Fly Fishing the freestone streams of the Smoky Mountains demand certain techniques for anglers to be successful. It's amazing how spooky these fish can be. A little thing like too much fly line on the surface can send an otherwise hungry fish into hiding.... That's why I called someone with plenty of the necessary skills.
On Saturday 3/21 Sean Harper and I hit the Little River at Elkmont. He had three fish before I made my first cast. He only got to spend one day but I had an extended weekend to improve my fish numbers, which I did.
The fish gradually became more and more active each day I was out. I fished mostly mid to late afternoons, and on Monday saw the Quill Gordon hatch in full-swing and the fish responding well to almost any dry-fly pattern.
I averaged 5-6 fish each outing and one late afternoon had (I'm assuming) a big brown eat a #16 BHPT then just lay there. I pulled once thinking I was caught on a rock, then this fish rocketed down stream like nothing I'd ever witnessed. The last time I saw this fish it was in the air, and it sounded like someone slapping a boat paddle on the water when he went back in. Hooking that fish came as a total surprise because most don't grow so big in the smokies...but apparently they're out there.
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