1st time fly fisher , took the full day tour with Will Pippin. Couldn't have asked for a more…read moreexperienced and knowledgeable guide as we navigated down the Watauga River. Nothing like the thrill of landing that first trout. Will knows where to find them. Awesome day!

From the owner: Book the best fishing trip of your life with Johnson City Fly Fishing Company. Whether you're…read morelooking to explore the Watauga River or the South Holston River, you can depend on us to show you the best trout fishing in Tennessee. First-time fly fisher? No problem! We also guide the most experienced anglers. We are passionate about fly fishing, so contact us with any questions!

FIRST CLASS GUIDE AND TEACHER First time fly fishing and…read moreyears since fishing with a reel, I came in with little to no experience but a lot of curiosity. Not only is Ellis Ward incredibly knowledgeable from all aspects of the sport, but he is also an incredible teacher, guide, and all around human being. As an Engineer, I ask a lot of questions and am generally curious. Ellis' knowledge of the sport (from the environmental conditions and their impact on fishing to the physics of rod, line, and lure movement) was impressive. He caters his instruction to your learning style and he is patient with practice and questions. We had a fantastic day on the Watauga River catching trout. And by the end of the day, I was streamer fishing with bomb casts on the bank. Definite testimonial to Ellis' skill and passion as a guide and instructor!

As a seasoned spin/baitcaster with zero fly experience, fishing with Ellis was a very educational…read moreand fun day. From my first communications with him, the primary discussion was around goals - of which mine were nebulous. Learn everything there is to know about fly fishing, and also catch some fish. Tall order, but he delivered. I was able to try out tons of techniques, get coached on the few I found most interesting, and also catch a healthy trout on the local bite of the day - which, from my experience, is knowledge that only the better guides in a given area are able to actively source. Ellis taught me how to throw dry flies and streamers, on both floating and weighted line, as well as a few other techniques I forget - but all in all I learned a ton and had a blast. I have lots of experience on 'traditional' tackle, and I could tell that while of a different stripe, Ellis is a strong fisherman and even better guide. Looking forward to booking him again and catching even bigger fish.

This place used to be really nice. As of this year I think we've had what will be our last stay…read more Overcrowding: The campground has added way too many tent sites without adequate parking. The result is 0 parking spots and no space for anyone to comfortably enjoy themselves. The fire pits all blow smoke at each other and the tents fill up with other tent sites fire pit smoke. Noise issues: Want to go to sleep at a reasonable time? Too bad. Two nights in a row a bunch of drunkards were blasting music and having a great time from 9pm until 3am. Don't plan on getting much sleep if it's a busy weekend. Barking dogs, screaming kids, loud music, and noisy people well into the night. Safety concerns: the main small beach near the domes where everyone plays is littered with boulders and sharp rocks in the water. Maybe nothing can be done about that. However open inspecting the rotting wood steps leading to the water I found an actual sharp-to-a-point metal spike sticking straight up out of the wood. Luckily I was able to hammer down with a large rock, however that was an impaled foot or worse waiting to happen. There's lots of exposed rebar and it's generally unsafe. Considering how many kids and drunk adults loiter in that area, it's only a matter of time until someone needs stitches. No wonder they have you sign a liability waiver to be here. Lack of facility maintenance: The door locks on most of the bathrooms don't work. The hot water in the showers is barely functional if at all. The wood ramp to the shipping container showers becomes very slippery when wet and poses a safety hazard. There's a wasp sanctuary under the deck as well. Several adults and children were stung this weekend simply walking up the ramp to the bathrooms. With all the money this place is making is there no time to fix and maintain these things? Last but not least, THE CAMP DOGS: a gentleman came to our group and asked that we put all our dogs on leashes (despite them already being on leashes at the time...) and then allows the "camp dog" which is a large black and white husky to roam freely. This dog is an A**HOLE. It constantly bothers people's camp sites and tries to pick fights with other dogs. Our dogs were personally harassed by this dog when he came to our campsite and started eating our dogs food. Then tried to start a fight with our dogs. Then tried to BITE MY WIFE. I had to chase him off every couple hours both days. This dog should not be allowed off leash however the campground owners don't have enough self awareness to do so. All in all, it's been fun over the last few years, but this place has grown too big for the owners and staff to properly manage. Won't likely be coming here again, and we'll be sure to let everyone know what it's become.

Super awesome experience on the Nolichucky with Andy! He was very informative of the surrounding…read morearea and history, kept us engaged with silly jokes, and kept us on the edge of our seats! Definitely a trip worth making. Can't wait to come back!