Guided Fly Fishing Trips | Float Trip
Private Trip
River Fishing
Guided fly fishing on four premier Tennessee and North Carolina riversSmall groups of two anglers for personalized instruction and attentionFlexible 35 hour trips adapted to current weather and fishing conditions
Picture yourself casting into crystal-clear mountain waters where massive brown trout lurk beneath overhanging banks and undercut ledges. Our guided fly fishing float trips take you through some of the Southeast's premier trout waters, spanning Tennessee's legendary Watauga and South Holston rivers, plus North Carolina's productive French Broad and Tuckasegee systems. These aren't your typical put-and-take fisheries – we're talking about world-class wild trout habitat where 20-inch browns are a real possibility on any given cast. With flexible trip durations from 3 to 5 hours, we adjust everything based on current conditions, weather patterns, and what the fish are telling us that day.
Every trip starts with reading the water and matching your approach to what Mother Nature's serving up. We keep our groups small – just two anglers max – so you get personalized attention and prime casting opportunities without crowding the best spots. The beauty of our float trips is covering serious water while staying comfortable in our drift boats, letting us hit multiple productive runs, eddies, and pocket water in a single outing. Morning trips often start with terrestrial patterns as the sun warms the banks, while afternoon sessions might call for nymphs worked deep through the pools. We meet wherever makes sense for current conditions – sometimes that's a public access, other times we'll pick a quieter put-in where the pressure's lighter and the fish are less spooky. Each river has its own personality, and part of what makes these trips special is learning to read the subtle differences in current breaks, feeding lanes, and holding water across these diverse systems.
We fish primarily with 9-foot 5-weight rods that handle everything from delicate dry fly presentations to indicator nymphing in deeper runs. Our approach changes with the season and conditions – spring often means swinging soft hackles through the tailouts, summer calls for terrestrial fishing along grassy banks, and fall brings out the streamers when browns get aggressive. The South Holston's consistent cold releases create amazing midge and sulfur hatches, while the Watauga's more varied flows keep things interesting with caddis and mayfly activity throughout the season. On North Carolina waters, we adjust tactics for the warmer flows and different insect life – the French Broad produces fantastic smallmouth action alongside trout, and the Tuckasegee's gradient changes offer everything from pocket water fishing to long glides perfect for sight fishing. We provide all flies, leaders, and terminal tackle, plus we're constantly adjusting your rig based on what's working. Whether you're nymphing with split shot or working a dry-dropper combo, we'll have you fishing effectively within the first few casts.
Our float trips consistently produce both numbers and quality fish that keep anglers coming back year after year. The South Holston has been fishing particularly well this season, with multiple 18-plus inch browns landed on most trips, including several pushing the 20-inch mark that really get your heart pumping. The Watauga's been delivering steady action on smaller, but beautifully colored wild browns that fight way above their weight class in that swift current. What really gets people excited is the diversity – you might land a chunky 16-inch rainbow on a sculpin pattern, then follow it up with a long, lean brown that absolutely crushes a mayfly emerger. The North Carolina waters add another dimension with their mix of stocked and wild fish, plus the occasional smallmouth bass that'll test your drag system. Recent highlights include a 22-inch brown from the French Broad that took a streamer right at the boat, and consistent multiple-fish days on the Tuckasegee when the sulphur hatch lines up with our timing.
Brown trout are the star of the show across all our float waters, and for good reason – these fish represent the pinnacle of freshwater angling challenge and reward. Browns are notorious for their wariness and intelligence, often holding in the most challenging spots like undercut banks, log jams, and current seams where one bad cast spooks them for hours. What makes targeting them so addictive is their opportunistic feeding behavior – they'll sip tiny midges one minute, then absolutely demolish a 4-inch sculpin pattern the next. Peak brown trout fishing typically runs from late spring through fall, with September and October being absolutely phenomenal as these fish bulk up for winter and become increasingly aggressive. The browns in our waters range from 12 to 24 inches, with the average fish running 14-16 inches of pure muscle and attitude. They're ambush predators that prefer structure and cover, making them perfect targets for our float approach where we can work flies tight to banks and through complex current breaks. The fight is what separates browns from other trout species – they're bulldogs that use current and structure to their advantage, often making multiple screaming runs that'll test both your drag and your nerves. Plus, their coloration is simply stunning, especially the wild fish with their golden flanks, crisp black spots, and brilliant red spots rimmed in blue.
These float trips fill up fast, especially during peak season when water conditions are prime and the fish are most active. With only two spots per trip, we maintain the quality experience that keeps our anglers coming back season after season. Whether you're a seasoned fly fisher looking to explore new waters or someone wanting to step up from wade fishing to covering more productive water, these guided floats deliver the goods. The combination of expert local knowledge, prime water access, and personalized instruction creates those memorable days that remind you why you picked up a fly rod in the first place. Don't wait until the last minute – the best dates book weeks in advance, and you don't want to miss out on what could be your best trout fishing experience yet.
Our motorboat cuts through Tennessee and North Carolina's premier trout waters with ease, carrying you and a friend to the best fishing spots on the Watauga, South Holston, French Broad, and Tuckasegee rivers. This nimble craft gets you upstream fast and positions you perfectly for those trophy browns and rainbows hiding in deeper pools. With room for two anglers plus your guide, there's plenty of space to work your fly rod without tangling lines. The boat's shallow draft lets us access tight bends and undercut banks where big fish hold, while the reliable motor means we can cover serious water during your 3-5 hour trip. Whether we're drifting through morning hatches or anchoring up for nymph fishing, this boat puts you right where the fish are biting.
Raleigh