Road Prong 06/06/08

[nvr2L8]

This is starting to get freakie. Last night my wife said we should each pick something we wanted to do this weekend (my weekend starts on Friday) and she picked a craft fair on Saturday. That left me with nothing but to pick fishing for today. This has been way too easy - my wife is truly an enabler.

Well, last Friday, Pete took me to Road Prong and showed me around (thanks much, Pete) so I decided to go back and try it solo today. My first two brookies were on a yellow stimulator that Pete tied (nicely done, partner). One of those is here:
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd70/nvr2l8_chuck/RoadProng001.jpg
Beautiful coloring on this one and all the brookies that I caught today (9-10 in all and that many more shook off before I could land them). One of the specs I landed was almost black - hadn't seen one that dark. I fished from the fourth bridge to the fifth bridge with a detour around the falls. Just below the fifth bridge there's a small set of falls with a DEEP pool below. Had one hit a stimulator from the very bottom of the pool that was one of the biggest brookies I'd seen. He shook off before I could land him, took a look the next time I threw the fly out and then disappeared to the bottom of the pool. He's still up there waiting the rest of you guys.

Ran into Randy Story on the way out at the first bridge. It was good to meet Randy and talk a little fishing. Hope to run into him again when we're both heading in the same direction.

The water level was down considerably from last Friday. It's scary to see water levels dropping again like that - hopefully it's just temporary.

Beautiful day, willing brookies, great time to be in the Smokies chasing specs.

[ijsouth]

Great report....I don't know if it is just a coincidence, but the brookies I caught last week at Cosby and Straight Fork were on the dark side, too...very nice.

I would dredge a nymph down in that deep pool; we haven't fished Road Prong that high up, but I know of some pools just like you're describing - at least 5ft deep. A 10inch brookie would beat my best by a good margin.

[nvr2L8]

IJ,

I dragged a tellico nymph down low and got nothing. Maybe should have tried something else but decided to save him for another day - or another fisher.

[ijsouth]

He'll be there....it's a fun stream.

[mayday]

I must have followed you around today. I began RP at about 2:30. Did you drive the Xterra or Toyota pick-up? I was in the red explorer next to the Xterra. When we pulled up and saw the Toyota with a Trout Unlimited sticker on the window I told my son that "someone beat us here." My son and I fished from bridge four to the waterfall. I saw wet rocks on occasion in the shape of a wading boot so I knew someone was having fun. Even behind you we caught six. This was HIS FIRST BROOKIE TODAY! We used a small yellow stone and a yellow stimulator. Yes...water was down today.

Jeff

[nvr2L8]

Jeff,

I was in the blue Xterra. I quit fishing around 3:00 and came back down the RP trail. I saw the red Explorer and it looked like another fisher guy.

Congrats on son's first brookie - that's one for the memory book.

[Vern]

I too was up road prong today, took the fly rod, but had the whole family with me and only spent about an hour total fishing. first time i have been that far up. every place i stopped to fish had wet footprints coming out. Oh well i never brought one to hand but had 3 on that floped off. Even fishing 2nd water i had several strikes. I think one of you passed me on the way up. I was the one with my wife and son and little girl in tow. Nice family hike but my wife informed me that it would be the last time we hike that trail. the mean look i got ggoing to the 2nd water fall made me aware of that before she told me. she likes the jeep trails better than the single tracks that have large rocks and roots. Glad you all caught fish, next trip will be a fishing trip and not a family hike. I love that type of water.

[PeteCz]

Well it sounds like a traffic jam on Road Prong today...

Glad everyone enjoyed themselves.

Charlie, you a very welcome and honestly I enjoy other people catching fish on flies that I tied almost more than catching them myself...almost...;)

At least I was there in spirit. I'm up in Buffalo this week and am missing being fishin'

[3wt]

When do the brookies spawn. Brook trout get darker when they are spawning.

[Flyfishjeep]

Pete,
I hope you brought your rod because there is some great small mouth fishing in the great lakes. When we lived up there for a short time we would also head over to the finger lakes and fish. One of the lakes doesn't allow motors and there is only one access point I think. The fish in there are huge and hungry.
Have fun up there if you can

[ijsouth]

Brook Trout spawn in the Fall - hence my comments on how dark they seemed for this time of year.