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Fishing smoky mountain national park
Posted on 11/13/23 at 11:16 am
Posted on 11/13/23 at 11:16 am
Will be doing a short trip next week and thinking of packing the fly rod. Any of you try out there and have success? Also trying to navigate Tennessee weird license stipulations of no trout all species etc. can I get a basic and just not keep any or can you not even fish for them without the proper license?
Posted on 11/13/23 at 11:31 am to bayoudude
Fly fishing stores are usually very helpful, I'd consider finding one locally and stopping in to buy some flies, tips on spots, and licensing. I have no specific help beyond that, and obviously they aren't going to give you the absolute best secrets but they will generally give you flies that will catch some fish.
Posted on 11/13/23 at 6:34 pm to bayoudude
As long as you are in the park, you only need a TN or NC fishing license - no trout stamp needed. Regs in general are single-hook artificial only, but you can fish a two-fly rig. Local shops can put you on the right flies but basic nymphs are probably the ticket right now. I almost always fish hopper-dropper rig.
I know the NC side of the park best, but in general get beyond any easy-access area from trailheads and the fishing picks up. You might have to put in a mile or so on the trail at some of the most popular areas (Deep Creek, Bradleys Fork in NC for example - not sure what that may equate to on the TN side).
It has been very dry here, so the creeks are likely very low and clear - and the trout easy to spook. Good luck!
I know the NC side of the park best, but in general get beyond any easy-access area from trailheads and the fishing picks up. You might have to put in a mile or so on the trail at some of the most popular areas (Deep Creek, Bradleys Fork in NC for example - not sure what that may equate to on the TN side).
It has been very dry here, so the creeks are likely very low and clear - and the trout easy to spook. Good luck!
Posted on 11/13/23 at 6:39 pm to bayoudude
greenbriar area creeks were pretty solid. like baldona said fly shops will steer u right.
one even gave us a pin drop right on some brookies.
one even gave us a pin drop right on some brookies.
Posted on 11/13/23 at 7:13 pm to bayoudude
The folks at Little River Outfitters in Townsend will get you squared away. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and always wiling to help out non-locals find fish. Casting will likely be very short (9-12’) and primarily on pocket water. This time of year anything with an orange and brown tone works well..never sink caddis with a nymph dropper will be good for just about anywhere.
Little River Outfitters
Little River Outfitters
Posted on 11/14/23 at 8:01 am to bayoudude
Not in Tennessee but just south of Cherokee NC there is a cable bridge across the Tuckasegee River. This is a very popular area for those coming from Cherokee and headed south, the bridge is almost a must stop and see type situation. What is not so well known is that there are some MONSTER hold over browns in that stretch of river, particularly in January and February. I imagine it may not be legal now and may not have been when we were doing it regularly but we would catch a bucket full of suckers, slide a 12 foot jon boat down the bank at that bridge and float down the river to the downstream side of the island that the bridge connects to both banks. Where the water comes back together after splitting around that island there is a hole about 20 feet deep...probably the deepest hole in the entirety of that river. We would flat line a 6-10" sucker unweighted unless the water was high from the bank to the far end of that hold and catch MONSTER browns and some nice rainbows as well. We would make bait during the day, get to the island around 3-4 PM and stay out there as long as we could stand it past dark, usually around midnight...and wear the damn fish OUT.
When we were done we would drag the boat to the upstream side of the island and float back down to the bridge. I have tried to do this in the summer and caught fish but not as many and not as big. I have no idea where those big browns go in the summer but they are probably in that deep hole and just not feeding like they do in late winter / early spring.
We used to do nearly the exact same thing on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta and north of Lake Lanier when I was a kid....except we could catch big browns and nice rainbows year round on the 'hooch. I am not sure you can flat line a bait fish for trout on the hooch anymore but it was legal in 80's because we would get checked at least once on every trip.
There is a reason fly fishing is preferred for trout fishing...its because the damned things are EASY to catch with anything other than a fly rod LOL...they are not overly selective nor very smart. The wilder they are makes them a little more difficult to catch but flat line a night crawler out west and you will load a drift boat while the long rod will catch 15 or so a day. Flat line whatever native bait fish they are feeding on and they don't hesitate to chow down....
When we were done we would drag the boat to the upstream side of the island and float back down to the bridge. I have tried to do this in the summer and caught fish but not as many and not as big. I have no idea where those big browns go in the summer but they are probably in that deep hole and just not feeding like they do in late winter / early spring.
We used to do nearly the exact same thing on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta and north of Lake Lanier when I was a kid....except we could catch big browns and nice rainbows year round on the 'hooch. I am not sure you can flat line a bait fish for trout on the hooch anymore but it was legal in 80's because we would get checked at least once on every trip.
There is a reason fly fishing is preferred for trout fishing...its because the damned things are EASY to catch with anything other than a fly rod LOL...they are not overly selective nor very smart. The wilder they are makes them a little more difficult to catch but flat line a night crawler out west and you will load a drift boat while the long rod will catch 15 or so a day. Flat line whatever native bait fish they are feeding on and they don't hesitate to chow down....
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