fly2fish

Last month I was waiting on Phils dock for Thom to go out in his boat and there was a guy bait fishing a couple stalls away, he hooks and lands a fish and ask me if I had any needle nose pliers. I had a pair of hemostats in my fly vest that I got out and took to him and saw the fish was gut hooked, he promptly reaches in and wrenches the hook out and throws the fish back in which went belly up. I watched him catch 2 more fish before we left, throwing them all back and going belly up. I know it is legal and I am not opposed to bait fishing but only if I plan on keeping all I catch and quitting (at least stop using bait) when my limit is reached. I have tried and it is hard to hook one on power bait before it has swallowed it. I suggested to the guy on the dock why not just cut the hook off and retie it would have been faster than the way he was doing it. Just my 2 cents worth.

Bill I think you contridicted yourself on the statement "there is no prize money or trophy at the end of the day", because what you describe in your next line is the prize and trophy we enjoy after a day of flyfishing whether it be wading or floating.

Thom, looks like your grandson took home more lbs. of deer meat than you took of trout. It was great fishing with you last week. I am trying to get back up there the 28-30 of Nov. and for a few days in late Dec. Hope we can hook up again sometime. Henry

I too wondered what the lure to flyfishing (with a fly rod) was all about. I flyfished using an ultralight spinning rod and a casting cork for years. I could throw 40-50 yards out where the flyrodders were only able to throw 50-60 feet. I was using the same flys but was catching 2-3 fish to their 1. I thought why all the work and didn't have to get out in the middle of the stream to be able to cast. Then I was below Beaver (30 years ago) and after landing over 50 trout on the fly and cork, I borrowed my aunt's fly rod and bam I was hooked. I found it was not catching fish on the fly that made it fun it was catching them on a fly rod that made the difference. Since then my first choice has been a fly rod even in the ponds next to me for bass and perch. Even when not throwing flies I have found the small plastic baits can be thrown by using a plain hook and not the leadheads that come with them and small No.6-8 split shot for bass and perch. I even took one of my 7 flyrods that I have now on a cruise and used it in Belize. Once hooked always hooked.

My son and 3 of his friends from church camped and fished Thurs-Sun at Roaring River. They had been planning it for a month or so, I told them the park closed at the end of Oct. but would open Nov.9 for catch and release only. They almost changed their minds and went somewhere else, but I said the campground would be open and your flyshop would be open Fri-Sun and to stop by. I want to thank you for hooking them up with the right flies and whatever else they needed. They did alright for what they wanted to do catch a couple or more apiece. They did get cold Thurday night and got robbed by the raccoons a couple of nights but had a blast fishing and hiking nevertheless.

Got in town about 10:30 hit the water about 11:00. Started just below rebar with an unweighted olive pine squirrel, third cast landed a 17 in brown, 2 casts later a 13in brown. I thought this was going to be a brownie night but the next 5 were all rainbows as I moved down the gauntlet. Picked up a couple more small browns and about a dozen more bows nothing over 16 inches. Afer it became overcast switched to a beadhead black pine squirrel and it picked back up. Finished at rebar by the last bar sticking up and caught 4 bows on 4 straight casts. I tried a new fly I tied, it is a pine squirrel with a deerhair head I thought that since a lot of fish were jumping it might draw some surface action, it did I could see and feel the strikes but no hookups. Last count of total numbers but at least 25 because I was trying to keep track of browns which was 6. Will be done there around 11 again tonight. Fly2fish

Did your wife get any of those size 22-24 flies tied for you. And if she did who is going to tie them on your leader? And hey if you want to go fishing, go, its your birthday. Happy birthday.

Congrats, glad everyone is coming home. You will have to get one of those backpack cradle carriers to take her fishing now. Hope everything goes well and gets back to normal at home. Next time we fish I won't have to keep checking my cell phone to see if your wife has called saying its time. Hope to see you between Nov.11-15. Henry

I fished there a year ago last March. Was told before I went not to expect the same fishing that we are used to here. The trout averaged 6-10 inches and since they do not stock they would be few and far between. Also that time of the year the rivers would be up and slightly murky from the snow melt. When we got there there was no snow even in the mountains, there was hardly anyone else fishing. I started on Abrams creek on the Cades Cove loop. There are 2 streams merging together right at the parking lot for the Abrams Falls hike. It wasn't 5 minutes before I had a 12 inch rainbow, I ended up with 2 fish above average, 2 average, and 2 below average just in the morning hours. Don't be alarmed at the amount of cars in the parking lot most are hiking up to the falls, the lot was almost full (30+cars) but only saw 2 other fishermen. Bead head pheasant tail, and copperjohns were the ticket then fished on a two fly rig. I was using a dry parachute adams as an indicator with one of the other two as the dropper, caught one of the larger ones on the adams. Good luck and post a report when you get back. There is a flyshop in Gatlinburg that is upstairs in one of the strip malls just to the left of the main 3 way intersection as you come in to town from Pigeon Forge.

Gold and black, silver and black rapalas. I think F3 & F5 are the models if they are 3" and 5" floaters. Also have a some countdowns on hand too. If you plan on netting any you catch be sure and smash the barbs down or cut one of the 3 hooks off of the trebles to keep from getting tangled in the net. I am coming Thursday-Saturday and may do some spin fishing at night also depending on the water situation.

It looks like they have been cranking some water about 4:00 PM then off about 6:00PM. I think that is just to keep the water temp down and stable, 2 hours is'nt generating much power.

If you only get to come once a year, you have to try the night fishing below the dam if you are a flyfisher or spincaster. Set up a trip with Leonard if you are not familiar with the river bottom or fishing during generation.

I don't think he can tie them on his line, last night I think Leonard was tying Old Stumblers flys on.

Ducky, I will be coming back up Friday 10th thru Tuesday 14th. I have been rehabbing 3 days a week now and using weights. Last month I came up but did not try to fish. I think I can handle a couple hours by then, I might have to use the "pole" just to stand up. I may try it during the day just to get the feel back before the night trip. If you see me in the parking lot I may have trouble getting my wading boots on, it was hard before the replacement. Leonard, if you can come out and play one of those nights let me know.

I am getting around without having to use a cane or anything. The new knee feels better than the last time I went fishing before replacement. I am coming up Thurs-Sun. Don't know if I will be able to fish or not. If I do I will probably try during the day first before attempting night fishing again. The hardest thing will be getting my wading boots on. If I can't fish I might just come down to the parking lot to see some of you guys again, maybe make a refreshment, snack run or change the music, etc. Hope to see some of you later this week.

The last trip I made before surgery was June 22-23. It was by far the best trip of the year. I caught 40-50 fishing by myself Friday night and about the same fishing Saturday night with Duane and Leonard, even if I had not caught any it would still have been enjoyable. My son fished part of the night with us, his first night and fly experience but even though he did not catch any he is ready to go back after some casting practice. That trip just reminded me why I was having knee surgery, the cold water and rocks makes for a long painful walk back.(Thanks Leonard for the offer to drag me back by my heel) Had surgery the following Tues. 26th, came home Friday 29th. I was able to put full weight on it before leaving the hospital. I am using just a cane most of the time. Hope to get back up there around the first week of August. Terry hope your interview was a success, I was thinking about you while I was in the hospital. Sorry I didn't make it to the seminar to meet everyone that was there, oh well I am sure we will meet on the water soon. Henry

Terry, come on down Friday night we don't care how you look in the dark. Hey that is why I fish at night so I don't scare the fish away. I just thought of a few other reasons; 1-No one can laugh at your casting 2-See you trip and fall 3-No one can see me crawl up the steps because of my knees 4-You can add 5 inches to each fish that got off because no one saw it. 5-And the best reason...you don't have to get out and walk up the bathroom. I am sure others will have their reasons for fishing at night.

Is that a net I can barely see on the ground? Who took the pic.. maybe Netboy. Anyway, I will be up for my last trip for a while Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and I will be happy to net a fish like that for you and I have my own camera too. F2F

Terry, I am having it done in Tulsa by Dr. Boone of Eastern Oklahoma Orthopedic Center. I live in Claremore and work in Tulsa so it is the closest for me. Hey I have been following your plight at work and may be able to offer a little help, I am an Aerospace Design/Liaison Engineer at SpiritAerosystem in Tulsa, formerly Boeing. We have hired a lot of engineers lately and probably still have more to hire both in design and quality. I do the interviews for the designers. The guy I posted kicking the snake at outlet 2 is one of our quality engineers that I fish with. I can e-mail you more info if you are interested.

I will be up June 22-24 before my knee replacement on June 26. This will be it until I begin my "aquatherapy" around the 1st of August. Will be fishing Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. If we have a quorem (3 or more) we might plan a midnight snack or something.

Well it looks like they have about 4 units running, hope this cleans things up a bit, both in the lake and on this thread.

Thats what I was refering to, shrinkage. Just think if the trout could survive in warm water the dinks would be trophies.

You'll want to keep your waders on...that waters cold and we all know what that can do

The question is how many of us have a TNS? Leonard gave me one about a month ago to "test". And Ducky, netting Leonard's fish is a way to keep you from fishing and him catching more fish, usually he has another one hooked before you can get the net put back up. LOL.

Terry, I caught one the first weekend this month that had its lower lip just hanging by a thread. I had it hooked in the upper corner of its mouth so it wasn't me that ripped his lip. I clipped it off when I released him because I thought the other fish would be trying to eat it because it looked like a worm hanging from its mouth. The fish didn't seem hurt the least bit.