West Prong Little River Update

[Carlito]

Aloha, fellow anglers. I am fortunate to not have class on Fridays this semester (alas, my final semester...), and I finished my chores and tore out for the mountains on Friday afternoon. Left the house at about 11:00 and got all geared up and ready to fish by about 12:30.

I drove straight to the pullout where the WPLR meets the road and had to move down to the next pullout because some folks were getting shaken down by a couple park rangers. It was a little awkward walking by them to go fish since they were obviously not having a good time, so I ducked off the side of the road and skirted under the bridge Smeagol style.

Anyway, fishing was very very slow at first. I only caught 2 in the first hour, and both were pinky sized rock tumblers. There was a ton of hog sign all along the bank, including a massive mudhole and a pile of scat, which when I investigated was still warm enough to be steamy! I was constantly scanning for trees that I could scurry up if necessary. The last thing I need is to have some ole fat nasty pig gnawing on my leg!

Along about Spicewood Branch I quit seeing hog sign and started catching fish. I really think that I was right on that pig's tail and it junked me out. I fished up to just shy of campsite 18 and caught plenty of pretty rainbows, two of which were good sized fish in the 9" range. All of them had fat bellies, and the action was all on top. I started fishing a hopper and a san juan worm with no luck. Switched to a green weenie and a stimulator and got some action on the stimulator so I took off the green weenie and tied on a blue wing olive dropper. That sure was the ticket because they immediately started tearing up that #18 BWO.

Anyway, enough rambling. Here are a couple photos for your perusal. Cheers, amigos.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2640/3890487347_4b28616265_o_d.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3891275588_e659486b18_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2628/3891276190_17e99c0df4_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/3890485845_4c18fca557_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/3891276944_0d3ff22776_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2436/3890486685_dc7cefd261_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3891277638_ea9b628849_o.jpg

[duckypaddler]

I have been able to fish the West Prong of the Litle 3 times this year. While most of it has been roadside, last time I made it about a 1/3 mile off the road. I also took my twin 5 month olds for a hike to campsite 18 2 saturdays ago. I packed a break down spin rod with me (no room for fly rod) but only got to use it for about 5 minutes and didn't have any luck before we had to feed them thier bottles. I was surprised to see the flow so good that day. It looked like some good fishing water. I used to camp there a bunch a decade or so back, and I really like that campsite for an easy overnighter.

[BlueRaiderFan]

I hit that same stretch myself on Saturday, but only for a couple of hours. Caught one bow and another got off the line on a yellow crackleback.

[Dawgvet]

Carlito, was the BWO you were using a nymph or a dry fly? Just wondering as I fished the Park Saturday morning but it was above Elkmont.
Thanks
Jedidiah

[Carlito]

Carlito, was the BWO you were using a nymph or a dry fly? Just wondering as I fished the Park Saturday morning but it was above Elkmont.
Thanks
Jedidiah

Dry fly. Did you have any luck above Elkmont?

[Dawgvet]

I did end up catching a couple. It was a brief early morning jaunt to quickly wet a line and be back before the rest of the family got up and going on our vacation. I was impressed that on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend I had the river to myself until 9 am or so. I was rigging up before daylight, though. Only saw 2 hikers first, then saw another fisherman behind one of the cabins on the walk out. I only walked about 1/4 mile above the cabins.

[highpockets]

very cool pictures! Man, i was up there this weekend with a passle of friends and family and didn't even put my rod together. That is getting old.

Glad you did well. I need to go with one of you mountain folk that can show me how to catch those small-stream fish. I use to when I was younger but there was always a worm on the end of the line. I'm aging myself.