Fly Fishing Float Trips in South Carolina, North Carolina & Tennessee

Hare’s Ear Fly Fishing offers full-day float fishing trips year-round throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Float trips typically last 6–8 hours, depending on the time of year, river conditions, and water levels.

A float trip offers a completely different perspective on fly fishing. From the comfort and mobility of a raft or drift boat, anglers can cover significantly more water in a day while accessing stretches of river that are difficult to reach on foot. Every bend can bring a new opportunity, with incredible scenery and some of the most rewarding fishing the Southeast has to offer.

Fishing from a boat also gives anglers the opportunity to make the long casts we love on larger rivers and narrow freestone streams. Water levels, seasonal conditions, and location will help determine which species are available and what type of float will provide the best experience.

Striper Fishing

Striper fishing is one of our premier spring through fall float trips in the Carolinas and Tennessee. These powerful freshwater predators can range from 5 to 40 pounds and are capable of testing even experienced anglers.

Watching a big striper eat and then feeling it load up the rod is an experience that stays with you. These fish pull hard, run fast, and can make for a long day of fighting fish from the boat. Sore arms at the end of the day are usually a good sign.

Smallmouth Bass Fishing

Smallmouth bass can be pursued throughout the year, but spring through late summer can produce some of the most exciting fishing of the season.

Our smallmouth float trips allow anglers to cover productive river water while targeting aggressive fish on both fly and conventional tackle. When conditions line up, the fishing can be absolutely lights out. Smallmouth are powerful for their size, and a good day on the river can leave an angler’s forearms feeling it.

Trout Float Trips On the South Holston and Watauga Rivers

Trout fishing is available year-round, depending on water temperatures, river levels, and seasonal conditions.

For anglers looking to pursue trout from a boat, the tailwaters of Tennessee offer an incredible opportunity. These rivers can hold thousands of trout per mile, creating an environment where presentation and precise drifts become critical.

Large wild trout also inhabit these systems, and pursuing them with small flies and light tippet is a favorite challenge at Hare’s Ear. A well-presented tiny bug can be the difference between simply fishing and connecting with a truly memorable fish.

Musky Float Trips

When winter settles into the Southeast and conditions turn cold, we turn our attention toward one of the most challenging predators in freshwater—the musky.

Musky fishing is not for everyone. It means throwing enormous flies, heavy tackle, and putting in the time for a fish that may only give you one opportunity in a day.

But when that opportunity finally comes, everything changes.

For those who have seen a musky follow a fly, eat beside the boat, or disappear back into the river after an explosive strike, the stories make sense. The long days, heavy flies, and sore shoulders are all worth it when the magic happens.

Book Your Southeast Fly Fishing Float Trip

Whether you’re looking for striper fishing in South Carolina and North Carolina, smallmouth bass in the Southeast, trout fishing in Tennessee, or a winter musky adventure, Hare’s Ear Fly Fishing offers full-day float trips designed around the season, river conditions, and species you’re looking to pursue.

From the rivers of the Carolinas to the legendary trout waters of Tennessee, our goal is simple: put you in the right water, at the right time, with the right opportunity.