First time fly fishing in cold weather yesterday

[92Esquire]

I don't know what came over me. Last week I just felt I HAD to fish - no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Life has kind of conspired to keep me away from my fly rod for the past few months. So I decided to give it a try.

I ended up fishing the Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park yesterday for about 4 hours. When I got there the ambient temp was about 28, when I left it had reached a balmy 38. I spent two hours out, up until my hands started numbing. I have to say that the morning was very frustrating. I started on the Tremont Creek section. As much as I love my Sage Fli 590, I'm beginning to think that a 9' rod is too much for the smaller creeks. I think I spent about twice as much time repairing my leader and tying on new flies as I did actually fishing. I was nymphing, and since the water was heavy I was putting extra weight on behind my BH Pheasant Tails to try to get into the deeper pools. It didn't work, I didn't catch anything. Not even a strike. Depressed I headed out of the park after two hours. This is nothing new - I'm coming to realize that I need some lessons. It's a very rare thing for me to hook into a fish up there.

I stopped at the local fly shop before heading home. I had been told that if I found anything to buy myself for Christmas to go ahead and SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) would wrap it and put it under the tree. A new rod was out of the question, but a C&F nymph box and a couple of other small things were just about right. Also, the folks there asked me what I'd been doing that morning, gave me a few tips on what I might be doing wrong (like fishing too early - the water temp was only 38 degrees), and sold me enough replacement flies that I decided to go out again, this time on the Little River.

It's odd fishing sections of river that are packed with tubers and sunbathers in the summer and being the only one there. I fished for another two hours and the only other person I saw was a kayaker. I didn't catch anything again, but I had two good strikes. One of them was near the surface and the fish hit my fly hard. I just couldn't set in time, or I set too soon. So while feeling sorry for myself about my shoddy fishing skills, I notice a car stop above me. They stop just long enough to take a picture of me and leave. I looked around and realized that I'm standing in a gorgeous spot, with sunlight dappling the surface and light mists wafting over the river. I figured they wanted a picture of an idiot in a skullcap and camo neoprene waders fishing in freezing water to remind them of why they live in Florida or something.

No fish, lost 5 flies and destroyed a leader. But I can say I did it. I know what it's like to clean ice out of my guides. I'm sure it will happen again, but probably not until I do a bit more reading about what I'm supposed to be doing out there.

[Jed]

I can understand your joy. I do that same thing periodically up here in New England. That is fishing, not catching. Whatever, it sure beats sitting around the house like a couch potato.

jed

[1wt]

92,
You are not alone, my friend Fishing the park in the Winter is a very lonely proposition, with generally very few fish (if any) to show for your efforts. But honestly....can you think of any more beautiful place to be miserably frozen, on the verge of hypothermia, looking at a box full of flies and a pocket full of leaders that you would love to use if you could feel anything below your lips? (This is PRECISELY the reason they invented flasks

I fished the Greenbrier area about 3 weeks ago, on a day that started out at 32 and rose all the way up to 38....and it rained all day. I *saw* 3 fish that day, one very large one. I had 2 strikes all day, and I would do it again today if I could get away! (Keep in mind that I am an obsessed, insane, lost fool

I assume you were talking to the boys at LRO? They're a wealth of info. Challenge them to put you on some fish with the right fly (make it a game) and I bet your next trip they certainly will.

Don't be afraid of the Little. I have caught a ton of fish on the Nantahala, even in the middle of Summer, having to cast in between the kayakers and tubers. The fish will follow those rafts and such hoping their wake kicks something up off the bottom. I guess we have been invading their space for so long that they finally realized we weren't going away so they're making the best of it in spite of us.

Don't give up! I ONLY fish in the Winter. There are tons of fish to be caught, but the park is VERY difficult fishing in any season. Those fish are worked harder than any fish in the world, and I am not exagerating. Catching a wild trout from a popular area of the GSMNP is worthy of note, and if you keep it up, you'll get it done sooner than you think! If you're nymphing in the Park, especially in Winter, lose any strike indicators and learn to high stick. It's your only hope Luke....use the force!

If you have time, slide on through the Park and head towards Robbinsville, NC. Big Snowbird Creek and the Nantahala are two very good waters in the Winter months, and the Nant also as a DH section if you get completely skunked and need a confidence builder

Tight lines, and warm hands,

1wt

I had to edit to add this:

If you've never fished the Nant, trust me here.....going alone isn't the smartest thing to do there. There is a reason it is such a popular river with the rafters and kayakers, and if you have any "adventurous, risk-taking" characteristics in your personality, going alone is not a good idea. The DH section is fine by yourself, but through the Gorge, you need to be a scared, stupid, dork who calulates every step and every possibility if you do fall (like me, but mostly the "scared, stupid, dork part ), or have a buddy nearby.

BEAUTIFUL river though, with a LOT of fish (NC State record brown was pulled from the Gorge)

[This message has been edited by 1wt (edited 17 December 2005).]

[Gardenfish]

I was going to have a few casts today, but it is 18 degrees in the valley and I might be crazy but I am not a fool!

[MNFisher]

I can't wait for winter trout fishing. It's 7 degrees (with the cold still to come) - but the season doesn't open until January.....

[bwagner]

for some reason I tend to trout fish much more in the winter myself. I live in Maryland, and we have the Tailwater of the prettyboy dam, the Gunpowder river starts there. I'm not trying to boast or anything, but I just walked in the door from the water, and I landed five fish today, and had several more very nice strikes, but did'nt get the hook set. I feel privelidged to have such a resource near my home. Keep trying though, winter fishing can be very rewarding if you persist.
~Tight lines

[92Esquire]

Well there you are then. I was fishing the size 18 BHPT with an indicator. Oops. I had some midges but didn't think to try them.

For whatever reason, I really like the Tremont and Elkmont sections. I didn't want to drive all the way to Elkmont yesterday though due to the light coating of ice on the roads.

The folks at LRO were very helpful. I'll keep bugging them for tips, maybe something will hook up. I guess it really doesn't matter so much whether I'm catching fish or not, I really like being out there. Hard to explain to folks who don't want to try it, though. I pointed a book called something like "Catching more fish in small streams" to my wife. She told me I need the prequel - "Catching A fish in small streams". Everyone's a comedian.

I fished a day last week on the Little Red that the water temp was warmer than the air at 48 degrees. The air temp was a balmy 28 degrees. I saw maybe 2 other people the entire time I fished. I got a few nice fish and some smaller rainbows and brookies. It still is better than sitting inside wishing I was fishing. I throw tungsten beadheads and have had 30 and 40 fish days on the Red. Quite a few "hat tricks" of browns, rainbows and brookies but no slam... missing a Cutthroat. My best so far is a brookie measured at 17" and a brown measured at 16". Not bad being almost entirely alone on a beautiful river on a beautiful day.


Mike

------------------
There is no greater fan of flyfishing than the worm.


Patrick McManus