TR 2 - TENN, part 1

I'll never be able to convey adequately the uniqueness and enjoyment of
the tenn leg of the trip, but here goes.

after spending a few days with rachel and me at the snowbird place last
october, Dan'l and Cindy invited us to visit them at their retirement
home in tennessee. my mountain tour seemed a good bookend for a visit
with them this year, and it seemed a good opportunity to test their
mettle.

Having only recently recovered from PGSD ("post gatlinburg stress
disorder") suffered as a consequence of an unwitting stumble into
Gatlinburg in 1978, I've successfully avoided repeating the error,
rarely crossing into the Tenn side of the smokies since. however, for
those similarly afflicted, let me assure you that if one is going to
venture into tenn, and if there is any hope of a quick cure for PGSD,
there is no better reason or sure cure than spending time with dan'l and
cindy. as a plus, willi was scheduled to be visiting at danl's to fish
the lake and to travel with dan to penns.

the finn lake manse is, well, superb...a spacious and comfortable haven
perched in a woodsy setting on a western bluff overlooking watts bar
lake. dan and cindy have created a terrific home. the only things
lacking are a masseuse, valet service, and an escalator to and from the
boathouse on the lake. well-situated for immediate lake fishing and
within an hour or so drive for forays to several mountain trout streams,
i quickly pronounced the place a fisherman's valhalla. it even came
furnished with a stalwart fishing dog, the incomparable
"sarge"...watcher of bobbers and defender of piscators.

anyway, i plopped my disruptive self into their serene scene on sunday
and enjoyed their hospitality until the following friday...actually, i
wallowed in their hospitality. i reckon i tested their kindness and
patience right crisply, but they never winced. ...at least not openly.
thanks dan, and a huge---can't say it enough--- thanks to cindy.

on monday, dan, willi and i headed back to nc to fish slickrock creek.
i had fished it with indian joe in oct 06 and discovered some nice fish,
plus it's a creek shielded from the majority of day fishermen because
of difficulty in access. we launched the gheenoe into calderwood and
putted across under the sleek mercury power of my 2.5 hp motor to the
mouth of slickrock. fished all day without sight of another fisherman,
caught several unusually colored rainbows almost immediately, but none
of the big brookies i saw and caught in october. though the stream is
reported to hold browns in the lower stretch, we caught only rainbows.
i've heard others remark on the unusual colors of the rainbows in this
stream, and it's true. some had such a yellow tint to their bellies that
we thought they were browns from a distance in the water as we were
reeling them in. we fished up to the falls, but didn't catch much other
than chubs in the last half of the stretch. the water felt uncommonly
warm, especially as compared to every other stream i fished during the
trip.

i've posted a few pics of slickrock on abpf...

jeff