S7, Ep 71: Late Summer Shifts: Fishing Tactics and Conditions in East Tennessee with Ellis Ward

Join The Articulate Fly fishing podcast host Marvin Cash for another East Tennessee Fishing Report with guide Ellis Ward, covering current conditions on the Watauga River and South Holston River.

While dry fly action has been unusually slow for August, Ellis reveals why the streamer fishing has been exceptional, with clients regularly landing impressive fish including a 26.5-inch brown trout.

Learn how post-Helene water stain continues to benefit streamer presentations, current generation schedules affecting both tailwater systems and why water levels remain healthier than typical late-summer conditions.

Ellis shares insights on transitioning tactics as daylight shortens, the increasing potential for mousing as evening opportunities expand and early booking recommendations for the approaching musky season.

Discover specific techniques for fishing slack water versus fast water, seasonal insect activity changes and how shorter August days create prime conditions for mousing.

Whether you're planning a tailwater trip or looking to understand current East Tennessee fishing conditions, this report delivers actionable intelligence from one of the region's most experienced guides.

To learn more about Ellis, check out our interview!

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Episode Transcript

(00:04):
Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash,the host of the Articulate Fly. We're
back with another EastTennessee fishing report with Ellis
Ward. Ellis, how are you?
I'm doing well, Marv, how are you?
As always, just trying to stayout of trouble. And we were comparing
notes before we startedrecording and we're, I don't know,
three, three and a half hoursapart drive time wise. But you guys
haven't gotten quite as muchrain on your side of the mountains

(00:24):
as we have.
Yeah, I feel like every otherconversation that we've had this
summer has been me talkingabout the rain we've gotten and then
the last couple weeks, let'ssee, two days ago, two or three days
ago was, wow, I'm in a timewarp. Yesterday was the lowest I

(00:48):
have rode the Watauga notgenerating in the Del river was comfortably
in, you know, under a hundred.And you just look at the, the USGS
gauge on that and it's, it'sbeen going up to, you know, 3, 400
and sitting there for a day ortwo and then coming down to, you

(01:10):
know, 180, 150. And thosenumbers are. Normally you'll still
see it peak up to, you know,four or five hundred maybe with,
with big reins, but it's, itdrops down quick to a hundred, still
feels healthy and, and youknow, 60, 70 is real skinny, but

(01:34):
it, it finds its way there. Sostill haven't seen that, but feel
like we've been approaching itin the last few weeks and then been
getting a little more rain.Got, got hit today while we were
out. And it looks, you know,based on generation schedules with,
with both rivers running morethan half the day, which without

(02:02):
a good amount of rain, theWataga just does the five hours,
one to six, six days a weekand the South Holston somewhat variable,
but it's, it's been, it's beenpushing a little more water this
summer than last year forsure. But all of a sudden looks like

(02:23):
the next. We only get threedays of forecast. But you know, looking
like these healthy flows arecontinuing, which as we had discussed,
might be compensating for someupcoming precipitation. But we have
not gotten what you guys got.We didn't get the, you know, the
2 to 3 inches certainly didnot find its way here.

(02:47):
Yeah. And even though, youknow, you don't expect like sulfur
to be off the hook at thistime of year. You were telling me
that the streamer bite's beengood, but the dry fly bite's been
unusually off.
Yeah, I think I like to tellmyself that it's unusual every this
time of year. But I, I pick uprocks whenever I can as much as I,

(03:12):
I don't nymph much from the,the moving boat. It's. That's what
I started out doing in flyfishing. I still like to teach it.
And they're in low water.There's a lot of, a lot of juicy
little cuts on the Watauga.But just picking up those rocks,

(03:33):
it's. It. Forgive me if I'mrepeating myself, but you do that
in, you know, February, March.It's stuff just falling, you know,
these 14s, 16s, 18s fallingoff stone flies. And now it's, you

(03:55):
know, there's a 32 sneakingaround and, and all the Cattus are
really small. There's,there's, you know, the rocks are
jam packed with caddis, butthey're the, they're babies growing
big for next year. So I, Ialways anticipate. I'm a little spoiled
being on. On two tail waters.I always anticipate some bluing activity

(04:20):
on, on overcast and sort offlat barometer days. But you know,
the big, the big push ofyellow bugs for sure on both rivers
is over. And um, you know,there's, there's still reliable bug
activity here and there. It'sjust starting to get into the downsizing

(04:40):
season and, and then we'llget, you know, we'll, we'll talk
in another couple weeks andthere's going to be some different
activity. But August, Augustcan start to feel a little grindy.
Thankfully we have water andhave been moving and sticking some
really nice fish and shout outto Hunter who probably won't listen

(05:03):
to this, but Client who's justbeen a regular on the boat and as
you know, as anyone who hasfished with me knows, you got to
do a lot of different stuffand you have to do it all together
and you have to do it welland, and then you have to do it on

(05:24):
a repeated basis. And thatchanges from frog water to fast water
to this to that and, and weadjust as conditions change and the
day wears on or you know,we're exploring one thing or another.
And yeah, he just, he had, hehad good conditions and that, that

(05:48):
frog water, that slack wateris just, it's 100% on you. You don't
making your fly look like it'smoving fast. So fishing a big drunk
and just force this big fishout. I think I had moved that one
maybe two weeks ago. So I was,I'm not going to call it, I'M not

(06:10):
going to sit here and say, oh,there, you know, there's a fish.
Because if I did that all dayit would start to be boy who cries
wolf. But man, he just had acast in a great spot, stuck them
and one about 26 and a half,just under 26 and a half inches.
So had just consistentlyhaving some good, good run ins with

(06:32):
that class of fish. Sothere's, you know, we're not taking
breaks as often to, to hitrisers, but we do have that.
Yeah. And you still got somekind of post Helene stain in the
water and you got mousing too, right?
Yeah, yeah, all good things.And mousing will, you know, as discussed

(06:56):
last time, it's sun going downa little earlier each day, so we
have more time for mousing andless food moving through the system.
So, yeah, fishing's been goodand there's so many. I, I always

(07:17):
like that. I sort of laugh atmyself thinking that it could just
start sleeping right now andI, I would, I could quickly come
up with three or fourdifferent reasons why the bite's
going to turn on. But yeah,there's. Every season there's some
good stuff to be excited for.You know, November, December and

(07:38):
maybe start in October. I'mgoing to be starting to push towards
muskie and I might alreadythrow that out there, but mousey
muskie on the horizon.Streamer bites high right now. Still
have some of that stain. Got atropical storm system brewing south
of us, so not a bad place to be.

(07:58):
Yeah, absolutely. You know,it's kind of funny too. I was looking
at an article and at ourlatitude, we're going to lose 50
minutes of daylight this month.
We may have been hit with thesame algorithm, but yeah, it happens
fast end of July or sorry, endof June happens fast and all of a

(08:21):
sudden July's over and youknow, August doesn't. I hate to be
the, the school teacher orparent that I just despised when
I was a kid, but you, youstart to get the feeling, you know,
4:00pm that the, the lightoutside in the late afternoon is,
it doesn't look the same as itdid a month ago. So nothing is, there's

(08:49):
too many metaphors in fishing.But yeah, it's, things are different
today than they were yesterdayand they're going to be different
tomorrow.
And you should have been here yesterday.
You should have seen them. Ohman, they were eating yesterday.
Well, you know, folks, welove, we love questions on the articulate
fly. You can email me or DM meon social media, whatever is easiest

(09:10):
for you. And if we use yourquestion, I'll send you some stickers.
We are in a drawing for somecool stuff from Ellis at the end
of the season. And Ellis, youknow, you already teased teasing
muskie, but you want to talkabout how to get on the boat, how
to get questions answered, anykind of bucktail alerts, anything
good like that. You want tojust share all that good stuff with
folks?
Yeah. So the best way tocontact me about fishing in general

(09:31):
is my cell phone at513-543-0019. Muskie fishing is.
We're.
We're closing in on time tobook and already have some dates
on the calendar. So I'mappreciative for that streamer fishing
and mousing. I mean, I reallywant folks to. To be getting in here

(09:57):
before fish start spawning inNovember, which, sure, I get that
seems like a long way away.It's not, man. And all of a sudden
that. That leads us right intobucktail. So I am still. I'm staring
at a bunch now. They're gonnabe. They're gonna be back into some
shops that just sort of taperoff with the. The tine material especially

(10:22):
for. For bucktail throughoutthe summer. But some restocks at
a few different places comingup, and there's still a good number
available on elliswardflies.com and yeah, book your trip
and make sure it was for todaybetween like 10:00am and noon.
Well, there you go. Well,folks, as always, say, owe it to

(10:44):
yourself to get out there andcatch a few tight lines, everybody.
Tight lines. Ellis.
Appreciate it, Marvin.