Hi Brown on the Eve

I managed to get over to the Hiwassee River for a couple of hours on Christmas Eve. Other than the water flow giving me some problems, I saw three Eagles and managed to catch a few trout, including this beautiful brown:

Imitating The Gubna

I arrived at the parking lot @ 2pm, popped open the trunk and untucked my dress shirt. It was a Tuesday afternoon in December with 70 degree weather and I was rigging up my rod to fish.....life ain't half bad.  I didnt have any beer and I was fishing solo, but other than that it was a great day.

Bench: Scud pattern that should work well on the tailwaters

Toccoa Float

2012 4 weight Shootout

Great article on trying to find the best 4 weight rod on the market:  http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/4weightshootout.bestspringcreekflyrods.dryflyrods.hardyzenith.sageTXL-F.SageONE.WinstonBIIIx.b3x.Beulahrods.CFBurkheimerrods.asp

Finally!

For about the last year, I've spent a few minutes of each fishing trip chucking big flies in the hopes of getting a big fish.  On Saturday, it finally happened:

EZ Meets Gee

EZ and I intended to fish the Elk Friday afternoon, time permitting, but the river was pushing too much water, so EZ and I drove to a relatively little known creek near the HI for some wild stream action.  We only had a few hours.  The time we had was consumed by a four mile hike, and very little fishing.   The water was low and clear, and the fishing wasn't good; though it was a great chance to get out on a wonderful Fall afternoon and explore a trout stream I haven't visited in nearly two years. 

Deep Creek - A Scouting Trip

I made a last minute decision on Friday to take my 3 year old son on his first over night camping trip.  My goal was to see if such a trip could be accomplished with a 3 year old, and at the same time, I was interested in exploring some trout water.  Someone suggested the Nanty DH, so we packed up and drove up that way during the late afternoon.  When we got there, after a rather long drive, there were no camping spots; though there were plenty of fishermen.  We drove on down to Bryson City, and I found Deep Creek.  I had never been to Deep Creek.  The campsite itself is fairly typical of GSMNP sites - a lot of sites cramped together, a little expensive ($17 to pitch a tent), but perfect for the occasion.  We got there late.  We set a fire, rigged up camp, ate dinner, told some stories, and went to bed.  In the morning, we went for a short hike up Deep Creek Trail.  I brought my rod, but my boy was not all that interested in fishing, so I only tossed the line in the water twice, and then just admired the stream.  Deep Creek looks to be an outstanding stream for fly fishing.  It is wide enough for casting, and the flow is good for just about any style of fly fishing.  There are pools for buggers and big dry flies, runs for nymphs, and a slow enough flow to get a good drift on a standard dry fly. 

North Carolina Trout Fishing

North Carolina is way ahead of Tennessee and Georgia in terms of managing trout streams and rivers.  Check out the link below. They have an interactive map that covers the entire state in terms of locating places to fish based upon species, water type, accessibility, etc.  Even more impressive is that an out of state trout fishing license in North Carolina is less expensive than an in-state Tennessee fishing license.  Check it out:  http://www.ncwildlife.org/Fishing.aspx

Noontootla

The weather broke mid-week and I had to get out in the woods.  I threw my camping and fishing gear in the trunk and headed down to work.  Around lunch I had finished enough work and cleared my calendar such that I could make a mad-dash for Noontootla.  I soon realized I forgot my sleeping bag, but I wasn't going to miss this opportunity.  I drove 2 hours to the creek, set up camp, and started fishing. The water was much lower and clearer than I expected.  I missed a number of subtle takes and finally got a couple to hand.  I then started gathering firewood and at around 7 p.m., talked to a guy who was fishing upstream.  He had just caught a 16 inch bow and I had a pretty good idea where he was fishing. I awoke the next morning and slowly worked my way upstream from my campsite.  I only had about 30 minutes to fish, but as I was making my way upstream I saw a large tail in a pool just above me.  I stood still and watched the water - sure enough, a very large rainbow about 7 feet in front of me was feeding.  I put some line out and threw my rig about 6 feet in front of him.  I highsticked the drift and saw the bow go after my fly.  At the last minute, he darted away and moved upstream.  I figured that was my only chance, and I needed to get back home, so I packed up and drove back home.  It was awesome to see a fish that size in a creek that small.  A wonderful, albeit short, getaway, which I desperately needed.  I hope to make it back up there this Fall.

Fish Creek Rainbow

Ketchikan, Alaska on the Fly: Day 2

Hit my favorite river with my dad today.  After a nice boat-ride and a good hour long hike we arrived at our destination.  I tied on some meat, while my dad went with a trusty Adams.  My dad caught a good number of fish.  It took me a good 45 minutes before I found a big fly that would catch fish.  I ended up with two very nice rainbows, in addition to about a dozen in the 12-14 inch range.  One was 16 plus inches, and the other was a solid 18.  Another great day on my favorite river - Can't wait until next year! 

Dolly on the Fly

Quick Trip to the Hiwassee (TN)

I had some afternoon business in Cleveland, Tennessee, yesterday, and just happened to have some of my fishing gear in the trunk of my car.  I got to the river about 5:30 p.m.  The only rod in my car was my 8 weight, but they were pushing two generators, so I thought it might fun to chuck some meat.  It took me a while to get rigged up, but I finally got set up with a big Alaskan Steelhead fly.  I think it's supposed to imitate a chunk of salmon flesh.  I haven't waded the Hiwassee on two generators in a long time.

Gubna & Lieutenant Gubna

Went on a short hike with the family to Cohutta and helped my 3 year old land his second fish on the fly!  I managed to catch a redeye bass as well. 

Louisiana

In the Loop

In the Loop - Modern Tactics on the Fly. Check out the trailer.

Handmade Fishing Nets

Check out this website for a great looking selection of handmade fishing nets:  http://www.stevensnets.com/products.html

Buying Great American Made Gear at a Good Price

Lately I've put a premium on buying fly fishing gear that is made in the USA.  For me, it's not necessarily a patriotic gesture, but rather, a feeling that the quality is superior.  Of course, the price for American made fly fishing gear is often not worth the perceived difference in quality. It all started a few years ago when I purchased my 2nd set of waders in less than two years only to have them leak on my first trip.

Hiwassee on Friday the 13th

I cut out of work a few hours early and drove to the Hiwassee.  I wanted to go to the Caney, but didn't have time.  The HI turned out to be a good choice.  I fished for a couple of hours and caught over 10.  I started out with a bugger, but upon spotting some fish feeding on the surface, I tied on some 5x tippet and a size 14 sulpher and the fish starting hitting it on a regular basis.  I pretty much stayed in the same spot, which is unusual for me, fishing upstream to a spot where the water was flowing over a ledge.  I didn't have a net, so I didn't take any fish pics.  The fish were all around 12 inches and fat.  One of the bows looked like it was spawning, which is a good sign.  The hatch as I was leaving the river about 6 pm was about as prolific as I've ever seen; certainly the best hatch I've ever seen on the HI. The sulphers were thick, and the BWOs and what I think were Hendricksons, were consistent the entire afternoon.  I think this is the time of year to be on the HI - before the heat gets thick and wipes out most of the fish.

Save Bristol Bay

http://www.savebristolbay.org/

South Holston

Toccoa

Hiwassee DH

Doc and I hit the HI for a short float from Big Bend to Reliance in my canoe on Friday afternoon.  Doc threw a fly in at the take-out just as I was pulling into the parking lot, and he proceeded to land a bow.  We then drove up to Big Bend, and got the canoe in the water around 2:30.  I caught a bow right away.  We thought it might be a decent day, but we spent the next 2 plus hours with only one more trout to hand.  Unfortunately, this DH is a joke.  Unlike GA and NC, Tennessee has decided to use the DH to save money.  As a result, they are stocking less than normal.  To make matters worse, the fish are standard nine inch trout.  Very disappointing.  I don't know if we'll be back to the HI for quite a while.  We had a good time on the float, but the fishing was awful.

Cosby Creek - Scouting

I was in Newport, Tennessee this weekend for business.  I stayed at a cabin in Cosby, Tennessee.  While in Cosby,  I took a few minutes and drove to Cosby Creek in the Smokies to determine if this is a stream I might want to visit in the future. 

The One I lost on the Clinch

On my way to Newport this weekend I stopped by the Clinch to see if I could get a decent fish.  My plan was to fish ultra small and ultra big.  I started at the Weir, and it was packed. The water was as low as I've ever seen it.  I hiked down river to get a little separation from the 10-20 fishermen positioned at various locations around the Weir.  I saw some fish rising and stalked to a good casting spot.  The water was fairly clear and slack.  I stood still for a minute or two and watched the pool where I had seen fish rising. Finally, I was able to pick out some fish.  Within 10-15 feet of me in this slack pool were five to ten 15-20 inch bows and browns.