FRENCH BROAD RIVER
The French Broad River, like the Holston, offers two major sections for catfishermen to explore. The first section begins at the North Carolina/Tennessee border, where the river enters the Volunteer State, and runs between the mountains to the headwaters of Douglas Lake. The second section extends from Douglas dam to the headwaters of Fort Loudoun, where the river joins forces with the Holston to form the Tennessee River.

Channel catfish are extremely abundant in the French Broad River, according to Bart Carter, a Region IV fisheries biologist for TWRA. Catfishing is fairly popular in the river, especially in the free-flowing upper section. However, virtually all directed catfishing pressure in all parts of the river is from local fishermen. Most know the good summer holes and enjoy very good dog-day success.

The French Broad River has already run many miles by the time it enters Tennessee and is fairly large. It's a tumbling stream, with abundant shoals and a smattering of legitimate rapids. All boating is by canoe, and a fair amount of paddling skill is necessary to safely navigate some sections.

A better solution for many anglers this time of the year is fish from the bank or wade shoals and cast into deeper holes. The river tends to run low during midsummer, making wading practical in a lot of areas that would not be wadeable other times of the year. Providing an advantage to wading fishermen, cats are likely to pile up in pools immediately downstream of rapids because the deep holes are well aerated and tend to be somewhat cool.

The lower end of this section also can be accessed by boat from the headwaters of Douglas Lake. The type of boat and the distance it can travel upstream varies according to the levels of the river and the lake and the skill of the boat operator.

Except in the backwaters of the lake and a few localized areas that anglers must be very familiar with, the upper French Broad really doesn't lend itself to after-hours fishing by boat because of its rugged nature. However, anglers who fish in the flat waters at the extreme upper end of the lake or set up along the banks along the edges of deep holes to fish at night commonly enjoy very good fishing action.

The section of river downstream of Douglas Dam is much like the lower section of the Holston in that its character varies dramatically according to the amount of water that is flowing through the dam. The major difference is that access is quite good from the dam all the way to Fort Loudoun. Anglers can pick from numerous floats or johnboat access points or can fish the river from the bank or by wading at several points.

The upper half of this section generally offers the longer sections of deep water and flatter water overall. However, the shoals that dot the lower end offer more defined pools, which again tend to concentrate the catfish during midsummer.

BEFORE YOU GO
Anglers may keep one catfish of more than 34 inches daily in Tennessee. There is no limit for smaller catfish. Channel catfish of more than 30 inches and flatheads or blues of more than 34 inches qualify anglers for recognition through the Tennessee Angler Recognition Program. For details about the program, including a downloadable application, plus much more on fishing in Tennessee, check out the TWRA's Web site at www.tnwildlife.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Samsel is the author of Catfishing in the South. To order a signed copy, send a check for $21.95 to Jeff Samsel, 173 Elsie Street, Clarkesville, GA 30523. For more information, visit www.jeffsamsel.com.