TENNESSEE FLY FISHING

January on the Elk

2012-01-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

Mark and I took a little trip to the Elk outside of Lynchburg. We didn't get into any big fish but caught a few smaller trout. It was a fun and I can see us going back again soon.

Elkmont, GSMNP September 2011

2011-10-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are celebrating our 10th and decided we would go camping for the weekend. I promised her a trip to Venice later. She has not been a big fan of camping in the past but on this trip she seemed to really come around. I think this trip changed her mind on the idea of camping. I usually go by myself and fly fish but this time we were going together so I decided to try and spend most of my time with her and off of the rivers and streams. We set up our family sized tent with our three dogs in tow. Bought a good bit of firewood and went into town for dinner the first night. The next day I fished for few minutes and caught one small bow next to the campground. We went into town again and had another nice meal and spent some time in the local arts and crafts stores. It was fun watching her look at the pottery and paintings and "ooh" and "ah" at everything. I found quite a few things that interested me as well since we have similar taste. That night we made smores and sat talking about many things and growing still closer to each other. The following morning I made breakfast complete with chocolate chip pancakes and spent a little time on the river before we left while my wife did her crossword puzzle. I managed to get one on but he was off quickly. No matter, I had spent time with God, my wife, the dogs and nature. I couldn't ask for any more than that.

Gillin' at Sun Set

2011-09-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

My good friend Mark and I went to the lake and tried our hand at some warmwater fly fishing. He caught a couple of nice little bass and I got a few gills to hand. Not exactly big fish but it was fun.

Big Water

2011-09-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

When I first started fishing the Smokies a few years ago I had no idea what I was doing. I was out of shape and had a few medical issues come along about a year later. I was kind of forced to stick close to the campsites due to health and due to not really knowing what areas were worthy of fishing. Having spent 12 years in the Army, four of those as an active duty infantry soldier, I was no fan of the back country anyway. I had done that for years in the Army and spent my time fishing along the big waters by the roads of the park. At first I struggled. I didn't catch much and made simple mistakes such as wading in the water too much instead of casting from the bank or with just my feet in the water to reach the distant runs on the far side of the river. I think I caught 3 fish in my first 5 trips to the park! Now, with four years under my belt of taking an average of 5-6 trips a year to the park I can generally catch at least 5-10 fish in any three or four hour period. I love the park and think that it's larger water has plenty of fish to offer...BIG fish. I had a 20+ incher on a few months back but pulled him against the current to get him to hand and my tippet broke. I've taken my sister a few times and the trip before last she caught a little brown. She is starting to get plenty of rises if she can just react quickly enough to the rise. She took the time to show my little niece the ropes on the last trip and I bet before long they are both old pros. Anyway, here are a few pics from the last trip fishing the bigger water in the park:

Tennessee Bonefish

2011-08-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

So, I took my good friend Mark Law out to chase smallies and bonefish. We hit a local lake and hooked into one little smallie.

We moved on to a local pond that I know of to chase bonefish after about an hour. The fish were rolling in the center of the pond and feeding in the shallows as well. Looked like we might be in for a good time if we could just figure out what they liked. I didn't catch much but Mark hooked into a really nice fish that gave his eight weight a run!

Not many fish were had today but at least Mark got into one good one before we became tired and decided to call it a day.

Smokies August 2011

2011-08-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Took a four day weekend this last week and headed to the Smokies to fish and hang out with family. Flows were a little low and water temps, as well as air temps, were high but I still found willing fish. I stuck mostly to the deeper runs but did fish the better looking skinny water just in case. I found the fish were deep in the deep runs but that they would rise if tempted properly. I met up on the third day with my friend Mark to show him the ropes and he did well catching two nice fish and getting several good rises. With a little practice he will be catching several fish per day. Here are a few pics from the trip:

Mark and one of his fish:

Smokies July 2011

2011-07-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Took a day and a half to fish with my sister and brother in law. They aren't fly fishermen yet but I hope to change that. Actually, I suppose you could say that my sister is because she caught her first trout and it was on a dry fly and it was a Smoky Mountain brown...not bad. We fished the first day on Jakes Creek and I caught 4 getting two to hand the larger fish being about 10-11" which is a little above average for the Smoky Mountains. Michelle didn't catch one but she got in some good practice. We only fished for about 2 hours the first day. We spent the next day in the area of the Little River just above Elkmont Campround. I caught one rainbow and got three on. I had several other rises and misses and a few refusals from nice fish. I think I need to add another turn of hackle to my fly. I may stop using foam bodies as well. I had always wanted to fish this section of Elkmont thoroughly but the first couple of times I didn't really know what I was doing. This time was a lot of fun and I had a chance to land three fish but was tired and my reaction time was just too slow. One trout actually took my fly down about a foot and I still missed him. They say that other areas higher up are better to fish because there is less boulder hopping and I may try them next time. I think at the end of the day I had made it about a mile or so up from the campground. I don't think brookie territory starts until about two miles up...I'll have to start after the first mile and a half next time. I took a few pics of the various pools etc and a fish or two. I love fishing in the Smoky Mountains. It's a very beautiful place to me.

Smokies Spring Trip Part 2

2011-06-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to posting the second day of my last trip to the Smokies a few weeks back. Definitely my most productive trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I fished along Laurl Creek headed toward Cades Cove and did pretty well bringing about 12 fish to hand and getting rises from many others. I found a good cross stream presentation was key and tried to keep just the last few feet of my tippet in the water by roll casting with just a foot or two of float line out of the end of my rod. Laurel Creek is fairly small but not considered small within the confines of the park. I did venture off toward Treemont and got two rises and one on right as my fly was going over the lip at the tail end of a pool...one jump and a nice little trout was gone which is sad because I have yet to catch one on a dry at Treemont, I believe. On a previous trip I hooked into a big one up there (by park standards) and couldn't get him to hand. I recommend 4X tippet once you learn how to get those guys on the line.

Cool Vid

2011-06-02T11:27:00.001-07:00

http://vimeo.com/24351686

Smokies Spring Trip Part I

2011-05-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I took a day off and headed to the mountains. Arrived at my aunts house in Knoxville to realize I had contracted a really nasty little cold. Had some dinner and talked for a bit and went to bed. I woke to feeling even worse but decided I would take some daytime cold medicine and head to the mountains anyway. I found a lot of skinny water and found that my dropper was hanging up too much so I went with a dry only and started catching fish instead of spooking them by getting my line unsnagged off the bottom. I was there about an hour and caught three fish but the thunderstorms moved in and I got soaked. I decided it was best to go to my sisters to dry off and recoup and try again tomorrow. If I do well I will post more later.

End of an Era-Reggie Chabot

2011-04-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, my sister-in-laws dog Reggie was put down yesterday. It was a sad event and she has shut herself up in her bedroom for most of the day. I had been wanting to hit a local pond and fish for some gills and smallies so I let my wife know where I would be and to call me if they needed anything and off I went for a few hours. Caught a dozen or more blue gill and one smallie. Saw a nice 18" smallie but mine didn't come close, but hey, at least it was a smallie. Here's to ya Reggie:

and it ended with this:

Later Reg, you were a good dog.

Fishing the Elk near Lynchburg, TN

2011-03-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

I fished the elk today with my friend Mark. These fish are picky. Maybe it's the fumes from the nearby Jack Daniels distillery that keeps the drunk and not in the mood? These fish prefer very small flies it seems so bring some size 18-20 in your favorite dry fly patterns. Got skunked but he finally caught one at the end of the day.

The fish were very picky as I mentioned earlier. We threw everything at them. Bring small flies and long leaders.

Lots of rises to dries but they mostly ignored ours. Mark finally landed one to keep us coming back. Good job, Mark.

Winter Tying

2010-12-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Tying a few patterns for next year. I really need to expand my midge selection, but have to buy a few materials first.

Stream Access Legistlation

2010-11-14T09:15:00.001-08:00

in Utah. Don't know if this will have an effect on Tennessee law, but it's worth watching.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50666012-76/access-public-utah-act.html.csp

Fall on the Caney Fork

2010-10-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

My good friend Mark and I took our monthly (give or take) trip to the Caney Fork. It's a magical time of year when the leafs start to change, the temps are cooler and the trout really start feeding on top. We started early in the day in an area with a lot of slow water. Fished some streamers and got our cast to where we wanted it to be for later in the day (in other words we weren't catching any fish). Moved on to faster water and caught a couple of nice fish. I had bought a new fluorocarbon mono to use as tippet. It was rated at four pound test, but looked thinner than my 5X Orvis tippet and broke off twice on two different fish. It was only fluoro coated, so I think I am going to go back and get some 6 pound pure fluoro. It should match up to 5X tippet better and be less visible to the fish. In addition to the nice brown pictured below, I caught a very large skip jack. They seem to be flourishing on the Caney and I've never noticed them before and especially at the sizes we were seeing. I fished for a couple of hours under a large tree and had several spiders drop down on me from the tree. I haven't tried it, but a spider pattern might be effective.

Oconaluftee and Such

2010-10-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Oconaluftee and Such

Stayed the weekend up at Smokemont in the Great Smoky Mountians National Park for a brief but productive Fall fishing trip. The leafs are just starting to turn color and the temps are chilly at night. The days are comfortable and the tourists are everywhere, most of which probably aren't even aware that there are trout in the park waters. I arrived late on Friday afternoon and set camp. With about 45 minutes of daylight left, I geared up and hit Bradley Fork next to the camp ground. I tied on an orange Doc's Cork and went to work. The day had been warm and the fish were eager to get that last meal in for the day. Within ten minutes I had several rises and one fish hooked, but didn't manage to get him to hand. Little does he know I was going to let him go anyway. Getting that little fish on line got the adrenaline pumping and I moved on. About 10 minutes later I got my first fish to hand of the trip. A nice fat little bow:

My wife and I went the next day to visit the Oconaluftee farmstead. I got three fish on and two to hand, one of which was the nice little brown at the bottom:

We also took a trip to Cherokee, NC and saw some great crafts at one place. Most places just had junk though. I can't remember the name of the place, but it's on the right if you go straight instead of turning left toward town when coming from the GSMNP.

Elk River 9-25-2010

2010-09-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Went to the Elk again with Big Popper to spend a day on the river. Stopped by Tim's and gleaned some advice, bought a few flies and hit the river around 11:00. Started fishing below the dam and saw some great hatches. Not certain what the hatch was, but most of the flies were in the size 18-22 range and were cream with cream bodies and tails, maybe a light dun wing...didn't get a lot of good looks. Saw some about the same, but with a brown tail. Got a couple of rises on a pmd (closest looking thing I had to the hatch). Found the dry fly fishing to be sporadic and my reaction slow so I switched to streamers. Got a few tugs but missed them. Saw people catching fish, so it was definitely me. We didn't have a ton of luck. Went to a different spot on the river and found the fish to be silent. No rises to speak of. Looks like the weather didn't affect the stockers by the dam, but it had the older fish down river. I think that with another week of cooler temps, the fishing will be better. But being a better fisherman would help.

Elk River Trip, Lynchburg, TN

2010-09-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Took my nephew to the Elk River in Lynchburg, TN, the place where they make Jack Daniels whiskey.

We stopped on the town square and immediately scoped out the food situation. One restaurant, a BBQ place, a sandwich shop and ice cream parlor and a cafe just off the square. Dodging all the Harley Davidsons for a parking space (apparently there is a nice bike shop behind the square) we parked and went for some grub at the restaurant. Not bad considering we were in the middle of rural Tennessee.

We had a decent lunch and walked up to "Tim's Flies and Lies" fly shop to stock up on a few neccesities.

Rhonda (Tim's wife and co-owner) was behind the counter and helped us find what we needed: leaders, tippet, flies and a map of the river wade access areas (free photocopy). They have a nice selection of flies but we didn't know what the hatch might be so we bought some interesting streamers and nymphs and headed to the river (turns out there was a hatch of a very small fly, about size 18, with dun wings and a dull yellow body). We did well on streamers and saw a lot of activity, some of it by larger fish. These fish do seem to require a noticable amount of stealth though, so stay low and quiet. I've been told the fish like to feed in the film, so try keeping your dropper close to the surface. Maybe tie one without a bead head. It's a beautiful river with a lot of nice eager trout that seem to come on more during the hours just before dark. Consider the Elk and Lynchburg for a change of pace.

There are bed and breakfast's in town and a cabin or two for rent on the river. Stop by Tim and Rhonda's place and say hello.

First Smoky Mountain Trout

2010-08-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

Took my good bud Mark Law up to the mountains (well I actually met him in Gatlinburg, Tn) and spent the morning fishing for trout in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this last weekend. We got on the river a little late and then got rained out in the afternoon, but it was worth it as Mark caught his first Smoky Mountain trout. It was in a nice little pool and aggressively hit his yellow neversink (that I tied of course). It was a nice little 10" bow that bent his 5wt over really good. He was super excited and so was I. Mark did pretty well and caught on pretty quickly. If he corrects a few mistakes that he was making, he should be able to catch fish whenever he wants.

Pheasant Tail

2010-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

A little painting I did that was inspired by Bob White's "The Last Ptarmigan." Obviously, it's lacking compared to Bob White's stuff, but I have fun trying.

Troutfest-Townsend, Tennessee 2010

2010-06-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, once I again, work and fatigue hampered my ability to make it to Troutfest in Townsend, Tn (sponsored bu Little River Outfitters also in Townsend, Tn). From what I have read via their message board, it was a huge success with famous fly fishermen and women tying flies and holding casting demonstrations etc, such as; Cassie Sulzby, Ray Ball, Sam Barbee, Bob Clouser and Joe Humphreys, among others. It sounds like it was a ton of fun with old fashioned ice cream machines, canoes and kayaks on display, there was plenty to do, not to mention the surrounding area with the Great Smoky Mountain National Park entrance a couple of miles down the road. Townsend also offers many great lodges, hotels and cabins to rent as well as restaurants, a coffee shop, a nice grocery store and several craftsmen and women in the area. There are wood carvers, painters, jewelery makers and instrument makers, just to name a few. They also have a railroad museum that tells the tale of the railroad line that used to run into nearby park (before it was a park). Many of those old lines, if not all, are now trails in the park, such as the trail above the Treemont Institute and Elkmont Campground for instance. Next time you want to have a new fly fishing adventure and aren't sure where to go, head to Townsend and stop by Little River Outfitters.

Smoky Trip

2010-04-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hit the Smoky Mountains for a three day weekend. Did ok catching a couple of smaller fish, but they didn't really come on until I left (figures). My sister did entice a nice 16-18 in brown onto her hook, but couldn't get it to hand. It was the first trout she had ever hooked into. Here's one of the monsters I caught:

My Latest "Masterpiece"

2010-03-29T07:06:00.001-07:00

Not very good, in my opinion, but it's a fun hobby:

Bob Berry Fish Carvings.

2010-03-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

This guy does amazing things with wood.

http://www.bobberryfishcarvings.com/

Fishpond Expands

2010-03-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Introducing Lilypond for women http://www.lilypondusa.com/

What the Fly Shops Will Never Tell You

2010-03-01T11:19:00.000-08:00

Funny stuff. Thought I would share:

Bloodknot Magazine

The River Why

2010-02-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

The River Why by David J. Duncan is an interesting look into a young man's life. It's a coming of age, love, family, fishing story. Duncan's main character Gus Orviston (no association to the company that makes fly fishing equipment, I presume) leaves home and learns a great deal about himself, life and love. It's a good read for younger readers and not bad for older readers that are into fly fishing. It's worthy of taking on a trip. The authors personal insight at the end leaves me thinking about my own life and what I'm doing with it.

Fly Fishing Art

2010-02-24T05:53:00.001-08:00

Stumbled upon this guy on the interweb (That's Tennessean for "internet"). Got o love an artist that paints fishing scenes:

http://www.tonystetzko.com/

Angler Management

2010-02-11T09:51:00.001-08:00

Saw this on Amazon and thought it was a funny title. Had some good reviews and I think I'm going to order a copy for my upcoming trip to Cherokee NF.

Great Casting Article

2010-02-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Great casting article in field and stream

Article

Sleeping in the Dirt Magazine

2010-02-01T14:20:00.001-08:00

I found this on MoldyChum.Com. I don't know if it's going to be free or if it will require a subscription, or if it's just a one time thing, but at first glance, it looks like a really nice magazine that has no sponsors and hence, no limits:

Sleeping in the Dirt

2010-01-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Decided to try the Harpeth. Hadn't fished it in forever. Drove down HWY70 through God's country outside of Nashville and stopped at the state park. Surveyed the river and watched for activity after I rigged up. I knew it would be difficult. I saw no movement and there was plenty of ice. The river was frozen all the way across in places and the areas that it wasn't, the ice patches were large. I managed to bust my way through the ice and find pockets of water that weren't saturated with ice. Fished for about an hour and a half and thought I had one bite. Hard to say as there was still enough ice to tug at my float line on occasion, but this tug was more noticable. Tried every technique I knew of with my white bugger and wanted to change flies, but my fingers were too cold and my legs too numb. I thought I was going to have trouble wading back to the bank because I couldn't feel my legs or feet. I'm glad I did it because it was beautiful.

Fly Fishing Film Tour

2009-12-29T10:28:00.001-08:00

headed to a town near you:

http://www.flyfishingfilmtour.com/

New Reel for my 4wt

2009-12-29T06:37:00.000-08:00

It's made by "True Temper" and I've been told it's not collectible and fairly common, but that's what they say now! (tongue firmly in cheek). I remember when old Ford Mustangs from the 60's were common, now try and buy one in good condition. It's not a Peerless, but it sure does sport that Peerless look, eh? Even if you don't agree with that statement, you have to agree that for 20 bucks, if it works, it can't be beat. At the very least, I'll use it as a back up rig to throw in the trunk of my wife's car, just in case.

Caney 11/7/2009

2009-11-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of activity until around 3:00pm Beautiful BWO hatch. Lots of rises to dries. Got one rise, but the knot broke. Lot's of wind though. I think I need to use a larger sized leader when it's so windy...hmmm. Fished in Lancaster. Love the area. Less people and just as many fish.

2009-10-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I took a couple of days off in July to go see my family and fish the Smokies. I started fishing the West Prong of the Little River at the pull off just before the road to Treemont. I fished for about a mile using an Orange Neversink with a Zebra Midge dropper. I hooked two and got one bow to hand. If you ever want to have your picture taken, fish along the road starting here. I bet I saw 6 or 7 people taking my picture. One kid took several and followed me for a bit. I am learning. I was much more stealthy and stayed hid and quiet for the most part. Catching fish along the road is never as easy as higher up, so I know I'm getting better. At least I think I am.

Stupid

2009-07-26T20:15:00.001-07:00

So, I go to my favorite river near Cookville today. Not much rising. Not much hatching. I had just walked through a field full of grasshoppers. I decide to give a hopper a try and toss it out not expecting much. You know that point when you see a trout flash and think "I'm about to catch a fish!" ? I saw this guy coming and thought "That's too big" The biggest brown I've ever seen in person, hits my hopper pattern. It' WAY bigger than the 18-19" bow that is my current record. I decide about 20 or so seconds into the fight that it would be a good idea to loosen my net so I could "easily" grab it when I got the fish close. As soon as I let go of the line with my stripping hand, he runs toward me, the line goes slack and he's gone...This area is not a stocked area, so I didn't expect to see much and toward the end of the day, I thought I was going to get skunked, but I managed to catch a couple of small bows before dark. I'll never forget that brown that took that hopper though.

Caney Fork, May 29, 2009

2009-05-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

Fished the Caney yesterday. Not much of a hatch, but fish were active. Must have been a lot of action in the water film. I will have to remember to rig close to the surface next time I see that. I saw a caddis hatch. A dark brown caddis, around size 18-20. I'll be tying a few of those next time. I did manage a bow and a brown in about two and half hours. I think I ruined my digital camera though. I guess I'll be using my cell phone for a while, until I can afford a waterproof digital.

Elk River, West Virginia

2009-05-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

I decided against going to Yellowstone and opted for the Elk River in beautiful Slaty Fork, West Virginia. O.k, Slaty Fork is just a few houses, but it is a beautiful area. The trip took about 8 hours from Nashville. Be certain to take I64 to Lewisburg, WV to get on state highway 219 to get to Slaty Fork and the Elk Springs Fly Shop. I don't recommend taking 219 all the way up from the state line like I did. Just before Lewisburg on 219 is the town of Aceverte and it is a tiny coal mining town, but they have a place called Rudy's that has a really good dinner buffet for nine bucks. You can get to Aceverte in about 10 minutes on 219 south from Lewisburg, but Lewisburg has several options. It has a small college and is very "hip" with small coffee shops, restaurants and art galleries etc for the wife to enjoy if she goes along. There are basically three sections of the river to fish; Directly behind the fly shop, the Slaty Fork area and another that I didn't go that is off of 219, I believe. The Elk Springs fly shop is tiny. It does have the essentials and a bit more, but man they are pricey (you have to buy a few things to fish, so get the guide to pick out a dozen or so flies for you, but bring your own leaders and tippet). The shop also has a "restaurant," that the cash register/part time fly shop assistant/cook/waitress operates. They have burgers etc, but don't expect much. They also have beer and wine, but the beer is a bit expensive. I recommend you stop in the town before Slaty Fork (Marlinburg?) and buy some food at the store there. The "resort" has several cabins around $95 a night and two of them are on an island in the river! The guide gave me some blue quills and BWO's when I asked about the hatch and mentioned something about the poor spinner fall to which I mumbled "Uh huh" before I ran out the door. I did well with a Docks Cork Stimi with a black Zebra Midge dropper until the hatch in the afternoon. It was the most amazing hatch I have ever seen. BWO's and Blue Quills every where. I switched to a blue quill and did fine. I caught several fish on dries and the dropper really wasn't neccessary. I came back the next day and tried the Slaty Fork section, but didn't go far enough up river to get away from the pressured areas. This is a nice trip, especially from East Tennessee. Make certain you bring some VHS movies if you stay at the lodge, or bring your DVD player and DVD's. I also recommend stopping and buying some food and charcoal. They have grills at the cabins as well as a hottub on a deck over looking the river.

No Fishing Lately

2009-03-26T19:54:00.001-07:00

So, I thought I would break out the Robert Frost:

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there's some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

Jack Trout, A True Playa'

2009-03-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

A Jack Trout is a smaller trout that swims quickly through a bed of eggs releasing his sperm as he goes through, fertelizing eggs as he goes. He is too small to defend any territory and therefore has to resort to this type of behavior to reproduce. Early maturing, dwarf "jack" or sneaker males return to their home stream every year; "hooknose" males do so after several years in the ocean. The latter are not only larger, but also more colorful. Aggregations surrounding a female are composed of both "jacks" and "hooknose" males. Once the female releases her eggs, all males release their sperm, with the greater number of eggs being fertilized by the first male that enters the nest. Individuals of this species can reach 15 years of age in captivity.

BWO Parachute Dry

2009-03-18T21:36:00.001-07:00

This was my third attempt.

2009-03-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

From page 35 of Fly Rod and Reel Magazine's April 2009 edition the "Drowned Stone"

2009-03-11T17:46:00.001-07:00

My first (o.k, second) Royal Wulff (that I tied)...not bad, I think.

Elk River Febuary 21, 2009

2009-02-21T15:53:00.001-08:00

Finally made it to the Elk River. What a beautiful area of Tennessee. I have never been to that area. For starters, the drive is beautiful. It winds through the Tennessee hills and country side and ends in Lynchburg, the home of Jack Daniels (They give free tours!). I ended up at "Tim's Flies and Lies" and was helped by his personable and knowledgeable wife, Rhonda. It's a small shop on the old square, but has everything you may need. They even have personal water craft. Rhonda was kind enough to supply my friend Mark and myself with maps the the Elk and Duck Rivers and turned us on to "what they bite on," which included the usual Hairs Ear Nymphs, San Juan Worms, and also included a local favorite tied by the shop owner himself that is correctly called "Trout Candy." Mark bought a couple in sizes 18 and 20 and I bought three sizes 16, 18 and 20 and off we went in search of the river. There are really only two public access points to the river; below the dam, and at Farris Creek Bridge. Fish were active, but apparently the trick on the Elk River is to rig a dropper about 5 inches below your dry.

Caney Fork March 10, 2009

2009-02-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

Had a nice half day trip on the river. Caught a bow and a brown. Caught the brown down river from the steps on a Dock's Cork dry. My fishin' buddy and I approached the river slowly from west and I laid the dry down gently with a roll cast just a few feet from the bank and WOW, what a strike! A nice little brown tore into it and tried to run all of the float line off of the reel! He was a smaller brown, but had lots of spirit.

Also caught a very colorful bow on a white scud dropper. You can't tell it from this photo, but this guy was very colorful and a nice lookin' little bow.

Caney Fork 2/1/2009

2009-02-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

Wasn't too crowded, but no where to park at the dam until later, so I fished Happy Hollow. Well, I would tell you what worked, but I left my dry box and midge/emerger box at home by my tying station...Not fun. I did get to try a lot of streamers. Got a hit or two on a black bugger with crystal flash, but wasnt very productive. Lot's of wind from all directions. Saw guys fishing midges that caught a few. Fun day out of the house, even if I did get skunked.

Original Paintings

2009-01-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

I also do original artwork. I'm new, but I feel like I'm starting to become a decent artist. I like to paint things that I see in nature and hope to start painting some of the areas that I fish in soon. If you're interested in any of my work, leave a comment.

Caney Fork 11/1

2008-11-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Stopped by Happy Hollow, but had the generation schedule wrong and had to move on to the dam. Caught two there and got one to hand. Had several strikes that I missed. I got one to take my dry (a BWO that I tied) and Big Popper had a strike on the goofy red "instigator" dry fly that I tied, but he wasn't able to get anything to hand. We then went to Betty's Island around 1:30 and the water was still high, so we fished a bit and went home. The two that I caught were on a black zebra midge that I tied dropped off of the BWO...I think it was a size 18.

Betty's Island

2008-10-25T13:16:00.001-07:00

Went down to Betty's Island around 8:30 and fished a muddler for a while, but I think I was a couple of hours late. Started fishing a Orange EHC with a ZM Dropper and got a couple of good strikes. The second strike was really hard and my knot wasn't that good and my line broke. I forgot to bring extra leader and my leader was way too short, so I left. From now on, I will have two of everything with me. The guy to my right caught three nice ones while I was there. His presentation was better than mine, but I did get mine going well after a while. He was fishing streamers. The one hard strike that I got was on retrievel while my dry was under water, so it seemed that streamers were the way to go. I tried a wooly bugger (brown with some flash tinsel?) and didn't have any luck. A guy at the local shop said to go with Zebra Midges on a dead drift, but I had tried that as well and no luck. It seemed the one guy catching fish was fishing some sort of streamer, but I would think the pro knows what he's talking about. There was a light rain with an overcast sky for a bit and the rest of the time it was just cloudy. The fish really came on in the rain, but there were jumpers all day until we left at 11:30. I didn't see a hatch, but there must have been one with all of the jumping and rising. Then it died off and I figured the party was over. Besides, I had let water get into my waders, so I was freezing cold (will bring a change of clothes next time as well)."I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution." TennesseeFlyFishing

Lancaster

2008-10-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

Went down to Lancaster on the Caney Fork a couple of weeks back with my little cousin. The kid loves to fish. He is a baitcaster right now, but I'll convert hime before too much longer. We both got skunked, but we did have some good strikes. I was using a black zebra midge with a elk hair caddis as an indicator. I think my depth may have been off in the deeper pools. I really need to work on a more gentle presentation as well.

Cottage on the Caney and Other Adventures

2008-09-21T12:31:00.001-07:00

So, my wife and I rented the "Cottage on the Caney" on the way to Lancaster (I think it's down from what you guys call "The Steps"). I couldn't get the lady to return my calls or my e mails (apparently she had the wrong e mail address for me), so my wife and I got a REALLY late start out of Nashville. Ran into a HUGE traffic jam Friday afternoon and had to detour through Lebanon. Finally made it, but it was too late to fish. I would have left that morning around 10:00am, but since I didn't have any way of getting into the cottage, we waited in case she was perhaps going to meet us there (didn't sound right to me either, but it was worth a shot). We get to the cabin and there is no way to get in, but that back screen door is open and there is a hole where the screen had been pushed in. So, logically (yeah right) I thought: "Maybe she left the backdoor open." Well, the back door was loose and I could see in and noticed a nice little boom box by the back door, but no TV (My wife was concerned about the TV). We left and I called the lady on my cell and left a message. About 1/4 of the way back to Nashville, she calls and we figure out she had the wrong e mail for us. She gives me the code. We go back. As I'm opening the door, I hear tow guys tearing ass away from the bank in a canoe and look over the rail to see them paddling like crazy. I go in and the door to the screened porch is open and the boom box is gone! So, I called the lady to let her know. She acted very put out by me calling her again and I'm thinking "Geesh lady, sorry to call you and tell you you've been robbed." Long story short, I had a miserable first day. Went fishing the next day. Fished for 4 hours to get three dry strikes (light cahill and orange elk hair caddis) and one or two on my midge dropper. Tried fishing an orange tellico and a green wooly bugger, but no luck. Some lady was with a guide down from me and the three of us were the last in the area. She caught two before I left (took about two hours?) and I think she may have been using a clouser, but I couldn't tell for certain. I think it was her first day on the river and she seemed to be having a good time. It was nice to see a newbie (Like I'm mister experience!) have a good time. I had fun watching her catch her first fish, but was exhausted and went back to the cabin (I should have asked her what she was using). About 10:00pm, I decide to let my dogs loose. My lab runs down the hill and disappears in the dark. I walk down to the edge to call for him. I can hear him and he's whimpering. I can barely make out a huge log near the bank and begin to get worried that he may drown (he's pretty dumb this dog). I thought I had about 10 feet to go to the edge, so I ease closer to the edge...One step...two steps...three step WHOOSH! I fell about 10 feet straight down the bank. It was a clean drop off with no hope of stopping myself ( from the top of the hill in the daytime, it looked like a steep bank, not a stinkin' cliff). I hit rock and logs and roll another 5 or 10 feet to the water. I get up and I've pulled a muscle in my shoulder. I have bruised my back and I'm scratched up all over and have a knot on my head the size of a golf ball. I call my wife on my cell and get her down to the bank. I lift my 95lb dog up over my head to the bank and my wife drops me a blanket and uses it to help pull me out. I was too sore to go fishing today, so we left. I'm getting too old for this.
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Caney Fork August 16th, 2008

2008-08-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

Had a nice run below the dam. Used a Light Cahill with a Black Zebra Midge dropper and worked on mending my line. Man, using the correct mend made all te difference!

High Stickin'

2008-08-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I learned about a technique today called "High Stickin'." I heard about it from the legendary Hugh Hartsell himself. Apparently the method is used to keep the fly moving naturally within the riffles that trout feed in. This is the technique from my understanding: Cast above the riffle being certain not to leave too much slack in the line. Too much slack means you won't be able to detect the subtle strike of the smaller trout that live in the Smokey's. I think it helps with all trout as well. If you feel you have left too much slack in the line, retrieve a bit with your line hand and lift the rod up in the air so that it pulls out the excess slack. After the fly lands in or on the water, you use the elevation of the rod to keep the slack out, retrieving line with your line hand if you can, all the while the fly is flowing down stream to your location. As the fly moves toward you, you will experience more and more slack. As you keep the slack out and have your rod tip raised high, move the tip of the rod so that it follows the flow of the riffle. If the fly flows to your left with the riffle, move your rod tip to the left. If it flows right, move the rod tip right etc (all the while retrieving line...Yeah, it doesn't sound too easy, but they say it helps you catch more fish). You don't want to move the rod tip opposite the flow of the riffle because this will cause the fly to move against the current giving it an unatural look and the whole purpose of high stickin' is to keep the line tight, so as to detect subtle strikes, while giving the fly or nypmh a natural apperance as it flows through the riffles of the stream.

I Hate The Smoky's

2008-07-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I spent a few hundred bucks on a cabin, food, gas, etc and went to the Smokey's for a few days and let me tell you: It is hard to catch fish there in the Summer. From what I've heard and read, the Spring and Fall are the best times to go. I know of several people that go in the Summer and still catch fish, but I'm not one of them. I think stealth is key. Fishing a dropper doesn't hurt either. I've been told by several old timers that a person has to be very quiet and do a lot of roll casting. Don't cast a shadow on the water. Hide behind boulders if you have to. Some say you shouldn't even go in the water. If you need a good guide, I've heard that Hugh Hartsell is the guy. Or, call the Little River Outfitter in Townsend, TN and ask who they recommend.

Caney Fork Below the Dam July 2008

2008-07-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Caught several today. Three browns and one bow. The browns were caught on a white scud and an orange scud. I also caught a nice little 10-12" bow on a #16 BHPT Nymph. Got there around 7:30 am and fished until around 11:00am. Not a bad day. I did let one get off, but who's counting? My camera lens was wet, so the pictures aren't so great. The Caney Fork is easliy accesible from the Nashville airport. It's a 45-50 minute drive from the airport (give or take 5 minutes). There are several outfitters in the area that offer float trips, drop off and pick up service and a person can easily wade the Caney at several locations.

Fishing the Caney Fork

2008-07-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I have fished the Caney Fork since my trip to the Smokey's and it was a blast. I took a friend and we waded in just below the dam. It was around July 1st and the weather was hot, but the nymph fishing was great. I had a couple of keepers on the line, but couldn't get them into the net. Make certian you go to the TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency) and check the generation schedule before you go. It changes very often. There are drop off and pick up services avaialable at the local canoe rental shop and they have canoes and kayaks for rent as well. The Caney has large browns, brooks and rainbows! The size limits to keep trout can vary by river and by species in Tennessee (I believe), so check the TWRA site before you go to be certain you know what you can keep. The are several guide services available in the area that offer float trips as well and are easy found by searching the internet. I'm hoping to have a review of the Elk River up soon and will have a review up of my next trip to the Smokey's up around the end of July. I will be teaching my sister to fly fish!

My First Trip to the Smokey's and Fly Fishing

2008-07-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

My first trip to the smokey's and my first time fly fishing was basically a blind run. I had read a couple of message boards and had gotten some ideas, but really knew very little. I started out along the road just after the split. There was a small set of stairs and a nice pool at the bottom that looked like a great place to at least practice casting. I spent a couple of hours casting and retrieving line, but only caught a small shiner of some sort. I then proceeded to the end of the road at Treemont (Treemont Institute) and managed to catch a small rainbow! I was so excited that I took a few nice "trophy" pictures (Yes, I am very embarrassed to admit that). That one fish got me hooked and a few months later, I'm still enjoying fly fishing and I don't think I'll ever stop. If you are new to the sport, check out the Little River Outfitters website. They have a great online shop and a really informative message board. Even if you aren't fishing in the Tennessee area, they have some very experienced anglers that can help you with everything from casting to picking out a vest.

Tennessee Fly Fishing

2008-07-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Tennessee Fly Fishing. My goal on this blog is to provide fly fishing enthusiasts with information about fly fishing in the state of Tennessee and surrounding states. Tennessee has many beautiful and productive tailwaters and streams, the Caney Fork, Clinch, Holston and Cumberland Rivers, just to name a few. I have recently started fly fishing and tying and I have to say; it is the most fun I've had since I was a child. I am learning so many new skills and having a blast at the same time. So far, I've fished the Great Smokey Mountain National Park (GSMNP) and the Caney Fork river. The mountains are beautiful and the trout tend to be small, but they are definitely worth the effort. The Smokey's contian rainbows and browns at lower elevations and rainbows and brooks at higher elevations. The Caney Fork conceals some monster trout and lots of good fishing for browns and bows , is well stocked, and is full of wild trout as well. Tennessee has many regulations on creel limit, size, even type of fly you can use (for instance; the National Park Service requires a single hook lure or fly when fishing in the Smokey's) and the TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Recreation Agency) has their own regulations which can vary from river to river. Check back on occasion and hopefully the blog will only get better.