LA MantaRay12
11-26-2010, 10:59 AM
All,
I have been coming to this forum for some time and living through the GSMNP fishing reports. My family and I came up for the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed the mountains and fishing. My son and I had an opportunity to go to the S. Holston with Hugh Hartsell and had a fantastic time. This was a great learning experience and if anyone is looking for a guide that will maximize your trip Hugh is just the right person. Here is his website: http://www.smokymountainflyguide.com/
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB220026.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB220027.jpg
For the most part the week has been very conducive to fly fishing, warm days and cool nights. Saw about a dozen large trout feeding at the surface on the Oconaluftee.
Other than the S. Holston my son and I frequented the Little River just inside the park boundary to Elkmont. For a couple of novice fishermen we had pretty good success!!
My son and I both caught our first GSMNP rainbows. My son was using a golden stone and i was using a dropper system (Kaufman stone/BH Hares Ear). My trout hit the stone fly. I read in a previous report that the hits were strong...that was our experience also.
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB210019.jpg
Later in the week I was fishing some deeper pools in the Little River with a dropper (Kaufman stone/Hares Ear..no BH) and caught my largest trout on the Hares Ear. This fish hit as I was beginning to strip in the flies from a swing drift. Very light pickup but a great fight.
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB240058.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB240060.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB240062.jpg
Interesting that all my fish were taken at the end of the day after 4:00pm
All the fish caught during this vacation were released unharmed in the process...:smile:
thanks to everyone on this forum for the advice and a special thanks to Hugh Hartsell for his professional guidance and to Little River Outfitters for their help and advice.
for those of you who have never visted the LRO store you are in for a treat...even the Orvis folks told me how incredible the LRO store fly tying material section was, and they were absolutely correct.
thanks again...
Charles
I have been coming to this forum for some time and living through the GSMNP fishing reports. My family and I came up for the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoyed the mountains and fishing. My son and I had an opportunity to go to the S. Holston with Hugh Hartsell and had a fantastic time. This was a great learning experience and if anyone is looking for a guide that will maximize your trip Hugh is just the right person. Here is his website: http://www.smokymountainflyguide.com/
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB220026.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB220027.jpg
For the most part the week has been very conducive to fly fishing, warm days and cool nights. Saw about a dozen large trout feeding at the surface on the Oconaluftee.
Other than the S. Holston my son and I frequented the Little River just inside the park boundary to Elkmont. For a couple of novice fishermen we had pretty good success!!
My son and I both caught our first GSMNP rainbows. My son was using a golden stone and i was using a dropper system (Kaufman stone/BH Hares Ear). My trout hit the stone fly. I read in a previous report that the hits were strong...that was our experience also.
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB210019.jpg
Later in the week I was fishing some deeper pools in the Little River with a dropper (Kaufman stone/Hares Ear..no BH) and caught my largest trout on the Hares Ear. This fish hit as I was beginning to strip in the flies from a swing drift. Very light pickup but a great fight.
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB240058.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB240060.jpg
http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad218/LA_MantaRay12/PB240062.jpg
Interesting that all my fish were taken at the end of the day after 4:00pm
All the fish caught during this vacation were released unharmed in the process...:smile:
thanks to everyone on this forum for the advice and a special thanks to Hugh Hartsell for his professional guidance and to Little River Outfitters for their help and advice.
for those of you who have never visted the LRO store you are in for a treat...even the Orvis folks told me how incredible the LRO store fly tying material section was, and they were absolutely correct.
thanks again...
Charles