browns

[lauxier]

fished the park a little this weekend---caught several large browns.....leaves that is---no fish--stowed the rod--took pictures---i like the park in winter

[Jack]

Did they put up a good fight?

[Plunker]

I think they are much better for catch and release...the Greens we catch in the spring and summer tend to hang you up.

Be sure to check them for Flies that were caught in them prior to their "fall".

[Milligan Trout Phenom]

**** i guarantee i hold the recorded for catching those big browns....i even have been catching some big orangeish color ones...but on a serious note thats the thing i love about fishing, you never know what kind of day it is...its a gamble and adventure everyday so cherish the moments you can get out to fish cause its a blessing!i know that sounds gay but its true

[lauxier]

i did the right thing--i returned the browns to the stream--hope everyone catches their fill of them--i picked up 2 beer cans beside the middle prong..etc..i drive 2 1/2 hours to get to the park--the litter is beginning to get on ,my nerves--the violation,adulteration,of these streams has got to end--how can the streams of the park be protected?

[tennswede]

It's a societal problem not a park specific problem. I hiked up along Little River last year and even put the picture on this board. I found a full KFC family meal package complete with the plastic utensils still left at the stream. I pick up trash in my yard just about every day when I get home from work. I volunteer with TU and FFF to pick up trash. I.e. my life revolves around trash. I even pick up after people on my job. As long as someone else eventually pick the litter up it will never stop. Don't get me wrong, I don't like looking at it either put there are only two approaches to the problem as I see it. 1. Don't pick up any trash anymore and we will eventually all suffocate a slow death due to no oxygen when we are buried under the garbage. 2. Continue doing what we are doing, picking up after everyone else and try to make it bearable.

I admit option 2 is harder to do as the days go by and I get older and tired of it. Option 1 is really not that appealing either. I don't think there are enough manpower to police it and penalties are not there for littering. We would have to employ the entire prison population in this country full time as litter crews to even make a dent. Oh well, lets go outside and take a look at which beer brand is the most popular on my street this week, shall we!

[ijsouth]

They used to measure the success of Mardi Gras every year by the amount of tonnage of garbage collected; in fact, city officials used to brag on it. Eventually, the "powers that be" realized that it was embarassing to be proud about the littering skills of the populace, and they went to other metrics for measuring crowd sizes, etc (of course, we now have a mayor of New Orleans who, in looking on the bright side of the escalating murder rate, pointed out that it least it keeps the New Orleans "brand" in the news).

Back to the park - we end up picking up litter in just about every stream we fish, but by far the worst one that we fish regularly is Straight Fork - we could probably fill several garbage bags with just the beer cans. It is a shame, because it is one of my favorite streams - I have to think it is its combination of isolation, yet having easy road access ... I'm sure it's a favorite of teenagers from Cherokee and other towns to "watch the sub races".

[Grannyknot]

It may seem unrelated to the trash problem, but I truly think this will help most of the parks problems......$5 to get a vehicle into the park, $20 for a year long vehicle pass.

[tennswede]

I agree a fee would help. The problem is that the original agreement with landowners and the states of NC and TN was that no fee can ever be introduced in order for the park to be set up. I highly doubt that it will ever change. A fee can help with this but it won't entirely eliminate the litter problem. I seriously doubt we will change anything, I have found people who have spent copious amount of money on travel and gear but they still litter. It's in the mindset of people, fee or no fee you will have litter. I guess I'm just very negative on this right now. 15 years of trying to clean up my fishing holes and my own backyard has taken it's toll.

[mora521]

Litter is a problem,but rain that has a ph of 2 is a much bigger problem.A couple of weeks ago I fished the west prong of little river and found trash above Edens garden creek.Some nimrod had a meal of sardines,granola bars,and a chek cola and left it right there.At least the cretin put the granola wrappers in the sardine tin.I picked it up,but I could not do anything about the rain that measured 3.7 in ph this day.Not the lowest ph I have tested,but way lower than the average ph of rainwater.