gg1262
05-06-2008, 04:55 PM
My buddy and I made our annual pilgramage to the Smokies this past weekend. Got back to the real world Sunday afternoon and this is the first chance I've had to get in front of the computer for long enough to summarize. There are about 15 posts that I would like to respond to and add my 2 pennies worth, but this will have to do for now:
Thursday May 1: Got into Townsend about 2:30 pm. Hit LRO immediately for some chat and a few supplies. Stopped by the KOA to unload gear in the cabin (#7, on the river) and then headed up to Lynn Camp Prong. Weather was great, water was great, had my first 'bow within 10 minutes. A beautiful little 6 incher. Little did I know that would be the LAST fish I would touch for the evening. MANY rises, little hooking. The fish seemed rather non-committal on the take. I was fishing a yellow paralyzer, my buddy a yellow PA. Tried a few other flies, but it didn't really matter. At around 8:00, we had headed down to the one lane bridge and fished down there. There were Hendricksons everywhere, but the fish were not really interested. My buddy did manage to land one 8 and one 9 inch fish. But all in all it was just okay.
Friday May 2: Headed up to Abrams before the weekend crowd. Arrived at 9:30 am and found only 2 other fishermen, fishing some of the first pools. Hiked back to the lower end of the little shoe. On the way, we met a couple (NY or NJ based on accent) that had just seen a small bear cross in front of them not more than 3 - 5 minutes before we met them. Here is a quote, "It was a nice reward for having to walk on all these rocks and stuff." They said it was little and climbed a tree. My buddy and I smiled and cautiously headed out to see if we could see it. My thoughts are that if it was little and climbed a tree, one should be VERY careful to watch for the mama that is likely close. Didn't get to see it, was midly dissapointed. Entered the little shoe at the downstream end and fished all day to about 6:00 before we came back to the trail. I am thinking we moved a little too slow. Anyway, not much of anything (unless you count shiners). Nymphs, dries, it didn't matter. That is until about 6:00 when the fish started to look up and we had a better time. Caught some, missed a lot. Best was about 8 inches, missed a couple that I think went better. Hendricksons were on the water at about 8:15 and fish fed heavily for about 10 minutes. Landed 5 in that time frame using a size 12 Thunderhead (it was the only roughly mayfly looking thing that I could see on the water). Hooked and long distance released a fish I am sure was 12". VERY UPSET :frown: . That one would have had me posting a picture.
Saturday May 3: Fished WPLPR just upstream from Sugarlands. Buddy landed a gorgeous 9 incher. I landed a smaller fish (still pretty), again, missed tons. The fish just did not seem as aggressive in the takes. Some did not even take so much as swipe at it. Storm blew through and the surface activity fell off so we hiked out and went up to Chimney Tops picnic area. Managed a few fish. Man, there is like a 300 year old pine tree laying across the river that has divided one of my favorite pools in half. That pool is where I caught my first Smoky mountain rainbow. It will take A LOT of water to move that thing down. That, or some determined folks with big saws. Anyway, at 4:00 we decided to head over to Elkmont to see if we could catch any hatches. Hiked up the trail and landed some trout. If I had landed even half of the strikes I had it would have been a banner day. There are still some nice fish up there. There are 4 fish that are going to haunt me for a while. All 4 were thick and strong and were hooked but gave me the slip. We decided to hike out and fish any good looking pools on the way. At about 8:15 we passed a pool that had 4 different trout feeding on Hendricksons as they dabbed the surface laying eggs. I tied on a grey klinkhammer just to see it on the water and picked off 3 of the 4 in a matter of 5 minutes. What I wouldn't give for about an hour of that kind of action. Of course, the best one in the pool, the last one I worked to, took it, gave me 5 seconds of fight, then gave me the slip while flipping me the fin. Then it was over and the world, and the fish, were still.
All in all, not a bad weekend. One that left me with the thoughts of the potential to be a GREAT one. Still love that place, may have to sneak back down later this summer, although I feel the Pere Marquette in Michigan calling me. Been a few years and I'm beginning to miss it.
Some questions:
1) How high up on Lynn Camp do you need to go to get into some brookies?
2) Any other cabins in the Townsend stretch that are recommended? Since LR Village became a KOA it has gotten a little pricey.
3) Did I meet any of you this weekend? Talked to a few folks on LR Trail above elkmont on Saturday. I had Simms waders, sage colored breezer hat, brown chest pack, and in all likelihood I was puffing on a pipe. Along that line, I think the folks on this site need a secret signal to flash when on the stream to avoid having to come up with a clever way to ask, "Hey, do you post on the LRO Message Board?"
4) How far do most folks put the nymph dropper behind the dry fly? Actually, I should start another thread on this one as I REALLY need some advice on nymph fishing.
Thanks to you all for feeding my Jones when I can't be on the stream!!
Thursday May 1: Got into Townsend about 2:30 pm. Hit LRO immediately for some chat and a few supplies. Stopped by the KOA to unload gear in the cabin (#7, on the river) and then headed up to Lynn Camp Prong. Weather was great, water was great, had my first 'bow within 10 minutes. A beautiful little 6 incher. Little did I know that would be the LAST fish I would touch for the evening. MANY rises, little hooking. The fish seemed rather non-committal on the take. I was fishing a yellow paralyzer, my buddy a yellow PA. Tried a few other flies, but it didn't really matter. At around 8:00, we had headed down to the one lane bridge and fished down there. There were Hendricksons everywhere, but the fish were not really interested. My buddy did manage to land one 8 and one 9 inch fish. But all in all it was just okay.
Friday May 2: Headed up to Abrams before the weekend crowd. Arrived at 9:30 am and found only 2 other fishermen, fishing some of the first pools. Hiked back to the lower end of the little shoe. On the way, we met a couple (NY or NJ based on accent) that had just seen a small bear cross in front of them not more than 3 - 5 minutes before we met them. Here is a quote, "It was a nice reward for having to walk on all these rocks and stuff." They said it was little and climbed a tree. My buddy and I smiled and cautiously headed out to see if we could see it. My thoughts are that if it was little and climbed a tree, one should be VERY careful to watch for the mama that is likely close. Didn't get to see it, was midly dissapointed. Entered the little shoe at the downstream end and fished all day to about 6:00 before we came back to the trail. I am thinking we moved a little too slow. Anyway, not much of anything (unless you count shiners). Nymphs, dries, it didn't matter. That is until about 6:00 when the fish started to look up and we had a better time. Caught some, missed a lot. Best was about 8 inches, missed a couple that I think went better. Hendricksons were on the water at about 8:15 and fish fed heavily for about 10 minutes. Landed 5 in that time frame using a size 12 Thunderhead (it was the only roughly mayfly looking thing that I could see on the water). Hooked and long distance released a fish I am sure was 12". VERY UPSET :frown: . That one would have had me posting a picture.
Saturday May 3: Fished WPLPR just upstream from Sugarlands. Buddy landed a gorgeous 9 incher. I landed a smaller fish (still pretty), again, missed tons. The fish just did not seem as aggressive in the takes. Some did not even take so much as swipe at it. Storm blew through and the surface activity fell off so we hiked out and went up to Chimney Tops picnic area. Managed a few fish. Man, there is like a 300 year old pine tree laying across the river that has divided one of my favorite pools in half. That pool is where I caught my first Smoky mountain rainbow. It will take A LOT of water to move that thing down. That, or some determined folks with big saws. Anyway, at 4:00 we decided to head over to Elkmont to see if we could catch any hatches. Hiked up the trail and landed some trout. If I had landed even half of the strikes I had it would have been a banner day. There are still some nice fish up there. There are 4 fish that are going to haunt me for a while. All 4 were thick and strong and were hooked but gave me the slip. We decided to hike out and fish any good looking pools on the way. At about 8:15 we passed a pool that had 4 different trout feeding on Hendricksons as they dabbed the surface laying eggs. I tied on a grey klinkhammer just to see it on the water and picked off 3 of the 4 in a matter of 5 minutes. What I wouldn't give for about an hour of that kind of action. Of course, the best one in the pool, the last one I worked to, took it, gave me 5 seconds of fight, then gave me the slip while flipping me the fin. Then it was over and the world, and the fish, were still.
All in all, not a bad weekend. One that left me with the thoughts of the potential to be a GREAT one. Still love that place, may have to sneak back down later this summer, although I feel the Pere Marquette in Michigan calling me. Been a few years and I'm beginning to miss it.
Some questions:
1) How high up on Lynn Camp do you need to go to get into some brookies?
2) Any other cabins in the Townsend stretch that are recommended? Since LR Village became a KOA it has gotten a little pricey.
3) Did I meet any of you this weekend? Talked to a few folks on LR Trail above elkmont on Saturday. I had Simms waders, sage colored breezer hat, brown chest pack, and in all likelihood I was puffing on a pipe. Along that line, I think the folks on this site need a secret signal to flash when on the stream to avoid having to come up with a clever way to ask, "Hey, do you post on the LRO Message Board?"
4) How far do most folks put the nymph dropper behind the dry fly? Actually, I should start another thread on this one as I REALLY need some advice on nymph fishing.
Thanks to you all for feeding my Jones when I can't be on the stream!!