Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Brook Trout
(Stocked with holdovers)
Size
Medium width, 13 Miles long
Location
Northeast Tennessee near Knoxville
Nearest Towns
Clinton, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Season
Year-round
Access:
Fair for Wading, Okay for Drift Boats
Special Regulations
None
Non-Resident License
Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency
Seasons:
The fly-fishing season is year-round on the Clinch River.
Winter:
It is possible to catch trout on the coldest days of the winter.
Spring:
Springtime is prime time on the Clinch River
Summer:
The hot days of summer will produce fish if the right tactics are used.
Fall:
Autumn is a great time for fly fishing the Clinch River and the best opportunity to catch a large brown trout.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Clinch River – Fly Fishing Report – April 19, 2024
The river is still flowing a little above a normal level and stained some. Good Light Green and Blood, or red midge, hatches are taking place along with Blue-winged olives, Little Black Caddis and Little Brown stoneflies. Our articulated streamers continue to work good for the larger browns.
Rate: 2740 cfs
Level: 3.28 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 48 upper section near dam
Clarity: clear
TVA Release Schedule Norris
USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data
7 Day Weather Forecast: (click the link below for more detailed weather information)
Recommended Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, 18 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
Midges: Light Green and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
Little Brown Stoneflies: 12 nymphs and adults
Little Black Caddis, 18, pupa and adults
Fly Fishing Guide to the Clinch River: The Clinch can be a tough river to fish for some anglers. Its water stays clear and cold and it flows smooth in many places you need to fish. Success demands long, light leaders and tippets under these conditions. Most of the time the flies you will be using will be no larger than a size 18. Midges are the main aquatic insect that you will need to imitate. There is a weir dam located about a mile below the dam. It forms a large pool of slow moving water. Although it is usually full of trout, they are very difficult to catch. We suggest you don’t waste time there unless you just enjoy experimenting. In the Miller’s Island area there is a public boat launch area which provides a good place to fish if you are planning on wading. The water isn’t as smooth flowing as it is in most other places and it is somewhat easier for many anglers to fish. There are some riffles and runs in this area. The best way to fish the Clinch River is to float it. If you use your own boat be sure you are aware that it does have a lot of shallow rock ledges. You can tear up a boat fairly easy if you are not careful. The best time to fish the river from a drift boat is during the times one generator is operating. Two generators operating brings about some fast moving water. It is certainly possible to catch trout under these conditions but you will drift down the river very fast. It is also possible to drift the river in a canoe provided they are not running any water. You can move around the river and stop to wade when the conditions are suitable. The two big things to keep in mind is that the water discharges are of utmost importance on the Clinch River. You have to fish according to what the dam is doing. The other thing to keep in mind is that fishing dry flies is usually not the way to go. If you don’t like fishing nymphs and/or streamers, they you would be happier fishing somewhere else other than the Clinch River.
Clinch River Hatches and Trout Flies: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Clinch River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726 There are a few mayflies and quite a few caddisflies that emerge on the Clinch River but the hatches are not consistent day in and day out. There is a sulphur hatch that can be good at times. It is about the only mayfly hatch of any importance. It starts in late April and peaks during May. By the first of June it has ended in most areas. Many days you will be lucky to see midges on the surface. Most of the fly fishing should be done subsurface. The river has a population of both scuds and sow bugs and at times it seems they are the preferred food of the trout. However, as plentiful as they are, imitations of them don’t always work. There are several species of Cinnamon Caddis. They can hatch off and on from June through the month of September. Little Sisters are also present in limited quantities. They hatch in late June and on into the first two weeks of July. Other species are present but not in large quantities. This is an excellent river to fish large streamers in for two reasons. When they are running two generators, it is about the only way you can fish it. The other reason has to do with the huge brown trout that exist in the river. Fish from twenty to thirty inches long are not uncommon. They are used to eating large baitfish. This method requires a lot of cast and plain work but it can be very effective. Just don’t expect a fish every few minutes. When you do catch one, it most likely will be a good one. The best conditions for a drift boat trip is when they are running one generator. You can occasionally catch trout on a dry fly provided a hatch is occurring when one is running but most often, you will need to fish subsurface. It is also possible to catch a trout on a dry fly midge imitation. It depends on the water levels and flow conditions and of course, the hatch. Most of the time you will be better off fishing a midge larva or pupa imitation. If you notice any midges hatching, go to the midge pupa imitation. If you don’t, fish a midge larva imitation. We prefer to fish either of them without a strike indicator, but they do work fairly well on the Clinch. You should add a small amount of split shot above the larva imitation and adjust the indicator depending on the depth and speed of the water.You can fish imitations of scuds and sowbugs the same way as the midge larva flies. Add some weight to the tippet a few inches above the fly and fish them on or just above the bottom. Strike indicators can also be used with them if you prefer. Don’t forget streamer flies. They work great, especially when the water is running high and fast, or when it is off-color from heavy rain. Double or tandem rigs are popular on the Clinch. Some anglers fish a larger mayfly nymph and a small midge larva or pupa together. Others fish two midge flies a few inches apart, both a midge larva and a pupa imitation. We don’t prefer these multiple rigs but they do catch trout. If you haven’t done so already, please give our “Perfect Flies” a try. We feel sure you will find them to be very effective on the Clinch tailwater. Our Scud and Sowbug imitations are the best you can buy. Our Sulphur imitations work great on this river as well as any where else for that matter.