This year we got lucky. I'm sure my clients who had trips cancelled would be glad to argue that point, but the fish will definitely be in good shape this year for the spawn. With some areas receiving over 5 inches of rain, area creeks, streams, and rivers were really rolling by the middle of this week. Little River peaked at over 8 feet on the Townsend gauge which is in the vicinity of flood stage. When normal this time of year is under 2 feet, you can imagine that we are talking about a lot of water.
With all the streams blown out and unfishable, I decided that a drive up to Clear Creek would be a great idea. The chance to see both the fall colors and the high water was just too tempting. Sure enough, the river was higher than I have ever seen it, although to be fair I don't normally drive up there to look at high water. Still, the normally tranquil stream was up in the trees and generally looking quite dangerous. The colors were nice as well. We are very close to peak colors here in the Cumberland Plateau and should see the best of fall during the next 2 weeks. Some spots have already reached their peak but there are still plenty of colorful trees to enjoy.
