Caney Fork River

[hungNtree]

I made my first trip to the Caney Fork River yesterday. They stopped generating and 10am and I was sitting there on the bank waiting for them. I've never fished the Caney before so I was unsure how safe it was to wade while generating. The wind was very strong, I'm not the best caster in the world, but I have practiced on windy days before, but this was terrible. I actually watched my line float UP river because the wind was blowing it so hard. I really not sure how you are suppose to have a drag free float like that. ??? Anyway, in between gusts I was able to make some pretty fair casts, though the fishing wasn't very good. I seen and talked to several anglers, most of whom only caught one or two, or nothing at all. I did manage to catch one little rainbow on a 14 bead head prince. Maybe not the greatest day on the water, but any day on the water is a good day in my book.

hNt

[EdD]

hNt, if there are fish feeding on the surface there is actually a little trick that you can play. Replace you tippet with one that is 2 or more sizes smaller than is "right" for your leader. Tie on your dry fly. When the wind grabs your line, your fly lifts off and moves upstream, dipping across the surface like an insect. Obviously this requires matching the wind, tippet (diameter and length), & fly. You might not be able to get a working match, but it is something that I have pulled off a few times before. You can do something similar to Tenkara fishing by using a tippet 2 or more sizes smaller than the leader that it attaches to. Then mend the line so that the leader flips the light tippet and fly and it makes 2-3 hops across the surface.

Ed

[Fast Eddie]

You don't say where you were fishing, but there are three areas that are faily easy to access. 1. at the dam, 2. happy hollow and 3. at the rest area on I-40. Wading during generation is always dangerous, especially so if you're fairly new at the sport. So always be very careful out there.

[EdD]

Fast Eddie, unless something has changed, accessing the river from the I-40 rest area is prohibited. I have heard that one of the local highway patrol officers will cite people.

Ed

[hungNtree]

Ed,
I was at the dam. I'm surprised to hear that about I-40 rest area, I stopped there, they have a parking lot specifically for anglers??? Something must have changed. I sort of explored the river a little, at least from the truck. I checked out Happy Hollow, the I-40 rest area and Betty's Island, they all seemed like good places to access the river to me. I looked at parking along highway 141 and Kirby Rd, but they both had some very steep banks down to the river, I'm not so sure how well a bib clumsy guy like me would make it down those banks. Well, on second thought, I'm pretty sure I could get down, back up on the other hand...

Jason