Fly South

Fly South Fly South is Nashville’s premier fly fishing shop with 24 years of experience outfitting, guiding, and teaching anglers in Middle Tennessee and beyond.

We have ample free parking in front of the shop.

06/04/2026

Thursday update on a sunny morning headed into a great weekend!

Area reports are looking good with the Harpeth dropping, running 330cfs in Bellevue and 600cfs in Kingston Springs, both getting into a fishable flow pretty quickly. Clarity and visibility is still a little low, but should be in good shape with just some off color water by the weekend. It’s one of those times to swing by your spots to check them out, and be right on the front edge of the fishable flow and visibility.

Big Caney Fork news with the annual minimum flow now running, and should be on through late Fall. This 250cfs continuous flow is absolutely wadeable and will keep temps managed and water moving through the summer months. Also makes a float a bit more enjoyable during times of no generation.

The tables have turned a bit for the Elk River, though. Tim’s Ford Dam is spilling 2800cfs until further notice, so that’s a no-go until the spill is done.

We’re looking at a fantastic weather weekend, so swing by for flies, leaders, tippet, and any travel and adventure gear you need to get out there and get fishing. See you soon here in the shop!!

If it’s time to level up your trout rig, the Abel Vaya is restocked and waiting to join your summer adventures. Lightwei...
06/02/2026

If it’s time to level up your trout rig, the Abel Vaya is restocked and waiting to join your summer adventures. Lightweight, smooth drag, and made right here in the USA.

We’re prepping folks every day for summer fly fishing here at home and many places further from home. Stop by the shop and let us help you put together the perfect rig for anything you have in mind.

05/29/2026

Wild morning! Contending with the landscape guy and an overheating phone, but the Thursday update can’t be stopped. The update on Harpeth flows has made a wide swing from last week, with the river running high on all gauges. 1300cfs in Kingston Springs, 800 in Bellevue, and 100 in Franklin. We’re seeing a good slope down with good clarity and temps, so this rain has lined the Harpeth up for a few weeks of good fishing once we get to a fishable level.

The Caney Fork and Elk remain good options. Three one-hour generation bumps a day in the Caney will offer good wading or floating windows. The Elk remains unchanged, 120cfs sluice and no generation forecasted.

Schools ended the year last week and many folks hit the road for early summer travel. We have Patagonia Black Hole bags and travel accessories to keep you organized on the road. New sun hoodies in from Orvis, Skwala, and Patagonia. Cover up and stay safe in the sun.

We’re into the busy season and having a blast spending time with all of you in the shop! We’re lined up for another fun week helping out with all of your fly fishing, fly tying, and travel needs and questions. See you soon here in the shop!

05/21/2026

Thursday update! And the big news is rain, getting some and needing more. The Caney Fork and Elk Rivers are likely your best bets to get out this weekend. The Harpeth is quite low, but will benefit from the rain that came through yesterday and what we’re seeing in the forecast. Grab a rain jacket and your trout flies and get after it this weekend. Quick shop hours update, we’ll be closed in observance of Memorial Day this Monday. Swing by for all your holiday weekend needs today through Saturday. See you soon here on 8th Ave!

05/14/2026

Short and sweet this Thursday morning! Water levels are on the low side in the Harpeth but temps remain quite good, so we’re seeing some better than usual smallmouth fishing at these lower flows. Cool overnights are helping and we should get a little bump in those flows with some rain in the forecast.

Caney offering wide open wading from early morning to mid afternoon, longer periods of generation in the evening and overnight should make the earlier portion of that wade window the better bet. Elk maintains its consistent report with a 120 sluice and an open wading schedule.

Topwater flies for smallmouth are climbing the list of good options. Foam damsels like Tucker’s Warrioto are a great option. The classic Boogle Bug is one to keep on hand in a few sizes and colors. Not quite there yet, but get ready for froggy flies to be a ton of fun. The Basstard and deer hair frogs are always good when the time gets right, and those are ready to go here in the shop.

We’re lined up for another busy weekend here in the shop, and some fun late spring fly fishing. Swing by with all of your questions, and fly, gear, tippet, leader, and wet wading needs. See you soon!

Chris and Doc taking Fly South with them on an African adventure. Looks like things are working out!
05/13/2026

Chris and Doc taking Fly South with them on an African adventure. Looks like things are working out!

05/07/2026

Thursday update! Not to press our luck too much, but the Middle Tennessee fly fishing outlook remains good to great. Smallmouth flows got a little bump midweek, with good levels from Franklin to Kingston Springs. We might see a little off color water on the western end of the Harpeth, but clarity should be ok and the fish are happy and eating right now.

Tailwater report is just about the same as last week. The Caney Fork is seeing regular short generation bumps very early and mid-day, with longer evening generation. This is a good thing, keeping temps and flows in good spots. We’re keeping an eye on that summer minimum flow schedule, which we should see in place here by mid-month. It’s improved summer fishing in the Caney for the last couple of years, and should do the same this year. Elk report remain standard: 120cfs sluice and wide open wade window.

Quick reminder this time of year: Sun protection! Be sure you’re out and about with good sun protective clothing. Don’t forget about the sun gloves, too. New shop logo sun shirts in stock if it’s time to refresh your sun gear.

We’re lined up for a fun weekend in the shop and good fishing in the area, so get out and have some fun! See you soon in the shop for all of your fly fishing, fly tying, and travel needs!

05/02/2026

Wet wading season is here. Before you ditch the waders, make sure you have the right gear to stay comfortable and protected on the water. Watch our Skillsets video for a breakdown of the basics.

04/30/2026

Thursday update! And it’s the one we’ve been waiting for…fishing conditions are prime right now. Great smallmouth flows in the Harpeth, all the way from Franklin to Kingston Springs. Water temps from the mid 60s to low 70s. The rain early this week showed up not a moment too soon and did what we needed it to do. Dark crawfish flies are a good move, with some baitfish streamer stuff a possibility in the right spots. Tailwaters are also looking good for the weekend. Other smallmouth options on the Harpeth tributaries and Mill Creek down in Nolensville also worth a look with the bump in flows. Wade window on the Caney Fork today from 7am-2pm, looking like it should be the same tomorrow. Weekend Caney outlook has a predicted drop in flows so the wade and float options should be good this weekend. The temps there are good, and the generation bumps have kept the river at a good flow. Elk also remans a good option, 120 sluice and no generation on the horizon. We don’t usually see all the good numbers, in all the places, all at the same time like this so get out and get after it. Swing by to freshen up flies, leader, and tippet and then get fishing this weekend. See you soon here in the shop!

04/24/2026

Friday update! We need to kick things off with a weather report, which is: we need some rain! We’re running a lower level many places than we typically do in the spring, and we could use a little rain to fill up some smallmouth streams. With challenges come opportunities, and the wading in many areas of the Harpeth will be easy and accessible. Probably a weekend to be out earlier in the day and look for some deeper holes. Also, low water is the time to check out your favorite spots, and note structure and terrain so you can spot fish holding areas at higher flows. Caney has morning wade flows, and the Elk is on schedule for wide open weekend wading. Swing by the shop to talk spring fishing, low flow opportunities, and any other life events for which you need wise counsel. See you soon here in the shop!

Address

1004 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN
37203

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16153410420

Website

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