S6, Ep 32: East Tennessee Fishing Report with Ellis Ward
Dive into the dynamic world of East Tennessee fishing with host Marvin Cash and guide Ellis Ward in this latest episode of The Articulate Fly. Despite the chill and a fading light, Ellis' relentless pursuit of the perfect cast continues, as he navigates fluctuating weather patterns that challenge even the most seasoned anglers.
From streamer success to the subtleties of dry fly finesse, Ellis shares his on-the-water observations, detailing the sporadic blue-winged olive hatches and the promise of a buggy season on the horizon.
In response to a listener's question, Ellis dives into the world of pre-spawn smallmouth bass, revealing his favorite flies and strategies to entice these feisty fighters. Whether it's the finesse of a Kreelex or the allure of a Game Changer, Ellis' insights offer a masterclass in adaptability and anticipation.
So, pull on your waders, tie on your favorite fly and join us for another episode teeming with tips, tales and the thrill of the catch. Tight lines, everyone!
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Speaker:
Marvin: Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the Articulate Fly,
Speaker:
Marvin: and we're back with another East Tennessee Fishing Report with Ellis Ward.
Speaker:
Marvin: Ellis, how are you doing?
Speaker:
Ellis: Doing all right. A little cold right now.
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Marvin: I was getting ready to say you are the epitome of dedication.
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Marvin: Rainy and 52 degrees and you fished until there wasn't any light left and very
Speaker:
Marvin: little juice left in the battery to get across the lake.
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Ellis: Yep i i was wondering if if the size 27 battery is tailor-made just for that
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Ellis: specific lake run but um i think i've knocked a little water and acid out of
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Ellis: it a few times so i'm guessing that it dies a little sooner than it should yeah.
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Marvin: At least you weren't on the emergency or that'd be a bummer.
Speaker:
Ellis: Yeah that is a bummer so.
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Marvin: What are you seeing out there you know weather in our part of the world is all
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Marvin: over the place like warm super warm super cold rain it must be kind of a little
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Marvin: bit uh maybe nutty and frustrating on the trout streams.
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Ellis: Yeah um what's what's nice about,
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Ellis: how we fish is is that i mean it can feel nutty when it's It's really, really good.
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Ellis: And this happened last week where...
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Ellis: People listening probably know that I like to fish streamers when we're moving,
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Ellis: and I like to stop for any rising trout.
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Ellis: And there's certain places that I really want to hit with streamers.
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Ellis: And it was like I'm stopping these guys are putting like 15-20 casts out with
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Ellis: the streamers and I'm pulling off and giving them the 5 weights again,
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Ellis: you know taking some shots get a fish or two in the boat for you know casting the risers and then,
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Ellis: 7-8 weeks again and then 20-30
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Ellis: shots it got to be a little silly and just
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Ellis: have a conversation like what do you guys want to focus on
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Ellis: and he's once said both so I'm at about those days and it's one of the reasons
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Ellis: that I do spend these days and afternoons out on the water is just to figure
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Ellis: out what it because we are encountered with it often but yeah,
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Ellis: it's 50 going to be in the 40s tonight and then,
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Ellis: I think a low of 34 tomorrow. High of 70 in two days.
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Ellis: Today, I would think, would have been a great blue-wing hatch.
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Ellis: It was kind of meh. Three days ago, it was just on fire.
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Ellis: Very much all over the map. For your own fishing, it just Just it's one of the
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Ellis: times to, it pays to be prepared for fishing a couple different ways.
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Marvin: Yeah. And the good news is we're on the street as you are now on the Oro's pro staff.
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Ellis: Yeah, I'm getting, um, you know, one color isn't contrast enough for me.
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Ellis: And, and I feel like two is, is a little too loud. so I'm having them do like
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Ellis: a sort of like a tie-dye thing if that makes sense.
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Marvin: Yeah, and then I understand if you put them like 18 inches apart you can see
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Marvin: the relative movement of them and you really whack the fish, right?
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Ellis: Yeah, that's actually, jokes aside,
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Ellis: I do feel like there are some good streams I used to fish, maybe even some for
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Ellis: a heck, cicada hash, super girl hooked on one of those things.
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Marvin: Yeah, there you go. Uh, get a black one and just put a couple of pen eyes on
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Marvin: it and some wings and you're ready, right?
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Marvin: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I guess, you know, you're probably, what,
Speaker:
Marvin: two to three days away, assuming that, you know, you kind of get out of this
Speaker:
Marvin: cold, rainy weather from having kind of, you know, the beginning of some really,
Speaker:
Marvin: really good dry fly activity, right? Right.
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Ellis: Yeah. And, you know, we, we have them intermittently,
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Ellis: through, through the winter, but starting to see some, you know,
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Ellis: there's just some indicators.
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Ellis: Here's kind of a weird one. This is where I started to sound like a truly a burnt out guide.
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Ellis: Um guy was fishing a
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Ellis: drunken disorderly and sort of working it down his bank and um working down
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Ellis: his weed bed and got back in the boat was picking off what he thought was vegetation
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Ellis: and it was a big king's caddis and you know it's moved up in and out to the,
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Ellis: those weed beds and i was popping over rock um today and they're Those things
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Ellis: are all fat and happy. And...
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Ellis: Yeah, the blue rings, I wouldn't say it can be frustrating or tough when they're
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Ellis: coming off in big numbers and it's like 18s to 20s.
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Ellis: But honestly, it's only frustrating when you're fishing 18s and 20s.
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Ellis: If you size up to a 16 and maybe put one right behind it, they eat that 16.
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Ellis: So um rock information telling me that some solvers and PMDs will be,
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Ellis: around the corner so yeah it's it's about to be a buggy time of year and it's
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Ellis: nice because it's the first you know the caddis,
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Ellis: in a couple weeks the big caddis will be the first,
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Ellis: you know major source of food and even these smaller hatches certainly on the
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Ellis: Watauga, someone on the South Holson,
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Ellis: you have such a variety of bugs coming off at the same time and whether or not
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Ellis: it's going to be a big bluing hatch or PND or sulfur,
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Ellis: you don't really know but that it's a good problem to have.
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah for sure and you know shifting gears a little bit on you I got a small
Speaker:
Marvin: mouth question from Jeremy and you know he's jonesing for pre-spawn small mouth
Speaker:
Marvin: and he wanted to get your thoughts on your favorite flies for pre-spawn smallies.
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Ellis: A different one that I had on last week they were just,
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Ellis: yeah it was like 48 degrees when i was fishing uh the water temperature so expecting
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Ellis: a little more activity yes i started slowing things down a little bit and um
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Ellis: got some positive feedback,
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Ellis: and i think that's just to give a prelude to the that question in typical form
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Ellis: and fashion It depends if you're fishing pre-spawn smallies,
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Ellis: but it's full sun and the water's still pretty cold and you have a high pressure
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Ellis: front moving through and, um,
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Ellis: you know, maybe, maybe you got a, a, a bit of a cold snap the night before.
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Ellis: You can, you know, you can fish a big changer up against log jams and hope for the best, but, um,
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Ellis: I kind of do the same thing with the smallies and I do with trout where it's
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Ellis: like, I mean, there's the general baseline,
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Ellis: giant sun, barometer, temperature, temperature of the water.
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Ellis: I'm probably I'll go baiting in a few good places just to see but I'm going
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Ellis: to have a little more faith in slow rolling,
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Ellis: I like the articulated Crelex a lot I've gotten a lot of nice fish on that and the regular Crelex,
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Ellis: Chuck Craft knew what he was doing And then I don't stray too much from the
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Ellis: quote-unquote trout flies,
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Ellis: which I think a lot of them are doing a good job of mimicking some crawdaddy stuff.
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Ellis: So, I have a couple variations that are a little more small mouth oriented,
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Ellis: but articulated bugger platform with maybe two or three extra pairs of legs
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Ellis: on the front and back on a Peanut Envy or something like a Dungeon,
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Ellis: you know, tied in a little more muted colors.
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Ellis: And, man, if it is bitey and if you're in this area and you're fishing any of
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Ellis: the reservoirs and creeks and all that.
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Ellis: There's just such a big population of two to three inch shad i really get into fishing the,
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Ellis: the finesse changers and in the you know two three inch zone and then even some of the micro ones,
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Ellis: um for some of the skinnier water and at that point i'm probably transitioning to a,
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Ellis: intermediate line or you know
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Ellis: that for the triple densities going you know maxing out
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Ellis: of the sink three with intermediate running
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Ellis: line but um i i
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Ellis: think you know i'm moving away from just immediately going big full sinking
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Ellis: line you know short leader like like i would do for a bitey day and the trout
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Ellis: and and giving them um i don't have as much data with the small mouse so i like to,
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Ellis: give them the benefit of the doubt and see what type of mood they're in now when it is by e,
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Ellis: and and they're going water temperatures mid 50s got a little cloud cover late
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Ellis: afternoon and they're eating.
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Ellis: I'd like to see one swim through a 7-inch Game Changer.
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Ellis: And if you go down to the Creelacs, if you're fishing little peon enemies,
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Ellis: if you're fishing clousers,
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Ellis: clawdads, whatever, quote-unquote, smallmouth, quote-unquote,
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Ellis: trout fly, that you're fishing and getting feedback from it,
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Ellis: and you're getting 8-, 9-, 10-inch fish,
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Ellis: and you're getting good numbers of them,
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Ellis: it's time to when you when you have that bitiness that's it's time to assume
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Ellis: that bigger fish are going to eat so start changing things up a little bit a little bit and,
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Ellis: um maybe fishing deeper into structure and going a little bigger on the flies.
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Marvin: Got it and you know folks we love questions on the articulate fly you can email
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Marvin: them to us or dms on social media whatever is easiest for you and if we use
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Marvin: your question i will send you some some articulate fly swag.
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Marvin: We're going to be drawing for something cool from Ellis at the end of the season.
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Marvin: And Ellis, I don't want to bucktail shame you, but did you get your last batch of bucktail out?
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Ellis: I thought we were shooting for Easter. Isn't that right?
Speaker:
Marvin: Yeah, well, Easter's pretty soon, brother.
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Ellis: Yeah, it is.
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Ellis: They're out great, and they'll be up by Easter.
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Marvin: All right, well, there you go. And, you know, folks, remember,
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Marvin: we've got two great things on our Patreon community to support the show and support Ellis.
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Marvin: At one tier, you get a discount on Ellis's great bucktails in time for Easter.
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Marvin: Maybe not for overnight for Easter, but in time for Easter.
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Marvin: And then another tier is a $100 annual guide credit with Ellis.
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Marvin: And Ellis, before I let you hop, pun intended, you want to let folks know where
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Marvin: they can find you and book you and fish with you and all that kind of good stuff?
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Ellis: Yeah the easter pun
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Ellis: that really got me um yes on
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Ellis: instagram uh at ellis ward guides and trick information bucktail an occasional
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Ellis: fly and some videos a bunch of stuff that i'm I'm hoping it's helpful at elliswardflies.com.
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Ellis: And the easiest way to contact me for trips or information or just to get my
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Ellis: brain about something is my cell phone at 513-543-0019.
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Marvin: Well, there you go. Well, listen, folks, show it to yourself to get out there
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Marvin: and catch a few. Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Ellis.
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Ellis: Appreciate it, Marv.
Ellis Ward
Guide | Fly Tier
I am a full time, year round fishing guide in East Tennessee, based out of Johnson City. I also design and tie flies from midges to musky, process a thousand or so bucktails every season, teach at East Tennessee State University, and raise my daughter.
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