S8, Ep 12: Flows and Focus: Navigating Spring Fishing in East Tennessee with Ellis Ward
Episode Overview
East Tennessee guide Ellis Ward joins host Marvin Cash on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast for a late-winter fishing report covering the South Holston River and surrounding tailwaters. In this episode, Ellis breaks down how unpredictable dam generation schedules and fluctuating flows are the primary drivers of inconsistent fishing windows — more so than weather — and why that reality demands a fundamentally different mental approach from serious anglers. With BWO hatches failing to materialize on days that should produce blizzard conditions, and streamer eat windows compressing to brief, unpredictable pulses, Ellis and Marvin draw a direct parallel between the relentless focus required for post-spawn brown trout streamer fishing and the mental discipline musky anglers already understand. The conversation covers the critical tactical mindset of hunting specific, quality fish rather than grinding for numbers, how to stay locked in through hours of blank water, and why the angler who stays mentally present from first cast to last is the angler who converts when a big brown finally commits. Looking ahead, Ellis previews the approaching caddis hatch and the narrow pre-spawn musky window before the fish pull off into their spawning cycle — a brief but high-opportunity period for anglers willing to position now.
Key Takeaways
- How flow variability on Tennessee tailwaters — more than weather or barometric pressure — controls streamer bite windows and hatch activity, and why monitoring generation schedules is the first step in trip planning.
- Why the mental framework musky anglers already bring to the water is the correct lens for post-spawn brown trout streamer fishing, where long blank stretches between eats are the rule rather than the exception.
- How to maintain cast-to-cast focus through low-feedback hours by loading your brain with data that supports your confidence in the water type and technique, rather than drifting toward easier or more visible options.
- When to pivot between top-run and bottom-run tailwater zones based on current flow constraints, and why reading the release schedule lets you prioritize water before you ever launch the boat.
- How Ellis Ward's newsletter gives subscribers first access to grade-one and grade-two bucktails before they sell out, making sign-up through elliswardflies.com the only reliable way to secure top-shelf material.
Techniques & Gear Covered
The episode centers on streamer fishing for post-spawn brown trout on tailwaters, with Ellis emphasizing that successful execution is less about pattern selection in the moment and more about willingness to grind through extended non-productive stretches with the same intensity you brought to the first cast. He describes the challenge of top-run versus bottom-run water selection under constrained flows, highlighting how generation schedules completely restructure where holdable current and soft edges exist. Ellis also touches on the early-season caddis hatch approaching within a week or two, noting that small caddis coming off will begin to offer aggressive dry fly opportunities for fish that, under current windy and unsettled conditions, are largely unreachable on top.
Locations & Species
The episode focuses primarily on the Watauga River and the South Holston River in East Tennessee, tailwater systems whose fishing quality is directly tied to TVA generation schedules rather than ambient weather. Ellis notes the South Holston is currently sluicing approximately 200 CFS as a result of a scheduled generator outage lasting two to three months. Brown trout are the primary target species throughout — specifically large fish in the 20-plus-inch class that are accessible via streamer presentations during the brief windows of stable, consistent flow that punctuate the current uncertainty. Musky are the secondary species, with Ellis confirming both fish and conditions have been similarly variable; however, the late-winter/early-spring period preceding the spawn represents a high-value window before the fish cycle off and become largely unavailable for several weeks.
FAQ / Key Questions Answered
Why aren't the BWO hatches producing consistent rising fish on the Watauga right now?
Ellis attributes the inconsistency primarily to flow variability from TVA generation schedules rather than weather. Trout on tailwaters calibrate their feeding behavior to consistent hydraulic conditions, and when releases are irregular — hour-long pulses, for example — fish that should be rising during prime BWO conditions simply aren't. He notes he's been on the water five to six days a week for a month and has seen days that should produce blizzard hatches with zero risers.
How should an angler approach post-spawn brown trout streamer fishing mentally?
Both Ellis and Marvin agree that the correct mental model is the one musky anglers already operate with: accept that the eat may come once every several hours, load your brain with data supporting why the water type and presentation are correct, and maintain the same level of focus and deliberate presentation on cast 100 as you brought to cast one. Letting down after long blank periods — drifting toward nymphing or watching for risers — is precisely what reduces the probability of converting when the opportunity finally appears.
What's the difference between hunting big fish and accidentally catching big fish?
Marvin frames this directly and Ellis affirms it: intentional hunting means committing to the technique, the water and the mindset required for a specific category of fish, accepting low frequency as the cost of quality. The alternative — spreading effort across multiple easier techniques — increases the odds of catching something but dramatically reduces the odds of connecting with a true trophy. Ellis makes this point from the guide's perspective, noting he has extensive data on which approach produces the fish his most dedicated repeat clients come back for.
How do you get access to Ellis Ward's bucktail drops before they sell out?
Sign up for the newsletter at elliswardflies.com. Ellis sends email notification one day before the public drop, which is when grade-one and grade-two tails — and most grade-threes — sell out. No other access tier exists; the newsletter is the sole early-access channel. He can also be reached directly by phone at 513-543-0019 or on Instagram at @elliswardguides.
Related Content
S8, Ep 5 – Frosty Mornings and Musky Pursuits: January Fishing Insights with Ellis Ward
S7, Ep 45 – Navigating the Waters: Streamers and Strategies in East Tennessee with Ellis Ward
S6, Ep 37 – Streamer Secrets and Dry Fly Dreams with East Tennessee's Ellis Ward
S6, Ep 142 – Winter Musky Adventures and Streamer Tactics with Ellis Ward
Connect with Our Guest
Follow Ellis and Flyzotics on Instagram.
Follow Ellis on YouTube.
Follow the Show
Follow The Articulate Fly on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and YouTube.
Follow our Substack newsletter for episode updates, tips and resources.
Support the Show
Shop through our Amazon link to support the podcast.
Join our Patreon community to support the show.
If you are in the industry and need help getting unstuck, learn more about our consulting options.
Subscribe & Advertise
Subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcast app.
Think our community is a good fit for your brand? Advertise with us.
Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of The Articulate Fly. We're back with another East Tennessee Fishing Report with the man himself, Ellis Ward. Ellis, how are you?
Ellis WardI am good, Marv. I'm dying some bucktail. It's a balmy 50 degrees here in Tennessee, so life is good.
Marvin CashYeah, you're on the weather. Yo yo too. Like we are. So what does that lead to on the water?
Ellis WardHonestly, we have had so much uncertainty with flows that I think this isn't the first time it's happened and it won't be the last. And you know, I'm now year six, so we keep making it happen and making it happen meaning making big fish heat flies. But you know what?One thing it could look like is like, you know, we're taking that. I'm focusing on maybe a couple hours of a release on the tail waters for trout fishing.I'm looking at maybe a top run versus maybe a bottom run and different water constraints with muskie. It's been, it's been high and low there too, for trout. It's, you know, the weather is. You may or may not get hatches, but we.When you're getting these hour pulses or two hour pulses or, you know, the South Holston just started sluicing 200. They have a scheduled generator out. It's referred to as an outage, but the generator's turned off for maintenance for two or three months.So they're sluicing to manage levels and you know, all these other different guidelines that they have and the. I haven't had an interview with the bugs or the trout for that matter, but they do like a certain amount of consistency.And so when you have what I'm feeling right now I'm standing outside, it's this really unsettled wind. We have a little front coming in. We might get a little bottom out and things of the barometer and things kind of feel stable for an hour or two.But when you're getting a lot of wind, it's. It's tough to get them on top. You might be able to get some aggressive caddis eaters. It's, you know, it's really early for that.But we're going to start to see some, some small caddis coming off here in the next week or so. But to, to say, okay, this is where I'm seeing risers and this is a good time to be going out for the BWO hatch, man, I'm. I'm out there.I've been out there five, six days a week for the last month and there are days that should be blizzards of blue winged olives and I don't see one rise of fish.And so I think that has you know, tail to the tailwaters just have this interesting layer where you look at certain zones and say wow, that looks really good. Actually it sucks because of this. That and the other. All of which have to do with the. The tailwater stuff.The high versus low water versus the freestone where it's like yeah, that's. None of these conditions apply to that. So you know, long, long answer to say some. A lot of the uncertainty and.And fluctuations that we're seeing and most of the time that's bite windows for streamers.That's consistent risers, consistent fish feeding in the same zones for trout on level drive bys and then seeing muskie where they should be doing things that they should be. That's as inconsistent as it gets. But, but all of that's contingent more so on flows than it is on weather.And, and I'm saying that just compiling data and, and seeing so many days where it's. It's perfect. And so we are still getting, you know, we're still getting things lining up and you were here.We, we snapped into a couple risers but man spotty that, that spot we were in was weird and they were munching and so you know, same story. It's go out with a certain degree of intention understanding that you have no idea what's going to happen.And do your best and be prepared for not just the worst, but be prepared for everything. If we end up fishing dry flies for 90% of the trip, you know, both of us better be prepared for that.And that just means having the right gear and the right mindset.
Marvin CashYeah, I would say on the mindset front, you know it's kind of funny because you know I kind of was with you kind of between two fronts. Some sunny weather, a lot of snow melt in the river.And I was kind of thinking driving home that you know, you really have to approach this post spawn streamer game really like muskie fishing from a focus perspective, you know. Cause I mean you know we got fish but it was.There were three tough days of fishing and it's like, you know, you know, remember we got that first eat like at like 5, 45, 6 o', clock. Right. And I screwed up the set, right. So I was just like, you know, been going all day long without much love and we got bailed out on the dry flies.But I kind of that focus Thing was just something kind of from a mental perspective I was kind of processing when I came back from that trip.
Ellis WardYeah. And it's, it's, it's unsurprising to me that I enjoy both guiding and fishing. Of how much I like guiding and fishing for muskie, which is.You think about muskie, right? It's, everyone already has this idea, okay, take that idea and now say you're going on a trout fishing trip. I have very few clients, very few.And at this point I have so many great repeat just sick in the head animals who come to fish with me couldn't be more grateful for that. There's, there's, I mean, you know, we're fishing dry flies, they have this back ground, there's this layering and again, not disparaging.People do what they want. It's a good way to catch fish, blah, blah, blah.If you want to get a 26 inch brown trout to take the rod out of your hand because it eats so hard and you know, and then strip set landed all that other stuff, the, the only way to do it is to spend time to do it and, and to teach and you know, from, from the rower seat, from the guy perspective to understand that there's, I mean I'm not envious of anyone who's rowing a boat saying, yeah, they don't eat streamers on this river when they haven't experienced that themselves or they don't have however many pieces of data that I have because we're going through this and I'm just, I'm looking in the next spot. I'm looking in the next spot. I'm looking the next spot. We get, we, we get an A.You can't believe how big that fish was and you can't believe how fast it ate. And it's there and gone in a tenth of a second. And then we're looking to the next spot and then we're looking in the next spot.
Marvin CashAnd
Ellis Wardwithout that, like it really is a mind game without that mindset of, you know, we're out here for that, that one, that two. It's, it's easy to start to fall off a little bit. It's really easy. And you see this with muskie all the time.Even though people come in with the expectations. Maybe you get a follow early or something like that. This, this is a very common one. Within two, three hours. We don't get another follow.It's like, yeah, well, I mean that was the spot we were there in, you know, first light to expect another Follow immediately. And to need that feedback moving forward to stay as focused as you were at the beginning. Why do you think you got that eat?Because you were that focused. So you have to really load up your brain with the data to support what you're doing. Otherwise you're gonna start to nim.You're gonna, you're, you know, you're gonna swing, you're gonna be looking for risers, whatever. But it's, it's a mental game of this. This is not purposeless. There is a point to this. They do exist. We're gonna get one. And you keep hammering it.And it's tough to do trap. Cause there's, you know, there's other options along with, you know, all the conventional wisdom that, that supports how crazy it feels.
Marvin CashYeah, it's interesting too, right? Cause I mean, you and I have talked about this. I mean, the difference between hunting big fish and accidentally catching big fish.
Ellis WardYeah.
Marvin CashRight. You know, do you want to go to the casino and you know, put your marker down on the roulette table on Black 21. Right.And see if it hits or not, versus going out and chasing them. But, you know, I know you're, you're elbow deep in death on the bucktail front.You want to let folks know kind of, you know, what you're going to drop in this next bucktail drop as well as, you know, obviously it's warming up. So we're going to get to the Caddis hatch here pretty soon. We'll be talking about that probably next time we chat.You know how to get on the boat and all that kind of good stuff.
Ellis WardYeah. Best way to talk about anything, bucktails trips is my Cell phone at 513-543-0019.Website is elliswardflies.com I'm on Instagram at elliswardguides. Mid to late April, start getting your.Your streamer fish and trips, caddis fishing trips, whatever you want to call them, things are going to start to pop and it's a fun time to be on the water for trout, for muskie. It's.It's pre spawn and kind of last call for, you know, a little bit of a break coinciding with that late April, early May when they're spawning and bucktail I'm going heavy naturals this time. I've got a couple big orders out to a few shops and I might be doing a few, a few colors, but there's going to be.I have so many in the freezer and I've just not had time to focus on it. So best way to stay tuned into that is go to my website, sign up for the newsletter. I send out emails that give you access one day early. There's no.You don't need anything else. It's just, you sign up for the newsletter. So for the people who care, they get to know, you know, ahead of time.And honestly, it's that day where the grade ones, twos, and most of the threes sell out.
Marvin CashGot it. Well, listen, folks, as we start to warm up, you know, if it's warm enough to fish where you are, get out there and catch a few. Otherwise, tie flies.Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Ellis.
Ellis WardAppreciate it, Marv.
