As I peruse the area stream flow gauges, I see that Little River is down into the low 40s for water temperature. The flows are actually very good, but with the trend towards colder weather I'm willing to bet that the fish are a little off today. Earlier I received a report that Newfound Gap Road is temporarily closed due to snow and ice so don't think about driving over the ridge today. The colder weather should hold on for a few days but by next weekend we should see decent conditions for fishing again.
Area tailwaters are running high across the region so check the generation schedule before heading out to fish. A good alternative to the wild trout streams are the delayed harvest streams. Even when it gets cold these streams fish reasonably well. That is because the larger stocked trout still have to at least maintain their body weight.
Last Thursday I did some exploring around the Tellico area and found a good number of rainbows. I caught several 10-14 inch fish on Wooly Buggers and Pheasant Tail nymphs and one that was a bit nicer. The colors on this fish were simply incredible! Don't be afraid to impart some action to the small streamers but the nymphs should be fished dead drift under an indicator (this can work for the wooly buggers as well).
