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Tellico Outfitters

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Tellico Plains, TN
Tellico Outfitters

Full service fly shop in historic downtown Tellico Plains. Guided trips and all the gear you'll need for a day on the water.
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06/18/2026

STREAM REPORT 6.18
Current streamflow- 80cfs
Water temps- low to mid 60s

Hatches:
Yellow Sallies
Golden Stoneflies
Salmonflies
Blue winged olives
Tan caddis

Hot flies:
Foam Stone yellow, olive- 14-12
Stimulator yellow, purple- 16-12
Purple Haze- 16-12
Klinhammer- 18-12
Chubby Chernoby tan, purple- 14-10
Blowtorch- 16-14
Walt's worm- 18-14
Perdigons- 18-16

From brookies to smallmouth, we've had some fantastic days on the water despite dry conditions, thanks to cooler than normal air temps. Water temps remain in the low to mid 60s on the tributaries and most of the main river upstream of Bald River Falls.

Dry fly action remains very consistent with some of the best hatches that we have seen in years. Match the hatch when targeting wild fish, with stoneflies and mayflies being the best choices as well as terrestrial patterns such as foam beetles and ants. To get a rise out of stocked fish on the Tellico or Citico, give big foam bugs like chubby chernobyls and hoppers a try. Drop a nymph off of your dry fly to pick up more fish.

Many people think of spring and fall as the best time to seek out native brook trout, but late spring and summer can bring some of the best brookie fishing all year. High elevation streams stay cool all summer despite warmer temps at lower elevations.

Smallmouth are hitting their prime on lower elevation creeks and rivers in the area as water temps warm. For smallmouth, the hotter the better, as hot days will entice smallmouth to feed early in the morning or late in the evening. We're entering peak topwater season.

The Tellico River and tribs are currently sitting at below normal streamflows. We have a decent chance of rain this evening with more on the way early next week. Hopefully we can get those streamflows up before the heat of summer begins.

Give us a call, send us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.

06/09/2026

Here it is! The lineup for Tellico Troutfest 2026!

Friday- 5:30p Hidden Rivers, 7p Fly Fishing Film Tour
Saturday- 10a-5pm Music, Vendors, Presentations and Fly Casting Contest

We have a lot of great vendors this year both new and returning. Too many vendors to list here! Don't miss a free showing of Hidden Rivers at 5:30 at the Blue Opossum Friday the 12th, followed by the 20th Annual Fly Fishing Film Tour! Admission for the film tour is $20, tickets are available at Tellico Outfitters or at the door Friday night. Food will be available during the show courtesy of Reliance Fly & Tackle.

Come early Saturday morning for a FREE Beginner's Fly Fishing class hosted by Hiwassee Trout Unlimited, 9am at the Celestite (next to Tellico Goods & Gear) followed by a casting clinic behind Trout Mountain Coffee House.

Listen to live music from a great line up of musicians as you browse vendors, artists, woodworkers and more. We'll have a variety of food vendors on Saturday as well as events for kids, including a new trout aquarium provided by TWRA!

Presenters will be in The Celestite this year, see slide 2 for details. You won't want to miss Walter Babb's flies and stories!

Come test your skills with our Fly Casting Contest and a chance to win some great prizes! Stop by Tellico Outfitters for more details.

This is shaping up to be our best Troutfest yet! Hope to see you there!

05/27/2026

STREAM REPORT 5.27

Current Streamflow- 245cfs
Water temps- mid 50s to low 60s

Hatches:
Sulphurs
Yellow Sallies
Salmonflies
Eastern green drakes
Tan caddis
Terrestrials (beetles, ants, etc.)

Hot Flies:
Parachute sulphur 16
Reversing caddis 16-14
Yellow stimulator 12-16
Klinkhammer 16-12

Pat's rubber legs 12-10
Blowtorches 16-12
Batman nymph 16-14
Walt's worms 18-12
Leeches & buggers 10-6

With local streams moving at a trickle and air temps creeping into the 90s, late Spring fishing conditions on the Tellico were looking bleak until last week's storms and showers brought the comeback story we'd been waiting for. The Tellico area, like much of the drought-stricken Southeast has received several inches of rain over the past week, saturating bone dry soil, recharging mountains springs and seeps, and bringing a brighter shade of green back to the mountainsides. After months of below average flows, the Tellico River is now back to normal streamflow. With the rain came cooler temps, with most days being in the mid 70s to low 80s and overnight temps in the 60s at low elevations, 50s in the mountains. Cool water temps and good streamflow now have trout feeding aggressively.

We are seeing some of the best sulphur hatches we have seen in years on the Tellico and tributaries leading to some fantastic dry fly fishing. You can find sulphurs hatching all day long with the peak hatch happening late in the evening. A variety of dry flies will produce all day long on tributaries and the sections of Tellico where wild trout are present. You may find a few stocked fish willing to take dries during the day on the Tellico, but nymphs and streamers will produce the best numbers until the evening sulphur hatch persuades stocked trout to look up.

Now is also a great time to target a variety of warmwater species from bass to panfish to gar in both rivers and streams.

Give us a call, send us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.

05/14/2026

BIG NEWS for Troutfest! Tellico Outfitters is proud to partner with and to bring the 20th Annual Fly Fishing Film Tour to Tellico Troutest 2026!

Come watch over 2 hours of some of the greatest new releases from fly fishing filmmakers from around the world. Incredible stories, incredible locations, incredible fish! Enter to win one of many epic prizes in our giveaway from Costa, Yeti, Scientific Anglers and many other top outdoor brands. We'll have the big screen set up on stage at Blue Opposum Antiques with BBQ plates available for purchase before the show.

Get your tickets online at the link in our bio or in person at Tellico Outfitters. See you there!

05/11/2026

Did anyone leave a fly rod on the Tellico River this weekend? Someone dropped one off at the shop this morning. Send us a message if it might be yours.

05/07/2026

STREAM REPORT 5.07

Current streamflow- 595cfs
Water temps- mid to upper 50s

Hatches:
Sulphurs
Cahills
Bwos
Yellow sallies
Eastern green drakes
Salmonflies
Tan caddis

Hot flies:
Neversink caddis
Yellow stimulator
Parachute sulphur
Quill jig nymph
Blowtorch
Duracell
Pat's rubber legs

After a very dry start to Spring, we finally got the rain we've been waiting for. Total rainfall in town since yesterday was about 2 inches. Some parts of the mountains received nearly 3 inches. All photos are of the Tellico River are from earlier today.

Streamflows peaked at 750cfs early this morning and is currently just under 600cfs and dropping. Stream flow should be near perfect this weekend. Nymphs will produce the most fish on the Tellico River but it's a good time to throw streamers as well with the higher flows.

Expect some great hatches this weekend with just about every springtime mayfly, stonefly and caddis making an appearance. We have even seen green drakes and salmonflies this week. Dry fly action should be great on the tributaries and upper end of Tellico River throughout the day with the best hatches in the evenings.

Looks like it's going to be a fine weekend, with high temps in the 70s and a slight chance of more rain on Sunday.

Give us a call, send us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.

05/01/2026

If you've ever dipped your toes into saltwater fly fishing, then Carolina redfish tailing in the grass is likely to be on your bucket list. Thanks to the skillful guidance of despite some of the worst possible conditions, we made it a reality. Unusually cold Spring temps, clouds and persistent wind meant opportunities were few and far between, but nothing beats local knowledge. Couldn't have done it without you Luke!

04/16/2026

STREAM REPORT 4.16

Current streamflow- 117cfs
Water temps- upper 50s, low 60s

Hatches:
Yellow Sallies
Cahill mayflies
Hendrickson mayflies
Early brown stoneflies
Tan caddis
Midges

Hot flies:
Neversink caddis 16-14
Olive Klinkhammer 16-12
Purple haze 16-12

Blowtorch 16-14
Walt's worm 18-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-10
Batman nymph 16-14
Hot head PT 16
Egg patterns 18-12
Leeches & buggers 8-4

Spring time in the Southern Appalachians brings something new every day. Early season wild flowers are showing off their best colors, with many varieties of trillium, laurel and rhododendron preparing to bloom. Shades of green creep up the mountainside, putting the chill of winter behind for another year. With the new season comes a wide variety of hatches and terrestrial insects which gather the attention of hungry trout. While it has been a dry start to Spring, the lower than normal streamflow has not made trout too skittish or selective. With so much insect activity, they are more than happy to make the most of the opportunity and pounce on just about any well-presented fly. The dry fly action has been incredible on both the wild trout streams and upper reaches of the Tellico River, although nymphs will still find better numbers of fish on the Tellico. Water temps are cool and trout can be found throughout the entire length of the Tellico River.

The bass bite is really starting to pick up in the lower elevations streams. Streamers or popper/droppers slowly drifted through deeper pools and runs will produce smallmouth and rock bass. It won't be long until the evening popper bite picks up. Smallmouth and largemouth both are a great species to target as the days warm up.

It's been a dry start to Spring, but rain is hopefully on the way soon. There's a chance for rain this evening and over the weekend, as well as a better chance late next week.

Give us a call, send us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.

03/27/2026

STREAM REPORT 3.27

Current streamflow- 165cfs
Water temps- low to mid 50s

Hathces:
Quill gordons
March browns
Blue winged olives
Winter black stoneflies
Early brown stonefiles
Black caddis
Tan caddis

Hot flies:
Quill gordon 16-14
March brown 14-12
Elk hair caddis, tan or black 16-14
Purple haze 16-14
Klinkhammer, tan or olive 16-14

Prince nymph 16-12
Bloody Mary 16-14
Hot bead pheasant tail 16-12
Blowtorch 16-12
Walt's worm 16-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-10

Every day feels a little more like spring. Redbuds have bloomed, dogwoods are starting to bloom and early varieties of trillium are beginning to unfurl. We are in that sweet spot at the end of the winter hatches and beginning of the spring hatches, and on a warm afternoon you are likely to see a myriad of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies on the water at the same time. When the insect activity is this heavy, trout are sure to be paying attention. On wild trout streams and the areas of Tellico River that have good numbers of wild trout, you will often see noses dimpling the water's surface as these opportunistic trout make the most of an easy meal. This is just the beginning of peak dry fly season. You will find the same great conditions for dry flies on every tributary stream so take your pick.

While not as likely to be rising to dry flies as their wild counterparts, high insect activity usually means the stocked fish will be feeding heavily as well as many nymphs and emerging insects are available to them while these insects begin their transformation. A wide variety of nymphs and wet flies will catch the stockers now, as well as the usual 'junk' flies (eggs, mops, squirmies). Spring is also a great time to target trout on streamers, olive being our favorite streamer color.

Conditions look great for fishing and camping this weekend. Get out and enjoy it to the fullest. Give us a call, send us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.

03/13/2026

STREAM REPORT 3.13

Current streamflow- 513cfs
Water temps- mid 40s-low 50s

Hatches:
Quill gordons
Tan caddis
Black caddis
March browns
Blue winged olives

Hot flies:
Blowtorch 16-12
Walt's worm 16-12
Pat's rubber legs 12-8
Pink eggs 18-14
Leeches olive or black 12-10

Pale olive or gray mayfly dries- 16-14
Tan or black elk hair caddis 18-14
Purple haze 16-12

Spring brings one of the toughest decisions you'll face all year, 'Where do I fish?' Thankfully, this time of year, there are no wrong answers. The water and weather are rapidly warming, streamflows are fantastic, and insect hatches will soon be at their peak. This means that wherever you choose, from headwater brook trout streams to the lower 'big water' section of the main river and whatever you choose to throw, from dry flies to streamers, you stand a good chance at finding some fantastic fishing over the next few months.

Some of the biggest spring hatches are just starting to kick off, and we are seeing big numbers of Quill gordons and tan caddis on wild trout streams such as North and Bald River. A handful of mayfly and caddis dry flies and a small beadhead dropper will keep you on fish all day long.

The Tellico River and Citico Creek are both back to their weekly stocking schedule, and flows are great thanks to recent rains, so both streams are primed to fish very well with a variety of nymphs and streamers from now until the remainder of spring and early summer.

Things are just heating up, but now is a great time to fish your favorite stream or explore some new water and shake off that cabin fever.

Give us a call, send us a message or stop by the shop for the latest conditions.

Address

109 Scott Street
Tellico Plains, TN
37385

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+14232532231

Website

http://www.tellicooutfitters.com/

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