Cicada Slurping Smallies

[TWiles]

I had just about given up after a few failed attempts to find this season’s crop of 17 year Cicadas near the water.  “I’m afraid it’s over…”  was just about every report I was getting as I inquired eagerly.  A few lucky souls had found them on mountain lakes and a few rivers, but access was difficult and they weren’t revealing much.  On a whimsical attempt to float a new stretch of the Holston with some good buddies (John and Racer X) with nice drift boats, our streamers and crayfish patterns were soon replaced by every foam-bodied creation we could create to mimic the dying bugs that the smallies were gulping.  Long river floats paid off in revealing only short stretches of bank where the bugs had hatched.  The buzzing screeches of their singing filled the air.  Occasional bubble-filled splashes and slurps under overhung trees revealed where the smallies were lying in anticipation.  I was even able to take my brother out there in the canoe. 
   In only a couple of floats in just a few weeks of June, I had unbelievable experiences of topwater heaven for these hard-fighting fish---definitely a peak experience for me in fly fishing.

Battle Shots:













A generous gift from a fellow angler:



Closeups:







Fat (well fed) Fish









Carpage:





An Amazing Place:



I returned back last week to take my father out in the canoe.  Sadly, the woods were eery and silent.  The once abundant cicada carcases that littered the river bank have been picked dry by the birds.  I stubbornly drafted upriver with my trolling motor to get to the “ 3 pounder hole” as I called it for its generous fishing---no bites.  And late evening littered the water with an entanglement of weeds and moss so thick, that my father couldn’t even get a clean retrieve with his buzz bait.  In a way, I’m kind of glad it has come and gone.  Now I’ll be able to rest at night knowing that I’m not missing the amazing bite, and I won’t have to tie so many late night black foam poppers.  I already cannot wait for the next thick, buzzing hatch of these great bugs.

Travis

[Steve H]

Travis, thank you for sharing those amazing pictures and story as well.

I will say this, those are some HUGE smallies!

[Racer X]

Good times, Travis!  Good times!

[Travis C.]

Great report Travis,

We got the shaft on the noisy bugs. All reports were hot and heavy for upper middle TN but no such luck on the water.

Those are some nice bronzebacks you got there.   

I am a smallie junkie and should definitely make the trip out there some time to those east TN waters.

-Travis

[MikeA]

Yea, we heard all about the coming hatch here but nothing ever came from it,,,, again...  Great report Travis. Be sure and save up a few days off for later this year.

[TWiles]

Just say when and where Mike.  My rods are rigged and ready. 

Crystal has moved back to Memphis to work for a while, so we might try to rendezvous somewhere in your area over the next few months.
Now, my house is a bachelor/fishing pad....so feel free to come on down any time.

Sulphers will be strong on high water until mid August.  Lower Watauga (where I took you) will continue to hatch caddis into August when most other tailwaters are hatchless.  And a few  rivers up here dwindle down to stream beds, and some hawg smallmouth can be caught on topwater in the riffles.

Hope to cast a line with you soon.

[John M]

Hey T Wiles, where is the pic of the psychodalic cicada man? You know it slayed em.

[TWiles]

Right on John!

Sorry to have left out such a productive fly.  Definitely got to give it props.

The bug that started it all.....John's Psychedelic Cicada!



No smallie can resist

 

[MikeA]

That's a solid offer Travis. Let me think it over a little while and I'll get back to ya. Jarrod has a nice Hyde that would be best suited for that area. Maybe we'll make a run up there soon.  I'll holler atcha.

[Kylemc]

That's a solid offer Travis. Let me think it over a little while and I'll get back to ya. Jarrod has a nice Hyde that would be best suited for that area. Maybe we'll make a run up there soon.  I'll holler atcha.

bring jarrod..i owe both you guys..lets hook up in E TN...I don't know about this fella though...