SOHO snow

[troutphisher]

I fished the South Holston today, after reviewing both weather reports for NC, and TN. I decided to opt for the snow and freezing rain, over the wind gusts near home.

I started to the day at 8:00 am, it was cold and raining. The water looked like mud, it was stained red from where I encountered the river, so I drove up stream in hopes of finding some clear water. I found a spot that was slightly stained, it was up above the creeks that were staining the water red.

I started the day fishing a size 18 Sulphur might may, with a size 20 bwo emerger dropped about 2 ft, from the first fly. Even though they were not generating, the water was up and running high. I fished a riffle section that it normally only 1ft deep, but today it was closer to 2 ft. I picked up some nice browns and rainbows on the bwo emerger. The takes were very subtle. the rain soon turn into freezing pellets, then snow. The temps were dropping from the time I hit the water.

I moved to another section and fished a run, that usually holds good fish, and I was disappointed. I caught several more fish, most on the bwo, but two browns took the mighty may.

I broke for lunch around 12:40 and needed a warm up.

After lunch, I moved up stream about 2 miles, and looked for some more clear water.
I found some in the spawning section, that is now open to fishing.
I continued to nymph fish, but changed indicators from with to red, the snow was really coming down now, and it was very difficult to see the white indicator against the snow. I caught some more rainbows in the seams and runs.

Around 1:30, I notice fish starting to rise, and looked in the slack water and saw the bwo's were coming off. They were size 18, and the fish moved into the tail of the riffles to take them. Fish were rising everywhere in this tail out, so I switched fly's to a parachute bwo size 18.

It was fun fishing during heavy snows and catching fish rising to drys. I lost a couple fly's on some nice fish, and had to switch to a loop wing emerger size 18.

I had several more browns rise for the flies, they fought hard, head shacking and made some good runs.

The hatch stopped around 4:30, so I switched back to the mighty may and bwo emerger set up.

I fished the same runs the fish were rising in earlier and managed some more rainbows, and a couple of browns.

The rainbows are still in full spawning colors, some of them had bright red streaks under their gill plates, and some had an orange tip on their dorsal fins.

I had to fight the ice in the guides all day, and wind gust got strong at times.
The wind would move the indicator up stream against the current. It never got above freezing all day, and when I quit, the car thermometer said 26 degs.

It was a good day to be out on the water. I saw no other fisherman in the lower section, and only saw two guys near the end of the day.

Here are a few pic's of the day.

[trout_boy_II]

Congrats on a good day in trying conditions!

TB

[flyman]

Phish.............................................you got it about as bad as anyone I have every know ;hb

[Beetle]

Great report Phish.  Glad you found some fish on a nasty day!

Did you see anyone else fishing?? 

[Stuart R.]

I wanted to go but I was grounded today. Glad you got out, wish I could have been there. I love fishing in the snow.

STU

[Trout Chaser]

Very nice rewards for a day spent out on the river dealing with the elements  0--0

TC

[ditchmonkey]

dang man wish i woulda ran into you yesterday! we had a pretty good day on little streamers.....