Fly Fishing for Big Browns: South Holston River Tennessee

[@bearbenton5945]

I just had me some supper of 2 small potatoes fried, then a 17 inch rainbow trout, had to cut the body in half cause it was so big for my pan. Absolutely stuffed. I thank the Lord!!! Thank you lord that I was able to catch and keep such an amazing rainbow trout to eat right here in east TN. Amen.

[@bretta3]

I remember when I was young and eager and would go trout fishing in weather like this. Some of my best fishing in Virginia and then Colorado was on days like this. Now I'm old and I won't go fishing unless it's a beautiful day because now it's not about catching a lot of fish. It's about enjoying the experience.

[@billhowe863]

Glad you liked my comment, we live in the inter-mountain west, my wife and I guided for years and tried to teach a method of fly fishing that is used in big fish fly fishing from the slip strike to handling fish quickly by using the right pressure with a low rod angle to give bigger fish a good chance of survival, hate to see someone with larger fish and their rod pointed straight up in the air, which puts zero pressure on that fish..

[@bluelineangler8450]

Appreciate the feed back

[@TennesseeVolfan]

I love my TN rivers...south holston and clinch

[@sirtango1]

I love them both on the Tn and Va sides!

[@joshroten3997]

Areas shown in the video (bridge, etc. below the Weirs) are in my “backyard”. I fish that whole area year-around and absolutely love it.

[@ksingleton101]

Wow, on a 4wt, Great Job! 13:02 great picture. I love that you are using such a light wt rod. I have a 2wt that I enjoy fishing. I also have 1/8 of a pound leader that makes a great challenge for even the smallest trout.

[@bluelineangler8450]

Thanks! Glad you liked it. 1/8 pound leader sounds ridiculous, haha

[@rtucker51]

Wonderful job on this video. The channel name caught my eye...Great minds think a like.

[@halcopeland1462]

Awesome video guys!! One of my dreams is to get a big brown!! One day I'll get there!!

[@huntermullins9631]

Fished it my whole life live next to darters only a couple miles away. If you go about 3 miles down river near hickory tree it’s absolutely amazing fishing no one around. Local spot!

[@sharpe1128]

Hey man, I am planning to fish down by hickory tree. Is there a good place to park down there? Maybe by the church?

[@joshroten3997]

Yes Sir! That section of the SoHo along Big Springs Rd., and both up and down stream from there. Can’t go wrong. Just be cool with the locals, and they’ll be cool with you.

[@WesLovelace]

The Coloration on Native Browns is Stunning!! Nice Finns!!

[@bluelineangler8450]

Wes Lovelace yes they were indeed!

[@willgreene3649]

BlueLineAngler Awesome video man I’m lucky enough to live in Johnson City and have that location 30 minuets from my house. Next time you’re in the area I’d definitely try the Watauga river in Elizabethton, only a 45 minute drive from the SoHo. Keep up the awesome work!

[@bluelineangler8450]

Thanks for the info! We've heard the caddis hatches can be incredible there. The watauga will probably be the next trip!

[@willgreene3649]

Definitely!! You have to clean off the windshield just from driving through downtown Elizabethton during the hatch.

[@jeremyjones1238]

He's right i live in Greenville Tn I'm over an hour but yes they both have Nice Browns and bow's great fishing

[@JeffHartman]

@@jeremyjones1238 small world. I live in Greeneville myself.

[@METALLOCO]

Im from Kingsport, Tn, I have fished North Holston and South Holston and try both run together there to. South Holston has been crazy for me, i have caught one trout it was above Eastman chemical plant. most of the time i fished below the plant and i have never seen one person catch a trout, i have caught small mouth, large mouth, mud cat, carp and so on and they all have sores on them. I just fished the north fork most of my life because of the south fork you might catch a 2 headed fish. lol

[@richeaton7436]

FWIW. Caught 5 nice Rainbows (partner got 2) just below Patrick Henry dam on Rapala jerk and crankbaits last Friday. All were 15"+. No bass that close to the dam.

[@MichaelBrewick]

Do you consider leaving them alone during spawning? Seems more sporting/advisable in the long run. Then again, i guess they are just fish.

[@VirginiaHighlandsOutdoors]

Michael Brewick SOHO has on average 10,000 trout per mile. We also have miles of protected spawning grounds on the river as well. Fishing during spawn is not going to put a dent in that river.

[@user-qd6jt9sd3h]

It's not much of a disturbance

[@thomastrain7311]

That river is stocked multiple times a year so its not really an issue

[@tnspain]

They DO NOT stock browns on the Soho. It’s pretty pathetic to fish up there during the spawn.

[@thomastrain7311]

@@tnspain sorry guy they are stocked starting in smyth county va all the way down into the lake and in the lake, and then Tennessee stocks the lake and then the river starting below the wier . Those brown trout don't swim all the way from Germany by themselves. You can watch the truck stop on the bridge and dump them in if you find time between saving the internet from aquarium fish abuse

[@VirginiaHighlandsOutdoors]

Very cool! Really enjoyed watching this. Very nice fights and Fish handling. Next time you all make it down give me a shout, I have a few hidden holes. ☺

[@bluelineangler8450]

Virginia Highlands Outdoors will do man. Appreciate it!

[@ryandempsey6351]

Nice fish handling? Gloves and not reviving??? This video pissed me off just because of his fish handling

[@bearbenton5945]

We're the most apex predators the Earth has ever seen. The fact he tries his best ought to be enough. You remember that, boy. @@ryandempsey6351

[@emhankinson]

Very nice. I need to get down there. Thanks for sharing.

[@bluelineangler8450]

Ed Hankinson glad you liked it! Thanks

[@360Fishing]

Going up there the week of Christmas, what bridge is that where you guys were at,

[@burkdog24]

Holston View Dam Rd Bridge

[@ugsisr]

Up here when the Trout are Spawning we shut down fishing.. I like it that way..

[@thomastrain7311]

These fish are stocked non native species so there's no point in being self righteous

[@eli8699]

@@thomastrain7311 almost all in soho rivers are wild

[@bearbenton5945]

Wow well aren't you a special boy? Down here we stock them multiple times per year. There are at least 8500 trout per mile in that river. There are plenty of extra introduced trout that have been living in the river for years. For example, I caught at least a 5 year old, 18 inch rainbow today and had him for dinner. Most are 8-14inches.

[@zenbooter]

Great vid. Did anyone get a water temp? Thanks guys.

[@dillandrews7687]

Jon have you ever fished the Holston River in Tennessee.It has some big Brownies and Rainbows.

[@steveg8322]

Beautiful video, might I suggest a 6wt next time?

[@bluelineangler8450]

Thanks. If I owned a 6wt I would have used it

[@jaybeesmer2996]

1:17 into the video and already commercials? sheesh!

[@bluelineangler8450]

Jay Beesmer I was just saying KZbin had been ridiculous with commercials lately. Don’t have any control over that. Sorry man...

[@bearbenton5945]

Get "Friendly KZbin Adblock"

[@samcole2381]

Good video,beautiful fish!

[@Rodreellurefish]

Nice, wide, clear river. Nice trout as well.

[@bluelineangler8450]

Rodreellurefish it’s a beautiful place! Glad you enjoyed it

[@Rodreellurefish]

You're like me. Nearly at 1000 subs. Nice work

[@bluelineangler8450]

Yep! Should get it in the next day or so. Thanks!

[@billhowe863]

Always best to use your rod to put pressure on by pointing your rod towards the slack water by the bank, keeping your rod pointed towards the sky will never put the needed pressure on in order to land a bigger fish quickly, a fish will yield to the pressure if you keep your rod tip low, which will exert maximum pressure.

[@jderifaj]

man, I have to go there. only 3 hours from my house....sigh..

[@kytrails]

Just getting started, what brand of waders were you all wearing? Boots? Or could someone give me a recommendation?

[@bluelineangler8450]

I really like Simms freestone waders and boots. I would highly recommend getting stocking foot waders with separate boots rather than the waders with the boots attached. If Simms are out of your price range I would give hodgeman waders and boots a try. I started with those and they lasted quite a while for me.

[@Angelfi73]

Hey can u use your boat and search summer wells in a barrel mb

[@user-qd6jt9sd3h]

Oh I know exactly where that is, and about 30 minutes away too, I'll have to swing by

[@rickbrown1734]

Spinning reel with power bait , works every time . Yum Yum.

[@rickbrown1734]

Gianluca Fiore Yes

[@andreasfischaufsicht]

browns are awesome!

[@WildPursuit1]

I have only lived on the south holston since January but really want to hook some trout

[@MrTigger21777]

What part of South Holston were you guys on? Kingsport Area, Rogersville? I’ve been trying to locate this part of the river

[@joshroten3997]

Holston Dam View Rd., just below the dam and weirs. You’ll recognize it from the video. Parking adjacent to far side of the bridge.

[@ksingleton101]

Love to see the rigging you are talking about, trout crack? NM I googled it and found it, Zach Matthews on KZbin shows how to make it, is that the type you are fishing here? I spent 20+ years fishing the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and my biggest Brown was 28" 12lbs on 6wt. What a fight, 23 minutes in late fall. The lake was Lake Sabrina out of Bishop,CA. I miss those days!

[@bluelineangler8450]

sounds like an absolute beast! I’ll do a tying video on the trout crack soon. Super simple fly just dubbing and D-rib for a back. It’s a sud/ midge imitation. Glad you liked it!

[@NewZealandAnglers]

WOW Awesome bro ...Awesome .

[@nathanrichardson913]

Great video! My college's fly fishing club will be down there at the end of February. I was wondering if you could give any more details about the flies and size leader/tippet you were using? We have some new guys coming on the trip with us and would love to help them get on some big browns! Great video, keep 'em coming.

[@bluelineangler8450]

We used mostly 9' 5x leaders. The main flies were small egg patterns with a dropper nymph or midge size 18-20 trout crack or zebra midge. Put a single large split shot 18'' above the egg.

[@eli8699]

@@bluelineangler8450 how high was your indicator from that?

[@joshroten3997]

Visit the local fly shop, called “Fly Shop” at Hickory Tree Rd. & Hey. 421 next to the Dollar General. They have local intel, flies, and lots of local fly fishermen stop in for a beer so you can pick their “fly” brains. 😉

[@AgentClappers]

Where’s this located there’s no where I know of to go into the south Holsten river it’s too deep

[@bearbenton5945]

Use google earth and maps. Thank me later, pal.

[@bluelineangler8450]

When they arent generating, most of the river is very wadable. If they are generating, that is a different story.

[@CraigMounsey]

Greeting from the Antipodes. Nice video mate. I love fishing in the snow, everything seems so much quieter. All those people in the water reminded me of the bridge pool on the Tongariro river in New Zealand (look it up). Subbed and looking forward to more. Check out my stuff if you get a chance or are interested in southern hemisphere fishing. Cheers Craig

[@bluelineangler8450]

Craig Mounsey thanks! I would love to make it to New Zealand some day!

[@winstonchurchill4340]

Fishing at the grates is about as close to cheating as anyone should get. Move up stream and prove you can catch fish that aren’t on their redds.