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05-20-2007
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| The Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Trip 2007, Part Two The Great Smoky Mountains Fishing Trip May 2007, Part Two The Streams, Part One It is plain and simple you can never fish all those streams in a way they deserve in a life time. The sheer beauty of the National Park is beyond description and viewing it first hand it changes everyday as you follow the winding mountains roads at each and ever turn opens a new and magical section to fish. It is a place that caters to all fly fishing skill levels and interests. The number of streams that provide ease of access alongside any roadway you can fish for days and never find the same conditions or stream make up. Small riffles open to long smooth elongated pools that at first glance you can spend an entire morning watching and fishing, or find a narrow mountain stream that challenges you at each and every plunge pool, but allows plenty of room for back casts, and not see another fisherman all the while. We began fishing the West Prong Little Pigeon River along Newfound Gap Road just up past Chimney Tops. As we began to get a gear set up I heard a discouraging word from behind me, as I turned I saw my fishing buddy holding his new Orvis 4 weight that he purchased just for this trip in one more piece than what Orvis advertises it at. While putting on his reel, the reel seat separated from the rod. Defiantly manufacturers defect, but how did it ever pass final inspection is a mystery. While I had my 2 weight rigged and ready to go, I loaned him my 5 weight rod for the day at a considerable hefty rental fee that should cover my first class air fare to Middle Prong Little Pigeon River – also known to the locals as Greenbrier has one of the steepest descents of any stream in the Smoky Mountains, when I say steep, I mean vertical. Just let me put it this way, if you ever go there to fish it be prepared for some hard hiking and mountain climbing, the sight of those plunge pools will make it all the worth while. We fished this location with our Guide Ian Rutter, and from the hike up the mountain to “bush whacking” our way down from the trail to the stream (a secrete fallen log marked its location) where to look at a hundred yards up river your eyes were set at a 50 degree elevation and at some parts of the stream that was only 60-75 yards up stream. Because it is not far from Gatlinburg, just five miles of dusty gravel road off the paved highway, a hike up the mountain and trail blazing a path down, it is no wonder that hardly anyone fishes this section of the river. Too damn difficult to get to and to fish, but once there, you have it all to yourselves and a fishing experience of a life time awaits. Plunge pool after plunge pool after plunge pool by mid afternoon if you were not an experience plunge pool fishing expert, under Ian’s coaching and guidance you will soon be. The wild brook, rainbow trout are fast little boogers! Short leaders and tippet, no fly line on the water and as soon as you’re large bushy fly hits the water…. Hold on and get ready to lift as quickly as you can. Straight Fork is a small creek that you have to drive over the mountains into North Carolina, pass through the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and reenter the National Park on a narrow gravel road. Long way to go, passed many a nice stream, creek, and brook to get there, and let me say, it was well worth it all to fishing this stream. We entered the park and within one half mile drive of looking at the creek we knew we were about to fish one special spot. We continued to drive for just over three miles along the creek and it got better by the yard. Not once did we see another fisherman, we had the stream for the first three miles to our selves, and you began to believe that the trout in it sees very little pressure at all. I turned around and headed back to a spot that we agreed upon to start fishing this stream. From then till dusk, neither of us was disappointed in the decision to fish this one stream off the beaten track. As always, sitting here wishing I was still there fishing. AK Skim
__________________ .... Red Sox Nation and the rest of MLB Winner of the NEFF 2007 Most Prestigious Award NEFF Official Welcoming Committee Chairman Winner of the 2008 NEFF Protector Award  |
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