Caney Fork 10/26/08

[Worrgamesguy]

I had to go to the Caney today, it's 5 days away from my birthday so I gotta start celebrating early. I will be fishing the Caney again Nov. 1 for my "after party," if you will, and if you could come out and celebrate that would be awesome! I can't think of a better way to spend the day after my birthday than fishing.

Let's see here... I got on the water at Happy Hollow at around 8:00 when I heard the horn at the dam, so I knew I realistically had less than an hour to fish wearing hip waders. I kept having troubles with my midge depth so I was changing tippet length every 5 casts or so. I hooked up with a pretty nice brookie when I got the depth right, he was about 10" and FAT. I missed about 6 other fish by the time the water started to rise, either by stunning them, or hooking them and they shake the fly off. I missed the biggest fish I've ever hooked into with a fly rod- I saw my indicator go under, I jerked the rod up, it bent double and this weight was unreal, it jerked twice and the fly came loose. If I were to give an honest length, I'd say 16-18". Anyways, I casted to the same spot and he took it again, or another fish similar in size took it but I hooked up with this one better, he gave me a run so I was retrieving line, and then he ran towards me so the slack let him off...

I moved up to the dam after they stopped generating with Gerry, David, Trevor, and Adam. They went off towards the shoals, but I couldn't follow because the water was too deep. I fished right off the steps for about an hour or two, saw fish jumping like crazy but the water was still too deep and swift for the most part. The highlight of fishing under the dam? Because of the swift water, I was creating an "eddy" I believe, and this brown was sitting in it! He wasn't big, but I found it to be pretty entertaining to watch him swimming around eating insects that went around my boots when I thought about drifting my own midge around me! I did, and he opened his mouth and I saw my indicator bounce. I thought "No way he just did that...." I pulled up, and sure enough, he got my fly. He put up one heckuva fight for a little guy, he was about 6-8". Since I was limited by my waders and the depth of the water, I called it a day after that.

[ChemEAngler]

Originally Posted by Worrgamesguy

The highlight of fishing under the dam? Because of the swift water, I was creating an "eddy" I believe, and this brown was sitting in it! He wasn't big, but I found it to be pretty entertaining to watch him swimming around eating insects that went around my boots when I thought about drifting my own midge around me! I did, and he opened his mouth and I saw my indicator bounce. I thought "No way he just did that...." I pulled up, and sure enough, he got my fly. He put up one heckuva fight for a little guy, he was about 6-8". Since I was limited by my waders and the depth of the water, I called it a day after that.

Pretty funny stuff there. Sometimes you wonder how something that can be such a challenge to catch at times can do something that appears to be so crazy.

Travis

[BlueRaiderFan]

Nice story I've seen them use me for cover as well. Glad to hear you latched onto a big one! I've yet to catch one over about 16 inches. I bought some new indicators myself and will be out soon to try them out!

[Worrgamesguy]

Originally Posted by ChemEAngler

Pretty funny stuff there. Sometimes you wonder how something that can be such a challenge to catch at times can do something that appears to be so crazy.

Travis

My jaw seriously dropped... I found it odd that a brown of all species in that river would fall for something so stupid. I was even casting my shadow, and the shadow off the rod on him! Sometimes I forget why I love that river so much and that was a prime example of why.

Originally Posted by BlueRaiderFan

Nice story I've seen them use me for cover as well. Glad to hear you latched onto a big one! I've yet to catch one over about 16 inches. I bought some new indicators myself and will be out soon to try then out!

A brookie was hangin' out with him, but as soon as I moved my rod to drop the fly behind me he scattered, the brown flickered, but continued to eat everything that came his way. Hungry little dude...

To be completely honest, a size 14 Elk Hair Caddis is the best indicator money can buy for the Caney. It's .79 at BPS and browns go NUTS over them. I've never got a strike on an EHC from anything but a brown! They're usually larger fish, too!

[cardfly]

So being in Louisville, KY, how would I get to Caney to fish? I hear good things about fishing there and would like to give it a shot.

Thanks.

[Worrgamesguy]

I have family up in Louisville, my cousin's dad is a professor at Bellarmine. The drive seems pretty simple judging from Google Maps (making sure I don't tell you wrong info, I'm turning 18 on Friday and don't know my roads well yet). All you'd have to do is go I-65 to Nashville, and once in Nashville go I-40 towards Knoxville. It will be a pretty boring drive of nothing once you get on I-40, you will pass through a small city called Lebanon and the river is about 20-30 minutes past that. You will pass over the river 4 times while driving on I-40, and you'll get off at exit 268. Since you're coming from Nashville, the general route to the river is to take a right and head up to the area around the dam or at Happy Hollow.

To get to Happy Hollow, you take a right from exit 268 and start driving and it will come up on your right after a mile or two. HH is 5 miles downstream of the dam. To get access to the dam all you do is keep going straight instead of getting off at the Happy Hollow turnoff. You will come up to an intersection with a gas station/mini mart on your right, you'll want to turn right at that intersection and the pull off for the dam isn't even half a mile up that road.

To tell you specifically, here is a helpful link.

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/...ork-trout.html

[kytroutman]

cardfly, take I-65 south to Nashville, then pick up I-40 east. You get off I-40 at exit 268 (double check since I am doing this from memory). You will drive about four miles to get to Center Hill Dam.

[cardfly]

Thanks for the info everyone. I went to MTSU about a hundred years ago so I may be able to figure it all out. If the weather cooperates, I am going to try going there soon.

Thanks again.

[Worrgamesguy]

Originally Posted by cardfly

Thanks for the info everyone. I went to MTSU about a hundred years ago so I may be able to figure it all out. If the weather cooperates, I am going to try going there soon.

Thanks again.

Always

I'm gonna try and hit the Cumberland soon, do you know how it is fishing? Are you a MTSU alum or you traveled there? I'll start college next fall at MTSU.

[cardfly]

I did go to MTSU for a year working on my Masters and loved it. I really liked the area and taught in Tennessee and Alabama for a few years before moving back to Louisville.

I think you and I may have something to talk about in a few weeks when WVU and UL play football.

As for the Cumberland I haven't been there for about 2 months but I think I have read it is fishing OK. I am heading there this weekend so I'll let you know.