# smoky mountain fly fishing?



## bjtripp83 (Aug 10, 2015)

Gonna be in the pigeon forge area in early april for a few days. Want to wade w/ fly rod for trout one day. can take 5 & 6 wts. No experience w/ freshwater fly fishing, though i have waded/paddled & spin-fished for stocked trout in columbia SC. Worth it to book a guide? Any recommendations? Been researching, seems like finding a spot to wade on my own might be doable. ON the other hand, dont mind paying for a guide if i can get a good one that will give me my money's worth.


----------



## THX1138 (Dec 20, 2016)

I don't know personally know any guides in that area but there are a few in the area. There are lots of DIY trout opportunities though. I'd take the shortest 5wt you have as the fishing is somewhat technical. I roll a 9' 5wt for the bigger rivers and an 8' 4wt when you hit the mountain streams.
I cant find the link at the moment, but in the Smoky Mountain National Park there is a trail head at a bridge. I think it was called Raven Creek? Hike up stream a little better than a mile and there are the most beautiful native Brookie you've ever seen. They will hit sz 18-20 dries and sz 20-22 nymphs. Elk hair caddis, zebra midge in black seemed to work well. They are pretty spooky and you have to be patient but it is so worth it! If I can find the link I'll post it here. It was dated from 2012 but the info was pretty spot on. A 7'6" 3wt is THE ideal rod for that area.

Tight lines bro.

Lou


----------



## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

THX1138 said:


> I don't know personally know any guides in that area but there are a few in the area. There are lots of DIY trout opportunities though. I'd take the shortest 5wt you have as the fishing is somewhat technical. I roll a 9' 5wt for the bigger rivers and an 8' 4wt when you hit the mountain streams.
> I cant find the link at the moment, but in the Smoky Mountain National Park there is a trail head at a bridge. I think it was called Raven Creek? Hike up stream a little better than a mile and there are the most beautiful native Brookie you've ever seen. They will hit sz 18-20 dries and sz 20-22 nymphs. Elk hair caddis, zebra midge in black seemed to work well. They are pretty spooky and you have to be patient but it is so worth it! If I can find the link I'll post it here. It was dated from 2012 but the info was pretty spot on. A 7'6" 3wt is THE ideal rod for that area.
> 
> Tight lines bro.
> ...


Agree, just DIY. Make sure you have a few Adams in size 18, good all around fly for up there.


----------



## CrappieFisherman (Mar 15, 2015)

Parachute Adams, Mr. Rapidans, Stimulators, and the other usual dries. I also like to use a lightning bug nymph dropper, with my dry fly as the indicator.

The general rule of thumb is the higher elevation you go, the more Brook trout there are. The Bookies are native fish, from the ice age, so just about every mountain stream has them.

Personally, I use a 7'2" 2wt TFO finesse, but that's me. Take your lightest, shortest rod, and no heavier than 3X tippet.

Enjoy!


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

I fish that area every year. I had a cabin there until the fire. But we have done staff retreats there and I will hire a guide for the guys on my staff that have never fly fished. So I have used a few different guides there. I have used the one you mentioned, and our guide wasn't the best. But I know others who have used them and loved them. Most of it just depends on which guide you get because they are contracted out by the guide service. But the best guide that I have ever had is from The Smoky Mountain Angler located in Gatlinburg. I use this shop to buy my flies, check the fishing report and if I need a guide, I have had great success with them. Now that I go in there every year, they know me and treat me right. And it is a great place to DYI. http://www.smokymountainangler.com


----------



## bananabob (Jun 3, 2015)

You might want to get the book "Great Smokey Mountains National Park-Anglers Companion". It has great maps along with a ton of info to include guides and outfitters for different locals. Just down from Gatlinburg is Townsend with a great fly shop and nearby Cades Cove which is a must to visit with the family, plus a few little creeks around it as well.
I used guide Ian Rutter to show me how to catch those little smokey trout. Mostly nymph fishing with a _longer rod._ Kinda like cane pole fishing with a strike indicator. He was definitely worth the money.


----------



## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

Having lived in the more northern climates - I can second what most people above have said. I would say that DIY freshwater trout fishing for a first timer/once a year type person is much easier than a trout guy trying to DIY saltwater. I havent fished that area personally.

Typically the price of admission for trout fishing intel is about a half dozen to a dozen flies at the local shop. Every trout shop I have ever been to has some sort of map for the local area, with parking/access. These are all well known spots, but can be productive. They also usually have all of the "hot flies" sitting on the counter. Everyone likes dries, but a dropper rig with a y2k fly can be really effective. Like anything else, you cant learn everything you need to know from youtube, but I'd watch some videos on how to mend for a drag free drift and roll casting - then practice a few times. Another thing to keep an eye on if you are DIY - make sure you learn about water flow/discharges if you fish a tailwater (downstream of a dam). This is the equivalent of tides. Too high or too low can be no good. Rainfall can also affect this. Also some places are extremely dangerous if they open the dam. There is usually a published schedule - the local shop can fill you in.

As far as guiding - expect to pay similar money as a saltwater charter, maybe a little less. It does hurt a little to open your wallet for the same money with no boat involved lol. I've done both walk and wade, as well as float trips. Having experience with this type of fishing, I usually only book walk and wade trips if it is on private water. If you are completely new to this type of fishing - I'd still recommend a walk and wade even if it is on public water. Your guide will help you learn how to mend your line correctly, as well as teach you some new casts (roll and reach). They also can read the water and instruct you where to cast, etc. They will also tell you to trout set and not strip set - it takes some practice. These types of trips are great for a first timer. I wish I had done it. I will also say I have learned a few things that have been useful in saltwater. This type of trip is great if you are up there for a week and want to go explore on your own later. 

Another possible option (not familiar with the area) - a float trip. These are a hoot - particularly if there are some rapids. You cover a lot more water and you typically have a chance at bigger fish. You will likely fish a larger variety of techniques in a single day. Nymphing, throwing streamers, maybe some dries. This type of fishing can also be harder than expected - particularly if you are throwing big streamers on sink tip lines, over and over and over again. I found this experience great practice for learning to make quick casts accurately. This is a really unique way to fish and your guide will provide plenty of instruction, you just wont get as much on the basics since he will be rowing the boat. It takes more focus than just poling.

I'd bring both the 5wt and 6 wt. Most of the DIY stuff you will want the 5 wt. If you end up booking a trip - a lot of times I just use the guide rods, even tho I have my own. They have everything pre-rigged for the conditions. A lot of these guys have a "system" and if they have to spend 15 minutes rigging up your rod, thats 15 minutes of fishing you paid for that you arent on the water. And if you book a float trip - you will definitely need to use theirs.

Hope this helps. I'd start with calling the local fly shop near where you are staying. If theres multiple - call them all to feel them out. They will obviously try to sell you a trip, but if you are straightforward with what you want to do and are willing to come in and spend some money to support the shop, they will give you all the help you need.


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

mcraft173 said:


> Having lived in the more northern climates - I can second what most people above have said. I would say that DIY freshwater trout fishing for a first timer/once a year type person is much easier than a trout guy trying to DIY saltwater. I havent fished that area personally.
> 
> Typically the price of admission for trout fishing intel is about a half dozen to a dozen flies at the local shop. Every trout shop I have ever been to has some sort of map for the local area, with parking/access. These are all well known spots, but can be productive. They also usually have all of the "hot flies" sitting on the counter. Everyone likes dries, but a dropper rig with a y2k fly can be really effective. Like anything else, you cant learn everything you need to know from youtube, but I'd watch some videos on how to mend for a drag free drift and roll casting - then practice a few times. Another thing to keep an eye on if you are DIY - make sure you learn about water flow/discharges if you fish a tailwater (downstream of a dam). This is the equivalent of tides. Too high or too low can be no good. Rainfall can also affect this. Also some places are extremely dangerous if they open the dam. There is usually a published schedule - the local shop can fill you in.
> 
> ...


Good advice. You can do float trips on the bigger rivers. But if you fish in the Smoky Mountain National Park, it is all wading. And I bring a 4wt for that and I have wished I had a 2wt.


----------



## mcraft173 (Apr 21, 2014)

I just did a little research - the float rivers I was thinking of are the watauga and the south holston. They look to be a bit of a drive from the pigeon forge area.


----------



## CrappieFisherman (Mar 15, 2015)

I thought I'd share some of my Brookie adventure pictures to help set expectations. Granted, this is from the Shenandoah National Park near my house, rather than the Smokies, but things should be similar (although some rivers may be a bit larger).

Here is a typical Brookie stream in the Mid Atlantic Blue Ridge Mountains. The Brookies can be almost anywhere in this type of stream (actually this is considered a river, lol). Definitely at the tail end of the whitewater you see, as well as in between the rocks where the current is stronger, and on the far side of the water from the position where this photo was taken. You actually may not see too many rises, like on typical trout water, but they are there. Make several casts to make sure you fully cover the water. Also, ankle deep is more than deep enough...you'd be surprised where you can catch them.









Here is a typical catch (actually on the larger size). Btw, remember to wet your hands before handing...shame on me for not doing this, but this was one of my first Brookies, and I didn't know better. The rod pictured is a 4 wt, which is more than enough for what you should encounter in the mountain streams. I downsized to a 2 wt to make things more fun, but I fish these waters several times a year (about a half hour from my house).









And, for fun, here is a glamour shot:


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

My very first trip, we fished chimney tops area, I caught a 9" brookie on top. We bought some flies at the fly shop in Gatlinburg, the staff was very helpful as far as pointing us in the right direction for flies. I had very little experience with trout at the time, and the flies they recommended worked out great. However, we were staying at a rental cabin right on Cosby Creek. The fly shop staff said there wasn't any fish on Cosby Creek and recommended we spent most our efforts up in the park streams. My buddy and I weren't convinced that there were no trout in Cosby Creek, so we set out to find some. Initially we found some small guys up to 8". Went back to the cabin for lunch, and went back out in the afternoon. In the morning, we trekked upstream and caught a bunch of little guys. Somewhere around 15 fish, so we decided to explore down stream in the afternoon. We got into some much nicer fish down stream. We got many in the 12-14" range, landed one around 17" and lost one around 20". We had a blast. Of course, after we left Tennessee and started to head home, we stopped in Blue Ridge Georgia and caught many in the 30" range, but that was with a guide. We were stoked to have caught some nice fish on our own, on a creek that we were told had no fish. All in all, that trip was awesome. We drove to Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, fished random rivers and creeks along the way, spent 10 days in Tennessee fishing various creeks / rivers in the park, and Cosby Creek, then fished with a guide in Blue Ridge Georgia. The best parts for me, was the unknown. It was all new to me. Figuring out what trout like and don't like, what flies worked best, etc. As a fly fisherman, to me, a lot of this is about the journey. Of course, landing a fish is a big part of it, but everything that comes before it is what makes that moment of landing the fish special. 

I recommend stopping at that fly shop for advice on flies. I don't know those guys at all other than the fact they gave me some pointers when I walked in there.


----------



## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

You have some good info on here. I wouldn’t be too concerned about having a shorter rod; it’s not always your friend on winding and steep mountain streams. If all you have is a 9 footer, stick with it. On smaller streams, the length will help where you have limited ability to cast any length rod (note Crappiefisherman's photo). Practice roll-casting and back-casting. If you want some bigger water, I-40 follows the Pigeon River from the NC line; I have not fished it, but lusted after it while driving through there...

At that time of year, it’s doubtful you will have a hatch. Pick up some soft-hackle flies both weighted and unweighted depending upon water flow. Also, pick up some dry terrestrials. Knotless leaders will lessen drag if the water is fast. It's a good idea to get whatever you need locally; you're more likely to get good info if you spend a few bucks.

In April the weather is variable, but for sure the water will be cold, maybe fast and maybe muddy from runoff, so unless you have waders you will be rock-hopping. This is dangerous unless you have felt soles or metal- cleated boots. You might try gluing some felt to the soles of some old sneakers.

And finally, native brookies are exceptionally spookey so be aware.


----------



## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Here's an afterthought by Paint it black:


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Steve_Mevers said:


> Agree, just DIY. Make sure you have a few Adams in size 18, good all around fly for up there.


Take some nymps, hairs ear. There may not be a hatch


----------



## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

permitchaser said:


> Take some nymps, hairs ear. There may not be a hatch


I went out west and fished nothing be dry flies and hoppers for two months, nothing against nymph fishing, but I just love to watch them hit a dry fly. I may not catch as many fish, but I am stubborn and will fish a dry, stimulator, or hopper all day...


----------



## CrappieFisherman (Mar 15, 2015)

Felt shoes are a good idea, if they are allowed. Here in VA I believe they are banned, but I don't know about the smokies....always best to check in advance.


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Steve_Mevers said:


> I went out west and fished nothing be dry flies and hoppers for two months, nothing against nymph fishing, but I just love to watch them hit a dry fly. I may not catch as many fish, but I am stubborn and will fish a dry, stimulator, or hopper all day...


Knock yourself out dude


----------



## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Love saltwater fishing, but trout fishing is special too.
View attachment 4702
View attachment 4703
View attachment 4704


----------



## bjtripp83 (Aug 10, 2015)

thanks for all the help and anecdotes, april seeming too far away now. thinking the middle prong of the little pigeon river will be best. down river I'll have my old school fenwick streamer 5 wt. Up river in smaller water for brookies, think im gonna take a tenkara rod. of course ive gotten an itch to buy a rod, and a tenkara package at less than 200$ for dry flies/emergers (versus cost of purchasing 2 or 3 wt rod/reel/line) to balance the 5 wt seems reasonable. easy to transport, looks interesting to try, and some say the longer rod & shorter line allows reaching pockets that couldnt be hit with any weight fly rod. between the two i think i can cover everything i want to.

THX your info is right on. Started researching that area, think it will be too far of a drive for the time i have, but in researching came across good info comparing it to other areas, including the middle prong of little pigeon river http://www.flyfishingsmokymountains.com/mplpr.html lots of great info. PIB cosby creek was my second choice, decided it looks just a little further from where i'll be, but wasn't surprised to hear your report after reading up on it. 

like many have suggested, will hit a nearby shop to pick up flies. still educating myself about the types and hatch cycles. the website above has a couple good charts showing hatches throughout the year that are helping. ultimately, i agree a local shop will have the best info about whats cooking on the date certain.

i grew up rock hopping and wading in the rivers in columbia and generally fished either that way or kayaking until i moved to the coast last year. i cant imagine the water in april will be colder than the water in the lower saluda coming from the bottom of lake murray at any time of year. wading and paddling for striper in some parts there is world-class in my opinion, so im really looking forward to exploring a fishery that is similar but w/ some new and distinct features. appreciate yalls help.


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

I have never camped at Cosby Creek but I have fished there and done very well. I have car camped at the Abrams Creek campground. A little out of the way but much quieter and caught lots of fish within walking distance. Also Greenbrier on the Little Pigeon River is very good. That is where I caught my first rainbow in the Smokies. I didn't even know where to go and I tried it and it turned out very good. I have also hiked in to the Abrams Falls trail from Cades Cove about 3 miles and caught fish on almost every cast because it was out of the way. Most people just park and fish, so it had no pressure. I have only fished in the national park and my salt water friends make fun of my pictures of 8" trouts but I love it.


----------



## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Eric Partin said:


> I have never camped at Abrams Creek but I have fished there and done very well. I have car camped at the Abrams Creek campground. A little out of the way but much quieter and caught lots of fish within walking distance. Also Greenbrier on the Little Pigeon River is very good. That is where I caught my first rainbow in the Smokies. I didn't even know where to go and I tried it and it turned out very good. I have also hiked in to the Abrams Falls trail from Cades Cove about 3 miles and caught fish on almost every cast because it was out of the way. Most people just park and fish, so it had no pressure. I have only fished in the national park and my salt water friends make fun of my pictures of 8" trouts but I love it.


Second Abrams Creek in Cade's Cove if the crowds are not to bad, the Abram Creek's Campground is nice, but we didn't catch any fish down there but that was in October. Middle prong is nice and if I remember correctly you can hike in a good ways and have it pretty much to yourself. They have had a really bad drought in that part of the country, last fall my friend who works with DNR there told me they were -15 inches for normal rainfall, the trout have really suffered this year is some of the rivers.


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

Steve_Mevers said:


> Second Abrams Creek in Cade's Cove if the crowds are not to bad, the Abram Creek's Campground is nice, but we didn't catch any fish down there but that was in October. Middle prong is nice and if I remember correctly you can hike in a good ways and have it pretty much to yourself. They have had a really bad drought in that part of the country, last fall my friend who works with DNR there told me they were -15 inches for normal rainfall, the trout have really suffered this year is some of the rivers.


Yeah they were in a drought when I was there in October and the water was really low so the fish were really spooky.


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I'll be up in the smokies in April for our Easter trip. Last year, we stayed at some park that had a stream running through it. I asked the ranger what all the people fishing for were catching and I was surprised to hear it was trout. I brought the 4wt with me, but no waders. I "geared up" that afternoon and was surprised to see many trout, but they were very spooky. Some nice ones, around 14", saw a couple in the 18" range. I didn't manage to catch one, so I made sure to be up early the next morning. I hit the creek, 4wt in hand. The sun was just breaking, and immediately hooked up on a dry fly. Little by little, more people started coming out of their campers and hitting the creek. Next thing I know, the fish are all hiding from the slew of guys throwing Berkley Powerbait at them. 

Well, I had only caught one fish, so I decided to trek down stream. The day before I had hiked miles up stream until I ran out of fishable water. I start walking downstream and the trail I decided to walk down began to elevate off of the creek. I was still able to look down and see the water, so I was scanning for fish. I saw a few fish darting around here and there until I spotted a meatwad of rainbows hiding under and behind a downed tree. Mind you, I am now about 20' above the creek on a steep ledge. I had to trek back down until I was level with the creek and bushwack my way until I found the same downed tree. Sure enough, there was still a wad of fish. I thought there was about 7 or 8 fish, but when I made that first cast and hooked up on a nymph, I realized there was over 30 fish in that hole. After I got that fish, the others were not interested in any of my offerings, but they stayed put. So after trying every fly in my box, I threw on the trusty ol' wooly bugger. I made 5 casts and landed 5 fish. It was exciting, but then it got boring. I caught so many so easily on back to back casts off the same downed tree that it was enough for me. I never made it further than that downed tree. I went back to the bus, cleaned up and met the family at the pavilion for Easter brunch. 

Moral of the story, don't forget the wooly buggers. lol NEVER forget the wooly buggers. I've caught many fish throughout the Soque, in the smokies, and in blue ridge fishing a wooly bugger in the spring. 

-Eric


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

paint it black said:


> I'll be up in the smokies in April for our Easter trip. Last year, we stayed at some park that had a stream running through it. I asked the ranger what all the people fishing for were catching and I was surprised to hear it was trout. I brought the 4wt with me, but no waders. I "geared up" that afternoon and was surprised to see many trout, but they were very spooky. Some nice ones, around 14", saw a couple in the 18" range. I didn't manage to catch one, so I made sure to be up early the next morning. I hit the creek, 4wt in hand. The sun was just breaking, and immediately hooked up on a dry fly. Little by little, more people started coming out of their campers and hitting the creek. Next thing I know, the fish are all hiding from the slew of guys throwing Berkley Powerbait at them.
> 
> Well, I had only caught one fish, so I decided to trek down stream. The day before I had hiked miles up stream until I ran out of fishable water. I start walking downstream and the trail I decided to walk down began to elevate off of the creek. I was still able to look down and see the water, so I was scanning for fish. I saw a few fish darting around here and there until I spotted a meatwad of rainbows hiding under and behind a downed tree. Mind you, I am now about 20' above the creek on a steep ledge. I had to trek back down until I was level with the creek and bushwack my way until I found the same downed tree. Sure enough, there was still a wad of fish. I thought there was about 7 or 8 fish, but when I made that first cast and hooked up on a nymph, I realized there was over 30 fish in that hole. After I got that fish, the others were not interested in any of my offerings, but they stayed put. So after trying every fly in my box, I threw on the trusty ol' wooly bugger. I made 5 casts and landed 5 fish. It was exciting, but then it got boring. I caught so many so easily on back to back casts off the same downed tree that it was enough for me. I never made it further than that downed tree. I went back to the bus, cleaned up and met the family at the pavilion for Easter brunch.
> 
> ...


Your story made me think of the times when matching the hatch wasn't so important. I mainly fish the Smokies in the fall and most of the time I fish with a a dry dropper. But because I mainly fish salt water, I can't keep track of all the fresh water flies I have and where I got them and what they are called. But I found so many times in the Smokies where I just tied on a dry fly and the fish eat it. But there was this one time, I was fishing where this little rapid poured into a deep pool and I was drifting a dry through the rapid into the pool and catching little 4-6" rainbows. But I noticed that when I would pull these little fish in, a bigger like 9" rainbow would follow them. So I tied on a wooly bugger and stripped it across the pool and 1st cast, caught that carnivore that was chasing all those little rainbows. 
On another note, last year I was on the Big Horn in Montana and I swore I was not going to nymph. it was November and the browns were hungry and I had brought my 8wt that I use here in florida for throwing streamers to catch these big browns. And catch them I was. But then suddenly we come across part of the river where there was a hatch and the fish are sipping. So we switch to dry. And I caught about 5 rainbows on a dry. The guide in my drift boat wants to see the fly I am using and he has never seen it before. It turns out it was a fly that I had in my box that I had bought from the Smoky Mountain Angler in Gatlinburg. He asked me if he could have one so he could tie some like it. It is good to be lucky when you aren't good. #blindsquirrelfishinteam


----------



## cougmantx (May 25, 2016)

View attachment 4761
My favorite rod for that area is the Hardy Zenith 8'6" 4 weight. I've got some nice trout in the Ashville area with that rod.

I've caught Trout on dries, (mostly small hopper patterns made with foam), nymphs, and midges. My favorite is nymphs. Just have to get them to the proper depth. Most of the better known patterns will work.

It's a little far from Pigeon Forge, but if you find yourself in the Ashville area I would highly recommend a stop by Hunter Banks Fly shop. A great place with some great guides and Charlie will talk your ear off.


----------

