Current Smokies conditions

[duckypaddler]

While I haven't been fishing I have spent the last 2 days in the park.

Yesterday I floated lower Abrams creek from the ranger station to the lake. I saw the biggest blue wing hatch I have ever seen in the park. The bugs were on the water in the thousands. My pics don't do it justice but here are a few shots.






Found a few relics to stare at an old homesite that is pretty hard to get to unless you float the river. Keeps the riff raff out and leave lots of cool things to check out. One of the guys I was with even knew the brand snuff bottle we found Bruton was the brand



Medicine bottles are pretty cool.



And another buddy found an old shoe. It was the first leather find I have seen off-trail and was way cool.

But anyway back to fishing. Nvr2l8 and I did the water sampling for the park acid deposition and I even remembered to share the stream temps with my fellow fourm members

Park Headquarters - 48
Chimneys Picnic - 44
Chimney top trail walker Camp - 42
Alum Cave - 40
Futher up Walker camp 38

Still small patches of snow way up top in dark hollows but anything that has any sun is melted. With predicted rain hopefully stream temps should get good by late next week

Have fun be safe!

[Crockett]

Hey Duckypaddler I enjoyed the report. Next time you are going down Abrams in the spring I would like to go with you if the water is safe enough level. That is something I have always wanted to do in the Smokies. I saw a huge BWO hatch like the one in your picture once at cs 3 on Hesse Creek in March. I couldn't catch anything that trip though didn't even see many rises. I wonder if sometimes the hatch and feedings don't coincide.

[duckypaddler]

Adam - I'd be happy to take you whenever your schedule and the water cooperate. It's been running a bunch lately. Gonna try and take the twins down it if the water is ever up after it warms up. Such a pretty stretch of water and the fact that there are no trails or connecting roads is such an added bonus that you feel you really get a wilderness experience.

And I forgot to link to the other pics of relics, hatches etc. I didn't want to bore the masses with:
http://s1163.photobucket.com/user/du...rams%203-15-13

[No Hackle]

Great report. I've never been on that part of Abrams. How long did the float take you. We're there any fish up and feeding?

[duckypaddler]

Originally Posted by No Hackle

Great report. I've never been on that part of Abrams. How long did the float take you. We're there any fish up and feeding?

It's usuallly a 3 hour trip. It's 6.7 miles on the creek, but it's the last mile and a half on the lake that will kill you. It was the worst headwind I ever experienced there, and unless you were really had to keep paddling at a decent pace or you would be going backwards at one point. I think we too about an extra half hour last time, but we probably spent half an hour at the mill/ homesite.

Unfortunately I didn't see one fish rise

[No Hackle]

Originally Posted by duckypaddler

It's usuallly a 3 hour trip. It's 6.7 miles on the creek, but it's the last mile and a half on the lake that will kill you. It was the worst headwind I ever experienced there, and unless you were really had to keep paddling at a decent pace or you would be going backwards at one point. I think we too about an extra half hour last time, but we probably spent half an hour at the mill/ homesite.

Unfortunately I didn't see one fish rise

Wow, hate to see a good hatch go to waste. I thought maybe some of the lake run fish might be in. Thanks for the info.
Lynn

[duckypaddler]

More updates on conditions. -1 at LeConte last night with 4 inches fresh snow. I tried breaking my thru hike up (20+ miles/day in snow would suck), and with 441 closing I won't be at Tricorner tonight Have a car at Fontana so I'll have to hike to it somehow.

Got at text from NDuncan who is fishing various watersheds in NC. He says it been COLD!

Fishing has been slow but took his limit (cold weather makes one hungry), and got a slam between 69 & 70

Right now water is 39 in Forney, and 43 in Jonas.

Nice day to view the snow and maybe some casting practice, but I wouldn't be counting on anything