Back to the 'Gills

Since I wasn't in the Smokies as I originally intended, I decided that chasing some bluegill and bass late in the day would be a good idea. The small lake nearby that I like to fish had several other people out fishing on it but there were still plenty of good spots to work. My favorite area was deserted so I worked my way over.

When I got there, I tied on a swimming frog (slider style bass bug) from James Marsh and on probably the third cast, this little bass nailed it. The visual aspect of fly fishing is probably the most exciting. Watching fish sip dry flies, nail streamers, explode on popping bugs, all of these add up to make fly fishing the enjoyable sport it is. I'm really starting to enjoy fishing bigger flies and watching fish come chasing them. It all started when I floated the Caney with David Perry and he got me started on streamers. The bug just keeps getting worse. I'm currently in the very early planning stages of a trip out west and am hoping to do some streamer fishing out there as well...

After catching the bass, I started working back towards the car. There are lots of bluegill in this particular lake so I decided to try and catch a few. I tied on two flies, the second of which is one of my most deadly bluegill flies. I've mentioned this fly before but it is well worth mentioning again. It is the Simi Seal Leech and I was fishing a size #16 with a small beadhead in purple. I finally hooked one and for a second thought that maybe a bass had taken the first fly in the two fly rig. However, when I got it close, I saw it was indeed a bluegill and it had taken the small leech pattern. This was one of the fattest bluegill I've ever seen and it fought really well... That fish really made my day. I caught a few more smaller bluegill and sight fished over a bass for awhile, changing flies several times, but he was on to me and wouldn't eat.

Today I'll probably tie a bunch of flies and start planning for my potential trip out west. I've got to do some research on different rivers I hope to fish, fishing license fees, camping fees, and lots of other things. Also, I might try to get a little more time in today fishing...check back to see if I catch that big bass!

Bear Trouble

For the last few weeks I've been looking forward to a backpacking trip in the Smokies. The upper Little River watershed is one of my favorite areas to fish, not so much because the fishing is great as because it is really where I learned to fly fish. My plans for this trip included 2 nights at backcountry site #24 and then up the trail to #30 for another night. I intended to hit Fish Camp Prong and upper Little River over the course of 2-3 days of fishing.

Heading up to the park Wednesday afternoon, I stopped by Little River Outfitters to pick up some tying supplies (thinking about West Trip 2009). After chatting with Byron Begley for awhile, I headed on towards Elkmont. After filling out my backcountry permit, I took off up the trail. There were only two hours of daylight left and I wanted to get into camp and have time to eat supper before dark. I made it in plenty of time and after eating supper went to bed. Sleeping right by the creek is extremely peaceful and relaxing. The sound of a rushing mountain stream is one of natures most soothing sounds and I enjoyed it to the fullest.

Thursday morning I woke up ready for a long day of fishing. As I ate breakfast, I contemplated about how much money it takes to get started backpacking. While I don't have great gear, it still represents a decent investment monetarily and I thought about how terrible it would be if someone took all my gear. I never even thought about Mother Nature destroying anything. After breakfast I was ready to go. Day one was going to be Fish Camp Prong and I hoped to get the Smoky Mountain slam of a rainbow, brook and brown.

The lowest stretch of the stream is the place to catch brown trout so I started there, working my way up slowly from Little River. Things started out a little slow, but finally I picked up a rainbow on a Tellico nymph. Little Yellow stoneflies started making an appearance and I decided to try a Neversink Caddis. This proved good for several fish including a nice brown that ghosted up out of a deeper run to inhale the fly.

After catching the brown, I got back on the trail and started walking to get into brookie territory. I've caught brook trout within a mile of Little River but they seem to be a bit scarce in the lower sections. Finally I got tired of walking and decided to try my luck. As I moved up the stream, the fishing continued to be very inconsistent. It seemed that every run, pool, and pocket required a different fly. I would catch a few fish on one fly only to have it seemingly quit working. Different sections of the stream had different bugs hatching and overall it seemed that a Parachute Adams or Neversink Caddis was a fair representation of most of the adult insects. I fished a double nymph rig as well with a Tellico and one other nymph. After several rainbows, a brookie finally took one of my "secret" soft hackle patterns fished deep as a standard nymph and the slam was complete.

I was fishing through a bit of a gorge and fished until I thought I could scale the high bank back to the trail. Back on Little River I decided to fish up from the Goshen Prong trail bridge to #24. Here the dry fly fishing really picked up. I fished a Parachute Adams for awhile and then switched to a yellow Neversink. The fish liked both equally well it seemed and I caught several nice rainbows and one more brown. After what seemed a short distance, I saw my tent and decided to call it a day.

As I approached my tent, I did a double take. Something didn't seem quite right. My tent was all lopsided and as I got closer, I saw gashes in the side. Upon closer inspection, 2 out of the three poles were broken and the third was bent. Some of the broken pools had tore through the sleeves and there was another gash in the bottom corner where the stake loop used to be attached. Dirt was on the side of the tent and I quickly realized that a bear had stopped by while I was gone. Greatly annoyed, I saw a pile of trash and a hole in the ground and realized that someone had buried trash near where I set up the tent (before I was there). The bear had come through and dug up the trash. Not finding anything to eat, it apparently decided to make my tent uninhabitable on its way through. Maybe it was angry since there wasn't any food. Regardless, I'm now in the market for a new tent. It was ironic that a bear would tear up my tent just hours after I had considered how bad it would be if something happened to my gear...

After taking in the whole situation, I decided it would be in my best interest to pack everything up and head out. I would have to really hustle because it would be dark soon. I got everything in my pack and hit the trail by 7:30 Eastern time. One hour later I had made it back to my car.

Shortly after leaving camp, probably about 300 yards below #24, I saw a fairly large bear feeding near the trail. I clapped to try and scare it away but it just stared back at my completely unconcerned. Bears without fear always make me nervous and I was glad that I was heading out for the night. On the way back down I ran into a guy from the Wildlife Division who was out hunting wild pigs. I told him what had happened and he asked for my name and phone number so he could do a bear report. He mentioned that #24 would probably be closed in the next day or two.

Overall I had a great trip. The fishing was good although I can't quite call it great. I caught a lot of fish but was working a little harder for them than I sometimes have to. There is even a blessing in disguise about my tent being ruined. I could have been in the tent or in camp when the bear decided to show up or it could have more thoroughly destroyed my tent. While the tent won't work for camping anymore, it could have been much worse. The bear could have shredded it and then got the sleeping bag and thermarest inside. That would have made things even worse for me. Replacing a tent is bad enough, but the rest would have been very hard to do anytime soon.

Gone Fishing...

Report to come in a couple of days...

Favorite Tippet

Our latest poll ended yesterday and it looks like the majority of you either use Orvis or Rio tippet products. Lots of others with a loyal following as as but it looks like those two are the favorites. Personally I've fished Orvis Super Strong for years but lately have switched over to Rio. I'm not really sure if I'll stick with the Rio or not though because it feels just a little stiff in my opinion. I do like the Rio Fluoroflex Plus and use it in place of my favorite but more expensive Seaguar Grand Max FX.

For those that haven't made the switch to fluoro for some of their fishing yet, give it a shot. I can honestly say that I feel I land many more fish because of the fluorocarbon tippet used. The "invisible" effect is not really the main reason I fish it. Instead, I feel much more confident that nothing is going to break when I hook that nice fish. Mono tippet seems to break so much easier, and I can pressure fish a lot more with fluoro tippet meaning it is possible to land those large fish much quicker. This is important anytime you intend to release that nice fish which I always do.

Can't Get Enough

The Cherokee catch and release section is getting addicting. On Friday afternoon, I made my third trip over there with my buddy Travis from over at The Fishing Fanatic. While driving through the Park, I started looking over the various park waters carefully and realized that it is time to fish for wild fish. However, the large stockers are a lot of fun. While the fishing was slower as compared to last time, it was still a blast.

Right before quitting for the day, I got my Palomino for the trip. Those are a lot of fun to catch but obviously get pounded since they are so easy to spot. The fish I landed wouldn't really move to eat. I had to force feed it by by drifting my nymphs almost into its mouth. The fish moved probably 2 inches to eat which helped explain why the fishing seemed slow. When they are not moving to eat, you have to fish thoroughly.

Overall, while it is a lot of fun, I'll probably be sticking to the Park for awhile now. A Tennessee tailwater or two might also be in my near future along with a smallie excursion. I can't wait to try some new stuff out and as always, you'll be the first to hear about it...

Travis Reynolds photograph....

What Fish See

Ever wonder why the fish panic right before you net them? If you stuck your head out of the water and saw what they see, you would panic also...

Bass

Finally, the water is getting warm enough that the bass are getting active. I made it out with my new Elkhorn reel and sinking line to throw streamers. After lots of follows and short strikes, a fish finally made a total commitment. After posing for a picture, the fish swam off to keep growing.

Tippet Poll

There is still about a week to vote on the poll. Lots of you have voted already which is great. If you haven't voted yet, the poll is over on the right side of the page and asks which brand of tippet is your favorite. So far, it looks like the majority of you fish either Orvis or Rio tippet. I've used and am currently using a combination of both. There are some other great brands out there though...

Coming soon, I hope to have some more warm water reports. I've got some new flies to test out and still need to go back to catch the nice bass I saw cruising the banks a week ago...

Time To Speak Up

Alrighty folks! Its that time of year when TWRA is soliciting comments from anglers who fish in Tennessee. You can simply take a few moments to send an email with any suggestions that you might have for improving any of the fisheries in our state.

Personally, I have suggested continued improvements on the Caney Fork River. My main points are:

-Increase the number of trophy browns in the river with either a slot limit (i.e., 16"-22" like they have on the SoHo) or increasing the minimum size limit to 20" or 22".

-Increase the retention of trophy fish by either limiting fishing during the spawn or requiring catch and release (I realize that these are not likely but its okay to wish).

-Adopt a minimum size or slot limit (preferably the slot) on rainbows.

-Increase enforcement on the river, especially during the spawn when the large fish are so vulnerable.

If you fish the Caney and want to see more and healthier big fish, please let TWRA know. I'm in no way opposed to folks taking a few home but it would be nice if they are taking home fish that are a little larger so there are plenty of 18"-24" fish in the river. This river can support a lot of very large browns if we just release them until they have grown sufficiently. There are plenty of rainbows for those that want smaller fish to eat.

To send your comments, send them to TWRA.Comment@tn.gov and put "Sport Fish Comments" in the subject line. The comments are due this month so take a few moments to let your voice be heard...

Thank you to everyone that cares about our rivers, lakes and streams and takes time to offer comments on improving these fisheries!

Trophy Water

Fishing stocked water for large fish is a lot of fun although the level of satisfaction from catching one is not as great compared to a wild or native fish of similar proportions. During my weekend in the Smokies, I was unsure what I wanted to do on Sunday but was excited about the prospect of fishing the trophy water on the Cherokee Reservation again. Still, I woke up Sunday morning without being positive of where I wanted to fish. There are so many fun streams on the North Carolina side of the Park that do not see nearly the fishing pressure as compared to the Tennessee side, and I always enjoy the opportunity to explore these various streams.

The call of big dumb stockers was strong though and I decided that it was worth the $7.00 for a daily permit to fish the catch and release water. To fish this water you need a special permit on top of the daily permit but I had already purchased one on a previous trip. The catch and release section permit is good for one year. After stopping at Big Don’s to pick up the permit, I headed up to start fishing. After examining all the places to fish I settled on a relatively uncrowded section (often difficult to find).

Looking the water over, a certain pool jumped out at me and I worked my way over to check it out. There were several nice fish feeding in this pool and I set about trying to catch some. My standard rig in the catch and release water is a double nymph rig that matches whatever naturals should be in the water. At this time of year that includes stonefly nymphs, Blue Quill nymphs, Quill Gordon nymphs, and midges. More mayfly species should start hatching any day in the mountains and nymph imitations of them should be working as well. A bead head pheasant tail nymph seemed appropriate as it does a great job of matching many insects potentially moving around this time of year. I dropped my “Trophy Section Secret Fly” off the back and started fishing. Not too many casts later I hooked the first fish of the day, a nice rainbow.

For the next couple of hours it was game on. I found fish in a lot of obvious places as well as some not so obvious places. I got frustrated over difficult fish that would eat but I couldn’t get a good hook set on. I was surprised by the size of fish that came out of some spots and also very pleasantly surprised to catch a few wild fish (browns and ‘bows) in addition to the stockers.

After fishing a long stretch of water, I headed back for the car and a snack break. Catching lots of good fish is tiring business and I needed some nourishment for the afternoon’s fishing. After eating and hydrating, I decided to look at the rest of the Catch and Release water to look for something different. I found a lot of nice water but lots more fishermen and a distinct lack of quality fish. Apparently they aren’t everywhere. Back to my morning stretch it was and thankfully no one had moved in yet. Fishing through the same stretch yielded more good results. Finally, as the day wore to a close I found myself on what had been crowded water earlier in the day. I stuck a few nice fish and then moved up in search of the Palomino rainbows…

There were several out actively feeding in addition to lots of big rainbows. The first rainbow I cast to ate and took off on several runs while my reel screamed. After following this fish downstream, it eventually broke me off so I headed for the bank to retie. The next rig was successful as well but it took awhile to get that first fish on. Finally I hooked and landed a rainbow of around 20 inches as well as a brook trout and started thinking about the Palominos again.

One particularly nice fish had moved out of the deeper water to feed midstream. I had been watching the fish for awhile and pondering how to approach it. Spooky fish don’t react well to lazy fisherman and by this point in the day I was feeling pretty lazy. A couple of casts in its general direction earlier had caused it to drift downstream another 10 feet or so before getting back in the chow line. After thinking over the situation, it became obvious that I needed to approach the fish from upstream. Feeding mends into the line as it drifted downstream would get the fly down to the appropriate depth.

What I had not counted on was the indicator spooking the fish. These fish see plenty of those so it shouldn’t have been a surprise. After the fish moved over a couple of feet, I realized it was going to take something just a little different. The occasional rise from the fish let me know that it was looking up so I decided to use the traditional wet fly swing. One of the flies I had on was a soft hackle so I figured it just might work.

I cast across and slightly upstream so the flies would have plenty of time to get down. As they approached the fish, I started to slowly raise the rod tip and gave the line some very subtle twitches. The fish moved up in the water column to investigate and began to follow. I felt the first slight bump but waited until the fish had fully taken the fly before setting the hook. In this type of fishing, the biggest mistake is to set the hook as soon as you think the fish has opened its mouth. Since you are standing upstream, too fast of a hook set will invariably yank the fly out of the fishes mouth. For once, my timing was perfect and the fish was solidly hooked. After a battle that left my rod arm exhausted, I netted the beautiful hook-jawed fish and took a couple of pictures before releasing it back to be caught another day. This was the high point of the day and I decided not to ruin it by fishing more. I took some time to soak in the moment, the warm sun, and the beautiful scenery. There’s nothing better than standing in a Smoky Mountain trout stream and I wanted to remember the trip for a long time to come…