October 24, 2016

Fishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park


A week removed from physically being there, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has all but consumed my thoughts. The beautiful fall colors, the whisper of the trout streams, the ability to be amongst the crowds, yet still find the serenity of escape, are all haunting me (in a good way) as this Halloween month comes to a close.

Looking back, thought I'd share a few photos and highlights from the trip. There was so much water, I probably could have fished there each day, every day for a year and not fish it all, however having "base camp" in nearby Cherokee, NC, these were the spots I visited. 

The following spot runs right alongside the road as you head north through the park, past Smokemont Campground. A small footbridge passes the stream, and with a short walk, you can be totally removed from sightseers and picture takers. I went to this event after day one of the Tenkara Jam, as it was nearby and there was not a lot of daylight left.


I managed two small rainbows, and lost probably five or six more. Picking apart the pocket water took some time and before you knew it, I had lost track of the clock to the point where I was forced to wade back to the car downstream in the near dark. Not advisable.



Day two of fishing after the Jam took me back to a place a bit further away that I had first fished with Owl Jones & his buddy "Milliam" in 2012. It's nice to see that Mother Nature has reclaimed some of its roadside charms.


I found it to be a wonderful stream that fished far better this year than four years ago. It required a fairly long hike in and a lot of rock hopping, but it was totally worth the "inconvenience." Several rainbow trout greeted me in the lower stretches, before gradually changing over to brook trout as I gained elevation.








The final day of fishing was the best. Unfortunately, I needed to work from the hotel room a bit too long in the morning which wasted some hours I had intended to be on the stream. However, once I was able to get my affairs in order, it was certainly worth the wait.


Quite simply, the fishery was on fire, and utilizing my orange and white road kone kebari like a dry fly through the shallow runs and pools, I was able to bring many a fish to hand. As before, the fish were mostly rainbow trout, with some brook trout mixed in for good measure. I found it strange that I didn't encounter any brown trout during my three days of fishing, but I can't say that I minded, or that they were missed. 











After an experience like that, it's very difficult to leave the Smokies without a smile on your face. I'm now only faced with the dilemma of figuring out when to go back.

16 comments:

  1. Lovely Mike. I enjoyed my visit thanks to you.

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    1. Excellent! After being on so many "travels" with you, is nice to finally repay the favor.

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  2. Nice pics. Glad the fish ( and the crowds ) were good to you this trip. No weird cult members offering you cookies? We'll have to work on that. - as for the browns, they aren't as prevalent in Park waters as they used to be. I don't think anyone knows the answer as to why that is right now. The water is mighty, mighty low. I was surprised by the pic from that section below the footbridge. ( PS - there are some old CCC ruins just above that, up the trail that crosses the bridge about 500 yds or so). I think I may be headed up to the Nan DH sometime this week for a couple of days. ( been saying that for about three years now. LOL ) Thanks for the detailed trip report and pics. May is a good time to be up there. We should make the long drive over to Little River someday. Big water. Bigger trout.

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    1. Yes, let's. We should start planning soon as to not make excuses later. I'm down.

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  3. The most visited of the 58 National Parks. I'll probably never get there, so thanks for the tour.

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    1. Most visited for a very good reason. Should you ever take that camper East...

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  4. Thanks for sharing, Mike. Lovely fish and lovely scenery.

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    1. Thanks for visiting Jay. It was one of my favorite trips to date.

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  5. Nice post! Love the pictures. This is one of the parks on my list to fish.

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    1. Thanks Kevin, any compliments on photography from you are well received.

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  6. Great post Mike! The photos and video were excellent. You certainly look like you had a good time.

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    1. Thanks Howard, it was a blast. Not an easy wade though, felt beat up for days afterwards, but soooo worth it.

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  7. Really great photos. I enjoyed this post a lot. I'm embarrassed to say I still haven't fished the Smokies yet. I live a lot closer than you to.

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    1. Thanks Kevin, don't be embarrassed, just grab the rod and go!

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