Waterborn
04-20-2008, 10:55 PM
Had a small window to get out and wet a line while on a weekender in Gburg with the family...given my limited time lately to get out to fish, I decided to try to "have my cake and it too" as it were and go for the slam...
OF course the weather was nice all weekend right up until Friday evening when the rains came in through the night...the upper Little Pig was pushing water faster than I like, but hey, I was happy to be out...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-5.jpg
and insult to injury, I somehow forgot my waders and that water still pretty cold even if I was just my feet getting wet between rock hops, but after tossing the big para adams into the softer area, the brookies were more active than I thought and caught a few plus a couple of rainbows...
btw, rain+humidity+foggy lens= not as sharp pics as I'd hoped and couldn't get them any smaller...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-2.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-8.jpg
After fishing the stretch, the rain finally pushed out and I decided do head down low, below elkmont hoping for a hatch and some browns...the water was about right, not pushing near as hard (nor near as cold) as the Pig'.
There were other fisherman about, but non where I was going to put in so I threw a couple of casts and a big rise and hit kinda caught me off guard...I thought it was a good brown and the completion to the slam, but it turned out to be one of the largest bows I've caught in Little River (a size to what you'd expect on abrams for sure) It was good to feel that weight and pull on the end of the line...finally landing the decent fish, there was a family watching me and it was fun showing kids who've never seen a rainbow trout a sizable one for the park. Too much show and tell, I had to put the fish back and no time for the camera...would have been nice to have had the picture though...
The final fish, the brownie, came to from a spot that I usually find someone home, though there's usually a larger tenant knockn', this one filled the bill nicely...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-10-1.jpg
It was my only brown that came out to play.
The only thing that made this day better was meeting Ray Ball (I believe that's correct) Its great to be able to talk to those who've lived and fished a lifetime in these mountains and are sort of a "legend" if you will-as you hear their name mentioned in certain angling circles...hes a great guy, and I hope I have half the zest and zeal he glows about when I'm his age as he talked about the good 'ol days of fishing in the park way-back-when,holes he's named on Little River, and his beloved parachute patterns he ties and fishes. Meeting folks like Ray makes one feel that much more connected to the history of these waters and even more so privileged to fish them.
My para weapon of choice for the slam (sorry Ray, no calftail - foam post for the heavier currents)
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-3.jpg
OF course the weather was nice all weekend right up until Friday evening when the rains came in through the night...the upper Little Pig was pushing water faster than I like, but hey, I was happy to be out...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-5.jpg
and insult to injury, I somehow forgot my waders and that water still pretty cold even if I was just my feet getting wet between rock hops, but after tossing the big para adams into the softer area, the brookies were more active than I thought and caught a few plus a couple of rainbows...
btw, rain+humidity+foggy lens= not as sharp pics as I'd hoped and couldn't get them any smaller...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-2.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-8.jpg
After fishing the stretch, the rain finally pushed out and I decided do head down low, below elkmont hoping for a hatch and some browns...the water was about right, not pushing near as hard (nor near as cold) as the Pig'.
There were other fisherman about, but non where I was going to put in so I threw a couple of casts and a big rise and hit kinda caught me off guard...I thought it was a good brown and the completion to the slam, but it turned out to be one of the largest bows I've caught in Little River (a size to what you'd expect on abrams for sure) It was good to feel that weight and pull on the end of the line...finally landing the decent fish, there was a family watching me and it was fun showing kids who've never seen a rainbow trout a sizable one for the park. Too much show and tell, I had to put the fish back and no time for the camera...would have been nice to have had the picture though...
The final fish, the brownie, came to from a spot that I usually find someone home, though there's usually a larger tenant knockn', this one filled the bill nicely...
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-10-1.jpg
It was my only brown that came out to play.
The only thing that made this day better was meeting Ray Ball (I believe that's correct) Its great to be able to talk to those who've lived and fished a lifetime in these mountains and are sort of a "legend" if you will-as you hear their name mentioned in certain angling circles...hes a great guy, and I hope I have half the zest and zeal he glows about when I'm his age as he talked about the good 'ol days of fishing in the park way-back-when,holes he's named on Little River, and his beloved parachute patterns he ties and fishes. Meeting folks like Ray makes one feel that much more connected to the history of these waters and even more so privileged to fish them.
My para weapon of choice for the slam (sorry Ray, no calftail - foam post for the heavier currents)
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j150/Waterbornjournal/springslam-3.jpg