Chattanooga sits at one of the best addresses in the Southeast for fly fishing. Inside an hour of downtown, you can be on a world-class tailwater throwing dries to rising rainbows, stalking wild browns in a pocket-water freestone, or drifting miles of the Toccoa from a boat without seeing another angler. Tanasi Outdoors is the local fly fishing Chattanooga guide service that knows these waters better than anyone — because we fish them almost every day.
Whether you live in Chattanooga, you’re in town on business, or you’re visiting for the weekend, we’ll put you on fish.
The South Holston sits below South Holston Dam in Bristol, TN, delivering cold, stable, oxygen-rich bottom-release water year-round. That consistency is the secret to why the river grows the fish it does. A wild brown trout in the South Holston doesn’t just survive the Southern summer the way fish do on freestone streams — it grows, because the water stays at optimal temperature 12 months a year.
Combine that with the sheer volume and diversity of aquatic insects the river produces, and you get a fishery where wild browns reproduce naturally, hold year-round, and pack on weight. The South Holston produces more 20-inch-plus wild brown trout per mile than almost any tailwater in the region.
The river’s crown jewel. Expect 13-17″ fish as standard, with genuine shots at 20″+ trophies for disciplined anglers.
Fast-fighting, acrobatic, and beautiful. Our rainbows are vibrant and provide
incredible action on light tackle.
Occasional but a welcome surprise. These
“native” Appalachian icons are the gem of
the river’s upper reaches.
The South Holston’s defining moment is the sulphur hatch from late April to July. On peak days, thousands of mayflies emerge, and fish rise steadily. Our guides plan trips around this hatch, ensuring you experience it.
Nymphs with a sulphur emerger; switch to dry-dropper as the hatch.
Morning and evening dry fly; midday nymphing in deep runs.
Streamers for pre-spawn browns; isonychia emergers in the afternoons
Midges, nymphs, and streamers on warm days.
The South Holston is [PLACEHOLDER: ~X] hours from Chattanooga and [PLACEHOLDER: ~X] hours from Blue Ridge. Because of the drive, we typically run South Holston trips as full-day commitments — meeting you at the ramp in the morning and returning to the takeout in the late afternoon. For clients coming from out of town, we recommend staying one or two nights in the Bristol / Elizabethton area and making a two-day trip of it. We can help coordinate lodging recommendations.
Yes, during low-water windows and with a guide. The river is forgiving when you float it, because the boat puts you in position and the guide rigs for you. If you’re a true first-timer and geography allows, we usually recommend starting on the Toccoa and working up to the South Holston on a return trip.
Approximately [PLACEHOLDER: drive time] each way. Because of the distance, we recommend booking a full day rather than a half-day.
May through July for dry fly and the sulphur hatch. October through November for streamers and pre-spawn browns. But with a tailwater this stable, there’s no bad month — the river fishes year-round.
Ready to fish the South Holston with a guide? Call (423) 715-9623 or use the booking form. South Holston weekends during sulphur season (May–July) book 6–8 weeks out — plan early.
