Elk River Tennessee Report

[Wm1]

Wednesday, April 21 Elk River Report
I fished the Elk for about 4 hours yesterday afternoon.
I basically had the whole river to myself from the Hwy 50 bridge to the first bend.
This was a sign that fishing was going to be slow.
Water clarity was good.
Water temp was 47 degrees.
Very few trout rising.
Did not get a strike for the first two and a half hours, then put on a white soft hackle and got seven over the next hour. All small brown trout.
All in all a very slow day, but a beautiful day to be on the river, especially to enjoy the solitude. That doesn't happen often on the Elk.
I did notice as I drove home that most of the cows in the fields were lying down????? Maybe there is something to that.
Wm in the Boro

[JohnScott]

I've been scratching my head and looking at cows laying down and standing up for days now. But I haven't been out fishing so I can't correlate the effects of the cows on the fishies.

Glad your patience, and the white soft hackle, paid off with a hour of cooperative brown trouts. Best way I know to take care of that "solitude" thing.

John

[Wm1]

Fishing is improving on the Elk. I fished the Ferris Creek section and the Hwy 50 bridge area yesterday. Did a little better at Ferris Creek, but caught plenty of fish both places. The browns are small, 6" to 9", and the rainbows 10" to 13". Best producing fly was a #22 midge.
There are still very few people fishing. I love it when I have a whole section of river to myself. Then why am I posting? Because I realize that some people do not have as much time as I do to get out and explore the fishing possibilities and depend on forums such as this to get their information.
Wm in the Boro

[Jack Hise]

I was told by our own Joe the Dough God that he had been taught by an old timer that watching nature was the key to productive fishing trips. If those cows were not eating the fish probably would not be biting!!

P.S. The Elk has been fishing poorly for some time now. The last stocking was 6.5 inch Brown Trout!?

[rons81]

Hey Jack! Some of the guys up here said they were getting them late in the afternoons on drys. Small adams and cadis. They said the river is gunking up a little with the low flow rate. Maybe this rain will help.

[Jack Hise]

If anyone wants to catch 6 1/2 browns go to the Elk. I've been getting some 10-12" rainbows on the Duck (along with a 20" Walleye!!). The 2010 TWRA Shocking Report for the Elk even came up with some 4-5" fish which means Dale Hollow is not doing a proper job of filling the trucks. Sizes and numbers were also down from the 2009 report. Dale Hollow began stocking the Elk in March of 2009! What's that tell ya!

[Wm1]

Thanks Jack, for sharing your knowledge concerning the Elk and the Duck.