Elk River, TN (Tims Ford Dam)

[waders]

Saturday afternoon 1/24/09. Dam release schedule shut generation down at noon and were expected to turn back on around 6pm. Weather forecast called for 41 and howling cold winds from the north. Thinking the dam would provide a little protection from the wind we headed to the river around 1:30pm. Water was just getting settled and fish slowly churning back into feeding lanes. Protection from the wind was not available. The wind was coming straight down the river. Bitter cold seemed like 10 degrees.

Saw a few friends coming back up river with only 3 C&R's for the day on egg patterns and one on a small hares ear. My sons and I stayed around the hwy 50 bridge and managed 8 fish total. 7 little browns and 1 rainbow. 2 fish on a sz 12 tungsten hares ear, 6 on a sz 14 copper john. Was critical to have no drag on the drift and fish were holding on far seam. Current was causing drift and mends to be a little tricky for my 8 and 10 year old. Ended up hooking fish and letting them play them in. All in all a good day but cold, will be glad to see some warmer weather soon. No size..10" brown best fish of the day.

Regards,
waders

[WarrenP]

Wade,

Sure wish I had known you were there. I would have loved to have met you and fished with you.I wanted to go Saturday but decided the cold North wind just was not my cup of tea. I did go Sunday to the Duck and managed 15 small rainbows. No great size, but, sure felt good. Even though it was warmer than Saturday, my fingers and toes got pretty cold and I got off the river around 3:45 and headed home.

Sure will be glad when this cold weather gets out of here...

[waders]

Warren,
By any chance were you up on the Duck at the Mill on or around the Saturday after Christmas? I started to ask if it was you but did not want to intrude.
~~~waders~~~




A GIANT trout leaping the dam! LOL was only about 9". Must have caught 30 of the little buggers that day! Fun but small.

[WarrenP]

Wade,

It is hard to say...The college closed down for Christmas break on the 19th and I did not have to return to work til Jan. 5th, so, I did fish as much as I could and I could have been there then. Do you remember if there was a white Ford Ranger with a black bed cover there? If there was, it was me. That means that I missed meeting you twice! Boy, your Dad would be mad if he knew that!

[waders]

Yup! That must have been you. Was also a black suburban, grey station wagon and a dodge truck of some sort. Busy day there. Most of the guys were fishing down stream and my cousin and I went straight to the dam. There was a man to the right of me with what looked like a bamboo rod or possibly one of the new sage rods or even a glass rod doing pretty well in the seams from the spillover.

I thought it might have been you but wasn't sure. Tim's wife had shown me a pic of you at the shop but I couldn't really tell. so.... Next time I will call first and we can plan a trip.

Wade

[tar heel]

I was at the Elk on the same day, but I went to the next access down the river (Ferris Creek?). A buddy from B'ham drove up and we went out to the put in trying to time it so we would get there about the time the water dropped. Apparently they turned the generators off at noon and the crowds began by 12:30 (we didn't go to the dam, but three guys from Murfreessboro drove up while we were waiting and they had just come from the dam). At two o'clock we gave up and drove home. My question to you guys: how long does it take for the water to drop that far down stream? I always thought it was about two miles of river, but my father-in-law says it is more like four and that it takes almost four hours exactly for the water to hit 95 cfs after the dam stops generating. How long does it take to be able to safely wade at Ferris Creek (assuming I've named that spot correctly)?

[WarrenP]

tar heel,

Today, 1/31/09, they shut down the generation at 9:00am. A gentleman from Ala., who had taken one of my fly tying classes, wanted me to meet him at Ferris Creek, Hurlow to the locals, and show him some good spots to fish. The river was wadable at around 1:30 and back to normal flow at around 2:30pm. It takes this long because all the flooded areas between the dam and Ferris Creek will also be draining back into the river. This time of the year, with shorter daylight hours, it is almost a waste of time to try and fish Ferris Creek area when they have generated. You just lose too much fishing time. So, your father-in-law is right. It is around 4 to 4 1/2 hours before it is safe to wade plus it takes some time for the fish to settle back to their feeding lanes.

[Jack Hise]

Waders;
Will you be up this way next weekend?

[J Castwell]

Man,,, you guys just got to get yer plans together! Sounds like a Chinese Fire Drill! Make a plan... Then, meet! (wish I was there to join you guys too)

[Jack Hise]

JC you are right! Here I've got 2 guys from the cold and frozen north coming down for some fishin' and eatin' and can't even hook up with a couple of neighbors!!??
Ya all are invited to dinner Saturday night by the way!!