Thankfully some people had a good day out. Here is a picture of Ethan's nice fish. Both Ethan and Joe are great fishermen that know how to find the big guys.
Joe Mcgroom Photograph
Featured Photo: Spring Turkey
Monday, February 13, 2012
Nice Browns!!!
My friends Ethan and Joe Mcgroom were out fishing this past weekend and found some super nice fish. I made it up to the Park myself but had a slow day. I got on one 18 inch brown as well as a nice 24 inch fish but ended up spooking both. At another spot I found 3-4 BIG fish in a pod feeding on something near the bottom. At least I know where they live and will be back. How awesome would it be to go back and find them rising?!?
Thankfully some people had a good day out. Here is a picture of Ethan's nice fish. Both Ethan and Joe are great fishermen that know how to find the big guys.
Thankfully some people had a good day out. Here is a picture of Ethan's nice fish. Both Ethan and Joe are great fishermen that know how to find the big guys.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
The River Journal
I recently found another great Tennessee based blog/website, this one by fishing guide Mike Bone. He has recently put some clients on BIG browns using streamers (one of my favorite ways to fish) so I'll definitely be checking back often to see what he is up to. I hope you will enjoy his site as much as I have...
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Tying Demo
I would like to invite everyone who can make it to join me at Little River Outfitters in Townsend, TN on Sunday February 19th for a tying demo I will be doing. So far I haven't determined exactly what I'll be tying although I'm currently leaning towards simply doing a mix between some of my favorite tailwater and mountain patterns. The focus will be on effective flies that also happen to be anywhere from mostly to ridiculously easy to tie. I want to do two tailwater trout flies, as well as my top striper fly that catches all my fish like this...
I will also tie another streamer or two as well as some Smoky Mountain patterns that either I have developed or modified for use in the Park. I might also tie a brown trout pattern or two that are effective in the Park...
I will also tie another streamer or two as well as some Smoky Mountain patterns that either I have developed or modified for use in the Park. I might also tie a brown trout pattern or two that are effective in the Park...
Monday, February 06, 2012
Thinking
When you are at work and daydreaming, what are you normally thinking about? I catch myself thinking not only about fishing but the beautiful places where the sport takes me. When all else fails, I'm thinking of a favorite river and what the water looks like in those first hours of daylight or perhaps right as the sun is setting and the fish are getting active....something like this:
Friday, January 27, 2012
Firsts
First brown of the year nailed a white streamer and wanted it in a bad way. The fish swirled on the fly once so I threw back and it inhaled the fly like it was the last meal it would get. Not a bad way to kick off another year of fishing for browns!
Also got that first smallmouth and it was definitely a surprise! Normally I don't expect to see smallies out this time of year, but it just goes to show that fish do still have to eat. Those that think fishing in cold weather is pointless just need to get out more. If you spend enough time on the water and learn what the fish are up to, the catches will follow...
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sunsets
Where I live, I am blessed to have good views nearly to the horizon in all directions provided I walk a couple of hundred feet up the road. More often than not, you will find me wandering up the road in the evening for a short walk as a way to relax at the end of the day. Of course, if I lived on the bank of a great trout stream I would probably be knee deep in the water, but life should be taken as it comes. Thus, for the time being, I'll be content with my evening stroll. The most consistent draw on these walks is watching the sunset. If I could drag myself out of bed consistently early each morning I would watch the sun rise as well, but so far I only catch that phenomenon every now and then.
The vast horizon tends to offer up some pretty special sunsets although sometimes they sneak up on me when I least expect it. Yesterday was such a day. As I headed up the road from my house, I had my camera dangling around my neck, hopeful for a nice end to the day but not really expecting much. In fact, the sky seemed to be indicating that the day would end with high clouds streaming overhead, giving the day a gray finish. When I made it about 100 feet from my house, this is all I saw...
By the time I made it 200 feet, there were vague indications of the treat ahead although I was still somewhat pessimistic about my chances of a light show.
A quarter of a mile down the road, a glow started spreading from low in the western sky. A beautiful end to a nice day, but nothing spectacular. I was happily snapping a couple of pictures before resuming my walk.
After three pictures, what I saw made me run up the road to a better vantage point. The following 20 or so minutes were one of great examples of why you should always carry a camera. I couldn't take enough pictures although in situations like this the pictures never seem good enough. In my mind I have a memory, and in pictures I still have at least an impression of how beautiful the sky was. For several minutes, a brilliant sun pillar was standing in the western sky. The whole experience just reminded me how fortunate I am to live in a place where I can see the sunset and especially have the time to do it.
The vast horizon tends to offer up some pretty special sunsets although sometimes they sneak up on me when I least expect it. Yesterday was such a day. As I headed up the road from my house, I had my camera dangling around my neck, hopeful for a nice end to the day but not really expecting much. In fact, the sky seemed to be indicating that the day would end with high clouds streaming overhead, giving the day a gray finish. When I made it about 100 feet from my house, this is all I saw...
By the time I made it 200 feet, there were vague indications of the treat ahead although I was still somewhat pessimistic about my chances of a light show.
A quarter of a mile down the road, a glow started spreading from low in the western sky. A beautiful end to a nice day, but nothing spectacular. I was happily snapping a couple of pictures before resuming my walk.
After three pictures, what I saw made me run up the road to a better vantage point. The following 20 or so minutes were one of great examples of why you should always carry a camera. I couldn't take enough pictures although in situations like this the pictures never seem good enough. In my mind I have a memory, and in pictures I still have at least an impression of how beautiful the sky was. For several minutes, a brilliant sun pillar was standing in the western sky. The whole experience just reminded me how fortunate I am to live in a place where I can see the sunset and especially have the time to do it.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Old Picture...
Perusing old trip pictures is one way to help a case of cabin fever. Last week I was examining some of my trout pictures and came across an old favorite from back in 2007. I love how this picture turned out. Not a particularly large fish or anything, but I like how the picture is framed and the different perspective on the release...
Searching
Fishing can be a real task sometimes, especially when the fish are being selective or when they are hard to locate. With wild fish we expect refusals, breakoffs, and sometimes they are even difficult to find. Stockers are another thing. Normally they eat anything and then fight half-heartedly for a few seconds before rolling over and being brought to hand.
Yesterday I went searching for some stocked rainbows in a nearby lake. Occasionally in the cold months, I will take advantage of the local stockers more out of curiousity than anything else. My standard pattern is a smallish bead head Simi Seal Leech. Once I catch a couple I start to experiment. Afterall, it is a little interesting to find out a list of things trout will hit when they are dumb enough, nevermind that some people don't even count these stockers as worthy of the name trout.
The standard procedure is pretty much to find a place where I can cast and start stripping the fly anywhere from just under the surface to really deep. If the fish are around that normally will pick up a few. When I arrived on the water, the lower end of the lake was heavily stained, some would even say muddy. My hopes for good fishing began to dwindle when I had an idea. This trip was going to require a little more searching than I normally would do.
Walking along the trail, I enjoyed the cool fresh air. The breeze was light and the temperature in the low 50s felt a lot more like late fall or early spring, definitely not the middle of January. A quick stop to stick my hand in the lake jolted me back to reality. The water was definitely cold so any hope of picking up a few bluegill was fading quickly. As I continued along the upper end of the lake, I had a very specific spot in mind. When I was almost there, I heard the type of splash that can only be a fish.
Quickly searching the water before the ripples vanished, I located the fish. It was hanging in the current as I was now in an area where the lake narrowed to the receive the creek that was its main water source. Another fish soon made its presence known, and I set about finding a good spot to cast from. The first three casts were a little short of my intended target but the fourth one was perfect, and soon I saw a small trout appear out of the off-color creek water to nail the leech pattern. Now I was glad that I brought my rarely fished 3 weight. The fish fought much better than it would have on anything heavier and the rod is so light that it feels like I'm fishing with nothing at all.
After landing the trout, I stood up and aimlessly flicked my fly back out into the creek in preparation for another real cast. Immediately another fish flew up to hit it and it was game on. This time, I worked the fish in close and then left it in the water while I got the camera out. Some of my friends question whether or not I really catch fish as often as I claim so I document a catch every now and then, even if it really isn't very noteworthy. These rainbows were all looking pretty healthy. Their fins had mostly grown back and while they are still a bit pale, that should all change by the time the spring hatches really kick into high gear.
About this time I started to wonder what were the fish actually rising to. Have you ever been out fishing only to realize that you have no idea what the fish are really up to? My first guess of midges proved to be the correct one. It was more of an educated guess than anything and it took me a little while before I actually noticed the tiny light gray insects on the surface of the water and occasionally flying by. Thankfully, the fish were still uneducated enough that I didn't need any 7x and #28 dry flies, and occasionally its nice to fish for something a little less demanding.
In the end, I landed a total of 4 little rainbows, all of which put an admirable bend in the 3 weight. The search for fish was over, but ironically it was not my eyes but my ears which originally located the fish.
I'm thinking more and more about the Smokies. Every time I close my eyes I can see insects drifting lazily down the current as trout rise enthusiastically to spring's bounty. The next few weeks will include a lot of tying in preparation for the spring, but also will probably feature at least one or two trips to the Park to explore the streams in winter.
Yesterday I went searching for some stocked rainbows in a nearby lake. Occasionally in the cold months, I will take advantage of the local stockers more out of curiousity than anything else. My standard pattern is a smallish bead head Simi Seal Leech. Once I catch a couple I start to experiment. Afterall, it is a little interesting to find out a list of things trout will hit when they are dumb enough, nevermind that some people don't even count these stockers as worthy of the name trout.
Walking along the trail, I enjoyed the cool fresh air. The breeze was light and the temperature in the low 50s felt a lot more like late fall or early spring, definitely not the middle of January. A quick stop to stick my hand in the lake jolted me back to reality. The water was definitely cold so any hope of picking up a few bluegill was fading quickly. As I continued along the upper end of the lake, I had a very specific spot in mind. When I was almost there, I heard the type of splash that can only be a fish.
Quickly searching the water before the ripples vanished, I located the fish. It was hanging in the current as I was now in an area where the lake narrowed to the receive the creek that was its main water source. Another fish soon made its presence known, and I set about finding a good spot to cast from. The first three casts were a little short of my intended target but the fourth one was perfect, and soon I saw a small trout appear out of the off-color creek water to nail the leech pattern. Now I was glad that I brought my rarely fished 3 weight. The fish fought much better than it would have on anything heavier and the rod is so light that it feels like I'm fishing with nothing at all.
After landing the trout, I stood up and aimlessly flicked my fly back out into the creek in preparation for another real cast. Immediately another fish flew up to hit it and it was game on. This time, I worked the fish in close and then left it in the water while I got the camera out. Some of my friends question whether or not I really catch fish as often as I claim so I document a catch every now and then, even if it really isn't very noteworthy. These rainbows were all looking pretty healthy. Their fins had mostly grown back and while they are still a bit pale, that should all change by the time the spring hatches really kick into high gear.
About this time I started to wonder what were the fish actually rising to. Have you ever been out fishing only to realize that you have no idea what the fish are really up to? My first guess of midges proved to be the correct one. It was more of an educated guess than anything and it took me a little while before I actually noticed the tiny light gray insects on the surface of the water and occasionally flying by. Thankfully, the fish were still uneducated enough that I didn't need any 7x and #28 dry flies, and occasionally its nice to fish for something a little less demanding.
In the end, I landed a total of 4 little rainbows, all of which put an admirable bend in the 3 weight. The search for fish was over, but ironically it was not my eyes but my ears which originally located the fish.
I'm thinking more and more about the Smokies. Every time I close my eyes I can see insects drifting lazily down the current as trout rise enthusiastically to spring's bounty. The next few weeks will include a lot of tying in preparation for the spring, but also will probably feature at least one or two trips to the Park to explore the streams in winter.
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