My Intro

[Rog 1]

Birdman....this is a great site and will provide a wealth of information...just wish I was in your position of being as close to the water as you...I live in Florida but learned to fish the Smokies behind my grandfather during the summers visiting family in Sevierville. I will celebrate 50 years chasing those mountain jewels this summer...it is addictive...Byron and his people at LRO are always ready to help as are most members of the board...I started fishing with an old Shakespeare wonder rod that must have been an 8wt so it can be done...read some of the older posts on this topic and you will get about as many opinions as there are members....best advice is to visit the store and cast their demos until the magic happens...good luck.

[Speck Lover]

Welcome Birdman! I too am a fairly new member, and have found this to be a fantastic group of folks here with an abundance of knowledge and willing to share it. I must caution you about one thing though. Flyfishing is ADDICTIVE, and there is no known cure!

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by silvercreek

No, I don't think it is any thing personal Birdman. The fishing is slow, and I have noticed a big decrease in postings over the last few months. I think it is just a general lack of activity on the board. Can't imagine you offended anyone. They are just sulking because they can't get out and fish due to the weather and high water. Regards, Silvercreek

Oh, OK. I was afraid I had offended everyone since I am not fly fishing yet but am trying to get in to the sport. Wow! I can't believe the posts that have came since this morning. Thanks to all for the replies. I hope to one day be in a position to return the favor of passing along the fly fishing bug.

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by Hugh Hartsell

Hello Birdman,
I hope that I did not sound standoffish, but I just read this thread. I wanted to say hello to you from a nearby neighbor in Morristown. My name is Hugh Hartsell and I want to welcome you to the world of flyfishing and LRO. You are just stepping into a new world of sport fishing that will grab hold of you and it just won't let go. Don't worry, you'll enjoy every minute of it. The flyrod that you mentioned probably will fit a little better into fishing for Smallmouth and Rockfish just above and below the dam at John Sevier Steamplant. You might want to go a little lighter for trout. We all want to see you get head over heels into this sport and if I can help in some way, fell free to call me or click onto my website for a ton of information. The same goes for all the people on this board. They are very knowledgeable and they want to help in any way that they can. Let us know what some of your thoughts are about this new sport and get ready for lots of good answers.
Hugh

Hugh,
Thanks for the welcome. Great idea about the water around John Sevier. That would be a good and open place for me to learn to cast and work the line. Thanks for your input.

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by Rog 1

Birdman....this is a great site and will provide a wealth of information...just wish I was in your position of being as close to the water as you...I live in Florida but learned to fish the Smokies behind my grandfather during the summers visiting family in Sevierville. I will celebrate 50 years chasing those mountain jewels this summer...it is addictive...Byron and his people at LRO are always ready to help as are most members of the board...I started fishing with an old Shakespeare wonder rod that must have been an 8wt so it can be done...read some of the older posts on this topic and you will get about as many opinions as there are members....best advice is to visit the store and cast their demos until the magic happens...good luck.

Rog 1,
Thanks! I need to get by the LRO store next time I'm down around the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area and check it out. So far my favorite fishing has been in the mountain streams after the specks.

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by Speck Lover

Welcome Birdman! I too am a fairly new member, and have found this to be a fantastic group of folks here with an abundance of knowledge and willing to share it. I must caution you about one thing though. Flyfishing is ADDICTIVE, and there is no known cure!

Speck Lover,
Thanks for the welcome! I'm already addicted to the pursuit of the trout. I can't imagine how it will be after I learn to fly fish for them. I'm a goner

[Crockett]

Another warm welcome here Birdman from a former Rogersville native! Sorry I didn't welcome you initially I just don't normally check this section of the forum. Guess I should do that more often...

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by Crockett

Another warm welcome here Birdman from a former Rogersville native! Sorry I didn't welcome you initially I just don't normally check this section of the forum. Guess I should do that more often...

Thanks for the welcome, Crockett.

[nvr2L8]

Birdman,

Just caught your post - don't know how I missed it. I, too, was a spin fisher for 30+ years, all in the Smokies. I enjoyed spin fishing but when I took up fly fishing almost 3 years ago, it became an obsession. I caught lots of bows on a spinner and one big brown but never a spec - didn't even know they existed, sad to say.

Enter the world of fly fishing with extreme caution; you think catching a spec on a spinner is fun - wait till you catch one on a dry fly. The fun never ends.

Welcome to the board!

[Birdman]

Originally Posted by nvr2L8

Birdman,

Just caught your post - don't know how I missed it. I, too, was a spin fisher for 30+ years, all in the Smokies. I enjoyed spin fishing but when I took up fly fishing almost 3 years ago, it became an obsession. I caught lots of bows on a spinner and one big brown but never a spec - didn't even know they existed, sad to say.

Enter the world of fly fishing with extreme caution; you think catching a spec on a spinner is fun - wait till you catch one on a dry fly. The fun never ends.

Welcome to the board!

Thanks for the welcome! It's only a matter of time til I get after them with the fly rod. I'm taking my first back country backpacking trip this spring and hope that one of the guys I'm going with can show me the ropes.