introduction

Southern Appalachia is a magical place for the fly fisher. Thousands of miles of trout streams flow between the mountain ridges. Wherever you are in east Tennessee, western North Carolina, or north Georgia trout are close. Blindly point at any spot on the map and it will be close to trout water. Trout require cold, clean water in order to thrive and there is no shortage of it in these mountains. Originating high in the mountains, these waters tumble over countless cascades and ripple over long, gravelly runs on their long journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

These freestone waters flow with no regard to man, obeying only Mother Nature. Spring showers and summer thunderstorms provide the life blood of the mountains and create a network of streams that flow in perpetuity. The dry season of late summer and fall shrinks the streams to their annual low point, but they always retain enough water to provide a home for aquatic life until they fill to the banks again in the winter.

Man made tailwaters compliment the abundance of freestone streams in the mountains. Created by the construction of dams, these rivers are large and provide another form of trout habitat. Tailwaters are more fertile than mountain streams and have prolific insect life. In contrast to the mountain streams, the flow of these waters is largely controlled by man. Dams which control the flow have tamed flood waters and produce electricity. These rivers are more civilized than their wild, mountain cousins and flow serenely through gentle valleys and among rolling hills. Trout that inhabit these rivers grow strong in the cold, swift flow while feeding on a bounty of midges, caddis, and mayflies.

Few fly fishers get to spend as much time on the water as they would like. As professional fly fishing guides we are fortunate to spend our days among trout and the spectacular settings in which they thrive. Countless hours on the water give us the privilege to be there during those special moments. We're there when the caddis are on the water so thick that our waders and drift boat are slimed with their eggs. We're there when a big brown trout explodes out from under the river bank to tackle a bright, sparkley streamer. We're there when the sun beams through the mist in the Smoky Mountains and the trout rise to dry flies all day long. We're there in the frozen days of winter when the beauty of fresh snow makes up for a lack of fish brought to the net.

We invite you to come along with us and let us show you our home waters.