Finding Trout on the Holston River
Finding trout isn’t usually a problem once you get to the river. As mentioned before, the Holston River doesn’t have a ton of good wade access. Much of what does exist is in the more seasonal stretch of trout water. If you are in a boat, you’ll find fish quickly because they are everywhere. Catching them can be another story, however.
Matching the Hatch on the Holston
This river can be as difficult as any technical tailwater out there, especially during the caddis and sulfur hatches. The Holston never ceases to amaze me with the tiny little caddis it features. I’ve seen just about any color of caddis you could imagine with the large ones being a # 18 and the smaller ones being a #22 or smaller. Simultaneously, there might be midges, craneflies, oh, and those sulfurs hatching. Larger caddis do hatch on the Holston River, but it is those tiny little ones that can be a challenge.
The sulfurs are about what you would expect, size #16-#18. As with many of our East Tennessee bugs, there can be some color variation, so be prepared for that. I often do better on split case sulfur nymphs or small pheasant tails, but the chance to throw dry flies is often too good an opportunity.
When there isn’t a hatch, nymphing with caddis larva and pupa patterns usually puts fish in the net. Midges and black fly larva are also big producers.
The Fishing on the Holston River
There are some incredible fish on this river. While the average fish will be between 12-16″, much larger fish do exist. Some absolute giant brown trout roam this tailwater, and the rainbows regularly grow beyond 20″ as well. We nymph more than anything to catch these fish, but enjoy throwing dry flies during hatches.
In the winter, fish can often be caught on streamers during higher flows. This river also enjoys one of the better shad kills in our area from time to time. When this happens, every fish in the river starts looking for these delicacies. The Holston River is one of our favorite streamer rivers in the area.