Trophy Fishing TN Forum - Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide
Cold Water Fishing Reports => Miscellaneous Cold Water Rivers Streams and Springs => Elk River => Topic started by: jrgustafson on April 16, 2009, 04:39:48 PM
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Hi Guys,
Some buddies and I will be down in the Tims Ford area and hope to fish the Elk or Duck the weekend of 4/24-27. I haven't seen any reports for either stream lately, which is concerning, but with the Caney generated out those streams seem to be our only shot. Given our limited time in in the area, which river do you think we should focus on?
We will be wading, so I have been keeping an eye on recent discharge predictions. What are good/unsafe flows for wading?
Any advice on wading access/fly patterns would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!
Gus
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Elk is wide open or 100 cfs. I really liked it back in the fall when they were releasing 400 cfs.
Midges, and more Midges, tailwater food.
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jr;
I'm going this afternoon when they turn off the generation. I post a report this evening.
I'll also be there on the 24th with a couple of buddies from Elida, Ohio.
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Thanks, Jack. Have enjoyed your posts on this forum. Hope to see you on the stream.
Gus
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Thanks, David. Guess I should try midges!
Gus
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Well it was not a good day on the Elk. You can tell that when all the bait fishers leave and us fly flingers have the river to ourselves. A good friend of mine (and Leo's) who can catch fish out of a fresh mud puddle and will fish until it's to dark to find your car caught 4 and quit at 3:30. I caught 1 and did see another brought to hand. As far as size, well all 6 fish would not have fed your cat!
This was above and below the bridge at the dam. A couple of canoers had drifted down to Paint Ball and reported very little success also
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We all observed schools of fish, probably just stocked, but nothing of any size! But, being the ultimate optomist, I know that freshly stocked trout have been over fed to give them some time to adjust. Maybe next week they will begin to get hungry.
It was a beautiful day to be on the river so not a total loss. It was a bit windy though and fishing with a 3 wt. was sort of like taking a Knife to a Gun Fight!!
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jr;
I'm going this afternoon when they turn off the generation. I post a report this evening.
I'll also be there on the 24th with a couple of buddies from Elida, Ohio.
Better watch those Ohio boys there Jack!! ;)
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Is it okay if you are currently from Ohio due to work, but born and raised in Memphis? ???
Gus
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jr;
The fish were a little hungrier today but man were they small, Dale Hollow has struck again!! Do you know they stocked the browns during generation and if not for the quick action of people waiting for the water to recede there would have been a great loss of the stockers. One couple spent several hours hauling fish by hand out of the depressions where they were trapped carrying them back to the river. They are supposed to stock Rainbows this week but don't know how to cope with the generation schedules??!! Doh!! Stock in the afternoon dummy"s!!
But it was a great day to be on the river and everyone got thier string pulled a lot! I even caught one on a size 20 dry thingy I whipped up Tuesday evening. Poor little guy was all of 5 inches but fought like he was 7"!
We'll be there 1/2 hour before they turn off the generator Friday. Look for a black Kia Spectra5 and a white Ford Ranger. Two sunburnt guys and a couple of palefaces from up North!!
We can all put a buck in the pot for the first 8" fish!! ;D
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Jack,
It was a great day to be on the river. Probably the most interesting thing was the artist who was painting the Elk River. I found out later that he added you and I to the painting. I just hope he got my good side. That makes it worth much, much more. :)
Anyhow, the artist's name is Brett Weaver and he is originally from Winchester, TN. He has a website www.brettweaverstudio.com and lot of his work is featured there. Check it out.
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Is it okay if you are currently from Ohio due to work, but born and raised in Memphis? ???
Gus
been there done that pretty much Gus, man can[t have a lot to say about fate on things like that! ;)
Ohio isn't so bad, really, its just so damned flat.
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Well, my posse and I were part of the throng on 4/25 & 4/26. Great time. We caught and released a lot of 6 inch browns, with an occasional decent sized rainbow. They must have just stocked the browns. David, you were right: midges, especially ones with a bit of flash. Wet flies worked well early. You guys have a special part of the country, believe me.
We fished the Duck in the afternoons, but obviously didn't find Jack's honey hole. Jack, were you wearing a green fishing shirt on Sunday? I may have talked with you briefly at Cortner's Mill, but braincramped and didn't get your name. :-\
Gus
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Gus;
I wasn't at Courtners Mill Sunday, could have been my evil twin though!!
We were down stream a couple of miles and had a very good day. We ended up with a total of 44 rainbows and any 2 would have made a decent meal.
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Fished the Elk the 29th from about 10 til 2 and caught over a 100 fish. Totally wore out 2 good soft hackles. The secret was to slowly strip them in... not too fast, not too slow... but just right.... BANG!!!! Even nailed a couple larger fish as well. They stocked Wed. as well, just before they generated.
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Are there hold-overs in the Elk?
It is a looong drive down for me but just wondered if the stocker to hold-over ratio was like the Caney or more like the Obey.
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There are some holdovers, but not like the Caney.
bd
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The holdovers are in much different locations than most folks can get to.... but they're there.
Ralph