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Took the day off on Friday to fish with a friend. It was a beautiful, but chilly Fall day. Clear skies and cool water. The water was low and clear making it difficult to sneak around. The fishing...

Way to go Joel! Any time you come across a nice sized brown in the Park, there are often others in the area. Now, you know where to look for more. As I tell others, "as long as you're in the game...

Beautiful.....

Jim Parks

I prefer 8'6" to 9' rod. I've never used a 10', but would be willing to give it a try. Many years ago (30+), I started using a 9' and everyone then was into 6' to 7'6" rods and thought I was...

With a few weeks remaining of the Summer, I was wondering how fishing has been? I've fished only a handful of times since the amazing day I had back in June. I spent most of July travelling, then...

Troutman posted photos of the guinea fly on this thread, but something must have happened as they're no longer there.

It is a simple fly to tie, otherwise I wouldn't be tying it.

I use a #8...

Sorry, Bigfoot. My next 2 proteges are lined up. An 8 yo great-nephew followed by his 2 yr old brother.

Jim Parks

Hey Todd,

For years, I'd remained quiet about #'s and sizes to prevent discouragement of other fishermen. I once had a discussion with Gary Troutman where I commented it's best to "LIE" about our...

Hugh, sounds like you were using the patented "Tennesse Troll" method!

Not paying attention to details resulted in similar thing happening to me on the 15th. In the last long pool, I had...

Yes. I tie the chennile the full length of the weight wrapped on the hook, so the chennile wraps in front of the feather. Then I wrap the feather a few times around the hook and tie it off. You'll...

Thanks Gary for the photo (I can't get the photo bucket thing to work)

I've always tied the guinea on a size 8 hook and I add weight to the shank before tying. The body is a medium, grey...

Joe,

I've only ever used them in a size 8. The problem with tying any smaller size is that the feather hairs are so long, I don't know of an advantage in tying them smaller. It'll be a smaller...

**ANYONE INTERESTED IN WATCHING A SHORT VIDEO SHOWING 3 OF THE BROWNS, GO TO MY FB PAGE (Jim Parks) I have it up for public access.

I'm telling this story as I want dedicated fishermen to know the...

My "best" otter story is fishing 9 mile hole on the Madison in Yellowstone. I hooked a nice October brown only to have an otter go after it. I fought the brown with my left hand holding the rod and...

I always use a tandem rig of 2 weighted nymphs. The top is a #8 tied with weight on the hook shank. Sometimes I use a #6 grampus. For the bottom, a #8 to a #14.
The weight makes it easier to...

Thanks for the response. It makes sense that the “pop” of a popper would solicit some hits during heavy rain.

Is it possible to drift a small dry in a downpour & how well can they be seen in...

While out fishing Saturday, the water was very dingy / borderline muddy, it was high and rising and the rain was coming down heavy and in BIG splashing drops. It was tough conditions, but I was...

I learned the technique many years ago on tiny creeks, which is the ultimate practice grounds. Though I haven’t watched the video, I can say that I’ve never hooked my thumb or any other part. (Now...

I like the net. I nearly always take it with me and only use it on larger trout as I believe it helps me land them faster. Any chance to reduce the fight time, it is easier on them when I release...

Over the years, I've learned that the hardest thing to teach is strike detection. Fishermen coming from spin fishing are waiting to feel the strike. With “high-sticking”, you MUST control the...

Not heresy. Anyone who 1) has fun, 2) fishes legally, 3) respects the resource, is O.K. where I come from.

It's thinking outside the box that brings innovation. I've got a variation of a...

[I typically high stick almost exclusively in the GSMNP. Like most of you I've had good days and bad just depending on different factors and the fly-fishing gods. Recently I have been hunting for...

I don’t care much for the colors available. I try to consider what the trout would see when the fly line is above the water but in the trouts’ view (High stocking or casting) when it is laying on...

From my personal experience....

After several trips out west, one day I said to myself, “I can do this well back home. Without the travel and expense.” At that time “back home” included the...

For trout, I've fished Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Virginia, Vermont, and Vltava (Czech Republic). Not that they're bad. The Smokies are that good year round.

I'll take the...