Daniel-San (Rot13) wrote:

"Conan The Librarian" wrote ...

[Lttle River above Elkmont]

That stretch is also relatively open water for the Smokies, meaning you
don't have to crouch and flip/bow-and-arrow/rollcast around overhanging
branches the whole time. You'll actually be able to make some longer
casts if the situation calls for it.

March '03 was a hike up Forney Creek, and then down thru Andrew's Bald.
(Trip report, if you're desperate for some bad writing:
http://forums.backpacker.com/message...ssageID=152946)

Hey, that was a fun read. I even got my map out to follow your
trip.

The whole trip,
my friend and I were kicking ourselves for not having brought and fishing
gear. I'd like to do the trip again -- with the appropriate rod/flyz/etc --
but I don't think we're gonna have time to do a full blown BP trip.

Yeah, you *should* have been kicking yourselves. :-)

IIRC, Ken F. has done the Forney Creek trail, but mentioned that
it's probably not worth the effort given some of the other
possibilities in the area.

Just to whet your appetite, here's a couple of shots I took last year:

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/little01.jpg

http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/little02.jpg

I thought your wife was the photog, and you were the super-mo-dell? Nice
shots.

Thanks. She is the artist among the two of us, but I've been
shooting "documentary" shots for much longer than she's even had a
camera (more than a "point-and-shoot").

And yes, I am the super-mo-dell. :-)

Oh yeah ... if you don't have it, you might want to look into the
National Geographic trails map of the Smokies
(http://makeashorterlink.com/?D2EF3285D). It's printed on a coated paper
that's waterproof. I carried mine with me all the time.

Yeppers. Same one. I have TI maps for places I've only contemplated
visiting. Great maps, and with some bit of skill at reading topos, you can
sort of take the trip without going. Well...only if you're a map geek. Not
that there's anything wrong with that.

Hey, I got mine out this afternoon, and I was reminded of how much I
"saw" before I had even driven to the area. :-)

Er, if you're like me, it will be several books, the Delorme for NC,
plus a few topo maps. :-}

Yep.... I take full advantage of the REI map section. I have a collection of
various guides to various activities for various areas. I'm a various guy, I
guess...

Yah, and I'm a librarian ... at least that's *my* excuse. :-)

But some people think I overdo my prep for these trips. :-)

Not possible. For a BP trip, I've been known to pack, unpack, and repack
multiple times to get the gear load 'just right', culling and adding as
appropriate.

Hey, I do that with just a fishing vest. :-)

[snip of shots from my trip last year]

Very nice pics. One of these days, I'll have to scan the negs from my trip
and post them somewhere. I'm no pro, but some of those shots are nice.
(Everyone gets lucky, eh?)

Scan them and post them if you've got them.

I fully believe that it's hard to take a bad pic in the Smokies.

Chuck Vance (oh, and take a 3-wt. rod if you've got one; about a
7'6" one will do nicely)

I have a 6'9" and a 7'0", both 4wts. Actually, the 7 footer is a
3/4...hmmm....maybe time to pick up some 3wt WF line.

I used my newish TFO "Finesse" 4-wt. 7'9" on my last trip, and it
does quite nicely there. It's a nice slow-action rod that responds
well to a short line/rollcasting, etc.

I woudn't hesitate to use it again.


Chuck Vance (but if I had to choose *one* rod for the streams
there it would probably be a 3-wt. of about 7'6" ... of course, I'm
throwing almost nothing but small dries)