Partial TR: Deep Creek

Well, I survived my latest excursion to the Smokies. I spent
almost a week there camped at Elkmont and re-visited lots of familiar
streams as well as exploring some new ones. I'll post something later
that touches on various bits and pieces of the trip, but for now, I
have a new love, and it's Deep Creek on the North Carolina side of the
park just outside of Bryson City.

It was almost a two-hour drive from my campsite to the creek, what
with road construction at 3 separate spots in the park plus driving
through Cherokee and Bryson City. But I am extremely glad I made the
decision to check it out.

Deep Creek is simply stunning in its beauty. It's also reluctant
to give up its fish (or at least it was for me). This was my first
full "combat fishing" of the trip. All of the other streams I'd been
on were fairly easy to access as you could stay on the trail and just
hop down to the stream whenever it looked nice.

Deep Creek is a different beast. With the exception of one huge
pool at a major bend in the river (http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/
deepcreekpool.jpg), which was possibly the fishiest water I saw all
trip, you had to commit to the water and wade/crawl/slither/slide to
do justice to the creek. (It may be my imagination, but it seemed
that the grabber/biter/eaters are bigger and more aggressive on the
North Carolina side. The trails are also steeper.)

I sacrificed my first flies of the trip to the tree gods, as well
as just generally making a fool of myself, but I absolutely loved it.
I worked hard for 6+ hours, between the steep trail, the slippery
streambed, the rhodos grabbing at me and my flies and line, and I came
away with two small rainbows, several halfhearted strikes, one nice
rainbow who I watched rise and sneer at my fly, plus some warpaint
shiners who slashed at my fly like it was a toy.

Was it worth it? Oh yes ... and I plan to return there and when I
do, I'll fish this long open pocket water stretch (http://
uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/deepcreekrun.jpg) which I passed by while
exploring upstream, and returned to later only to find another
fisherman just starting to fish.

Deep Creek is a special place, from its history (Kephart and
Cathey), to its beauty (http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/
indiancreekfalls.jpg), it ruggedness, and the absolutely gorgeous
stretches of fishable water (http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/
deepcreekbridge.jpg). I think I understand a little bit of why it is
so revered.

There are other interesting things about it too. I saw more
joggers on the trail than anywhere else on my trip, although they were
all in the lower stretches of the creek before the trail gets steep.
I even saw one guy who was fully wired up listening to his mp3 player
while running. What the hell?! As if the stream didn't provide
enough music for any semi-aware individual. I wondered what he was
listening to. Maybe new age music ... something like "Water Songs To
Jog To".

The last and final clinching glory to the place was when I returned
to my car to enjoy a cold beer (Blanco, Texas' own Real Ale Company's
Fireman's 4 Blonde Ale thankyewverymuch, and bite me, Ken :-) When I
opened the door to the driver's side, there was a perfectly formed
(and I mean *perfect* ... it almost didn't look real), huge sulfur dun
(at least a #14) sitting in my seat. I don't know how or when he got
there, but I gently picked him up and set him on the roof of my car,
where he stumbled about for a couple of secinds, raised and dried his
wings and flew off.

I think next time I'll fish more sulfurs on Deep Creek. Maybe I'll
even tie some really big ones.


Chuck Vance

On May 19, 1:28*pm, Conan The Librarian wrote:

* *Deep Creek is simply stunning in its beauty. *It's also reluctant
to give up its fish (or at least it was for me). *This was my first
full "combat fishing" of the trip. *All of the other streams I'd been
on were fairly easy to access as you could stay on the trail and just
hop down to the stream whenever it looked nice.

I was on Deep Creek Tuesday. It was still running high and for the
most part you had to go subsurface to get any thing but I managed to
coax a couple of bows out of their lair with a well placed.....sulfur.

Deep Creek is one of my favorites too but I doubt I've gone up it as
far as you probablly did. A couple of years ago I was going to go
farther than I ever had but as I walked by that big pool just pass the
foot bridge a hendrickson hatch was coming off and was followed by
sulfur and then a caddis emergence. By the time the hatches finished
it was starting to get dark.

On May 19, 3:42 pm, wrote:

I was on Deep Creek Tuesday.

Dammit, man ... you've got to stop following me around. ;-)

To give a little context: On Wednesday I hiked up to check out
Sam's Creek, a recently re-opened brook trout stream. I spent a
little time on the stream before I lost the trail, and I wasn't really
in the mood to rock-hop or bushwhack, so I started back down the trail
with the idea of heading to Tremont for a while.

As I was walking back down the trail I saw a group of 3 guys coming
up. And who was in that group but Mr. Wayne Knight. :-)

BTW, sorry I didn't make it to your barbeque on Thursday, but I was
gassed after my trip to Deep Creek and just hung around camp and took
it easy. (I did remember your cellphone number though. :-)

It was still running high and for the
most part you had to go subsurface to get any thing but I managed to
coax a couple of bows out of their lair with a well placed.....sulfur.

Heh. That was the ticket all week, wasn't it? :-) I caught my
first, last and practically every fish in between on a #16 para
sulfur.

Deep Creek is one of my favorites too but I doubt I've gone up it as
far as you probablly did. A couple of years ago I was going to go
farther than I ever had but as I walked by that big pool just pass the
foot bridge a hendrickson hatch was coming off and was followed by
sulfur and then a caddis emergence. By the time the hatches finished
it was starting to get dark.

I went about a 1/4 mile past the pool before heading back down to
check out some water I had bypassed on my way up. I'm guessing the
spot where I committed to the water is Baumgardners Bend; it's where
the trail heads up the mountain just after you round the bend past
that gorgeous pool. (Where there's a secondary trail on the left that
makes a little loop.) If I had to guess I'd say it's about 2.5 miles
up the trail from the traillhead.

BTW, I posted using Google groups and the urls for my pictures look
like they aren't wrapping correctly. Apologies, but just copy and
paste to see the photos.

So, how was the rest of your fishing? Did you stay through
Saturday? It was looking awfully foggy as I was leaving town.


Chuck Vance

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
Well, I survived my latest excursion to the Smokies. I spent
almost a week there camped at Elkmont and re-visited lots of familiar
streams as well as exploring some new ones. I'll post something later
that touches on various bits and pieces of the trip, but for now, I
have a new love, and it's Deep Creek on the North Carolina side of the
park just outside of Bryson City.

It was almost a two-hour drive from my campsite to the creek, what
with road construction at 3 separate spots in the park plus driving
through Cherokee and Bryson City. But I am extremely glad I made the
decision to check it out.

Deep Creek is simply stunning in its beauty. It's also reluctant
to give up its fish (or at least it was for me). This was my first
full "combat fishing" of the trip. All of the other streams I'd been
on were fairly easy to access as you could stay on the trail and just
hop down to the stream whenever it looked nice.

Deep Creek is a different beast. With the exception of one huge
pool at a major bend in the river (http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/
deepcreekpool.jpg), which was possibly the fishiest water I saw all
trip, you had to commit to the water and wade/crawl/slither/slide to
do justice to the creek. (It may be my imagination, but it seemed
that the grabber/biter/eaters are bigger and more aggressive on the
North Carolina side. The trails are also steeper.)

I sacrificed my first flies of the trip to the tree gods, as well
as just generally making a fool of myself, but I absolutely loved it.
I worked hard for 6+ hours, between the steep trail, the slippery
streambed, the rhodos grabbing at me and my flies and line, and I came
away with two small rainbows, several halfhearted strikes, one nice
rainbow who I watched rise and sneer at my fly, plus some warpaint
shiners who slashed at my fly like it was a toy.

Was it worth it? Oh yes ... and I plan to return there and when I
do, I'll fish this long open pocket water stretch (http://
uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/deepcreekrun.jpg) which I passed by while
exploring upstream, and returned to later only to find another
fisherman just starting to fish.

Deep Creek is a special place, from its history (Kephart and
Cathey), to its beauty (http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/
indiancreekfalls.jpg), it ruggedness, and the absolutely gorgeous
stretches of fishable water (http://uweb.txstate.edu/~cv01/
deepcreekbridge.jpg). I think I understand a little bit of why it is
so revered.

There are other interesting things about it too. I saw more
joggers on the trail than anywhere else on my trip, although they were
all in the lower stretches of the creek before the trail gets steep.
I even saw one guy who was fully wired up listening to his mp3 player
while running. What the hell?! As if the stream didn't provide
enough music for any semi-aware individual. I wondered what he was
listening to. Maybe new age music ... something like "Water Songs To
Jog To".

The last and final clinching glory to the place was when I returned
to my car to enjoy a cold beer (Blanco, Texas' own Real Ale Company's
Fireman's 4 Blonde Ale thankyewverymuch, and bite me, Ken :-) When I
opened the door to the driver's side, there was a perfectly formed
(and I mean *perfect* ... it almost didn't look real), huge sulfur dun
(at least a #14) sitting in my seat. I don't know how or when he got
there, but I gently picked him up and set him on the roof of my car,
where he stumbled about for a couple of secinds, raised and dried his
wings and flew off.

I think next time I'll fish more sulfurs on Deep Creek. Maybe I'll
even tie some really big ones.


Chuck Vance

Ya know...there are so many streams that the fishing and the
pictureesqessness.....he he he I made that up....really depend on the
day...

I will never forget a day of unbelievable beauty on straight creek with 10
to 12 inch browns....


john