How to fish for Southern Smallmouth
STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE DATES.
This is one of the most popular classes we offer, and fills quickly. Keep an eye on the Fly South email newsletter and our social accounts for future date announcements.
This class will spend the morning in the classroom and the afternoon on a local smallmouth stream. It will teach everything you need to know about how to catch smallmouth on a fly in our region.
Tennessee has more miles of shoreline and wadeable smallmouth water than you could fish in a lifetime, this comprehensive class will give you everything you need to know about how to get it done. It will teach gear, flies, rigging, reading the water, behavior, presentation, time of year approaches, safe fish handling. Remember what state holds the world record smallmouth, hint – it isn’t up north!
Students will need to have waders/wading boots if weather and water temperatures dictates it. Students should come with a solid pair of polarized sunglasses, raincoat, water bottle, sunscreen, hat with a dark under brim.
Fly Tying Classes:
Reserve your spot today!
We are excited for this year’s slate of tying classes. We are taking reservations on a first come basis. Seating is limited and will fill up quickly. Due to high demand and commitments from instructors, we are unable to issue any refunds. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Troy Basso
Troy is one of the most prolific freelance outdoor writers in our area, and has penned fly fishing and hunting articles for as long as we have known him. Troy is also a professional contract fly tier for Idylwilde and now Catch flies. His patterns have produced many a good day fishing the warm water streams and lakes around the south. Troy can also string together more four-letter words into a coherent sentence than anyone you will ever meet, that alone is worth the price of his class. We do have to give his class an “R” rating because of language :).
Basso’s Warm Water Winners Class
Dates: April 22, 2023
Intermediate/Advanced class Cost: $50.00
Only Seven Spots
All materials and tools provided
This class will focus on Troy’s proven winners for our regional warm water fisheries.
Fly Tying Beginners Class
Dates:
February 25th 2023, Seven Spots
April 29th 2023, Seven Spots
9am – 3pm
Beginner Level
Cost: $35.00
Materials and tools provided
Midges, Midges, Midges.
Date:
May 13th, 2023
9am – 3pm
Intermediate/Advanced
Materials and tools provided
Cost: $35.00
Caney Fork Patterns
Date:
TBA
9am – 3pm
Intermediate/Advanced
One sessions/Approx. 6 hours of instruction
Materials and tools provided
Cost: $35.00
Foam/
Terrestrials
Date:
TBA
9am – 3pm
Intermediate/Advanced Class
One Day/Approx. 6 hours of instruction
Materials and tools provided
Cost: $40.00
Tough, high riding, and easy to see, you should have a box of foam attractors and terrestrials for Middle Tennessee waters. Trout & Smallmouth eat them up!
Jim Mauries
Tennessee Tailwaters
Date:
March 4th, 2030
9am – 3pm
Intermediate/Advanced Class
Materials and tools provided
Cost: $35.00
Smoky Mountain Classics
Date:
March 11th, 2023
9am-3pm
Materials and tools provided.
Cost: $40.00
Soft Hackles/ Wet Flies
Date:
March 25, 2023
9am-3pm
Materials and tools provided.
Cost: $35.00
Matt Crockett
Matt cut his teeth in the fly industry out East working/guiding/teaching for Three Rivers in Knoxville. Matt is another staff member, who is a skilled fly angler who can put the hurt on fish in cold, warm, salt, river, lake, or pond. Matt brings a huge book of knowledge, experience, and passion to the shop. Matt also is a skilled fly tier and instructor, with a passion for predator and streamer flies. Matt has also put time on just about every Southern Musky stream from North Carolina, Kentucky, to Tennessee. The bearded one has refined what our southern fish eat, which is quite different from their northern cousins.
Southern Predator Flies
Date:
April 8th, 2023
9am-3pm
Materials and tools provided.
Cost: $45.00
Andrew “plum boi” Smalling
Plum Boy is the latest addition to the Fly South staff. His love of carp and smallmouth make him a perfect fit for a shop that has been guiding for both for over thirty years. Growing up in Knoxville, Carp was his first love on a fly. He then came exploring the cold-water smallmouth throughout the south. He also has intimate knowledge of the Smoky Mountains and Eastern Tailwaters. After graduating from UT with a fisheries degree, Andrew put in several years guiding, working, and fishing Alaska and the west.
Carp Flies
Date:
April 15th, 2023
9am-3pm
Grass, commons, buffalo. Flies for all three will be covered in this class. Tips on presentation and technique will also be included.
Materials and tools provided.
Cost: $35.00
Alaska Flies
Date:
May 20th, 2023
9am-3pm
Andrew brings several seasons from “The Last Frontier State” to the selection of patterns you will learn in this class. Trout/Salmon/Grayling/Dollies top flies for each will be covered.
Materials and tools provided.
Cost: $35.00
FLY SOUTH 
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