Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019 - 53

Jimmy Cheers on the South
Holston River: "The wildlife
changes every single day. Usually
on a daily basis, we get to see
ospreys, for sure, probably an
eagle, maybe a beaver. We have
been seeing some otters this year,
which has been pretty cool."

"Not to be arrogant, but I kind of
thought that everybody
got to fish."
Jimmy Cheers

"It was a big decision," Cheers says.
"But it was an easy one to make."
He now works with his father, uncle
and brother. "I know people struggle
working with their family, but we've got
a great system down," he says. "We've all
got the same hobbies, so we're passionate
about what we do and we like to share
it with other people. I think that's really
the key that has let us work together all
these years."
Soon after joining Mountain Sports
Ltd., Cheers graduated from the Western Rivers Guide School in Victor, Idaho,
where he trained on the Snake and other
powerful, high-volume rivers, learned
how to "read" water, and honed his rescue skills.
Now, in his day job, the fast-talking
guide tours the SoHo, Watauga and local
rivers in his preferred vessel, a ClackaCraft three-person dory. Customers can
choose from nymph, dry fly and streamer fishing.
"One is not necessarily better than another," he says. "But certainly some peo-

ple prefer dry fly fishing because it's a very
visual situation. You're watching the fish
come up and eat the fly. I get plenty of
requests to do that in the summertime."
His day begins early, with a check of
the weather and the predicted flow of the
river to help him come up with a game
plan for the day. He and his customers
generally do subsurface fishing all morning before stopping for lunch in the boat.
Cheers describes the SoHo as "absolutely gorgeous, with crystal clear water
most of the time. And it's in the bottom
of the valley floor, so it's looking up the
mountain. It's a really dramatic view
in quite a few places. And the wildlife
changes every single day. It's really exciting. Usually on a daily basis, we get to see
ospreys, for sure, probably an eagle, maybe a beaver. We have been seeing some
otters this year, which has been pretty
cool. I saw three bears [last] spring."
In the afternoon, the fishermen watch
as just-hatched mayflies pop from the river bottom to the surface and gobble the
bait. "It's a rush," he says.

Even first-timers often experience
greater-than-average success. Cheers estimates that the SoHo is teeming with
8,000 to 9,000 trout per mile, maybe
more. "One of the things that we're really
blessed with in our rivers is the amount
of good fish. That's why people come
here. That's the main draw. So we have
the opportunity to catch a lot of fish in
a day."
The start of the spring fishing season will "knock your socks off," he says.
"Starting in March, moving into April
and May, is some of the best fishing that
we have all year."
Listening to Cheers talk, it's obvious
that this is what he was destined to do.
"I get so excited when people do catch
fish, just to get to share the experience,"
he says. "I get to spend a whole lot of
time out here. I know the potential of the
river. And I know what can happen. So
when it all comes together and you get
to show them to somebody, especially for
the first time, it's almost magical."
See mtnsportsltd.com for more info.

MARCH/APRIL 2019

53
http://www.mtnsportsltd.com
Blue Ridge Country - March/April 2019

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