South Holston River Fly Shop — Local services in Bristol

My buddy and I hired Matt Champion to guide us on a Saturday in August. A friend recommended Matt and said he taught him almost everything he knows about fly fishing for trout. So we started fairly early in a drift boat and quickly caught our first fish. We continued to catch fish more or less throughout the day and probably landed 40+ trout less than 14 inches between the two of us. So clearly a good day and we gave him the green light to end it around 4:30. But Matt had been waiting for the daily dam release to reach us near the takeout in Bluff City, and with that push would be bait fish that would give us a shot at striped bass. I got the sense we had about a 10% chance of hooking one. So about 5:00 PM, we were near the takeout and saw a few striped bass feeding on bait fish. There was a line of flotsam and Matt handed me a rigged 9 weight rod with a small fish pattern and instructed me to put a cast on the near side of it. About the third cast a bigger striper came out from underneath the flotsam and took the fly. Fish on! I fought it for maybe 15-20 minutes, helped by the heavy drag Matt had set on the reel (listen to video). But the fish got wrapped around a submerged log. Damn! Matt had a sense of the entanglement and worked to free it. It took me some time to figure out what he was doing but I got it and chipped in, freeing it after about 10 stressful minutes. And then we quickly landed it! Matt estimated the fish was 25 lbs. That was an exciting catch that will stay with my buddy and me forever. Last, Matt did a good job persistently teaching my friend, who is a good fisherman but fairly new to fly fishing, and also helped me iron out some kinks and blindspots. Great job, Matt, thank you and look forward to...

Shout out to Matt, Rutger, Robert and all the guides at the fly shop for another great trip on the waters of East Tennessee. My buddies and I have been making the trip now for several years now and while the pressure on the area is increasing we still manage to put fish in the boat. Was pleased to learn that Matt is a Board Member of the Blue Ridge Guide Association. It is clear that popularity and other pressures (SOHO weir dam, TVA policy) present unique challenges to maintaining the fishery. It's nice to know your go-to place for guide services (and supplies) is fully engaged in protecting and improving a resource.

Older review (6 years ago)- There's good reason I come back every year and use the services provided by the SOHO River Fly Shop - they continue to provide everything I need to be successful on the best SE trout fishery. I've learned an incredible amount from Matt around fly casting technique and reading the water during full-day wading trips. And most recently our group utilized Josh and John for float trips on the Watauga. It pays to have guides who are patient and know the river - I lost count early and ended the day catching 'em on dries during a big sulfur hatch. Highly recommend Matt, Josh and John and the shop that has everything...

I just had one day to spend in the area so I called the South Holston Fly Shop to see if I could arrange a trip. I explained that I couldn't wade any more and needed to fish out of a boat. They quickly set me up to fish with Josh McFadden on the Watauga River.

It was a Saturday in early April and the day started with record cold temperatures. Josh was unfazed however and we quickly launched with ice in the bottom of the boat. Although it was cold, the fishing was hot. Josh put me on fish at about every stop and drift. We fished nymphs until some hatches started up, then got in on some top water action late in the day.

It's been a few years since I've enjoyed a trout fishing trip more. Josh was enthusiastic and really knew the water and the right techniques to use. He was also patient and a great teacher. I would recommend him for beginners to experts casters as he is really passionate about fly fishing and sharing his knowledge with...