It's been too long since the last South Holston update--back in December, '07--but better late than never, and the contrast in seasons couldn't be more acute! Summer on the Holston means many things: TVA generation schedules ramped up to feed the air conditioners of the Southeast, hot days and cold water, mid-afternoon Sulphur hatches, and stalking browns with beetle patterns.

Altamont Anglers guide Forrest Marshall points to the beatle pattern that fooled this big South Holston River brown trout (click the picture for a larger view)

Altamont Anglers guides Forrest Marshall and Teo Whitlock took a day off from rowing the boats to fish with us on July 17, 2008, a day with a typical summertime TVA schedule that had the water off in the morning with a 2:00 p.m. release. The result: great wade fishing in the morning, put the boat in when the water comes up, and float out during the afternoon Sulphur hatch.

Forrest and Teo both managed the long casts with light leaders necessary to hook up on beetle patterns during low-water fishing in the morning. Of course, the first requirement is finding good fish to cast to: hence, the stalking element of this game.

Altamont Anglers guide Teo Whitlock with a big South Holston River rainbow trout caught on a #18 Sulphur pattern on high water on the afternoon (click to enlarge)

Follow up the morning trout-stalking with lunch at the Webb Store and you'll be ready for a relaxing afternoon float. The Sulphurs don't seem as abundant lately, but the cold water released during power generation by the TVA kicks the hatch into gear, and they are numerous enough to get fish rising, even on the high water. The hefty 'bow in this photo fell victim to a #18 Sulphur CDC comparadun drifted under the branches along the bank.

 

 

 

 

Click these thumbs for larger views of beetle-caught browns: Forrest Marshall pointing out the fly, Teo Whitlock hefting a fatty...

Read on for a report posted back in December '07, preceding the annual spawn...

Altamont Anglers' guide Teo Whitlock hoists a hump-backed brown with a wicked kype (click the image for a larger view)

The spawn is over, but we've left the pictures up for your viewing pleasure: the large brown to the left was caught and released on Thursday, December 6, by Altamont Anglers' guide Teo Whitlock. This big brown trout, with the classic hook-jawed kype and humped back, was in the skinny water visible in the background preparing for the "big event" of every brown trout's winter season, the annual spawn.

Properly played--which means landing the fish as quickly as possible to conserve its energy--and released after ensuring its recovery by rocking it back and forth in the current to facilitate re-oxygenation, these fish can be safely caught and released without harm to the spawning process, providing that the fish are not actively in the process of spawning, or in the post-spawn activity of protecting the eggs in their redd. Close observation of your sighted fish will ensure that you don't interrupt either of those activities, and that you are fishing in the pre-spawn period where fish are simply on the move, in search of willing mates.

Another nice brown, in pre-spawn colors, about to be released by AA guide Teo Whitlock so it can resume seeking a mate (click the image for a larger view)

 

 

Here's another beautiful brown trout, showing a spectacular display of pre-spawn colors, caught by AA guide Teo Whitlock on 12/06/2007 on the South Holston River. This fish was released back to the shallow water from which it was temporarily interrupted in its search for a suitable mate, and we wish it well in that quest!

 

 

 

 

 

Altamont Anglers' guide Forrest Marshall released this big male brown trout so it could finish the job it started: finding a mate! (click the image for a larger view)

Altamont Anglers' guide Forrest Marshall fished the South Holston the week of December 1, 2007, and the browns were just beginning to edge out into the shallows. This one made the mistake of hitting shallow water at the same time as Forrest, proving that timing really is everything.

Fortunately for Mr. Brown, Forrest knows how to land quickly an release properly, so the interruption of the quest for a mate was brief and harmless. We're confident he'll find the hen of his dreams soon...

Click the thumbnails below for some more recent pre-spawn action on the South Holston River...

In the category of "Good Day's Fishing", David Doeren's outing a couple of years ago takes the cake: he only caught 4 fish, but check out those fish!

(Altamont Anglers operates on Pisgah National Forest Rivers under USDA Forest Service Permit #PIS6560)