Hiwassee yet again.

I have made a decision to spend some time on the Hiwassee this year. This was my fourth trip this year I think. Water temp are still fine. I got 64 in the morning at the stair steps and it was 68 at noon when the water came up. The best fishing is of course between first daylight and about 10 am or so. I saw sporadic Yellow Sallies and some tan caddis. No real action on top but very good fishing under the surface. I caught 14 and lost many more. All very good sized fish for wade fishing on the Hiwassee. I caught several rainbows in the 12" range and one brown of 12". Very colorful and hard fighting. They all took either the BH Pheasant Tail or an Olive Soft Hackle size 14. Very nice to see the river produce like that. Only one dink today, a small brown.

Hiwassee River

I usually fish the Hiwassee river in the spring. No different this year. I got there at about 9 am and rigged up for nymphing. Hiwassee is a real bug factory and a fish factory also. The only negative with this river is that it is very difficult to catch anything of size. Hiwassee is mainly a put and take fishery and doesn't have many hold over Rainbow trout. Temperature issues and possibly other factors limit the survival rate of the fish. The river does have some hold over browns and they can get huge. They are however not easy to catch and I would say almost impossible during low flow. It has to be a high water float to even have a chance to catch the. Hiwassee river could be a gem if the hold over trout was there. The river is a literal bug factory. I saw BWO's in the morning, along grannom (Little Black Sedge or Caddis), and you would thinkg they would take on top. Not so today. I had to stick with nymphing, although I tried a Black EHC several times. I managed to catch 28 or so rainbows today. I caught them all on BH princes and some black spiders and Iron Blue Dun wets. But it is somewhat disheartening that not one of the fish was a keeper. They were all 9 to 10 inches each and looked like they had been recently stocked. I do however love the rive and the nature surrounding it. It is one of my favorite places in TN. I have fished Hiwassee river of and on for almost a decade now. I used to do it more often but lately it has been a spring trip every year. Mainly a practice run for more technical waters to come. If you ever have to take a beginner out, this would be one of my top choices. The river is choke full of fish and with some practice and help with the entomology a beginner should have a field day. The water temp was 60 degrees today and I fished about six hours total with a break for lunch in between.