Well it’s nearly the new years and even though there is an overabundance of options available to a Tennessee Fly angler, this is my favorite time of year to take a trip or three to the Obey River. The Obey tailwater comes out of the dam at Dale Hollow and is a short 7 miles long. Now in comparison to our other tailwaters that is very short. Short it may be but what it lacks in general length it makes up for in sheer numbers of fish. The Obey gets overlooked more often than not for two reasons. First the Caney Fork had just been fishing to well over the past couple years to justify driving past it without fishing. Second is the Obeys close proximity to the Mack daddy of tailwaters, the Cumberland River. Sometimes though overlooked is a good thing… Another reason fly fisherman might shy away from the river is that the upper mile and a half is wade able but after that you will require a boat for both travel and a platform to fish from.

The rivers claim to fame was it once gave up the state record Brown and Rainbow trout. Now days the river still gives up some darn fine fish but its better known for the catch rates on the river. There is a myriad of eight to fourteen inch fish caught daily and if you can venture downstream there are some big fish in the deeper runs.

The Obey is totally different from any of our other tailwaters as it has virtually no current, unless they are generating. I have seen firsthand how some fly anglers let this beat them out of some good fish. We can all agree that generally trout relate to current and the breaks and seams in a river but, the lack of current makes the trout behave more like a lake dwelling fish. By this I mean since you can’t fish the current for the trout just try bass fishing for trout… fish to the available structure in the river. Stumps, logs, riprap shoreline, drops and humps are all high percentage locations. You’re basically employing the same tactics that a bass fisherman uses your just using them to catch trout. Its seems the trout concentrate along the rip rap and rock walls in the spring and move to the downed trees and stumps more once summer gets here.

The river can be broken down into three distinct zones all with have their own set of “rules”. The upper stretch, that being from the dam to the riffle below the moody boat ramp, is your basic garden variety tailwater. There is current there and a couple good riffles and runs. Here you can fish your standards like Zebra midges in sizes 18 and 22 midges can be any color, as long as it’s black. Hares ear nymphs in sizes 16 and 18 work incredibly well here in black, olive, and cinnamon.

The middle section of the river being from the Moody riffle to the island has some current, even though it may be running upstream if they are running a lot of water on the cumby, and several good rock walls and a stretch of rip rap covered shore line. The fly selection is the same as the upper but now you can add in some prince Nymphs in sizes 14 through 16. A good attractor pattern here is a chocolate caddis larva in a size 12. Streamers fished along the rock and rip rap are almost a sure thing here. Start with wooly buggers, olive and black, in about a size 10.

Once you pass the big island you’re in the longest stretch of the river, the lower end the river is deep and nearly void of current here. Oddly enough most of your real pigs come from this area. The numbers of fish you catch will decrease but the quality improves drastically. Down low try BIG prince and hares ear nymphs like number 12’s and lots of streamers. Big seems to be the key here. Clousers and wooly buggers in sizes 6 & 8 are the norm. The water is deep and full of logs so a sink tip, even though they are too much like work, is needed to get down to the bottom.

If you decide to make the trip to Celina for some Obey river trout take time to visit the Dale Hollow fish Hatchery while you’re there. It’s very neat to see where most of our trout come from. This particular river, though not known for its size or prolific hatches, is the number one place to take a beginner fly angler or get yourself started as its not overly technical and nearly always gives up some nice fish.