I've been tying for about 3 weeks now. I'd been working my way through Al Campbell's articles, and adding in a couple of easy local favorites, including the Zebra Midge. That is the "go-to" fly on the Clinch river. Unfortunately, I have yet to catch a fish on a fly I tied.

Today I saw that the generators would be shutting off about 1. I got there about 1:15. Rigged up with one of my Zebra Midges and went down to the water. 20 minutes later, I had hooked this:



I don't know who was more shocked, me or the fish. I did remember to clip off the fly and save it for the future. I tied on another one and proceeded to catch two more decent sized fish in the next hour. After that it was too cold.

On my way home, I stopped at my local fly shop. I've been looking for a small stream rod for the Smokies for months. I have cast a bunch of three weights and waffled back and forth. I really liked the Sage XP and SLT, but they were a bit more than I wanted to spend.

Today I had the proverbial "offer I couldn't refuse" made on an XP 8' 3wt. So I catch my first trout on a fly I tied and walk home with a new high end rod in the same day.

Can't wait to try the new rod with some more flies I have tied up...