Quote:
Originally Posted by duckypaddler
That didn't work on Forney last weekend. 7 miles from the top to 69 with over 3000 of elevation loss. When we got down to 2nd crossing below 69 ran into another fisherman. There were 4 at 70!
While what you said usually is true, I've had several trips this year where the complete opposite seems to be true  |
You also have to consider time of year. I have been told by a hotel owner that more people visit the Smokies in the month of October than any other month of the year. As much as I enjoy the scenery, I generally avoid the park in October for that reason. Last Thursday on my drive to Watauga, I-40 at 407 was already backed way up the interstate at 2:00 in the afternoon. There were a lot of people heading to the mountains last weekend. And sometimes you just have bad luck and another group of fishermen have selected the same area to focus their weekend on.
Since you are a seasoned Smokies angler, I would assume that you have witnessed the same trends that I have. A few simple rules I live by to avoid excessive frustration with crowds and poor etiquette:
- Never fish the first nice weekend in April
- Stay away in October
- Go to Troutfest, but don't even think about fishing