeping Stream Flows and Temperatures Optimal for Summer Fly Fishing … Charity fished a similar fly pattern and saw some action, but no hook ups for a while. I was supposed to teach a beginning fly fishing school, but due to bad weather my students had to postpone the school. We limit ourselves to a maximum of two anglers per guide so each angler receives a maximum of attention. Phone: 865-448-0467 Striped bass and muskellunge can also be found in the waters of the Volunteer State. To book a guided fly fishing trip, call: 828.226.3833 Fishing Hot Spots near Pigeon River “I have been fishing this lake for over 12 years since I was a kid. We continued our float and Tim and Charity seemed to get most of the action. This river system offers wild Brookies in the higher elevations and wild browns further down stream. Fly Fishing the streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the tailwater rivers of East Tennessee and western North Carolina. April 25, 2008 FlyFishTennessee Leave a comment. A Wet August Sets Up the Smokies for Prime Fall Fishing August 31, 2020; Daily Thunderstorms Keeping Stream Flows and Temperatures Optimal for Summer Fly Fishing July 29, 2020; Population Sampling in the Smokies Reveals Lower Brook Trout Populations and Larger Sizes July 29, 2020; Summer Fly Fishing Is In Full Swing in the Smokies and East Tennessee June 8, 2020 1. In reservoirs the average smallmouth bass reaches 14 inches in 4 years”. Little Pigeon 4/19/2008 . Every turn I had form the casting deck went pretty slow. The river also has approximately five miles of hatchery supported water ard two miles of Delayed Harvest waters. Fly Fishing the streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the tailwater rivers of East Tennessee and western North Carolina, Your email address will not be published. Pigeon River. What: Trophy smallmouth bass fishing. “There’s world-class fishing in our area,” says Greg Ward, author of Ultimate Fly-Fishing Guide to the Smoky Mountains. Ive been reading about the small mouth fishing in Pigeon Forge. Stopped in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to do some smallmouth bass fishing in the Little Pigeon River and see what all i could catch. We floated the Pigeon River for smallies a couple of years ago and it’s been high on the list of places where we’ve intended to return. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Spectacular scenery along Middle Prong of Little River at Tremont in the Smokies. Summer Fly Fishing Is In Full Swing in the Smokies and East Tennessee June 8, 2020; The Smokies. Required fields are marked *. Fly Fishing The Pigeon River Tributaries North Carolina The Pigeon River itself is basically too warm to hold trout but it has several tributaries that do provide good trout fishing. The last day the fishing started out slow in the morning, so Smith ran farther up the river where we keyed in on the lower half of the swift water spots again. A Wet August Sets Up the Smokies for Prime Fall Fishing, Daily Thunderstorms Keeping Stream Flows and Temperatures Optimal for Summer Fly Fishing, Summer Fly Fishing Is In Full Swing in the Smokies and East Tennessee, Spring Fishing Has Arrived in the Smokies, Extreme Wet Weather and Flooding in the Smoky Mountain Region, Getting Kids on the Stream in the Smokies, A Productive Summer of Fly Fishing the Smokies and East Tennessee, Late Summer Fishing Report from the Smokies and East Tennessee, Fly of the Month – Ian’s Rubber Leg Tellico Nymph, Fly of the Month – Guide’s Choice Parachute Adams, Congressman Burchett Fly Fishes the Smokies, Women’s Fly Fishing Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains, Spectacular scenery along Middle Prong of Little River at Tremont in the Smokies. The average stream smallmouth bass grows to 14 inches in length by age 6. Best Fly Fishing Gear For Smallmouth Bass. This river is Hatchery Supported and is seldom fished. We limit ourselves to a maximum of two anglers per guide so each angler receives a maximum of attention. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. “Wild brook and rainbow trout can be caught at high elevation on the West and Middle Prongs of the Little Pigeon River. It seemed that Tim’s initial surge of action near the boat ramp was the big moment. PO Box 60 Townsend, TN 37882 Email: info@randrflyfishing.com, Copyright © 2020 R&R Fly Fishing (Reading legal mousetype? While I missed an explosive strike on the edge of some rapids, I seemed to keep the bluegill interested with my popper. Whether you’re baitcasting or fly fishing your chances of getting a bite here are good. The smallmouth are abundant, and they are large. This is that time of year when we’ve been on Smoky Mountain trout streams and several of Tennessee’s tailwaters more than we can remember. Best Places to Fly Fish in Tennessee . This video is unavailable. Tim made the declaration that he had the perfect popper, one that really chugged and made a racket. Fly Fishing The Clinch River, TN - Drag Management 5lb Brown Trout (Target Fishing The Shadows) - Duration: 4:13. We do not sell, rent, or lease our subscription lists to third parties. Where: The Pigeon River, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee. First of all it’s a top fishery for smallmouth bass as well as sunfish, white bass, and the occasional largemouth. Once known as a polluted river due to runoff from a nearby paper mill, the Pigeon River has definitely shown improvements in recent years thanks to efforts from fisheries biologists in the area. Here you will find a great selection of the best premium Smallmouth Bass Fly Rods, Fly Reels, Fly Rod Outfits & Combos, Smallmouth Bass Fly Lines, and Accessories from all the top brands. Had a sneaking suspicion things were headed this way... KOA Campground on Little River Townsend, TN. We drifted the Pigeon all the way to its confluence with the French Broad. First of all it’s a top fishery for smallmouth bass as well as sunfish, white bass, and the occasional largemouth. Watch Queue Queue Your email address will not be published. Tim and I fished with less enthusiasm at this point as the interspersed rain showers grew with intensity, but Charity continued to fish hard. Below Waterville Dam, the Pigeon is a tailwater and considered a trophy smallmouth bass river with fish averaging 1-4 lbs. This is the place for accurate and helpful information on fly fishing for smallmouth, without the jargon or hype. During summer months, Duke Power regulates a recreational flow schedule. This section of river has it all and historically holds the most diverse fish species of all the Tennessee rivers. R&R Fly Fishing Smallmouth Bass fishing rivers: The Little Tennessee River from Sanderstown Road, Franklin, NC to Lake Fontana and the Tuckasegee River from US441 bridge, Dillsboro NC to Lake Fontana. Email: info@randrflyfishing.com, Copyright © 2020 R&R Fly Fishing (Reading legal mousetype? With miles of fish-able water both on the North Carolina and Tennessee side, there are many different floats available depending on water levels and release schedules below the dam at Lake Waterville. Next, and perhaps most important, the scenery is top notch. Watch Queue Queue. He's really wanting to go smallmouth fishing. Note the smug grin. R&R Fly Fishing License and regulations: A three-day Tennessee non-resident fishing license is $16.50 (no trout). The Nolichucky River could be compared to the Big Hole River in Montana or its sister, the French Broad River. World Class Smallmouth on the West Prong of The Little Pigeon River. Maybe it was Tim’s sixth cast (maybe sooner) with that popper the riffles erupted with a big smallie. Our trip on the river produced more than 40 smallmouth with several around 12 to 13 inches long and a few 14- and 15-inchers. These regular high flows increase oxygen content and decrease water temperature, which provide ideal conditions for abundant aquatic life. After lunch we switched to poppers and saw a decided increase in the action. Pigeon River. West of Asheville near Newport, TN is the dam-controlled Pigeon, full of extra large smallmouth bass. Several weeks ago we marked a day off the calendar to fish together. It did gurgle like a champ and every chug made you wince in anticipation. My son is really all excited about it, he'll be 13 this October and we are planning a trip to the Mountains for his birthday. The Pigeon has several great things going for it. We will use your e-mail address solely to provide information about R&R Fly Fishing. 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