Every now and then, there are magical days when all the variables align. It can seem almost too easy. The fish just eat what youâre throwing, and itâs glorious.
Of course, these days happen more often for those who have a fishery dialed in. And for the rest of us who canât be on the water daily to learn a river, the next best thing is to go with someone who can.
Thatâs where Capt. Dane Law and Bill Stranahan, of Southeastern Anglers, stepped in during a recent trip on the Clinch River, northwest of Knoxville, Tenn. The Clinch is one of the Southeastâs premier trout fisheries. It is a 13-mile tailwater fed by cold, oxygenated waters of Norris Dam. Tennessee stocks the river with rainbow and brown trout. Bank anglers line up near stocking points to pitch baits for a seven-fish limit.
Thatâs all well and good, but for anglers in search of more than a fish dinner, the river is great because of all the trout that survive this initial onslaught. There is some natural reproduction in the river, and with a 14- to 20-inch protected length range and an allowance of one keeper fish longer than 20 inches, trout that reach the protected slot are free to grow. And they grow quickly.
The Clinch River has gained a reputation for being fickle and for requiring delicate presentation of tiny flies. âThe Grinch or The Cinch,â is a clichĂŠd phrase Bill related to me while launching his jet-powered G3 on a hot Tuesday morning in June. By mid-afternoon, it was difficult to imagine this river being stingy.
Clinch River Simple Fishing
A minute into our first drift, Dane hooked a gorgeous rainbow that pushed the upper end of that 20-inch slot. It was an indicator of good things to come. The action remained constant for the next five hours. We must have caught 30 or more trout, including four that measured 18 to 20 inches and a couple presumably larger fish that snapped the 6x tippet required to draw strikes.
And it was simple fishing. Dane and Bill showed up armed to the teeth with 5- to 7-weight rods and reels, with everything from floating to 300-grain sinking lines. Their flies ran the gamut from tiny midges to big articulated streamers. On this day, the vast majority of their arsenal saw no action. The only thing needed was Billâs initial suggestion: size 16 bead-head Prince Nymph dropped 5 feet beneath a foam hopper.
Several times, Dane or Bill remarked that the Clinch River normally doesnât fish this ridiculously well. But when it comes together, there is nothing more fun than floating a river and losing count of the fish.
by Nick Carter
Southeastern Anglers is a multi-state fly fishing outfitter. Check out all the trips they offer at www.southeasternanglers.com.