Christmas, Early and Often

The one good thing about being a fishing guide is that you naturally go through a lot more gear than the average person.  Between gear for clients and your own fishing gear, it takes quite a lot of stuff to keep pestering all those fish.  Today I was happy to see a package containing probably 30 or so leaders as well as both monofilament and fluorocarbon tippet and some more fly boxes.  You can never have too many fly boxes.  It was actually kind of nice to be ordering tippet in the 100 m spools for a change instead of my usual 30 m.

Also on the way is a new pair of waders.  I go through waders way too fast.  My last pair enjoyed a trip through a briar patch that led to some intensive patch work.  Now the leaks are just too constant to keep patching.  This time around I'm going to try the new Orvis Silver Sonic Guide waders.  I've been a big fan of Simms although my last pair of waders were Chotas which were SUPER comfortable.  I haven't bought Orvis waders since my very first pair ever so it must be time to give them a shot again.  I'll try to get a review up of them here on my blog once I've had a chance to try them out a bit.

If someone is wanting to send me some more early Christmas, a drift boat is also on the wish list...

Mostly Cloudy...

...with a 90% chance of good fishing, and I'm stuck here at home.  The clouds moved on late Saturday and haven't left yet.  I almost pulled the trigger on a Smokies trip on Sunday and then again on Monday, but the streams never spiked up enough for me to justify the cost of gas.  Today, when I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that it was still cloudy.  According to the weather guys, we might actually see some clearing tomorrow.

If it would just warm up a tad I would head out and find some willing bluegill, but there is still a chill in the air that makes it tough to imagine that they will be biting well.  The trout, on the other hand, are probably doing might fine right now.  The best part of this lingering cold weather is that summer and fall should be fabulous this year, and that doesn't just apply to us locally either.

Snowpack in places like Yellowstone is anywhere from average to well above average.  Most of Colorado is looking good as well, except for the far southwest portion.  Montana is looking great.  In other words, this is the time to start planning your trips for later in the year.

Locally, I expect a great year on all of our tailwaters as the long cold winter has stored up lots of cold water in the lakes that will help us through the warm summer months.  The Smokies should fish great throughout the summer unless we enter a drought, and thankfully that doesn't seem to be on the horizon right now.  In fact, this might turn into the perfect fishing year as long as you weren't wanting to fish in the southwest up through Oregon.  That is the one corridor with WAY below normal precipitation this winter.

If I can help you with a trip locally here in Tennessee, or if I can help you plan a trip to Colorado or Yellowstone, please let me know.  I'm currently booking trips locally through the end of May which, by the way, is generally the number one best month for fishing here in Tennessee.  The fishing for the next month should be great as well since most people will be done with Spring Break and our rivers and streams will be mostly devoid of people until mid-late May when school gets out.

TROUTFEST!!!

This is the year that Troutfest returns.  The best part about Troutfest is that it is smack in the middle of some of the best fishing of the year, meaning that not only do you get to attend a great event put on by the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, but you also get to fish while you are in the area.  If you have never been to one of the Troutfest banquets, then do yourself a favor and plan to go this year.  Please note that tickets must be purchased by April 11.

Spring Cheer

A sure sign of spring, early season wild flowers have a way of lifting the spirits after the cold months of winter.  My favorite flowers are not exactly wild though.  In Cades Cove, most of the old homesites have at least a few daffodils still returning each year to brighten up the early weeks of spring.  Perhaps we can consider them wild in the same sense that we consider the rainbow and brown trout of the Smokies as wild.

Each year I look forward to seeing these flowers.  The ones at home usually bloom after the ones in the Smokies.  For some reason the Cumberland Plateau tends to be a bit colder in the spring.  The ones in our front yard are getting close but have yet to actually bloom.  Seeing them in the Cove last week was definitely a treat!

Smokemont

While it requires a bit more of a drive then the Tennessee side of the Smokies, I always enjoy my trips over to places like Smokemont and Deep Creek.  Perhaps this is because the vast majority of my trips to the North Carolina side of the Park have happened with friends.  Outdoor adventures are almost always better when you can share them with someone else.

Some of my friends who are still in the education field were on Spring Break.  After a few phone calls and text messages, everyone agreed that a camping trip would be nice for a couple of nights.  It's not the same epic type of trip as our Spring Break trips of old, such as to the Everglades or Grand Canyon, but sometimes a couple of days to relax are better for the soul.

Naturally I took along my two favorite toys, a camera and a fly rod.  The fishing was just starting to heat up over on that side of the Park.  I did not exactly catch a ton of fish, but all were nice healthy brown trout so I wasn't complaining.  The hatches were still nonexistent there the first week of March other than the Little Black Caddis.  Things should be much different by now with the fish starting to respond to the increase in available food.

While I did enjoy the fishing, the trip was mostly about time with friends.  We went on a short hike up the trail above Smokemont along the Bradley Fork which was the first time I've walked up above the campground.  The water is beautiful up there! I'll definitely have to return later in the year for another adventure over there to fish the Bradley Fork a bit more.  I've fished the majority of the major streams on the North Carolina side as well as some smaller tributaries at least a few times each, but for some reason I keep ignoring this stream.  Doesn't this water just beg to be fished though?

All in all it was a great chance to catch up with friends, spend a bunch of time nursing a campfire, and even take a few pictures.

Interested in learning to fish in the Smokies and looking for a guide?  Contact me at TroutZoneAnglers@gmail.com to discuss setting up a trip.  

Early Panfish

That time of year has snuck up on us again.  To chase trout or panfish...what a dilemma.  Trout, well they always win if I have the time and money.  Let's face it, that is probably why most of us fly fish.  Those panfish are hard to beat though.  I can be fishing for bluegill, crappie, and bass a mere 2-3 minutes from the house, probably closer if I would ask some more people about fishing their ponds.  Early spring can be tough.  The best fishing is directly correlated with water temperature as well as the general temperature trend.  Bluegill and crappie will bite even if the water is unusually cold if you slow down your presentation sufficiently, and that's what I did recently.

When I arrived at the small lake, my friend was already there ahead of me and was in the process of hauling in a bluegill.  "What's working?"

"That bead head pattern we tied the other night," he replied.

"The Simi Seal Leech?" I asked.

"Yeah, that one!"

I probably could have figured that out, mostly because that is pretty much all I fish for bluegill these days.  Crappie are a different story and get a special little white pattern that closely resembles a Clouser/Gotcha hybrid.  Since he was already pestering the bluegill, I decided to try for crappie.  After a rather quick assessment using the special crappie fly, I decided that bluegill would be the target of the day and switched over to the Leech.....and proceeded to slay them.  Seriously, I was catching fish on every cast for a while.  I finally quit because it was cold and windy, and honestly I just got bored catching so many fish.

That's bluegill fishin' for ya.  In another few weeks I'll get the float tube out and take it for a spin, or perhaps talk someone into helping me paddle my canoe around a nearby lake.  The same lake where I caught a 10 inch bluegill a couple of years back I might add.  For now, however, I'll be happy driving a couple of miles and catching bluegill and crappie (which can also be incredibly amazing).

Back to my fishing trip though, the funny thing is that the fish didn't know I quit fishing. That's right.  I tossed my fly about 5 feet back out on the water so the line would not get dirty while I reeled it up.  Wouldn't you know, as the line came tight, there was a crappie just dancing on the end of the line.  Not a bad way to finish up the short excursion!

Hike and Fish

As I mentioned in my last post, I always am keeping my eye out for opportunities to combine hiking and fishing.  Hiking helps me focus on my surroundings a bit better.  While fishing, I tend to get so caught up on what is happening on the water that I forget to notice the scenery.  The hiking allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds.  Wandering through the woods with a camera over my shoulder and a fly rod in hand is my favorite way to get out in nature.

A favorite local destination is Cumberland Mountain State Park.  In the winter, Byrd Lake is the recipient of quite a few rainbow trout.  As we move into spring, the trout that have managed to elude the catch and fry crowd start to color up and look more healthy.  After all, trout weren't meant to live their lives in concrete lined runs.  They quickly begin eating more natural food and can usually be found rising to midges in late winter.

Even though I've walked this lake since I was a little kid, I never know what I might find so the camera must come along.  On this particular day, it was first employed in photographing some of the trout I was catching.  One of my favorite patterns for stocked trout is the bead head Simi Seal Leech.  Incredibly easy to tie, it also happens to hold up pretty well to a good chewing.  This picture gives you a good view of this pattern.

The magic that encourages me to carry a camera happened at the upper end of the lake where the creek is still flowing.  Here the waters of the creek were so smooth and calm that the forest above was perfectly reflected.

This stream can contain trout as the fish move up out of the lake.  The casting is tight though and because of heavy silting over the years, wading is not advised.

The rest of my hike was uneventful other than catching a few small bluegill.  It is great to see the warm water species starting to get active.  That is always a sure fire sign that spring is about to arrive!

A Late Winter Hike

In amongst all my fishing adventures, the hiking often takes a backseat.  That is unfortunate because I love hiking almost as much as I love fishing.  Of course, combining those two can be even better!  One of my recent hiking adventures was in the Virgin Falls area on the Cumberland Plateau.  Here, in the Scott's Gulf area, the upper Caney Fork has carved a dramatic canyon on it's tumbling journey off of the Plateau.  Numerous waterfalls add a scenic touch to many hikes.

The objective on this hike was not Virgin Falls but rather Upper Polly Branch Falls.  Having done the Virgin Falls hike a couple of weeks earlier and wanting something shorter, we opted for this less travelled but significantly shorter option.  Once we arrived at our destination, my camera was soon busy.  Here are some of the pictures I took.

Too Busy Fishing

Fishing and other outdoor adventures have been front and center for the last few days.  Last week I did a trip to the Smokies, a hike, a local trip for winter stocked trout, and a trip to a local pond to check out the panfish population.  This week I spent the last few days with friends camping at Smokemont.  I'm happy to report that the local brown trout population on the North Carolina side of the Park is healthy.

Over on the Tennessee side, the spring mayfly, caddis, and stoneflies have all started.  The hatch will continue to increase in intensity over the next several days so this is a good time to start thinking about a fly fishing trip in the Smokies!

I will try to get some specific trip reports and stories up over the next few days so check back for more soon!

Officially Booking

For those who have noticed my progress towards being a fly fishing guide, I have some big news.  The Commercial Use Authorization permit from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has arrived.  That means that I can now accept bookings for guided fly fishing trips in the Great Smoky Mountains.  If you are interested in doing a trip with me there, or perhaps even on the Caney Fork or one of the warm water streams of the Cumberland Plateau, head over to Trout Zone Anglers and take a look around.  While you're at it, send me a message and let me know about your interest.  Dates are already filling so if you want to get on the calendar don't wait too long.

With the cold weather again looming, I anticipate that the spring hatches will be sputtering along until March 6-10 or so when things should really bust wide open.  Our best trips for overall numbers will be day trips into the Park's backcountry and those will be prime from late March through the middle of May.  If you are willing to hike 2-4 miles (minimum) each way to get to your fish, you will have a shot at the day of your life.  By summer, the mid and higher elevations of the Park will be fishing great.  Days of throwing dry flies will be the norm at the higher elevations although dry/dropper will get us into more fish.