Short Father's Day Morning Foray Into the Smokies

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Headed out at daylight this morning. Hit the creek while the fog still lay thick, and air temp was in the 50s. I was tight-lining nymphs, and good fish were hitting regularly. Brilliantly-colored fat rainbows, and sullen, buttery browns.

bow1.jpg

bow2.jpg

bow4.jpg

bow5.jpg

bow3.jpg

brown.jpg

In this hole, a vividly-colored 13" rainbow that the pics don't do justice to. Pure Columbia Basin Redband trout like were stocked here over a hundred years ago, then left to their own devices. Red belly, red gill plates, and bright orange-red cut marks under the chin like a cutthroat trout. He jumped multiple times, launching high into the air, spraying water and color. These fish are so fast and strong that it's spooky. Pure electric life on the end of a 5x tippet.

creek2.jpg



bow7.jpg

bow6.jpg

to be continued....​
 
Last edited:

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Then, the ones that didn't make it to hand.

In this hole, hard against the log jam, I hooked into a fish that I first thought was a stick or log, from the serious, immovable weight. Then, it shook its head several times, and started swimming slowly, powerfully. I never saw it. After about ten seconds, my fly came loose. I just stood there in awe. These are the fish that haunt you. I know it was a monster.

lostfishhole.jpg

Then, soon after, in this hole, I hooked about a 16" brown. He was wide, deep-bodied, with vivid scarlet spots. I fought him for several minutes, and got excited and tried to net him in the swift run just downstream of the hole I hooked him in. As I slid the net under him as he floundered on the surface, he just flipped over and was gone. Just gone. I stood there for several minutes, just staring at the last spot I saw him, wondering if he was ever really there. In retrospect, I should have let him run to the wide, shallow hole below and netted him there. But I didn't. I'll be back after him.

creek3.jpg

By noon, I had caught all the fish I wanted to. My legs were tired from fighting the current and slick rocks and log jams.

Father's Day. This creek has nurtured me like a parent over the years. It was a good morning. Life, death, predator and prey. Water, shadow, sunlight. Evaporation. Condensation. Photosynthesis. Saprophytism. It all is a cycle, and a circle. We are all participants, whether we know it or not. I am glad that I know it, and am an active participant.

creek1.jpg

deadfish.jpg

bow8.jpg
 

trad bow

wooden stick slinging driveler
Very beautiful and colorful trout. Nymph looked a lot like a hellgrammite.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Very beautiful and colorful trout. Nymph looked a lot like a hellgrammite.
Yep, or a big stonefly nymph. Whatever it looks like, the fish were liking it.
 

Geffellz18

Senior Member
Awesome. Simply Awesome as usual. You have some absolutely beautiful country up your way to explore.
Thanks as always for sharing your experiences.
 
Top