1 Park, 2 States, 3 Days Fishing 5 Streams

[ifish4wildtrout]

I decided to head to GSMNP to explore some new to me waters. I had several streams on my list covering both NC and TN, so I decided to car camp at Smokemont.

I arrived at camp on Sunday, shortly before 1 PM. I quickly set up camp and headed off to the stream. Within 15 minutes, I had 3 browns to hand. I thought it was going to be an awesome day. Things pretty much stopped for a while but I managed to pick up several rainbows over the next hour or so. Just before I decided to call it quits for the day, I landed a brook. I was a bit surprised to find a brook so low. But hey, I’ll take an Appalachian slam any day.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/slam1.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/slam3.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/slam2.jpg

I headed back to camp, ate and went to sleep. I was exhausted. I wanted to rest up for all the fish I was not going to catch on Monday.

I woke at daylight, had breakfast and headed off to TN to fish a brook stream I have read about. I stopped along the way to take in some of the beautiful views.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/view2.jpg
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I arrived at the stream and it looked like brook habitat. I hurried down to the stream and launched my assault. I was unable to locate my slithery speckled quarry, but I did manage to land a few decent rainbows. I fished up to a trail and decided to head on back to NC and hunt some big beastly browns.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/day2a.jpg

I made it back down the mountain and began the search for Mr. Brown. I found him, yet I was not able to bring him to hand. After a 5 minute long fight, during which this arrogant and obnoxious fish made 2 aerobatic jumps showing me all 15 inches if his buttery gold colored football shaped body, he made one final run right as I reached for him and broke the hook off the nymph I tricked him into eating. That was a bit disheartening. I guess that’s why it’s called fishing and not catching.

I was able to catch a few smaller ones. I soon after called it a day.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/day2.jpg

[ifish4wildtrout]

As night time approaches...

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/night.jpg

...the elk graze...

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/garze.jpg

...while some of them laze...

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/lazy.jpg

...and I head back to camp and enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a few chapters of one of my favorite books.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/book.jpg

What’s better than a roaring campfire on a chilly Autumn night?

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/fire.jpg

Nothing fills the belly like a plate full of steak and taters after a long hard day of fishing.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/steak.jpg

I awoke at daylight this morning and decided to fish a smaller stream in the area. During the hike in I snapped a few shots of days gone by.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/chimney.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/dscf0884.jpg

The fishing was slow, I managed 1 little rainbow, so I decided to hike back down and fish the main stream. I connected with a few decent fish but was unable to bring any to hand. I fished on and ventured into a small feeder and had 4 small rainbows to hand within 15 minutes. That made me feel a little better.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/littlebow.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/littlebow2.jpg

I was fishing on, trying to figure out how to get to the road. I knew how to get there, I just did not want to scale a 100 yard near vertical ridge. I soon saw 2 hikers directly over my head, so I knew there was a trail above me that must lead to the road. I climbed and clawed my way up the steep stream bed, using the intense rhodo to help hoist me up there and made it to the trail 15 yards above the stream. The hikers told me how to get to the road, so I set off, found the road and walked back to the Jeep.

I headed back to camp, packed up and headed home. It was a good trip. I did not catch near as many fish I would have liked, but I had fun and I got explore some new areas. I fished hard for the fish that I caught, numbers wise, it was fair at best. I only caught26 trout over the 3 days.

I will say this for the GSMNP, I have never had great numbers there, but I do typically catch a few quality fish. In my short fly fishing career, I have only been broken off twice, yesterday the brown that broke my hook and in June a big rainbow broke my 5x tippet.

Last but not least, gobble, gobble, gobble.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n256/fourcats714/gobble.jpg

[Owl]

Great post and thanks for the reports here and elsewhere. I'm headed up there this weekend and if I have 1/2 as good a time as you did it'll be a great trip! I'm wondering if the forecast for lows around 30 are going to shut them down, but we won't know until we get there I suppose!

[Grannyknot]

Great trip report. Looks like a Kephart book that you were reading. Sometimes sharing the stories of the one that got away are better than flashy photos of the big one you brought to hand.

I'll be over in your kneck of the woods this weekend and hope to have some good luck on your home waters.

[MadisonBoats]

Great Report and Pictures! Thanks for sharing! Makes me want to follow your footsteps:smile: