Insects and other foods the trout
should be eating:
1. Slate Drakes
2. Little Yellow Stoneflies
3. Needle Stoneflies
4. Mahogany Duns
5. Little Yellow Quills
6. Great Autumn Brown Sedges
7. Blue-winged Olives
Most available - Other types of food:
8. Sculpin, Minnows (Streamers)
Fly Fishing School - Five Basic Tips on Where and How
You Should Fish
1. Learn the Basic Types of Water In A Trout Stream:
From a very basic standpoint, there's only about four types of water in the streams
of the Smokies - the pools, pockets, riffles and runs. There are others
depending on just how much you want to break the streams down, but if you are
new to fly fishing you only need to learn to recognize these four basic types of
water. Two of them consist of slower moving areas of water and two of them
consist of fast moving areas of water.
The pools are those larger, deeper areas of water that look exactly what they are
named - pools. The surface is normally fairly smooth. There's usually some
current at the head or upstream part of the pool where the water flows into it. The
tail of the pool, or downstream end of a pool, is normally smooth and shallow. This
is the area just upstream of where the water flows out of the pool.
Anywhere there's a large rock or boulder located in the current, the water flows
around it leaving a little pool called a pocket. It will be directly downstream or just
behind the boulder. The water in the pocket is usually slow flowing and can be
almost still water.
A riffle is an area of fast water flowing over and around rocks. The surface of the
water in riffles will be rough and broken.
A run is a deeper area of fast flowing water that flows between large rocks and
boulders or between large rocks and boulders and the bank. Its surface can be
broken in some areas, particularly near the head of the run, but it's overall much
smoother than a riffle.
These different types of water are difficult to describe with words only, so if your
are not familiar with them, we suggest you get one of our basic fly fishing videos
where you can see these different types of water (www.flyfishingdvd.com) .
2. Analyze the stream before you make a cast:
Trout will not be located or positioned just any and everywhere in the streams.
They will be holding in certain areas of the stream, or certain types of water,
depending on whether they are resting or feeding. As a general rule, in all but the
coldest parts of Winter, you want to avoid the still and slow moving water and
place your fly where there's some current. When you are first getting started,
avoid the pools altogether. There are plenty of trout in the pools but they are more
difficult to catch than those feeding in the faster moving current. The slower the
water, the better they can see your fly is a fake. Later on, after you have learned
the basics, you can learn to fish the pools and other areas of slower moving water.
3. Fish In An Upstream Direction:
The trout will be facing into the current watching for food drifting downstream in
their direction. You want your fly to drift downstream the same as the other food.
When you cast in a downstream direction, the trout are facing in your direction
and can see you much easier than if you are positioned downstream below them.
Cast in an upstream direction and advance along the banks, or in the water if you
are wading, in an upstream direction. There are times and places you may need to
make a downstream cast, but avoid casting in that direction until you learn the
4. Watch the Bubbles:
The bubbles will show you where most of the insects are drifting on the surface of
the water. Currents tend to congregate these insects and bubbles into seams.
That's also where the trout are looking for food that's drifting along on the surface.
That's exactly where you want your fly to drift.
5. Learn To Get A Drag Free Drift:
You will hear the term "drag free drift" over and over anywhere you fish for trout.
This simply means you want your fly to drift through or on top of the water at the
same speed of the current. When insects are drifting downstream in the current,
they do so at the same speed of the current. The trout see these drifting insects
day in and day out. When your fly isn't drifting at the same speed of the current it
appears different, or unnatural to the trout. They will reject it as food. If it is on the
surface, your fly will tend to drag or leave a tiny wake that's very unnatural. You
will need to learn much more on how to get a drag free drift but we will get into that
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
New Schedule of Daily
Mondays: Weather and Stream
Conditions Forecast - Coming Week
Tuesdays: Fly Fishing Strategies -
Which Flies To Use - Coming Week
Wednesday: Fishing Tales
Thursday: Fly Fishing Strategies and
Weather/Stream Conditions Update
Friday: Whatever Hits Me
Saturday: Getting Started
Sunday: Fly Fishing School
More Options For Selecting Flies:
1. Email us with the dates you will be
fishing the park and we will send
you a list of our fly suggestions.
Please allow up to 24 hours for a
2. Call us at 800-594-4726 and we
will help you decide which flies you
3. Call or email us with a budget for
flies and we will select them and get
them to you in time for your trip.
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