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I got my first fly rod for Christmas (st. croix imperial) and I am hoping to give it a maiden run in a few weeks. I have a friend who is going to teach me what he knows and we are hoping to find some easy trout streams in the Chattanooga area. Any ideas?
Thanks
Mtnram
Hey Padre,
Welcome to FAOL and welcome to the
obsession that binds us together here. I
hope you come to enjoy both. There is
quite a lot of solid basics here on FAOL
that should get you off on the right foot.
Plenty of knowledgeable folks as well if
you have questions. Kick back and make
yourself at home.
Hopefully, someone can offer some
local info for your upcoming trip. If it
fits your budget, you might consider a
guide. In addition to being knowledgeable
of the waters you'll be fishing, he should
also be very helpful in your casting and
presentations. Hands on help from a
knowledgeable guide could certainly shorten
the learning curve. Again, welcome aboard.
Warm regards, Jim
To really jump-start your fly fishing journey, click on Flyfishing Basics on the left-hand menu. Then find Fly Fishing 101.
Lots of answers.
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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
mtnram:
Welcome aboard!! Best site in town!
Might I suggest getting "Tennessee Trout Waters 'Blue-Ribbon Fly-Fishing Guide'" by Ian Rutter. Published by Frank Amato Publicationss. [url=http://www.amatobooks.com:e63b2]www.amatobooks.com[/url:e63b2]
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I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!
Cactus
You guys are great!
I certainly will pick up the book, but right now I guess I am just looking for the easy answers. Probably trying to go sometime soon.
I plan on meeting a friend who is a guide in the spring, but this trip will be with another friend who is a bit more than a beginner(rookie maybe)
Thanks for all the encouragement and help.
Mtnram
If you want close to where you are, check out the Elk and the Duck rivers. They are both about halfway between you and Nashville. Both are easy to fish and TWRA stocks them on a regular basis. JUST CHECK THE GENERATION SCHEDULES and MAKE SURE YOU KEEP AN EYE ON THE WATER LEVELS and PLAN A WAY OUT OF THE RIVER!!!!
If you want to go a little further, try the Caney Fork near Nashville, the Clinch near Knoxville and darn near any wet spot in the Smokies.
Drop me an email if you want any further info.
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Ken
"The memory of a fisherman is more like fiction than journalism, that is, it doesn't ignore the facts, but it is not entirely bound by them, either."
John Gierach
As a starter trip you might want to try the Elk River close to Winchester, TN or the Duck River, close to Tullahoma. These are both easy to wade and the fish are generally fairly cooperative. Check with the fly fishing outfitter in Lynchburg, TN "Tim's Flies and Lies". They should be able to give you all the poop you need.
Ralph Shuey
Tennessee Valley Fly Fishers FFF
Huntsville, AL
I recommend the Hiwassee near Reliance, TN. It's a little over an hour from Chattanooga. Go to [url=http://www.hiwassee.net:0b199]www.hiwassee.net[/url:0b199] for info. This web site will tell you everything you need to know about the river.
This is a tailwater, so you will need to be wary of the TVA release schedule.
Right now woolly buggers in olive or white are doing well up there. You might also try drifting a nymph (I like pheasant tails) under a strike indicator. The Hiwassee can provide some fantastic dry fly fishing, but you'll likely do better right now with streamers and nymphs.
You might also consider the Tellico River near Tellico Plains. The Delayed Harvest is on right now up there and the Tellico is fishing well. Try big nymphs under strike indicators here. Go to [url=http://www.telliquahoutfitters.com:0b199]www.telliquahoutfitters.com[/url:0b199] for info. The Tellico is a little over an hour and a half from Chattanooga. There are also several tributaries of the Tellico that have excellent populations of wild browns and rainbows.
If you're looking for a quick flyfishing fix and don't have time to drive anywhere, try the tailwater below Chickamauga dam in Chattanooga. You can wade below the railroad bridge down there and have a ball. Right now clousers and white woolly buggers should be working for stripers, hybrids, skipjack, and the occasional smallmouth.
By the way, if the siren sounds when you're down there, get out of the water until you see what kind of pulse will be coming through.
I think TWRA also stocks N. Chickamauga creek from time to time, but you would need to check with them for the stocking schedule.
Hope this helps. Congrats on that new fly rod and good luck.
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It was like that when I got here.
Actually, I live in Birmingham, AL.. I assumed that Chattanooga was going to be the closest place I could find some good trout fishing combined with hiking/camping.
THnaks for the help.
Mtnram
My bad, mtnram. I just assumed you were from the Chattanooga area and didn't check your bio information. The only trout water near you that I know of is the Sipsey Fork tailwater. Never have fished it but I understand that it's a year round trout fishery.
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It was like that when I got here.
mtnram;
The book I suggested lists about every river mentioned above.
For example: The Chaney and the Clinch have camping and a lot of each can be fished along the road.
Has anyone had experience with the Sipsey area?
Mtnram, think Elk over the Caney right now, since there is so much discharge in Caney Fork. There is another thing that NEEDS to be said. If you wade, especially if you wade in tailwaters, make SURE that you have a wading belt on your waders and that it is tight enough to keep water from rushing in if you fall or the water rises. It it shouldn't be tight enough to impair circulation, but to keep your waders from filling with water. A few dollars for a wading belt can literally mean life or death. We had a drowning on the Caney Fork a few months ago. Please learn about wading safety. Don't feel shy about using a wading staff, if appropriate. Check the generation schedules. Be safe. Have fun!
ed
I live about 35 minutes from Chattanooga, right across the Ga. border in the Cohutta Wilderness. I'm on Grassy Mountain. We have several hundred miles of wilderness streams here, most of which are hike-in only (there are few roads here), and most have both stocked and wild brown and rainbow trout, as well as incredibly vicious smallmouth bass. At the top of Grassy Mountain, there are 3 or 4 small lakes (Lake Conasauga, Lake Murray and Peeples Lake) that also have good fishing, with trout, bass, catfish and mean bluegills and redears( I also shoot beavers there). Just take I-75 south from Chattanooga, across the border to the Dalton/Rocky Face exit. Go right at the bottom of the ramp and follow US 41 to US 76 (Walnut St.). Go left (east) and follow it to Ga. 286 (next light). Go left again and stay on 286. As it crosses US 411, it becomes CCC Camp Rd. Continue to follow it (bear left at the split) and when the sign says "Pavement Ends", take it to heart! It will become a very small dirt road (Forest Service Road 7) and continue up the mountain. From there, just pick any spot along the streamns, or park at any of the the trail-heads and walk in. There's even 3 or 4 big waterfalls back here. It's some of the most beautiful, relatively unspoiled country I've seen in this part of the US.
Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Semper Fi!