Last day

I broke a sweat getting down into Slickrock and I damn
near broke a gut getting up out of there. Damn, but that's
a hike. Kipper plopped down on the ground at Big Fat Gap
and slept through a passing thunderstorm, poor old guy,
he's gonna be 9 come September and for a dog that's almost
elderly.

A good day of fishing, I caught one brown that I told
Tewksbury went about 8 pounds.

I had five good days astream, time for this yankee,
(that's "damn yankee" for all y'all of the southern
persuasion ;-), to head back to the flatlands of Urbana.

I'll be back.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

I had five good days astream,

Sounds and looks like a wonderful time/ area, makes me wish for days gone by
when a short 3wt and small streams in rugged terrain were common elements in
my summer. Glad you had a good trip, Ken

Larry L wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote
I had five good days astream,

Sounds and looks like a wonderful time/ area, makes me wish for days gone by
when a short 3wt and small streams in rugged terrain were common elements in
my summer. Glad you had a good trip, Ken

Thanks, Larry. It is a beautiful area and I'm very
fortunate to be able to fish it. All 3 of my 3wts
got nice workouts during the week as did me and the
hound.

Much yard and garden work to be done. A lot of things
happening during this time of year to be taking a
week off to play with fish in the mountains, but I
know where I'll be next year during the second week
of May. (Good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

.. A lot of things
happening during this time of year to be taking a
week off to play with fish in the mountains, but I
know where I'll be next year during the second week
of May. (Good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. ;-)

hell, there may be the slightest chance that your soul might be
redeemed, after all.

yfitons
wayno

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

I'll be next year during the second week
of May. (Good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. ;-)



Just a thought. The picture of Santeetlah Creek strongly reminded me of a
Sierra Creek I used to fish that has a rare population of wild Lahontan
Cutthroats ( Two Headed Rattlesnake Creek, in Bad Bear Gulch, with an
approach via Dead Man Cliffs ) This is the place where I first learned to
really appreciate traditional soft hackle flies.

Try about a 14 yellow and partridge ( gray phase ) fished exactly like you
would a dry, upstream, but allowed to sink an inch or two. 99% of the
casts you can see it the whole drift, but those spooky thin water trout will
take it much better than a dry. If you tie the soft hackles with real
Persall's silk thread and fish a bamboo rod, you can pretty much remove any
guilt you might otherwise have over not fishing dry flies G Seriously,
give it a try especially at little yaller sally time

Larry L wrote:
Just a thought. The picture of Santeetlah Creek strongly reminded me of a
Sierra Creek I used to fish that has a rare population of wild Lahontan
Cutthroats ( Two Headed Rattlesnake Creek, in Bad Bear Gulch, with an
approach via Dead Man Cliffs ) This is the place where I first learned to
really appreciate traditional soft hackle flies.

Try about a 14 yellow and partridge ( gray phase ) fished exactly like you
would a dry, upstream, but allowed to sink an inch or two. 99% of the
casts you can see it the whole drift, but those spooky thin water trout will
take it much better than a dry. If you tie the soft hackles with real
Persall's silk thread and fish a bamboo rod, you can pretty much remove any
guilt you might otherwise have over not fishing dry flies G Seriously,
give it a try especially at little yaller sally time

Well, guilt aside ;-), in those Smokies headwaters I fish with
a little bamboo rod the best characteristic a fly can have is
to be a good high floater. In fact, once a fly gets slimed or
water-logged and sinks below the surface it won't catch a fish
at all. The difference, I think, is that you're talking about
thin, slick, flat, clear water and where I find trout is mostly
turbulent, fast pockets. The technique is not so much casting
and watching the whole drift, the whole drift might last like
two seconds at most, but more like "dapping", just putting the
fly on the spot. If you're standing up, making long casts and
watching the whole drift, you ain't catchin' no fish high up
in the Smokies. You could tie on a nymph I suppose and dredge
up some trout that way, but hell if you're gonna sink that low
you might as well just use a worm. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

In article , Ken
Fortenberry wrote:

Well, guilt aside ;-), in those Smokies headwaters I fish with
a little bamboo rod the best characteristic a fly can have is
to be a good high floater.

Same with the small streams on Exmoor and Donegal where I fish. One of
the reasons I like a long rod (though a light one - Sage 3/8'9"?) for
these streams is to be able easily to whip the fly up and lay it down
again on bubbly rocky water.

Six or twelve inch drifts before the fly a) gets dragged or b) sinks.
Whup it up and lay it down again.

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

Well, guilt aside ;-), in those Smokies headwaters I fish with
a little bamboo rod the best characteristic a fly can have is
to be a good high floater. In fact, once a fly gets slimed or
water-logged

ah, well ... it was just that one picture that looked like the places I've
found the SH works great, especially mid-day on sunny days

I almost always use a dry on such small waters, too

Lazarus Cooke wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Well, guilt aside ;-), in those Smokies headwaters I fish with
a little bamboo rod the best characteristic a fly can have is
to be a good high floater.

Same with the small streams on Exmoor and Donegal where I fish. One of
the reasons I like a long rod (though a light one - Sage 3/8'9"?) for
these streams is to be able easily to whip the fly up and lay it down
again on bubbly rocky water.
...

I like to use as long a rod as I can for exactly that reason,
one of my 3wts is a 9' Winston, but a 9' rod can be a real
pain in the arse when the stream is tight with trees and
rhododendrons. I end up using a 7.5' Winston 3wt and a 6'3"
bamboo 3wt most of the time up on the small mountain streams
in North Carolina.

--
Ken Fortenberry