Exploring the Smokey Mountain National Park

If you like the mountains as we do then one of the best places to see some scenic beauty is in the Great Smokey Mountains. Cathey and I usually make at least one trip a year to the Smokies. On this trip, we meet our daughter's family there for a few days of relaxation. One day was spent at Dollywood with the grandchildren in Pigeon Forge. We seldom spend any time in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg because both places have become so commercialized. 

The main attraction for fly fishermen is the spring-fed Little Pigeon River flowing through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. I have to fish it before I retire my fly rod. My son-in-law fished the river some years ago when they were visiting Gatlinburg with his family and landed numerous rainbow. Most all the trout in the river are stocked rainbow and brook trout. Very few wild trout are landed near the towns, all the native trout are found higher in the Mountains. 

B. T. and I wanted Bryson and Cash to see the mountains up close so we spent the better part of another day exploring. Their sister Laelyn went shopping with Mom and Meme.

We were above the clouds atop Clingman Dome the highest point in Tennessee. The ranger told us we were 6,775 ft. up. The hike up the steep trail nearly a mile was a workout. There were benches along the way for breaks. Many individuals made the hike up to the summit to stand on the big concrete circular platform for an awesome view.

A little rock climbing on the way up------how I wish I had this stump in my front yard. 

The spruce trees were still draped with clouds as we made our way under the tree canopy. The ground was a soft sponge of decayed spruce foliage that had built up over time; very comfortable to walk on.  I don't know the name of the mushrooms that dotted the forest floor. I do know they were not Portobello.

A lot of blowdown in places simply because of the thick growth of the spruce trees. Cash soon realized he needed that jacket. Down below the temp was in the '70s atop the dome it was in the '40s. 

The shirt says it all!!

Nothing like spending time with the grandchildren!!!

Quality Trout Landed Fishing the Sipsey Tailrace

We finally get a break from the tremendous heat we have experienced here in Alabama. Today's high was 87 which is quite a contrast from the 100's we have been experiencing. As I left the house this morning for the Sipsey a cool breeze was blowing with no humidity. One of my fishing buddies was going to meet me at the pump station near access five. With fly rods already rigged, we headed for access six. As we enter the gorge we were met with some really cool windy weather, which made me glad I was wearing my long sleeve shirt. To our surprise there was no fishing, so we had the place to ourselves, which is unusual. There was no surface activity at all so nymphs fishing deep was the choice to begin the morning.

This crystal clear tight seam produced the first trout of the morning. I was fishing one of Alan's Soft Hackles drifting it through this seam when it was inhaled. I was standing above the seam and letting the hackle drift through the fast water. I really like to fish this pattern because there are very few ways to screw up the presentation. Just cast out and let it do the work. 

I'm glad I was fishing my 4 wt. because I don't think I would have landed this trout fighting it through the fast water. Thanks to Charles for netting him and getting the pic. A big thank you to Alan for tying up some killer patterns that is working for me on the Sipsey. 

The trout were released to fight another day. I lost two other trout that was this size simply because of hook set and fast water. The hackle proved to be the fly of the morning, after a really slow start. No trout for the first hour and a half, then this beauty made my day!!! 

Fishing Tiny Poppers

Tiny Poppers has always been a part of my fishing arsenal. I use them more in late summer and fall as opposed to the Spring months fishing Smith Lake. Smith is tough to fish after July  4th. when the drawdown begins and continues into late September and early October. The lake has dropped 10 ft. by late October and will remain low throughout the winter months. Fishing the familiar places such as the nooks I fish in the Spring is out because the fish have moved to deeper water along the rock walls. During this time of the year is when the size 12 tiny popper will get more hits than a larger popper I fish in the Spring. I compare fishing this size popper to fishing a dry fly on the Sipsey for trout. The hits can be far apart at times, but when it does occur it is usually a quality gill. Silk smooth surface water is ideal to fish the tiny popper and a delicate presentation helps produce the hit, which is light and not aggressive. The gills will suck the tiny popper in with very little surface movement. I like using my 2/3 wt. fly rods making a short cast to deliver these little poppers with a light presentation.  

The tiny size 12 K & E Stopper Pan-fish popper which comes in a three-pack is one of my favorites. White, black, chartreuse and yellow are the color choices. I use all four colors and no one color is my favorite. On some days one color produces better than another color.  I guess it just goes to show how finicky these gills are this time of year. 

My other favorite is this size 12 bluegill bug by Orvis. There are days when this popper will produce when the K and E poppers are getting fewer hits.  I like to use the Orvis Bug popper when the fish are splashing at the K & E poppers, without getting hooked. The bug floats half under the water surface and the other half barely above surface film. The face of this popper is concave which when moved slightly will get the attention of a finicky gill or bass.  All you will see most of the time when the popper is sitting still is a slight swirl subsurface meaning set the hook!!

Today's trip on Ryan Creek fishing Smith Lake rewarded me with a few spotted bass, some female/male gills, and one beautiful sunfish or sun perch. All were caught using the K & E size 12 popper in chartreuse and white and the Orvis bug. A lot of fun using my 2/3 weight 7 1/2 ft. Redington. 

My Best Trout Fishing the Sipsey

This past Tuesday I spent a few hours fishing the Sipsey. I was fishing numerous flies trying different presentations in some of the familiar spots I frequent here. As I've said before the Sipsey gets tremendous fishing pressure being the only cold water tailrace in the state. So in order to land trout here, one needs to be persistent, have patience and a willingness to work for the trout you catch.   

The results of persistence, patience, and willingness to work enabled me to land this 20-inch rainbow, the largest I've ever caught on the Sipsey. A tremendous workload for my 10 ft. 3 wt.

High sticking or Euro Nymphing made it possible to work these pocket holes standing downstream and letting my nymph do its magic! Overcast skies helped conceal my presence as I worked in these areas. Sometimes one trout can make a trip and today it proved true for me!!

Fishing the Soft Hackle

The target fly last Tuesday on the Sipsey was Alan's Soft Hackle. I fished three different flies for the morning. The one that scored was the size 12 hackle, slowly retrieving it across fast water pockets. The hits were aggressive!!

Tellico Hatchery out of North Carolina stocked the tailrace a couple of weeks ago. This trout had been caught before as evidence of the red lip; nice fight on the 3 wt.

The heat factor before I left the tailrace was reaching the high 90's. The cold tailrace water felt good splashed on my face to help with the heat and humidity. Summer in Alabama is not my favorite time of the year!  A solid take tight lining the hackle got this trout's attention.

Fishing for Native Trout

Jason and I spent the day this past Wednesday fishing the  Little River in the Great Smoky Mountains. The beauty of this place at times out weights the fishing if you can imagine that. We met David Knapp of the Trout Zone at Little Rivers Outfitters at 9 AM. After rigging our fly rods and suiting up at the fly shop we were off on the adventure. I had fished with David before on the Caney so I knew we were in for an awesome trip. 

I knew we were going to be fishing fast water which is the reason both of us had our wading staffs with us. We move higher in the mountains to avoid landing stock trout. The fast water is where the native trout are found in the warmer months of the year in the Smokies. I can't say enough about the beauty of this river, with all the lush greenery and the high canyon walls. 

Jason using his IM10 ft. nymphing fly rod to reach a small narrow seam in one of many we would fish for the morning. David had suggested using longer fly rods to nymph areas in the river that couldn't be fished effectively using a shorter fly rod. 

Beautiful rainbow landed in a narrow seam at the end of some fast pocket water where Jason was fishing. I'm glad Jason and I had some experience fishing fast water while fishing the Sipsey. Fishing for wild trout versus stocked trout takes you to another level. 

The Rhododendrons were in full bloom all along the river banks.

We were on the move all morning hitting all the fast water seams and pocket water we could find. David told us that the fast water is where the trout had access to the most oxygen this time of year. 

The sun had hit this area so I decided to fish it on my knees. These trout are extremely spooky so concealment is a must under bright conditions. I have landed stock trout on the Sipsey close by but not here.

Beautiful wild rainbow landed using my 9 ft. Hardy Streamflex. This fly rod with its lightweight at less than 3 oz. was perfect for the nymphing areas I was fishing. Jason and I will put this trip in our memory bank as one we both will remember. I'm so glad Jason has a job where he can come home at least 6 times a year to fish with me. 

  

Nymphing With the IM 10 ft. 3 Wt.

My blogging has taken a hit lately with two weeks spent in the state of Texas visiting in-laws. No fishing on this trip just sightseeing some interesting places with a lot of history. 
Cathey and I arrived back in Jasper late Sunday evening and was glad to be home. No fishing for two weeks is tuff for me to experience, so my number one goal Monday was to line a trip up for the coming week. The weather forecast was rain for this week with the exception of a couple of days. Tuesday was going to be my best day fishing the Sipsey. 
By the way, how many of you guys have discovered you left your fly rod at the house after you get to your fishing destination? That was the second time that had happened to me; you would think I would learn??? That debacle cost me forty minutes of fishing on the Sipsey. 

I encountered low water as evident by all the moss-covered rocks scattered on the floor of the gorge. I'm not a fan of fishing low water on the Sipsey because the trout can spot you in the shallows as opposed to the normal deeper water: but I didn't let this deter me from fishing this morning, so I made the best of a challenge. 

I choose to fish all the fast water because the current could hide me much better than the slower shallow water. I did have to do some tricky wading to get into position at times to present my fly. It proved to be worth the effort
in helping me land some choice rainbow. 

My first rainbow took using my IM 10 ft. 3 wt. nymphing rod tightlining nymphs along the edges of the fast current seams. I never touched this beauty, simply removed the nymph with my forceps and he swims out of the net. We've had some really quality rainbow released in the Sipsey this past month. 

Sorry for the poor quality of this image, but I was trying to get the photo standing in some really fast water. In fact, I almost lost my balance and took a dip, which would have really lessened my fishing time. 

Today's trip was a practice session for Jason and me to use our 3 wt. 10 ft. nymphing rods on the Little River in the Smoky Mountains the last of this month. We hope to land some of the native rainbows, browns and brook trout there.

Cathey's Largert Bass and Bluegill Fishing Ryan Creek

I've been fishing a lot since March and most of it was alone on Walker Lake and the rest of the time was on Smith Lake with some of my buddies. A few trips to the tailrace were worked in when the generators were not running. Hopefully, most of the rains are gone and the tailrace will start to fish well in the coming months. 
One of my fishing buddies couldn't make the fishing trip we had planned for this past Tuesday so I started looking for a replacement. To my surprise my wife said she wanted to go, so we headed to Smith Lake for four or five hours of fishing. It turned out to be a special trip for both of us because it had been 25 years since she had been in the boat with me. She wanted to fish for the bluegill using live bait in the form of crickets. The only rule I had to follow was; she wasn't going to bait her hook, touch the fish or touch a crappie nibblet. In other words, I was her guide which was fine with. I was just glad to have her on board!

This largemouth put up quite a fight. I was really proud of how well Cathey handled this fish. She finally landed the fish using a 7 1/2 ft. Microlight with 4 lb. test line. We released the fish to fight another day. 

Hopefully, I can get her into fly fishing in the coming months. She has agreed to give fly fishing a try---really a special day for both of us, one that I will remember!! 

Fantastic Popper Fishing with Jason

Spring fishing can be some of the best times to land some really quality fish. The fish are much more active this time of year with the water temps warming and the spawn occurring. Feeder fish such as small shad is the number one prey for the bass on a lot of lakes this time of year. If one can mimic the tiny shad then you are in for some fantastic surface action for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass on most large bodies of water this time of year. Some of the favorite lures Bass fishermen used to get a hit is the Rapala, fluke, or prop lures. Fly fishermen used a variety of patterns to imitate the shad as well, such as streamers, soft plastic shad patterns, and poppers. If given a choice to fish with the bait casing gear or the fly fishing gear, I would choose the fly fishing method hands down. There's nothing like landing a quality bass using your favorite weighted fly rod. Well, let me restate the bluegill would have to be near the top as well.

I look forward every year for Spring to arrive knowing that I am in for my best fishing of the year. Jason and I got to experience the Spring fishing at it's best this past week. Jason was home for seven days and we spent four of those days fishing beautiful Smith Lake. Some good times were had landing countless bass and huge bull bluegills using the poppers at daylight and afternoons fishing Smith Lake! Jason was using his new IM10 fly rod which was a birthday present from me and his mom. The bass was killing the Glow After Dark Cream Boogle Bug Popper!! 

Another spotted bass took on the cream Boogle Bug. There is something about the Boogle that gets the attention of bass. We were working the popper to mimic a wounded shad; it worked every day we fish the Boogle! 

Early morning still a little cool on the lake until the sun starting peeking through the clouds. 

The afternoon didn't slow the bite down

All the bass taken during the days we fished were taken on top using either the solid black Boogle Bug or the Cream Boogle when the shad were active. 

The big bulls were active as well using the Barr Nunn black and yellow poppers. The spawn will begin the last of this month. At times both of us thought we had bass on when landing these bluegills because of the tremendous fight they would put forth. I'm already looking forward to our next outing when Jason will return for more topwater action in June!!

Who Started You Fishing

I have often said that I've never been bored one minute since I retired. I am so thankful my Dad taught me and my brothers how to fish and hunt at an early age. Most individuals who fish or hunt all started as youngsters. I often wonder why some of my friends, neighbors or other retirees don't fish. The answer could be the parents weren't interested in fishing so the children never developed an interest. Most children become involved in what the parents is interested in when growing up. That could be hunting, fishing, sports, or any other activity. I know my two grandsons are interested in motorcycles because of their Dad's interest in riding motorcycles. They are also interested in fly fishing because their Dad and Pops fly fish, so you see the comparison.
I have taught numerous individuals how to fish using casting gear or ultralight gear in my lifetime. Those individuals were all adults. I even taught a few how to fly fish in the short 12 years I've been casting the fly rod. All these individuals had never fished before and are still fishing today. One doesn't have to spend a great deal of money on fishing equipment to catch fish. Live bait paired with a spin-cast or spinning reel will get results on almost all water in the U.S. Live bait such as crickets, grasshoppers, and redworms started many of us on our fishing journey. Hopefully, that journey will continue for all of us for many years to come.
Most of you know that I like woodworking not as much as fishing but a close second. The love of woodworking steered me towards becoming an Industrial Teacher. I spent 35 years in the teaching profession before I retired in 2008. I really enjoyed teaching Industrial Arts because I came in contact with some great students who were interested in building small pieces of furniture to larger pieces such as gun cabinets, tables, and desks. I seldom encountered problem students in those 35 years of teaching, because they enjoyed the class as much as I did teaching them. 

Popper Color Makes a Difference

This past week has been hectic, with no fishing, blogging, or gym time. The movers worked Monday and Tuesday moving us into our new home. The rest of the week was spent unpacking boxes and trying to get the house in order. We had furniture in the rent house where we were living, Jason's storage unit and our storage unit. I hope my wife and I never make another move ever!
Jason and I did had a few hours yesterday to fish Walker Lake before he flies back to Sacramento Monday. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

The white Betts Popper was the hot fly on this outing; Jason had only one of the poppers and was not about to share with Dad! He landed two to my one for the afternoon. 

Flexing the 2 wt. 

Could it be the top and bottom of the red dot and the white color that got the bluegills' attention??

The finished house to the point where we could move in. No landscaping until we get more dry weather; we're just glad to be in the house and life getting close to normal.