issue 37
june/july 2018
Southern Trout
www.southerntrout.com
www.southerntrout.com
Cherokee County North Carolina ANDREWS | MURPHY | BRASSTOWN
Open For All Seasons
ARTS | RECREATION | HISTORY | FESTIVALS WE HAVE IT ALL!
www.visitcherokeecountync.com info@visitcherokeecountync.com 828-557-0602 2 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Publisher's message
The sixth-anniversary issue of Southern Trout is passing without fanfare. All I can say is that the last six were great fun and significant challenges. I want to thank you from the bottom of hearts for your incredible support and many compliments. Two events worth noting for the completion of year six are the Go Fund Me page on Facebook and noted fly rod designer/guru is taking on a regular column on the revolution in fiberglass fly rods and tremendous stir it creates the sublime world of fly fishing. The Go Fund Me page was created to allow fly fisherman across the nation to be a part of the aquarium addition currently underway in Bryson City, North Carolina at the Museum of Southern Appalachian Fly
Fishing. The multimillion-dollar expansion in Bryson City is being accomplished by Alan Baker, Bob Nanney, and company via the goodwill and contribution of thousands of supporters. Once complete the museum will not house the story and memorabilia of fly fishing in the South, but will also contain one of the largest array of aquariums featuring all fishes in the drainages represented by the museum. If you have yet to visit the Museum of Southern Appalachian Fly Fishing, by all means, plan to do so soon. Despite being open for just a couple of years, it already houses a tremendous number of artifacts and fun fly fishing stuff. Baker and Nanney have done a great job of piecing together the puzzle of the story of fly fishing in the region. The Go Fund Me page is a Southern Trout Magazine project with the goal of providing the thousands of fly fishers of the South an opportunity to put a little in the collection plate and have a proverbial seat at the table of a great accomplishment. The wonderful story of fly fishing in the South almost escaped our grasps. The Go Fund Page allow individuals as well as membership chapters of the FFF and TU to contribute to the cause. I encourage all readers to consider contributing. Who knows where the project is going, but I can say that from my seat, it is an excellent, worthwhile project deserving of the support of the region's fly fishing community.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 3
Anderson Creek Retreat Anderson Creek Retreat is your basecamp for a healthy outdoor lifestyle on 1,200 acres next to the National Forest, less than ninety minutes from Atlanta near the historic mountain towns of Ellijay and Blue Ridge. We’re in outdoor recreation country known for trout fishing, hiking, whitewater rivers, horseback riding, mountain biking and cycling. Amicalola Falls State Park and the Appalachian Trail are just over the ridge. The 4,000-foot ridges of Rich Mountain Wilderness are across the Cartecay River Valley. Home sites average more than four acres and offer backdoor access to twelve miles of trails through a landscape of springs, trout streams, high mountain ridges, hardwood forests, pastures, meadows and the 19th century homestead ruins. Conservation easements with the Georgia Land Trust protect a mile of Anderson Creek and Anderson Lake for catch and release fly fishing for rainbow and brown trout. Check us out on the web at www.andersoncreekretreat.com. Call 706-635-5124 or email land@andersoncreekretreat.com.
www.anders
soncreekretreat.com
Southern Trout Publisher Managing Editor Special Projects Dir. Photographer/Writer Editorial Consultant
Don Kirk Leah Kirk Loryn Lathem Adam Patterson Olive K. Nynne
Contributors Harry Murray Kevin Howell FIELD STAFF
Ron Gaddy Columnist Jimmy Jacobs, Georgia Editor Roger Lowe Columnist Rocky Cox Columnist Steve Moore Columnist Columnist Polly Dean Columnist Bob Mallard
It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr. Tim O’Brien to the SM family. We met Tim and his lovely wife several years ago at the Virginia Wine & Fly Festival. He was in the middle of resurrecting the historic Tycoon Rod Company founded by his father. The Obama years were tough on us all, and especially start-up companies in the super tough world of fly fishing. Despite giving it their best, the O'Brien finally called it quits. If you are lucky enough to have one of the second generation Tycoon rods---lucky you. Tim will begin by tracing the origins of the glass rod to it current generations. I can think of no one better suited to accept the challenge that Tim O'Brien and anticipate great popularity for its presence has a regular column in Southern Trout Magazine. One last this. In July we’ll be at the Branson Fly Fishing Expo along with editors Terry and Roxanne Wilson of the Southern Trout “Ozark Edition” Magazine. Associate Publisher Claude Preston tentatively well be there along Olive K. Nynne, our confidant. It's our first trip to the Ozarks in ayeer, and we are very excited about it. Hope to say hi to all of STOE fans at the event.
ON THE COVER Southern Trout is a publication of Southern Unlimited, LLC. Copyright 2018 Southern Unlimited LLC. All rights reserved.
We just can't get enough of the art of Adriano Manocchia!!!
http://adriano-art.com/
Just go to his website and ENJOY!!
THIS ISSUE Publisher's Message
3
Terrestrial Tactics for Trout
12
Nahoochee Bend for Big Trout
28
28
Expert Advice on Upping 38 Your Nymphing Game
12
Keep the Heat in the Heat 48 Not the Kitchen CORTLAND's 10' 6" Competition Fly Rod
52
New Fly Guide Random Tips
62
48
38
CHEROKEE 72 The Native Way Olive Blackwing 84 Same Ole Same Ole Ross Evolution LTX 4/5 Fly Reel
90
How Our Streams Got Their Names
98
20
52
Travis Sylvester 104 Artist Outdoorsman
8 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
98
THIS ISSUE Saddleback Leather Company
FOUR CHANCES TO WIN A SADDLEBACK LEATHER BAG
62 90
72
116
116
The Fiberglass Re-Revolution
124
Bryson City Fly Fishing 132 Museum UPDATE
98
40 104
170
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 9
experience counts for everything Meet Brian Lynch, one of the most innovative anglers and best guides in the business. Professionals like Brian are our first call when we need boots on the ground (and in the water), and our go-to team when it comes to understanding what truly makes a great rod. Their knowledge, their expertise, their understanding is passed on to our craftsmen who strive for perfection and uncompromising performance in every rod we make. To us, Brian and his fellow professionals are our unsung heros. We salute you. Brian calls Western Massachusetts home and can be found working the Deerfield river virtually all year round.
introducing the new avantt and exocett series from t&t. remarkably light. extraordinarily strong.
est
19 6 9
T H E R O D YO U W I L L E V E N T UA L LY OW N
www.thomasandthomas.com HANDMADE IN AMERICA
E
Terrestria
very year I find myself fishing terrestrial fly patterns for trout more than I did the year before. This trend started with me one day when I was fishing on the Pennsylvania’s Letort with the late Charlie Fox. When Charlie saw that I was using a Crowe Beetle he calmly stated, “That’s a great fly on this stream and it’s my favorite fly on mountain trout streams like you have in Virginia.”
Jeff Murray takes many large trout by fishing Shenk’s Letort Hoppers on meadow streams. 12 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
al Tactics Harry Murray
for Trout www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 13
When I got back to Virginia I began using the Crowe Beetle a great amount on all of my freestone streams with outstanding success. I even dressed it up a little with a wing to make it easier to see and a buggy body and the Murray’s Flying Beetle was born. The next spring an angler-friend who is a professional biologist stopped in my fly shop and when I told him of the success I was having with the Flying Beetle he stated, “That’s understandable because there are over two hundred beetle-like insects around most trout streams and the trout feed on all of them.” With this in mind let’s take a look at many of the terrestrial fly patterns and how we can use them in various ways from spring until fall.
Many trout can be caught by fishing Murray’s Flying Beetle around the brush.
14 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Natural black ants start showing up around the trout streams in the mid Atlantic area by the middle of April. Admittedly the natural mayflies have center stage at this time because you may have good hatches of Eperous pleuralis, Ephemerella subvaria, and Paraleptophlebia adaptiva. These all provide good dry fly fishing when there are many duns coming off and during the spinner fall in the evenings. However, when the hatch is sparse these trout still need to feed and with the abundance of natural ants on the stream they take them readily. I’ve had great fish at this time with a Black Fur Ant size 14 and a Mr. Rapidan Ant size 14.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 15
Match your terrestrial flies to the natural insects you find along the stream in order to catch the largest trout.
16 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
When you are considering which terrestrial pattern to use in any situation look at the vegetation around the stream in order to determine what the trout have to feed upon and then match this with your flies. For example, a meadow stream I fish often has about a one hundred yard stretch I call “the jungle”. There are always trout feeding in this maze of low tree limbs, but it wasn’t until I noticed the almost constant sprinkling of natural black and cinnamon ants they provided to the stream that I determined how to fish it successfully. Once I realized that each trout selected a specific feeding station I was able to crawl in cautiously and by fishing to each specific trout in turn, take many of them on Mr. Rapidan Ants and Cinnamon Fur Ants. Inchworms show up around many streams in the spring and some of his relatives are present all summer. A good way to present your Inchworm to the trout is with a firm snap on the presentation cast so it lands on the stream with a small splash just like a real one would if it fell off a limb. This often attracts the trout’s attention and he’ll take it quickly. However, there are exceptions as Willie Downey and I found as we were finishing our day’s fishing on a small meadow stream. Willie had finished fishing and was standing on a six foot high bank beside the stream talking to me as I fished my way up to him. For some reason he allowed his leader, with an Inchworm attached, to dangle down on the stream below him. The current tightened the leader and the Inchworm bounced up and down the surface of the stream. A huge brown trout came out from beneath the undercut bank at Willie’s feet and took his Inchworm. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 17
After landing the brown a hundred feet downstream he went back upstream and succeeded in catching two more large browns from the same undercut bank on his dangling Inchworm. Apparently these trout were accustomed to feeding on the natural worms hanging over the water. Numerous natural beetles can be found around our stream early in the summer and the Japanese beetles show up a little later. Shrubs along the streams attract great numbers of beetles and many of them fall onto the streams. From June until November I almost always start the day by fishing the Murray’s Flying Beetle when there is no hatch. On freestone streams you can take many trout by simply covering the water to fish the best feeding stations with your Beetle and by going one on one with any trout you see rising. On spring creek drift your Beetles along all of the undercut banks and beside brush piles. I also use the Murray’s Flying Beetle as a “hatch finisher”. For example, when you’re fishing a trico hatch and the number of natural taper off at the end of the hatch there will still be a few good trout on feeding stations that appear to want just a few more naturals. These trout are pushovers for your Beetles. Another Beetle trick I often use I call “hitting him on the tail”. Let’s assume you’ve had a large brown come up and look at several different flies but refuse them all. Put on a Flying Beetle size 14 and wait until he returns to his feeding station. Don’t cast your fly upstream of the trout but present it with firm snap onto the stream a foot to the side of him straight out from his tail. Many of the trout will turn and grab it quickly. Are you cheating? Of course not, you’re going to put him back anyway. 18 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Meadow stream will give you many trout when you fish the Murray’s Flying Beetle along the banks.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 19
Many large browns hold below brush along the streams to feed on Beetles.
20 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Ed Shenk’s Cricket is one of the most productive flies I use throughout the country. Fish these along the undercut banks on spring creeks and large rivers. This is a great early-morning fly because the natural crickets become active earlier than grasshoppers. This is the best “fish finder” I know. That is, it has such great trout appeal that few large trout holding on a feeding station can resist pulling up under it to investigate it. Many of these trout will take it but even if they don’t they have revealed their feeding stations and you can taper down to a finer tippet and often take many of these trout on a smaller Beetle or Ant.
Another great use of Shenk’s Cricket is fishing the mountain streams in the summer when the mountain wasps are around the stream. An effective tactic is to fish this in size 16 Cricket on the lip of the pools and in the back eddies. By late in the summer the natural grasshoppers along the streams are large enough to attract the largest trout. Be sure to pay special attention to those sections of the streams beside pasture fields and hay fields because frequently there are great numbers of hoppers here. For example, one hot summer afternoon I was fishing beside a steep pasture field on Big Spring Creek in Pennsylvania when strong winds preceding a thunderstorm blew hundred of grasshoppers onto the stream. The trout started feeding on them all over the stream. For the next hour I fished a Shenk’s Letort Hopper size 12 to the rising trout and landed more large trout than I’d ever caught on that stream. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 21
The author uses a cautious approach as he fishes a Mr. Rapidan Ant in the low streams.
22 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
I often impart a gentle twitching action to dry hopper patterns. This is especially productive along undercut banks, beside aquatic grassbeds and in deep pool tails. In fact, this tactic often catches more trout than a conventional dead drift. One of the finest anglers in the country is Debie Waterman. The fly Debie goes to for tough trout in flat water is the Jassid. May times I’ve seen her catch one trout after another on Jassids when all of the anglers around her were getting skunked on traditional flies. Seeing Debie’s success with these has encouraged me to use Jassids often when I spot rising trout taking small leaf hoppers from the surface when there is no specific hatch. Also I’ve fooled many large trout with Jassids that were feeding on a variety of chironomids. A very effective tactic is to taper your leader down to 7X and cast a size 20 Jassid very delicately two feet upstream of each rising trout. I believe you’ll be very pleased with the results. If you would like to catch those tough trout that consistently refuse your regular mayfly, caddisfly, and stonefly dry flies try showing them these terrestrial patterns. They really work!
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 23
Yep, it’s just that easy with Western North Carolina’s premier fly shop and guide service. Kevin Howell and his experienced staff have been fishing the surrounding 500 miles of prime trout waters so long, they know all the fish on first name basis. And they’ll be more than happy to make a few introductions.
PISGAH FOREST, NC
GUIDE SERVICES | ONLINE & RETAIL STORE | LESSONS
Nacoochee Bend 28 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
O
ne of the more interesting phenomenon to develop in trout fishing in Georgia during the past two decades is the appearance of pay-tofish, fly-fishing-only, catch-and-release private waters in the state’s northern highlands. Prior to the appearance of these fisheries, catching an 18-inch rainbow or brown was virtually the Holy Grail of wetting a hook in the Peach State. Such a fish just might have proven to be the catch of a lifetime for many fly casters here.
d For Big Trout By Jimmy Jacobs
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 29
Really big trout could be found in Waters Creek, then the state’s only trophy stream on public land, or occasionally from the tailwater of the Chattahoochee River. Elsewhere in our cold water domain lunker trout were a rare commodity. Then in the mid- to late 1990s private pay-toplay fisheries began to appear on the Soque River in Habersham County. From there the fade spread to other streams and rivers, so that landing a fish or more than 20 inches has become common place. One of the early entries into this field was Nacoochee Bend on the Chattahoochee River at Helen. Operating on a lease held by Unicoi Outfitters, this mile and a half stretch of river includes the scenic waters at Noras Mill, a still function grist mill just south of the town. This fishery, however, has stood apart for a couple of reasons.
30 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
For one, this part of the Hooch was closed to fishing for the better part of seven decades before Unicoi obtained the lease. Trout were plentiful in the river and got big due to lack of fishing pressure. Also, virtually all such operations require you to hire a guide for the fishing. The guides make the fishing easier, since they know the best runs on the stream or river, as well as what flies are most likely to work. On the other hand, you do lose some of the mystery of figuring out the fishing for on your own. Nacoochee Bend is the exception in that you can fish either with or without a guide. Obviously, going it on your own also is a bit easier on your wallet. When you check in at the Unicoi shop, they assign you an area on the river, where you won’t be bumping into other anglers. They also freely provide tips on fly patterns and techniques.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 31
32 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
This part of the Hooch is generally 30 to 50 feet wide, has plenty of riffle water, along with deeper runs, particularly in the bends of the stream. Fairly quickly you learn that there really is no bad stretch of water. Anywhere the depth is a couple of feet likely holds some fish, and those trout often are big ones. As with all these private waters, some supplemental feeding takes place, but the fish here often can be picky and definitely are not pushovers. Generally fishing subsurface with nymphs, Wooly Buggers or worm and egg patterns will attract the most strikes. When you are hitting some of those deeper runs, it is a good idea to put a bit of weight on the leader to get down where the bigger fish hide. The usual technique is fishing a dropper rig with two flies under a strike indicator. Be aware that the indicator is not always going to be jerked under the water. Often it may only twitch a bit on the surface. It is a good idea to set the hook when it does. You might find yourself hooked to a good one. But, keep an eye on the surface for feeding fish. When you spot some rises, the opportunity to hook a big fish on a dry fly exists. For those that are new to the sport, Unicoi Outfitters offers their popular Gilligan Special at Nacoochee Bend. It consists of an hour introduction to casting and trout fishing, followed by two hours on the river for hands on experience at fooling the trout. The Gilligan is designed for two anglers, so even if you are experienced, but want to introduce a spouse or friend to trout angling, it can make for a great day on the water. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 33
On an average day at Nacoochee Bend an experienced angler can expect to hook double digit numbers of trout in the 14- to 16-inch size range, with a couple likely to push or exceed 20 inches. But, keep a tight grip on your rod for these waters hold rainbows that top the 24-inch mark and browns that flirt with 30-plusinches. When dealing with the possibility of hooking fish that size, this is not a stream you want to tackle with a 3-weight rod. Fiveto 6-weights are better options. Going too light can mean losing big fish, but also can be harmful to any of the big boys that you totally exhaust in landing with that light gear. One spot that is quite scenic is just below the dam at the grist mill. The deeper runs through here also are noted for holding some the biggest browns and rainbow in the river. Of course, you may have a gallery watching you fish, composed of tourist on the viewing deck at the mill. Another bonus is that at the end of the day of fishing nearby Nacoochee Village or Helen both offer restaurants for grabbing a meal or unwinding with a cold libation. For complete details on fishing at Nacoochee Bend, visit unicoioutfitters. com. 34 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
UNI PRODUCTS J.G. Cote Inc. 1004 Principale Ste-Melanie, QC. Canada JOK 3AO Tel: 450-889-8054 Toll-Free: 1-877-889-8054 Fax: 450-889-5887 Email: info@uniproducts.com
NEW FOR 2018 UNI-Thread 8/0 Mahogany Waxed or Unwaxed on spools of 50 or 200 yds
AXXEL 6 Orange and Salmon on spools of 7 yds
Look to UNI for the best in spooled fly-tying materials!
www. uniproducts .com
SweetWater Brewing Company • Georgia • SweetWaterBrew.com
expert advic
your nymph 38 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
ce on upping I
n the current fly fishing world, it seems that all the glory has been shifted to fishing dry flies to large gaudy streamers that look like a small chicken being drug through the water. While that will keep your cool fishing image up to the truth is that you are trying to convince those 2-3 fish in the river to eat the streamer when every fish in the river is eating nymphs even the large ones. This is because 80-90% of a trout’s diet consists of what they find under the surface of the water to feed on. For most anglers, they immediately equate that to mayfly, caddis and stonefly pupa and larvae. The reality is that there is significantly more food available to a trout under the surface of the water than just insect larvae. Ants, Bees, Cicadas and other terrestrial insects that fall into the water float only a couple of feet before being submerged below the surface of the water. Minnows, Salamanders, crayfish worms and other water-dwelling critters are also available to trout under the surface of the water. Kevin Howell
hing game
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 39
For a lot of anglers, nymph fishing is a dreaded necessity for others it a starting point when you reach the stream. For those that fear nymph fishing it often due to the tangled pile of monofilament that so often accompanies fishing a double nymph rig or the daunting task of trying to narrow down which nymph to use and when. For others, it trying to figure out when you have had a strike, and for some of us, we just get tired of watching an indicator float down the stream and simply have to do something different. For those of you that dread nymphing because of tangles and not knowing exactly where to start the process here are some helpful tips to help ease your anxiety and help you catch a few more fish. While there are several ways of rigging a double fly rig, I have found that the tried and true small fly tied into the bend of the hook of the larger fly rig is the best way for most anglers to start with. If you tie your second fly off of the tippet tag then you are limited to a lob cast. And have no room for error in your casting. Also, flies tend to twist together and if not paying attention to the rig anglers can fish for periods of time with flies tangled and not being productive. Weight—It is the single most important factor in nymph fishing you can have the wrong fly tied on and as long as it is placed at the correct level of the water column still catch some fish. It takes far more weight to pull a fly down through the water column than most people would ever think. Secondly the size and shape of the fly and weight you are using also determine the sink rate. Example of a lead #1 shot sinks quicker than a tin #1 shot which has twice the surface area. A number 14 Frenchie sinks almost twice as fast as a #14 Rubber Leg Red Fox Squirrel Nymph. I have said for years that the difference between a successful nymph fisherman and an unsuccessful nymph fisherman is one split shot. 40 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 41
42 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
You should also visualize the strike if you are waiting to feel a trout strike your nymph you are missing a lot of strikes. During my guiding career, I have evenseen trout suck a fly into its mouth and never move a strike indicator that was only four feet away so if you think you are going to feel the strike you are going to be waiting a long time. I recommend anglers use a New Zealand strike indicator system as I have found it to the easiest to use and the most sensitive. Secondly, when your indicator moves in any fashion set the hook sometimes it will be the bottom but assume nothing, trout can have a very soft strike sometimes and may not even pull it under the surface. It is crucial even when nymph fishing that anglers keep the drag off of their presentation. It is even harder for nymph anglers to get a good drag free presentation especially without the correct amount of weight on the flies. With a nymph, anglers should try to keep their nymph vertically under their strike indicator, and then closely monitor the indicator for any signs of drag. Anglers will have to be constantly be mending up and downstream to keep the nymphs in a drag free presentation. When casting a double nymph rig it crucial that anglers use a Belgium style cast. This slightly more open elliptical casting motion keeps the line from traveling over itself, which is the result of most tangles. Choosing flies for double nymph rig can be a daunting task. You should always pick flies that are different from each other this way you can rule out what is or is not working quicker. I almost always start my searching with either a Kevin’s Stone Fly size 8-10 or a Girdle Bug in the same size range as my front fly. Then I commonly look to a smaller caddis or mayfly nymph as the second fly depending on which insect has been more active lately. During summer months I am likely to choose an inchworm or chartreuse mop fly for a lead fly and a smaller terrestrial like a beetle or ant for the dropper. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 43
All of the great nymphs I have ever fished have one of four things in common. They may have a soft or webby hackle, rubber legs, a large amount of peacock herl in the fly, or they have very loose, spiky dubbing which traps air on the backcast and then releases air bubbles as it descends through the water column. A lot of people believe that the more flash you can put in a fly the better. While there are some great flashy flies, I have also discovered that a lot of time the added flash can spook fish just as easy as attract them. We as American’s also tend to overdress our flies, in all my travels I have found simplicity often times will rule the day. In the muddy or highly stained water, I have found flies with more motion will produce fish better than nymphs with no motion. The added movement of large rubber legs and big bushy hackle helps trout find the nymph by using their lateral line. Conversely, in really clear water, you should use simple flies with smaller legs and less hackle and a smaller profile.
Here is a list of my top 12 nymphs of all time. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Sheepfly size 8-12 Kevin’s Rubber Leg Stonefly 6-12 Trip Saver Size 10-16 Bill’s Provider 6-12 Red Fox Squirrel Nymph 8-18 Soft Hackle Pheasant tail 12-22 Zebra Midge 16-22 San Juan/Squirmy Worm 12-18 Flexi-Girdle Bug 6-12 Zonker 6-12
Hopefully, these tips will help you catch more and bigger fish. Look forward to seeing you on the stream.
44 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 45
Keep the Heat
Leah Kirk
48 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
t in the Heat, S
ummer seems to have arrived quickly this year. As a result, cooking inside can be a miserable endeavor. Thus, as much as possible, we grill outside to take the heat to the heat not the house. Yet, grilling fish, at times, is problematic. If you’ve ever tried to grill a tasty piece of trout, you may have, like me, watched the grill eat it instead of you. So, here are some of our tips for grilling trout. Work the edge of the grill. Especially if you are grilling other things with it, move the coals to the center or light only the middle burners on your gas grill. • Place your fillets right on the edge of the heat and make yourself leave it alone for at least a minute to a minute and a half. • Using a good-sized spatula (hopefully about the size of the fish) turn it over. The goal is show grill marks on the fish. • If you are using a digital thermometer, it should register 125 degrees for a fully cooked piece of fish. Some may know cooked trout by sight, but I’m a little paranoid, so I use a thermometer. Whether dealing with filets or a whole trout, liberally coat the fish with olive oil. For a whole fish, I love it in one of the simplest ways. Sliced lemons in the cavity with salt, pepper and dried dill weed or fresh dill. For a fish filet, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then fresh lemon and lots of garlic butter after it comes off the grill.
Not the House!
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 49
ÂŽ
Don’t go home empty handed! www.sunbursttrout.com
Sunburst Trout Farms Is located below the Shining Rock National Wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest. Since 1948 they have been growing rainbow trout, and the farm is now run by third generation brothers Wes and Ben Eason.
Sunburst has a long standing commitment to quality. Their fish are hormone and antibiotic free, and the feed is made especially for them containing no mammalian by-products. All trout are cut to order in small bathces, mostly by hand, thus ensuring all products are of the highest standard. In addition to Sunburst’s flagship fillets you can also find their award winning caviar, as well as trout jerky, hickory smoked trout, cold smoked trout, smoked trout dip, trout sausage, and even some non trout products, pimento goat cheese and smoked tomato jam. Be sure to stock up on their Original Jennings Jerky! It’s shelf stable and perfect for those long days fly fishing. To order go online to www.sunbursttrout.com
314 Industrial Park Drive Waynesville, NC 28786 828-648-3010 • 800-673-3051
CORTLAND’s
Competition 10’
The Rod’s Got Rea 52 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
U
pon hearing the word “Cortland”, most anglers automatically believe the subject is headed down the familiar course of conservation is going to be about the virtues of the company’s fly lines. A maker of the fly line for over 100 years, the Cortland name is synonymous with the modern fly line. For a number of years, I believe the old lime green colored Cortland 444 level fly line was a pretty standard issue.
’6” Nymph Rod
ach…and more www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 53
The odds of you knowing much about Cortland’s interludes in the fly rod making business are not so well ground. Over the past 50 years, the company has flirted with making fly rods. Most of what they offered was decent enough to very good, although lacking any real cutting merit. These rods come and gone. Despite periodic attempts at carving out a niche in the highly competitive marketplace, it appears that after promising starts the New York-based company pull up stakes on fly rod making to return to the safety of making quality fly lines, another environment that has become increasingly competitive.
54 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Modern fly fishing has become increasingly competitive. Who would have quested twenty years ago there would Americans running around Tenkara fishing in a Japanese Kasa, much less looking to the Europeans to re-define nymph fishing. Euro/Czech style nymphing has caught on in the US like wildfire. Why? Because it works! While this style of fishing may look intriguing it is hard to do with just any single hand rod. Enter the Cortland Competition Nymphing Rod, one of the first of its kind to be made and readily available to US customers. The guys in Cortland set out to design a rod good enough (if not better) than the rods used in the style of fishing throughout Europe. The result is a long ultra sensitive rod that will pick up on the most subtle of strikes. If you commonly nymph for trout using a dead drift technique you are most likely familiar with that small flick of the wrist mend that most of us absolutely dread performing. And for good reason, it is tough, a little too much power and your whole drift is ruined, too little power and the whole drift is ruined.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 55
What we really like about these rods is the way the tips are built to specifically flip just to tip section of the rod making mending during a dead drift much easier. Not only that but this rods are 10 feet 6 inches long. I know after a few hours of Smoky Mountain “high stick” holding my rod as high in the air as I can to obtain that perfect dead drift my arm tends to get dead sore. Having that extra length on the rod not only improves the dead drift technique but will allow you to bring your arm down to a more comfortable position allowing you to fish longer and with less agony.
When I heard that Cortland’s retreat from rod making and they were offering rod called the Competition 10’6” Nymph Rod, I was fascinated. Hereto my only experience with 10-feet plus fly rods had to collect old cane and experimenting with St. Croix’s already legendary Bank Robber fly rod. The Competition 10’6” Nymph Rod is available in two sizes; 10'6" 3wt and 10'6" 4wt. It is a fourpiece rod that comes in a protective tube. The rod includes hook keepers and fighting butts with hard cork bottoms. If you value the aesthetics of a rod highly then this rod is probably not for you. However, if you're more interested in performance than aesthetics, I highly recommend it 56 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
The afternoon that my Cortland 10' 6" 3wt Competition Nymph fly rod arrived, it derailed my initial my thought process. I've been fishing the 10' 6" 3 wt since the beginning of December on a wide range of waters from Dukes Creek in Georgia to the mighty White River in Arkansas. Simply state it is a joy to fish. I suppose I have transcended into a hillbilly euro nymph/soft hackle, born-again fly fisherman, whatever the hell that means.
Among the qualities of a Euro, nymph rod includes length: 10' or longer, and light to balance with a reel. Without a 10' or longer rod, casting Euro rigs is tough. A balanced rod is critical for reducing fatigue and to be sufficiently elevated the rod through the drift. It needs fast blank overall for casting accuracy and loop manipulation, yet it must have a soft tip to dampen hook sets. Too many 10’ plus Euro rods flex collapse near the middle ferrule feeling like the rod maker took a fast graphite rod for the first two pieces and attached a fiberglass rod for the last two pieces. The result is in poor accuracy as well as missed fish in deep water. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 57
The Competition nymph rod is the first Euro rod longer than 10' that uses single foot guides, as opposed to snake guides to reduce the number of thread wraps and the epoxy used. Cortland also added a fighting butt to the rod which shows its best utility in counterbalancing the tip weight of the rod due to its length. It braces well against your forearm during long drifts. The rod was most effective on big water. To my surprise, the Competition proved to be a little difficult on overgrown, headwater creeks of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. If you are a dedicated blueliner, a better choice is a fly rod in the 10' to 9' 6" class is a better choice for similar small brushy streams. However, overall I'm impressed with the 10' 6" Cortland Competition Nymph rod. At $220, there is not another rod I've seen that performs anywhere nearly as well without jumping into the $700 and above range price range
58 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
THE NEW LIGHT WEIGHT JAPANESE POLARISED GLASS LENS BY TONIC EYEWEAR ARE TECHNICALLY ADVANCED, GROUND DECENTERED GLASS PHOTOCHROMIC POLARISED LENSES, PROVIDING YOU WITH A TRUE DEPTH DISTANCE, CLARITY AND TOTALLY DISTORTION FREE.
Tonic Glass Photochromic Polarised lens adjusts from dark tint to light tint to adapt with changing weather conditions.
New Phase Inc www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 59 149 S. Emerson, Shelley ID 83274 P 208-523-2565 E dan@newphaseinc.com www.newphaseinc.com
new fly guy
Random Ti Steve Moore
H
ere’s a collection of tips that don’t fit into any particular category and will make your journey into the sport of fly fishing more straightforward – a few lessons from my personal school of hard knocks.
62 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy
ips
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 63
new fly guy Problem: Sloppily tied flies with thread blocking the eye of the hook Discussion: Mass-produced flies are inexpensive but the haste in which they are made sacrifices quality. Many times, the tier will loop thread over the eye of the hook; preventing insertion of tippet. While accessory manufacturers usually include a small pin on forceps or at the opposite end of nippers, they are awkward to use. Using the pin included on the Orvis forceps, it is easy to apply too much pressure when clearing out the thread and break the wire forming the eye of the hook. Of course, this usually happens on the last fly you have that is the hot pattern for the day. Nippers have a pin, but the flat surface of the tool is impossible to spin between two fingers to clear out thread. Finally, the pin on both implementations tends to be too thick and does not work on smaller hook sizes. Solution: Go raid the sewing cabinet and select a long pin – the kind that has a round plastic ball at the head. It is perfect to insert into the eye of the hook and easy to spin to grind out the thread. A sewing pin is narrower than the pin on some of the accessories, making it easier to insert in the hole. Carry different sizes in a fly box or on the fly patch of your vest. 64 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 65
new fly guy Problem: Line droop Discussion: If you have not been disciplined in keeping your floating fly line clean, accumulated dirt will eventually cause it to sink. While the solution is obvious – clean it – you probably will not have the capability to do that on the side of the stream when you discover the problem. Sometimes, applying paste floatant will restore buoyancy, but you may need to activate the nuclear option. Solution: Grab an indicator and attach it onto the tippet where the tippet joins the fly line using an indicator just large enough to match the seriousness of the problem. The indicator should provide the necessary emergency buoyancy to keep the end of the fly line floating on the surface. The downside is the indicator will prevent the line from being fully retrieved onto the reel. If you are using a long tippet, you will need to deal with the stoppage when landing a fish. So, the best approach is to clean your fly line a few times each season. 66 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy Problem: Line twist Discussion: When throwing heavy poppers or larger terrestrial flies, the current or the fly’s construction may cause it to roll, adding twist to the tippet. If you ever pulled your line out of the water and watched the fly spin at the end of the tippet, then you have experienced this problem. Solution: Here’s a crossover solution from spin fishing. Incorporate a small, size 20 barrel swivel into your tippet. Swivels keep the blades on spinning lure from twisting the line and work the same for a rolling fly. If you are worried about the swivel sinking and pulling the fly under the water, place it on the tippet where you would usually put an indicator. However, I found the size 20 swivel, being only 3/8 inch long, floats just fine and has never caused a problem. These are available from Cabela’s and other sources for around five dollars in packs of 72 – a lifetime supply! www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 67
new fly guy
68 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy Problem: Casting on a tight stream Discussion: Why do fish always shelter in the most challenging spot to cast to? Apparently, they do it to make our life as anglers miserable as opposed to their need to stay alive! The first problem is trying to cast with tight, overhanging cover preventing the normal casting motion. The second is when your casting arm is on the bank side, not the streamside. Solution: Both tricks require a little bit of practice. When dealing with overhanging vegetation, you cannot execute a usual cast where the fly line whips out eight or more feet above the surface of the stream. For a new angler, doing a “low angle” sidearm cast a few feet above the water is complicated. Simple fix. Flip the necessary amount of line into the current and wait until it straightens. Then, using the friction of the water to load your rod, cast towards the target without any false casts. In the second situation, your approach to the target put you on the side of the stream where your casting arm has to move over the bank and into the trees and bushes instead of open water. Face away from the target to put your casting arm next to the water and away from the bank. Perform a regular cast with one difference. Land the fly on the backcast instead of the forward cast. This takes a little practice to point the rod tip at the horizon and the target on the backcast, but is pretty easy to master after a few tries. Once this technique is in your repertoire, it will be easy to fish parts of the stream closed out by obstacles forcing you to the opposite bank. One other quick point… this is a useful technique on a windy day. Do the forward cast with the wind at your back and drop the fly on the backcast. The wind loads the rod and adds more “oomph” to the backcast to help cut through the wind. Keeping the backcast low helps as well. Check out Steve’s YouTube channel at KayakHacksFishing for more on this topic. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 69
new fly guy
Wade Trips Float Trips Trout
Smallmouth Fly Shop
• And Falconry Great Guides and Great Customer Service!
www.curtiswrightoutfitters.com
828-645-8700
Make a loop of tippet and hold it between the thumb and forefinger. Insert a forceps into the loop
CHEROK T H E NAT I V
SOC CLAY
72 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
KEEE WA Y
“D
amn, man, look at all them ¿VK ´ 0\ URDG SDUWQHU 'RQ *URK VKRXWHG ORXG HQRXJK WR DWWUDFW D YLVLW E\ WKH 7ULEDO SROLFH /RRNLQJ ZKHUH KLV KDQG ZDV SRLQWHG ERWK RI XV ZHUH VWXQQHG E\ WKH LQVWDQW H[SORVLRQ RI WURXW RQ WKH VXUIDFH RI D SRQG KDUGO\ ZLGHU WKDQ DQ DERYH JURXQG SRRO *URK ZKR KDLOHG IURP WKH KLOO FRXQWU\ RI VRXWKHDVWHUQ 2KLR DQG , KDG DUULYHG DW WKH UHVLGHQFH RI WKH ¿VKHU\ GLUHFWRU RI WKH &KHURNHH )LVK *DPH 0DQDJHPHQW $JHQF\ ORFDWHG DERYH %LJ &RYH QHDU WKH KHDG RI WKH 5DYHQ )RUN 5LYHU *URK VZXQJ WKH ROG SLFNXS RQWR D ZLGH VSRW LQ WKH URDG MXVW DFURVV IURP WKH KRXVH ,W ZDV JHWWLQJ ODWH LQ WKH HYHQLQJ DQG , ZDVQ¶W VXUH WKH PDQ VWLOO OLYHV LQ WKH KRXVH EXW , ¿JXUHG VRPHRQH KDG WR OLYH RU FORVH E\ EHFDXVH WKH SRQG LQ WKH EDFN\DUG ZDV VWLOO WKHUH DQG REYLRXVO\ LW ZDV VWLOO IXOO RI ELJ WURXW *URK KDG EXLOW D KRPH PDGH FDELQ RQ WRS RI WKH UXVW\ EHG RI WKH WUXFN VR ZH GHFLGHG ZH ZRXOG FDPS IRU WKH QLJKW DQG WU\ WR FDWFK RXU PDQ DURXQG GD\OLJKW QH[W GD\ 2EYLRXVO\ WKH PLQXWH ZH GURYH XS VRPHRQH EHJDQ IHHGLQJ WKH ¿VK 7KH KXQJU\ WURXW ORRNHG OLNH WKH\ UDQJHG LQ VL]H IURP PD\EH WKUHH WR SRXQGV 0\ SDUWQHU DQG , ZHUH ORRNLQJ DW DQ DWWHPSW WR PDQDJH D WURXW ¿VKHU\ LQ LWV DEVROXWH LQIDQF\ ³ ³5HFRQ WKRVH ER\V ZRXOG DOORZ XV WR WRVV D À\ LQ WKHUH ´ *URK DVNHG
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 73
, DQVZHUHG WKDW WKH JDPH ZDUGHQ KDG WKUHDWHQHG WR SXW PH LQ WKH &KHURNHH MDLO LI , ZDV GXPE HQRXJK WU\ WKDW , RWKHU ZRUGV LW ZDV LW ZDV RXW RI WKH TXHVWLRQ 'RQ DQG , ZHUH KLOO MDFNV ZKLWH WUDVK UHG QHFNV ZLWK D SLFNXS D MRE LQ D KHOOLVK SODFH DQG D KRXVH EDFN KRPH WKDW QHLWKHU RI XV WKRXJKW ZH FRXOG HYHU SD\ IRU :H ZHUH KRW PHWDO H[SHUWV RQ D WRZHULQJ EODVW IXUQDFH LQ D VWHHO PLOO ORFDWHG DW 1HZ %RVWRQ 2KLR :H¶G ZRUNHG WRJHWKHU GUDQN WRJHWKHU DQG KDG EHHQ D IHZ ¿VW\ FXႇV RYHU WKH \HDUV :H KDG DOVR ¿VKHG WRJHWKHU LQ HYHU\ NLQG RI ZDWHU IRU DQ\ NLQG RI ¿VK ZH FRXOG FDWFK VLQFH ZH ODQGHG LQ WKH PLOO LQ ,Q WKRVH GD\V WKHUH ZDVQ¶W D WURXW ZLWKLQ D KXQGUHG PLOHV RI ZKHUH ZH OLYHG %XW VRPHKRZ RU DQRWKHU WKHVH ¿VK KHOG D VSHFLDO DWWUDFWLRQ , WKLQN LW ZDV EHFDXVH WKHLU KRPHV ZHUH D IHZ GLVWDQFHV DZD\ DQG ¿VKLQJ IRU WKHP JDYH XV DQ H[FXVH WR H[SORUH QHZ ¿VKLQJ DUHDV :H DOVR ZDQWHG WR YLVLW D IHZ NQLIH JXQ FOXEV GR D OLWWOH GULQNLQ¶ D OLWWOH GDQFLQJ DQG ORRNHG IRUZDUG WR JHWWLQJ LQWR D ¿VW¿JKW ZLWK D SXOS ZRRGHU RU WZR GXULQJ RXU OHLVXUH WLPH &RXUVH ZH¶G UHDG DOO WKH RXWGRRU PDJD]LQHV OHDUQHG DERXW WKH FKDON VWUHDPV LQ 6FRWODQG DQG LQ 3HQQV\OYDQLD GUHDPHG DERXW ¿VKLQJ WKH &DWVNLOOV DQG HYHQ IDUWKHU DZD\ LQWR &DQDGD :H ERWK KDG EURNHQ LQ WR À\ ¿VKLQJ LQ D ELJ ZD\ RQ WKH JUHDW WURXW VWUHDPV RI :HVW 9LUJLQLD WKH :LOOLDPV &UDQEHUU\ DQG 6KDIHUV )RUN RI WKH &KHDW 5LYHU DUH VWLOO SRZHUIXO ¿VKHULHV 74 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 75
76 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
2ULJLQDOO\ ZH SODQQHG WR ¿VK WKH WDLOUDFH EHORZ 1RUULV /DNH 'DP :KHQ ZH JRW WKHUH ZH IRXQG WKH 3RZHO DQG &OLQFK ULYHUV ZHUH ÀRRGLQJ 7KH ODNH ZDV LQ WKH WUHHV DQG ZH ZHUHQ¶W DERXW WR WDFNOH WKH ZLOG ZDWHUV LQ WKH WDLOUDFH *URK FUDQNHG WKH ROG SLFNXS DQG ZH ZHUH Rႇ WR *DWOLQEXUJ +HDGLQJ VRXWKHDVW RQ 5W ZH VDZ WKH 5W MXQFWLRQ DKHDG ³/HW¶V VHH ZKHUH LW JRHV ´ *URK 6XJJHVWHG :H KHDGHG VRXWK 1HYHU PLQG ZH GLGQ¶W NQRZ DQ\ SODFH WR FDWFK D WURXW DORQJ WKH URXWH EXW WKH FRXQWU\VLGH ZDV SUHWW\ DQG ZH ZHUH FDUU\LQJ RXU KRXVH VRPH FKHHVH FUDFNHUV DQG 9LHQQD VDXVDJHV 0LOO PHQ FDQ VXUYLYH 7KDW¶V DERXW WKH WLPH ZH VDZ WKH ELOOERDUG PD\EH LW ZDV MXVW D VLJQ DORQJVLGH WKH EODFNWRS DGYHUWLVLQJ D VWRFNHG FUHHN DQG SRQG ZKHUH RQH FRXOG SD\ D SULFH DQG ODWFK RQ WR D ELJ RQH :H ZHUH RQ RXU ZD\ :H IRXQG D EDLW DQG WDFNOH VKRS DQG WKH SURSULHWRU ZDV NLQG HQRXJK WR UHVWRFN RXU PRELOH FDELQ ZLWK %HDQLH :HHQHHVŠ DQG PRUH VDXVDJHV (YHQ WRVVHG LQ D SRXQG RI JRRVH OLYHU WKDW ZH VHHPHG WR FUDYH DIWHU D IHZ VKRWV RI ZKR VKRW -RKQ $IWHU ZH PDGH D SHDFH RႇHULQJ ZLWK D SLQW RI ZKLWH OLJKWQLQJ WKH ROG WLPHU WXUQHG RXW WR EH D ZKL] RI D WURXW ¿VKLQJ JXLGH +H WROG XV WR IRUJHW DERXW WKH SD\ ODNHV DQG KHDG IRU &KHURNHH ³*UHDW ZDWHU ORWV RI WURSK\ VL]H WURXW DQG \RX FDQ HYHQ FKHFN RXW \RXU NLQIRONV , KDG PHQWLRQHG WKDW P\ *UHDW *UDQGPRWKHU ZDV D IXOO EORRG HLWKHU &KHURNHH RU &KRFWDZ
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 77
, KDG EHHQ WR &KHURNHH ZKHQ , ZDV ZRUNLQJ IRU 2XWGRRU /LIH 7KH WURXW SURJUDP ZDV MXVW JHWWLQJ XQGHUZD\ 7KH IHGV ZHUH WUXFNLQJ LQ WRQV RI ¿VK IURP WKH 3LVJDK 1DWLRQDO )LVK +DWFKHU\ 7KH FRRSHUDWLYH SURJUDP EHWZHHQ WKH &KHURNHHV DQG 86 'HSW RI WKH ,QWHULRU ZDV DLPHG DW LQFUHDVLQJ UHYHQXH WR WKH VPDOO 0RXQWDLQ FRPPXQLW\ E\ DWWUDFWLQJ ¿VKHUPHQ ZKR ZDQWHG WR FDWFK ¿VK 2Q WKLV YHQWXUH ZH ZHUH WRR ODWH WR GLVWXUE DQ\RQH EXW *URK DQG , KDG D IHZ PRUH VLSV IURP WKH 0DVRQ MDU WKHQ WXUQHG LW 7KH ERR]H ZRUH Rႇ DERXW WKUHH DP DQG ZKLOH ZH ZHUH VWLOO D ELW VWDUU\ H\HG ZH GHFLGHG ZH ZDQWHG WR VHH ZKDW FDWFKLQJ D ELJ WURXW IURP WKH SRQG ZRXOG IHHO OLNH *URK ZDV SDFNLQ¶ D QLQH ZHLJKW KH XVHG IRU .HQWXFN\ ODUJHPRXWK ZKLFK ZDV ORDGHG ZLWK D ELJ KDLU EXJ ³+HOO WKRVH ¿VK ZLOO KLW DQ\WKLQJ´ KH SURFODLPHG DV ZH EDFNHG RXW RI RXU OLWWOH KRXVH DQG VOLSSHG TXLHWO\ DFURVV WKH JUDYHO URDG :H QHYHU PDGH LW (YHU\ GDPQ GRJ IURP +D]HO &UHHN WR %XQFKHV VWDUWHG EDUNLQJ $ YHU\ ODUJH PXWW WKDW ORRNHG OLNH D WLPEHU ZROI PDGH D OXQJH DW XV DV ZH GRYH WKURXJK WKH EDFN GRRU RI RXU KRXVH :H GHFLGHG WR VWD\ OHJDO *URK DQG , ZRXOG PHHW P\ ROG DFTXDLQWDQFH MXVW DIWHU GD\OLJKW ¿OWHUHG LQWR WKH QDUURZ FUHYLFHV RI WKH VXUURXQGLQJ 6PRNLHV +H RႇHUHG WR WDNH XV RQ D WRXU RI WKH UHVHUYDWLRQ VWUHDPV VR ZH ZRXOG NQRZ WKH ZDWHU ORRNHG OLNH GXULQJ WKH ¿UVW KRXUV RI GD\OLJKW RQ D VXPPHU PRUQLQJ 78 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
0RUQLQJ KRXUV RQ +D]HO &UHHN DႇRUGV YLHZV RI VRPH RI WKH PRVW SLFWXUHVTXH WURXW ZDWHUV LQ WKH ZRUOG -XVW DIWHU GD\EUHDN D VZLUOLQJ PLVW ULVHV IURP WKH VXUIDFH FUHDWLQJ DQ HQFKDQWHG VFHQH WKDW VHHPV WR FDUU\ D PHVVDJH IURP WKH DJHV (YHU\ RQH RI WKHVH SRROV KROGV VHYHUDO WURSK\ VL]H WURXW SHUKDSV D SRXQG EURZQ RU DQ HLJKW SRXQG UDLQERZ , KDYH FDXJKW ERRNLHV IURP %XQFKHV &UHHN WKDW ZHUH LQFKHV ORQJ ZLWK DQ HQODUJHG KHDG LGHQWLI\LQJ LW DV D ZLOG ¿VK , KDYH DOVR FDXJKW EURRNLHV GRZQVWUHDP WKDW ZHLJKHG WZR SRXQGV RU PRUH , FRXOGQ¶W WHOO WKH GLႇHUHQFH LQ WKHLU EHDXWLIXO VSDZQLQJ FRORUV IURP ZLOG EURRNLHV LQ 0DLQH 1R GRXEW ZLOG EURRNLHV URDPHG WKH FOHDU ZDWHUV RQ WKH 5HVHUYDWLRQ IRU FHQWXULHV DQG WKH\ VWLOO ¿JKW Rႇ WKH DJJUHVVRUV DQG PDLQWDLQ D SRSXODWLRQ )LVKHUPHQ VHDUFKLQJ IRU WKHVH WURXW JR ZKHUH LW LVQ¶W HDV\ WR DFFHVV WKH WLQLHVW VWUHDPV , OLNH %XQFKHV &UHHN ZKHUH , VDZ D \RXQJ &KHURNHH ER\ ZDONLQJ GRZQ D WUDLO ZLWK VHYHUDO EURRNLHV VWUXQJ RQ D EUDQFK RI D VPDOO VDSOLQJ 7KH\ ZHUH DOO QDWLYH EHFDXVH WKHLU KHDGV ZHUH DEQRUPDOO\ ODUJH LQ SURSRUWLRQ WR WKH UHVW RI WKH ERG\ , VWLOO OLNH %XQFKHV &UHHN DV IDU XSVWUHDP DV \RX FDQ JR 6HDVRQHG EURRN WURXW IROORZHUV NQRZ WKDW ZKHQ \RX GURS D GU\ À\ LQWR D SRRO RU UXQ \RX WKLQN LV WRR WLQ\ IRU WURXW GRQ¶W EH VXUSULVHG ZKHQ D ZLOG RQH MXPSV RQ WR ¿VK
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 79
80 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
8QOLNH ZKHQ *URK DQG , ¿UVW YLVLWHG &KHURNHH D EXQFK RI &KHURNHH KDV EHFRPH H[FHOOHQW À\ ¿VKHUPHQ 5REHUW 6QHHG ZKR ZRUNV IRU WKH QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV GHSDUWPHQW LV RQH RI WKH EHVW 5REHUW RႇHUHG WR JXLGH PH P\ ODVW WULS WKHUH 7KH \RXQJ RႈFHU DQG IRUPHU WULEDO SROLFHPDQ NQHZ ZHUH HYHU\ DFWLYH WURXW ZHUH WKDW PRUQLQJ HYHQWXDOO\ ZLQGLQJ XS FDWFKLQJ D µERZ LQ WKH ¿YH SRXQG UDQJH %HDXWLIXOO\ FRORUHG QHLWKHU KH QRU , FRXOG VD\ LI WKH ¿VK KDG EHHQ VWRFNHG UHFHQWO\ RU WZR \HDUV DJR 0DQ\ WURXW KHUH RYHU VXPPHU LQ WKH FROG FOHDU DQG KLJKO\ R[\JHQDWHG ZDWHUV DQG ZLWK IDYRUDEOH FRQGLWLRQV FDQ OLYH IRU \HDUV 5REHUW WRRN KLV SUL]H ZLWK D ODUJH 0XGGOHU SDWWHUQ WKDW LV D ORFDO IDYRULWH IRU FDWFKLQJ WURSK\ VL]H ¿VK ,Q WKLV LQVWDQFH KH SRVLWLRQHG KLPVHOI LQ WKH PLGGOH RI WKH 2QFRQDOXIWHH 5LYHU QHDU WKH SODFH ZKHUH 5W HQWHUV WKH UHVHUYDWLRQ RQ WKH ZHVW HQG LQ WKH ¿UVW \HDUV RI WKH WURXW SURJUDP ZRUNHUV WROG PH D ORW RI WURSK\ VL]H ¿VK ZHUH VWRFNHG ZLWKLQ YLHZ RI WKH KLJKZD\V LQ RUGHU WR JHW WKH PHVVDJH RXW WR D PRWRULVW ZKHQ VRPHRQH ODQGHG D JRRG ¿VK $IWHU D IRRW FDVW WKH VHDVRQHG À\ ¿VKHU EHJDQ WR ZRUN WKH PXGGOHU TXDUWHULQJ GRZQVWUHDP XVLQJ D VHULHV RI WLQ\ MHUNV WR JLYH WKH OXUH PRUH DFWLRQ 7KH ELWH FDPH ZKHQ KH ZRUNHG LW WKURXJK D VPDOO SOXQJH SRRO MXVW GRZQVWUHDP IURP VRPH ODUJHU ERXOGHUV 6RPH À\ ¿VKHUPHQ PLJKW VQXE DW ¿VKLQJ D PDVVLYH FDWFK DQG UHOHDVH SURJUDP GHVLJQHG WR KHOS WKH &KHURNHH HFRQRP\ %XW ,¶YH EHHQ WKHUH HQRXJK WR NQRZ WKHUH LV OLWWOH SUHVVXUH IURP D WRXULVW LQ WKH HDUO\ PRUQLQJ KRXUV WKH FDWFK DQG UHOHDVH VHFWLRQV DQG DV , PHQWLRQHG WKH KDUG WR UHDFK SODFHV ZKHUH VRPH ZLOG ¿VK OLYH
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 81
It isn't an obsession if you make money.
It's a career.
The Tim Hill Memorial Trout Tournament DON'T REMAINING Saturday,MISS July 14THE to Sunday, July 15 &KHURNHH¶V 0HPRULDO 'D\ 7URXW 7RXUQDPHQW 2016 FISHING TOURNAMENTS: $10,000 in cash prizes - Registration required 0D\ 0D\ LQ FDVK SUL]HV 5HJLVWUDWLRQ UHTXLUHG The Qualla Country Trout Tournament
The Qualla Country Trout Tournament 2 – 4 31 to Sunday, September 2 SEPTEMBER Friday, August 7KH 7LP +LOO 0HPRULDO 7URXW 'HUE\ $11 entry feeranging and $20,000 in tagged fish to $3,000 Prizes rom $25 -XO\ -XO\
LQ FDVK SUL]HV 5HJLVWUDWLRQ UHTXLUHG Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly-Fishing Tournament Talking Trees Children's Trout Derby OCTOBER 28 –30 Friday, August 3 from 10 am to 6 pm $225 entry fee and $10,000 in total prize money For registration details: VisitCherokeeNC.com | 828.359.6110
Full Service Outfitter Fly Fishing Trips Rentals Clinics & Classes Apparel Sage . Winston Rod Co. Orvis . Redington Yeti . Rio
79 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009 . 678-762-0027 AlpharettaOutfitters.com . Alpharettaoutfitters@yahoo.com
best kept secret
8284793790
GrahamCountyTravel.com
A NANO BREWERY IN BLUE RIDGE, GA We were founded in October of 2012, and our first legal brew was shipped in July of 2013. We are a couple of old retired guys who were home brewing in an outdoor shower and graduated to this. We are still having fun which is why we are still open.
Our corporate mission is simple: If we don’t like it, we don’t drink it. If we don’t drink it, we don’t sell it. GRUMPY OLD MEN BREWING, LLC 1315 East Main Street, Blue Ridge, GA
[770-331-8870/404-966-2665] info@grumpyoldmenbrewing.com
www.grumpyoldmenbrewing.com
Same ole' sam
A
nother spring has sprung, and it is thought to myself, “The old dunce has croaked gone. Condor Hurst Manor (CHM and there is a new administration running this or simply the “Compound”) is again never-ending train wreck.” As I filtered my under siege by wasps and wood bees. I recall way through the next four paragraphs about not so many years ago when the place was how valuable I was as an employee, I came to covered in worker honey bees vying for every the part about my position’s job responsibly. clover bloom on the property. This year, I “Whatta hell?” was my response. have not laid eyes on many in the last couple According to the document, I was of summers. I can’t help but wonder if there is the lone individual on the payroll who is not a honey shortage. responsible for making trip arrangements Speaking of bees, this time of year the for all outings within a 3,000-mile radius of Compound is always abuzz with activity. This Condor Hurst Manor, including seeing to it year is no different. Last week, we made a that places are pet-friendly. The implication trip to Gatlinburg in the Great Smokies. Darn is that canines are somehow exceptions place just about burned to the ground a couple from regular business—how degrading is of years ago, but you would hardly guess it that? Editorially, we cover roughly an 800today. There’s still a crowded pancake house mile radius of the compound. Over the last on every corner to the Hillbillies’ village. six years, I’ve accompanied ole DaddyBoy The closest thing we have to a legitimate on every mission, and I know by heart that pancake house in Montevallo is the Huddle I am on a first-name basis with the owner House which serves truly great pancakes of every gin dive in the Carolinas. Hereto and waffles, but it is an establishment that though I managed to get a fishing license and banned Daddyboy after the parking incident kept track of Daddyboy exceeding the limit on last summer (Call for details on that side- trout (catch and release my ass.) If you think splitting debacle). this is easy, think again. DaddyBoy is only The other morning when I awoke there casually aware of his state of residence, much was a package beside my head that held a less the fact that other states have individual copy of the STM Employee Handbook and fishing licenses—thus at least partially a detailed job description for yours truly. The explaining his well-known, much speculated opening line of the handbook said, and I am upon Anti-authoritarian Complex diagnosis, providing this to you verbatim, “Welcome to and especially, his history dealing rangers, the happiest place in the world: your guide game wardens, and fisheries management to sunshine and well-being.” Holy crap!” I specialist. 86 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
black wing olive chronicles
me ole! Up until now, I have somehow managed to keep him legal when on away-from-home fishing trips (except for his recent trip to the South Holston which he fished without a license or any regard for size limits.) DaddyBoy said that he’d made a dry run to the river in 1976, so now they are even. This did not explain him being over the limit, but I am sure he has similar explanation covered by some past wrong he has endured. Another quirk about ole Daddyboy of late is that the older he gets, the faster he was. I’m talking specifically about his short-lived career as a professional boxing career which can be summed up by stating his dedication to the ring snapped shortly before going trout fishing.
According to his journal, “Fished all day, was not beat up once. Perhaps fishing is my calling.” I don’t know as the helicon days in the ring predated my arrival at Condor Hurst. Suffice it to say, boxing and particularly, Daddyboy’s, dedicated box career is the subject of very infrequent conversation at C.H.M. As summers go, it has been pretty much blah, blah, blah or yadda, yadda, yadda, the choice is yours. Daddyboy reeks of a half full humidor and the collection of Tennessee whiskey bottles accumulated in his pickup truck. Pretty normal for him I would say. Ah yes, regarding the logistic information in my company handbooks, please allow me to make this offer. If you or your organization is game to host ole Daddyboy in for a 2 to 3-week fishing trip, please drop me a note. I will supply you with food/drink needs, and oh yeah, disregard to pet-friendly statue noted earlier (I’m not a pet, and oh yeah, disregard the pet-friendly comments earlier (I’m not a pet, and have no travel plans.)
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 87
Cabin Rentals FHU RV Sites
C�������, NC
877-716-6711
Fishing
Swimming Pool Tent Sites Tubing on River Riverside Camping Cra� Center
Fishin
cabins g
trout
Ravenf
ork Riv
Fishing
Fun in
the Sun
www. J ELLYSTONE C HEROKEE.com YOGI BEAR and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera. (s18)
er
ime
family t
Ross Evolution LT
90 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
T
here are so many new fly fishing gear manufactures that an older guy like me tend to see it all as a passing blur. Ross Reels are an exception to this. I met the Ross family factory team in 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee. It was at the Great South Boat Show of the South, a big deal in those days that preceded our beloved current collection of modern fly fishing shows. Although I could not say what became of it, at that show I seem to recall that I bought a little trout fly reel. A Ross Gunnison fly reel has best I can recall, but perhaps it was an even earlier Ross Reel made of graphite. Unfortunately, I never babied my tackle, and somewhere between there and some nameless creek I lost track on that little fly reel. I do vividly recall liking it a lot, and that it never failed me.
LTX 4/5 Fly Reel
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 91
There’s a couple Ross Reels around here somewhere today, but I’ll be damned if they are where I can lay hands on them should this shed where I toll ever catch on fire. It’s been three years since I have reviewed a Ross fly reel, It was their latest, the Evolution LT in 2015, a smooth and very low maintenance little line holder that was pretty much faultless and in my opinion was perhaps even impossible to improve upon. Was I in for a shock with the arrival of the Ross Evolution LTX fly reel a couple of months ago. Here’s the skinny on The Ross Evolution LTX Fly Reel. It is available in two finishes (Platinum and Black) and four sizes (3/4, 4/5, 5/6, and 7/8) to accommodate line weights 3 through 8. Its appearance and drag system has been completely redesigned. While the reel does take some design cues from the original LT, the frame and spool both have new designs. A neat, bronze drag knob and a canvas phenolic handle are two easily noticeable improvements. The machined handle is from canvas phenolic rod (another Ross Reels innovation). Other notable design features include an innovative line channel for cleanly hiding arbor knots when winding on backing, as well as an engraved leader loop on the frame. The leader loop allows you to run your leader and tippet along the outside of the frame when you're not fishing. 92 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 93
94 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
The Evolution LTX’s Machined canvas phenolic handle reduces weight and adds grip. The frame/ spool are made from a 6061-T6 proprietary aluminum alloy, specifically engineered for Ross Reels. Oil impregnated bronze bushing rotating on a stainless steel spindle. The finish of these reels is impeccable. The drag system on the Evolution LTX fly reel has been bulked up quadruple-fold over the earlier Evolution LT. In other words, it is four times stronger than the Evolution LT. The Evolution LTX features a drag system that is based on the engineered stacked-disc system of the Evolution LTX. It is over 4 times stronger than that of the Evolution LT as it ranges from 0 pounds (free spool) to 7-8 pounds (max drag). Other important design features: highly “skeletonized” spool and frame, and a bell-shaped arbor that helps self-level the fly line across the spool face. In my opinion, the Evolution LTX deserves a close look among those in the market workhorse that balances extremely we with new-generation fly rods. It’s largest size warrants consideration as a double, light-duty saltwater reel and rinses off easily in no time flat. The Evolution LTX fly reel recently became available a from Ross Reels and their dealers for a MSRP of $385.00 to $395.00. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 95
Get Hooked on Adventure
Offering shuttles services to Hazel Creek and Eagle Creek on North carolina’s pristine Lake Fontana, Fontana Village Resort is your destination for outdoor adventure and sport. FontanaVillage.com 828.498.2211
southernao.com
506 W. Main St., Pickens, SC 864-507-2195
Full & half day guided fly-fishing trips
Carrying Redington, Umpqua, Simms, RIO, Rep Your Water and more!
Come fish the Blue Wall with us!
764 Miami Circle, Atlanta, Georgia 30324| Phone: (404) 237-3473
www.thefishhawk.com
How Our Streams
O
ur southern trout streams, particularly creeks, are common namesakes of trails, roads, bed and breakfast inns, watering holes and… bands such Nickel Creek, Skeeter Creek and Goose Creek Symphony. But where did the names of the creeks come from? My good friend and a leading authority on missing creek name cold cases, Richard “Dick” Sellers and I had our first meeting at Little River Outfitters in 2010. Not long after, we met near his home in Sylva, North Carolina where he introduced me around. Someone asked how he got into his pursuit. He replied, “Well I caught a nice trout in the Smokies on the Tennessee side. When I went to record it in my journal I noticed it was not named on my USGS topo map. The rest is ‘history’.”
Richard “Dick” Sellers at Little River Outfitters with 1931 N Dick learned through a mutual acquaintance of my publishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park stream maps. As a result of getting to know him, I have been blessed with his sharing about his research and stories of how park streams in general got their names. A retiree and past president of the Tuckasegee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Dick is presently a National Park Service VIP (Volunteer in Park) at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
98 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
s Got Their Names
Nomenclature Map of GSMNP Watersheds – December 2, 2010 During the recent interview for this article in Cherokee I asked if park streams were named for landforms or were landforms named for streams. With a grin Dick replied, “Yes.” He went on to say many primary park streams were named by the earliest settlers with their branches sometime named after family members. For example, he later learned the mystery Tennessee stream was named Johns Creek. It and the USGS-labeled Toms Creek are nearby tributaries of Cosby Creek in Cocke County and are named for brothers. In his research Dick discovered that the sibling anglers would begin fishing at the bottom end of their respective diverging creeks and then work their way up meeting at a point at which the streams all but converged.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 99
A Jackson County, NC creek named after the landform Rough Butt does not of course refer to an anatomical part, but rather a term generally used to describe an end of a ridge or mountain. In his January 3, 2017 BlueRidgeCountry. com blog, Arthur McDade noted “Even the Devil gets a fair number of references in the Smokies. There’s a Devils Den, a Devils Chute, Devils Bench, Devils Tater Patch, Devils Courthouse, Devils Nest Creek and a Devil Branch. These designations are not monuments to Satan; rather, they are references to the harshness of the landscape.” Some name labels on USGS maps are of necessity abbreviations of their technical moniker. Someone once said, “It seems the smaller the streams get the longer their names get.” A prime example is Right Hand Prong of Middle Prong of West Fork Pigeon River. It is tagged simply as Right Hand Prong. I have observed there is no apparent colloquial preference for use of the terms branch, fork or prong. Only two stream was established and who founded the Appalachian names in the park are Club at Elkmont in 1910. known to refer to “fish”: Two streams, Snakefeeder Branch in the Sevier Trout Creek (not fishable) County, Tennessee area of the park and Yellowhammer and Fish Camp Prong. Branch in the Graham County section of Nantahala The latter relates to the National Forest were associated with widely known Goshen Prong Trail fly fishing patterns in the day. Don Kirk, in his book destination of affluent, Hatches & Fly Patterns of the Great Smoky Mountains mostly Knoxville, hunting (2014), made mention of a one associated with and fishing enthusiasts in mountaineer Tipton Stinnett (1857–1936) of Sevier the years before the park County, Tennessee. Don wrote, “Uncle Tip prefers a
100 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
black snake-feeder (dragon-fly also known as grampus). Mr. Stinnett said, ‘They’ll git ’em every time. This is a common fly seen about mountain streams. I don’t like these si-godlin things they call artificial minners. They plum scare the fish.’” One of the faux ‘minners’ he was referring to was his son Ruben’s go-to lure, a White Miller. T. Edward Nickens posted the following on OurState.com (North Carolina) October 9, 2015: “When it comes to lure and tradition, however, not to mention
sheer fish-catching ability, few can touch the Yaller Hammer… Much of the pattern’s allure — to humans, at least — comes from one of the primary materials used to tie the original versions: the bright yellow flight feathers of the yellow-shafted northern flicker. These woodpeckers hammer loudly in the big woods of the mountains, hence their nickname. Protected, like all songbirds, it is illegal to use their feathers for fly-tying these days, so anglers turn to dyed quail and dove feathers as a substitute.” I’ll end with a prime stream named after an imposing yet playful, all-black species of the genus Corvus. Raven Fork has its headwaters in the Smokies and flows through the Cherokee Qualla Boundary. From George Ellison’s January 5, 2012 post on SmokyMountainNews.com. “In Our Southern Highlanders (1913),
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 101
longtime Smokies resident Horace Kephart noted, “Of animal life in the mountains I was most entertained by the raven. This extraordinary bird was the first creature Noah liberated from the ark –– he must have known, even at that early period of nature study, that it was the most sagacious of all winged things… On the southeast side of the Locust Ridge, opposite Huggins Hell, between Bone Valley and the main fork of Hazel Creek, there is a ‘Raven’s Cliff’ where they winter and breed, using the same nests year after year… As is well known, ravens can be taught human speech, like parrots; and I am told they show the same preference for bad words––which, I think, is quite in character with their reputation as thieves and butchers.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fred Turner is an East Tennessee native and retired engineer who has frequented the Tennessee tailwaters and streams of the Smokies and Cherokee National Forest. He is the owner/illustrator of Saint Clair Mapping in Loudon, TN doing business as CreekMaps.com (formerly SmokyStreams). Email: fredturner@ saintclairmapping.com
Others have streams,
we have a trail.
Jackson County is home of the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, which maps out 15 prime spots to catch brown, rainbow and brook trout in the crystal-clear streams of the Great Smoky Mountains. With more than 4,600 miles of wide-open rivers and secluded mountain streams, we have the state’s longest contiguous stretch of Mountain Heritage Trout Waters.
Discover the epic waters of North Carolina’s Trout Capital today.
CASHIERS CHEROKEE DILLSBORO SYLVA
DiscoverJacksonNC.com
Travis S
Out
104 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Sylvester
Artist tdoorsman
“D
on’t worry about or expect everyone to like what you do, do it for yourself and what you get out of it.” This is one piece of advice among many given to would-be artists by the incredible Travis Sylvester, artist and outdoorsman who has channeled his appreciation for wildlife and nature into a creative outlet. Sylvester’s interest in art perhaps started as early as his awareness of the world around him. “I would say as early as elementary school, possibly earlier,” he explains, “My dad was a technical draftsman as well as an outdoor artist. I recall sitting at the kitchen table with him drawing birds and deer while he worked on complex threedimensional architectural drawings. I found that drawing things without straight lines to be much easier and a lot more fun.” Inspiration from seeing his father draw was not the
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 105
only familial influence with his artistic development. When asked what experiences earlier in life helped steer him in the direction of becoming a professional artist, Sylvester again mentions his parents, “I think that a lot of it had to do with a great deal of support from family, friends, and my high school art teacher; Peggy Anderson. I have always thought I was “ok” at art, and always enjoyed working on projects, but having a lot of positive reactions to my work, and people encouraging me to keep drawing and enter contests and such, really gave me the impression that I might be able to do something with my work. When I was a kid, I recall at Christmas, my parents would get me one of those big old art sets with everything imaginable in it along with several pads of paper. I clearly recall those being my favorite presents every year, well, except the year I got a new BMX bike, that was the best gift that year.”
106 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
In regards to subject matter, it’s only over the last eight or nine years that Sylvester has been getting more serious about his work and drawing trout. “Trout and water are by far my favorite subjects to work on. I am very interested in portraits, I am fascinated by artists that have mastered people, expressions, and the shapes and tones of hands and faces. This is an area I like to improve on.” ‘Tranquility’ is his best-received piece, he says, losing count of the time he put into it and, in true artist form, ending up on a “weird emotional roller coaster,” while working on it and causing him “to love and hate continuously throughout the entire piece.” “There were many times,” he says, “where I wanted to scrap it and do something I was a little more comfortable with. Tranquility is semi-abstract, I focused primarily on the water, and exaggerated the different color schemes that occurred throughout the ripples and flow of the river. Other top received works might include; Whiplash, Sapphire, Freestone, Hands On, Drawn In, and my most recently completed piece, The Bonnie Project.”
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 107
Working primarily in colored pencils, Sylvester often envisions himself using oil or acrylics in his work. “I think that either of them would be a fun or challenging change. Working with watercolors on the other hand, to me is some kind of voodoo, witchcraft, or some other form of magic. I have the utmost respect for artists who have mastered or can create anything in this medium. I have dabbled with them in the past, but I do not have a clue how people work with or create anything other than brown water with them.” Sylvester typically produces half a dozen works in a year, including commissioned pieces; a big change from doing about double that annually a few years ago. “I work late at night, early in the mornings, or on weekends around a fairly busy schedule with my primary job. Occasionally I will even put in a few minutes during my lunch hour.” 108 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 109
¬ When questioned regarding his advice as a professional artist to would-be artist, Sylvester has a few different bits of advice: “I would say experiment with as many different mediums as possible, find one that captures your interest and imagination, find a subject or subjects that you are passionate about and go from there. Be critical of your own work, take as much time as needed on each piece as well as the time needed to develop and establish your own style. Don’t be afraid to ask other artists about anything related to getting started. Chances are you will find someone who is willing to share some of their experiences with you, give you tips, encouragement or advice. Be patient. Become proficient in as many social media platforms as possible.”
110 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 111
112 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Art is a passion, and Sylvester is not devoid of that passion when it comes to his work. “For me, it is all about creating something with my own hands that people seem to like and appreciate. It is extremely gratifying to me that people like what I do enough to want to spend their money, and purchase a print or especially an original from me, and proudly hang it in their home or office. I put upwards of 100 hours or more into most of my pieces, I can look at almost any one of them and recall different thoughts, struggles, worries, and a host of other emotions that may have gone through my head throughout the creation of each piece. "I often escape to my drawing room to unwind, listen to music, and get my mind off of everyday issues while attempting to re-create the fascinating colors on a gill plate, the way light plays with the water and reflections of netting, or what you can actually see when you look close enough into the eye of a trout. I try to make each new piece better in some way from my previous project while continuously working on developing or enhancing my own style. I enjoy that my work and style has become recognizable in the fishing industry. I am still a bit surprised, and very honored to be affiliated in a small way with such a great sport, and the countless great people I have met, just because I like to draw fish.” Check out Travis’ work at his website, http://www. travzart.com/.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 113
Since 1999 the Smoky Mountain’s #1 Outfitter and Guide Service! Serving Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Cherokee and Bryson City. Half-day and full-day:
• • • • • •
Wade Trips Drift Boat Trips Beginner classes and instruction with the best guides in the Smoky Mountains. Fly fishing and spin fishing for kids and families Fly fishing merit badge classes Corporate and group fly fishing
We fish the most beautiful trout streams in the North Carolina and Tennessee mountains:
• • • • • •
Great Smoky Mountains National Park The Tuckasegee River The Little Tennessee River Cherokee trophy trout waters Hazel Creek day trips Fontana Lake for bass and walleye
No Experience necessary, we will teach you how to fly fish!
Rates starting at $75.00 per person! For reservations call 828-488-7665 Or book securely from our website!
828-488-7665 • FlyFishingTheSmokies.net Email guides@FlyFishingTheSmokies.net
Authorized Concessioner
A
nticipation was high. The moment I opened the box to reveal the Saddleback Leather Co. Front Pocket Waxed Canvas Bag, it became immediately apparent that everything really is bigger and better in Texas. This Ft. Worth-based company is known all over for their quality leather goods and bags that stand up to the test of time. When looking over all of the offerings on their website I was quickly drawn to the waxed canvas product line. This product line was purposely “overbuilt� and has many of the same qualities of the all leather lineup but comes with a sense of ruggedness that begs to be taken off the beaten path. The Front Pocket Waxed Canvas Bag is just as happy to be carried into an important business meeting and as it is to be dropped off in the mudroom at the lodge stuffed with your tie, shoes, and shirt when that meeting turns into an impromptu afternoon on the river. 116 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
THEY'LL
FIGHT OVER IT
WHEN YOU'RE
DEAD
Front Pocket Waxed Canvas Gear Bag
Reviewed by Claude Preston
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 117
118 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
I had the privilege of carrying this bag on my last business trip down to Florida. It easily handled all of my gear needed for my appointments and never once did I hesitate to hop out of the car for an appointment in the middle of a rainstorm in fear of damage to the bag. Made from 24oz of super-tough waxed canvas imported from Scotland, it is at home in any weather. After a few days on the road with the bag, I quickly realized that my initial impression of the bag was spot on. The Front Pocket Waxed Canvas Bag proved to be up to any task I threw at it. Crafted from the best components that Saddleback Leather Co. could source, to include waxed canvas directly from Scotland, old bull leather, and marinegrade polyester thread that just happens to be used on ship’s sails! For a bag to be built with that kind of “soft” materials, you cannot afford to cut corners on the hardware and boy they sure didn’t. Every connecting point on the bag is supported by marine-grade stainless 316 steel and hand pounded copper rivets. At all stress points, the rivets and grommets are reinforced with extra thick old bull leather to make the bag almost impossible to tear.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 119
The features and capabilities of the bag are great also…. “Will it hold my MacBook?” Yes, it will…the 15” kind in the interior panel pocket!! I rounded out the bag with multiple 3-ring binders, client files; leather bound portfolio, and a change of clothes. Up under the handle flap are two of the best features; two waxed canvas tall front pockets that can be folded forward or tucked behind the pocket for added security. Both front pockets can hold quick access items such as cell phones and travel documents, laptop charger, or even a bottle of water. The use of leather on this bag is in just the right places to add sophistication and overall structure as in case of the hand-riveted old bull leather panel along the back and the bottom of the bag. Although sturdy, the handle on the bag lays flat when not in use. If there were one thing that people may have a concern with it, it would probably be the weight of the bag. Weighing 5 pounds out of the box may be bothersome but it doesn’t me, as a matter of fact, the componentry and quality demand that. Overall the Front Pocket Waxed Canvas Gear Bag form Saddleback Leather Co. is a tremendous bag that checks every box. Saddleback Leather Company is so sure that this bag will “outlive your kids” that they have a 30-day money back satisfaction guarantee and a 100-year warranty against defect in materials and workmanship!! Look up Saddleback Leather Co. the next time you are looking for a great gift for someone or yourself!!! 120 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.saddlebackleather.com/ www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 121
Get up to four Enter once by following
Saddleback Leather Company on Instagram
Get 2 more entries by following Southern Trout and Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine on Facebook Sign up for a free subscription to the magazines for another entry! SouthernTrout.com
chances to win!
The Fib A
pproximately seventy-five years ago the first fiberglass fishing rods came on the market. Fiberglass became the material of choice from which to manufacture fishing rods for decades and the standard by which all other materials were measured. But, naturally, research never stops and as “new and improved” raw materials from which to make fishing rods were developed, tried, and proven those became the product of choice for newer generations. However, fiberglass fishing rods have stood the test of time and have remained on the market.
Re
In the months and years following World War II, a revolution of sorts—a Fiberglass Insurrection—began in the fishing rod manufacturing business. Fiberglass was one of the “wonder materials” that came as a result of the tremendous Research and Development efforts during the war. So, what is this “wonder material” and what led to its discovery? Fiberglass is a compound material composed of two elements, glass fibers and a binding medium known as resin. Glass fibers, the primary element in fiberglass were first created accidentally by a researcher at Corning Glass 124 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
berglass when attempting to find a way to create an air tight seal by welding glass blocks together. In the process, instead welding the blocks together, the pressure of the air and gasses pushing through the small gap between the blocks formed long strands of silk-like glass fibers on the opposite side. Seeing a potential use for the fibers, Corning Glass partnered with Owens-Illinois to further develop the method of making the glass fibers. The resulting process was patented in 1936. In 1938, the companies merged and is still known today as the Owens-Corning FiberglasÂŽ Corporation, perhaps the largest
e-Revolution manufacturer of fiberglass now used in everything from home insulation to fishing rods. Timothy P. O’Brien, Ph.D. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 125
In the late 1930s, a method of binding the glass fibers together had not been developed. A resin or some sort was believed to be the best solution. At the time, the DuPont Chemical Company made a polyester resin that provided a binder material, however, a suitable method of hardening the resin had not been discovered. Ironically, the solution to the hardening problem came from the enemy camp during WWII. Engineers in Germany had perfected a method to harden polyester resins. British intelligence agents captured the formula and methodology from the Nazis and shared it with their American allies, which
turned the information over to those companies doing defense work. In 1942, American Cyanamid successfully refined the process and formulation of the resin that was the direct forerunner of the resins used today in the Twenty-first Century. The resulting product came to be known by the generic term, “fiberglass.� The product was found to be flexible, durable, one that required little maintenance, was strong, adaptable, not susceptible to rot or corrosion, insect resistant, and inexpensive to manufacture. The first uses of fiberglass
126 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
were applied to military components such as auxiliary fuel tanks for airplanes, non-magnetic land mines, and radio antennas. Clearly the product possibilities were endless, as the ensuing years have proven. Fishing rods were manufactured almost exclusively out of woods or bamboos until after WWII. As industry was reset to peacetime pursuits, it seemed that fiberglass was a natural use for fishing rods. Research and development was not coordinated and two processes emerged as the best solution for manufacturing fishing rods—the Haven method and the Howald
method. Each would prove to be unique. In the coming months, we will explore more about this “wonder material,” how it has evolved, what it means to angling today, and where it may be going in the future. We hope to bring you perspectives, old and new, and we may even try out and review some of the fiberglass fishing rods on the market today. We hope you enjoy this feature and welcome your comments, which can be sent to me at tpobrien@ tycoontackle.com. Tight lines!
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 127
Southern Trout Endorsed!! Editors of Southern Trout "Ozark Edition."
Just released! Check it out at thebluegillpond.com Presently available in soft cover. $24.95 soft cover Kindle $13.99 on Amazon
A Museum for the Southern Fly Fisherman
The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians — originally
located in Cherokee, NC — has a new home in neighboring Bryson City where it shares a building with the Bryson City / Swain County Chamber of Commerce. It’s centrally located on the town square across the street from the visitor center. The Museum is open Monday thru Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and admission is free.
The scope of the museum covers an
area with more than 14,700 miles of accessible trout streams — the nine Southern Appalachian States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama; the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; as well as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Bryson City, NC
PHOTO BY JIM HEAFNER
Through exhibits and videos you’ll
learn about legendary “Stream Blazers,” the evolution of rods and reels, basic knots, fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, regional fishing waters, and the history of fly fishing in the Southeast. Whether you are a long-time fly fisherman, or have only attempted or never tried fly fishing, you will find something to enjoy and to learn from in the museum.
FLY FISHING MUSEUM
OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians 210 Main Street Bryson City, NC 28713 800-867-9241
FlyFishingMuseum.org
Bryson City’s Fly Fishing Museum of The Southern Appalachian UPDATE with Alen Baker
132 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
"I
n the past, I had never thought much about founding a museum, but we in the south were losing wonderful anglers without preserving their stories," says Alen Baker, curator of the Flyfishing Museum of The Southern Appalachians in Bryson City. North Carolina. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 133
134 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
"It occurred to me a few years ago that our precious heritage as flyfishers was slowly disappearing," says Baker, adding, "I for one thought this was a shame. Several museums in the northeast were preserving the Catskill fly fishing story and more. Given the right place and support why not at least try to set up something to change this?" “Thus, I began talking to folks like Jim Casada, Kevin Howell, Lefty Kreh, Don Kirk, leaders in my local Rocky River Trout Unlimited chapter and whoever I fly fished with - how could we do a museum? The driving force ended up being the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Chief Michelle Hicks who shared this vision and allocated resources to establish the museum. Remodeling a building and trusting we anglers to make it happen. So, the rest of the driving force was a strong board - Forrest Parker, Kevin Howell, Ron Beane, and Gene Barrington, and all care about preserving our past and kicking-in their talents to bring in donations of money, memorabilia and a network of contacts. We started in 2013 and opened the doors in Cherokee in 2015 with 40 exhibits - 120 were present for the Chief cutting the ribbon that day in June. The rest of the driving fires was over 200 Founding members who contributed money and assets to the museum. I am so proud to know every one of the folks and their organizations." www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 135
When asked if the 2016 move of the museum from Cherokee to nearby Bryson City, Baker responded with a big "Absolutely!" I have had regrets about moving because the building we had in Cherokee was roomy and a huge open space for exhibits. We had a great location. On the other hand, Swain County and the town of Bryson City has embraced the museum and work every day to promote and develop fly fishing and the museum hand in hand. We problem solve together and continue to grow the museum in exhibits, assets, activities, and funding. Last year almost 20,000 visited the museum, a four-fold increase from the Cherokee location. Cherokee was great, but this outcome is fantastic! The town has three large statues of trout around town to tell visitors that fly-fishing is as important as whitewater rafting. Additionally, the tribe continues to support the museum and remain a part of our development efforts."
136 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 137
138 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
“Just like in Cherokee, the museum is downtown in an excellent location provided by the Swain County Chamber. In Bryson City. It is now located at 210 Main Street across from the Heritage Museum, a prominent landmark in town. When we relocated, moving vans, storage, carpenters and everything needed was made available for the move. There were over thirty volunteers from the local community helping pack and unpack exhibits. The museum was only closed for a few weeks before the reopening ribbon cutting occurred. Now Bryson City is the museum's home, and the Museum Hall of Fame is in its third year scheduled for September 8. The local Nantahala Brewery will again host a pre-event on Friday evening, September 7 by naming a beer after each inductee and donating one dollar for every named beer sold that day. The brewery has held two fundraisers for the museum - that is an ongoing welcome. Everett's Diner has decorated a wall with a stream, fly rod and rainbow in support of the museum. Bryson City is in full embrace of the museum. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 139
“The first construction project in Bryson City was the remodeling the building in Bryson City was a second brief construction project. Amazingly, we are now in our third construction project. For the past six months, we have been building a new two-story building at 10 Collins Drive which is within walking distance of the building on Main Street. This second building will provide expanded exhibit space and storage on the second floor. We already have over twenty more exhibits ready for display and in storage. We have a 1921 wooden canoe to be displayed which was typical of those used to flyfish on ponds and lakes back in that period. We have a 1950s cable stocking system to exhibit. We have numerous more "Stream Blazer" exhibits about our anglers of the past. The downstairs will be a live mountain stream and up to twenty aquariums exhibiting our Southern Appalachian species of fish that we fly fish for and otherwise conserve and protect. 140 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 141
142 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
“The second building is near completion and at the point where we have started to build the infrastructure inside to support the aquariums downstairs and the exhibits upstairs. The mountain stream will consist of a waterfall, a plunge pool with brook trout and two adjoining tanks. One tank is sponsored by the tribe and will exhibit related rainbow trout. The other tank will be over 600 gallons and exhibit large species such as musky and carp. The North Carolina Wildlife Federation is sponsoring a terrarium and aquarium. Southern Trout was a supporter of the museum since learning about it at the FFF conclave held in nearby Cullowhee five years ago. We have established a Go Fund Me page to enable everyone, including TU and FFF chapters to pitch in an help.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l July 2018 l 143
Please be a p
part...
Expansion of our Fly Fishing Museum of Southern Appalaciansand needs a helping hand from the fans of Southern Trout. Please do your part by contributing $10 to $50 on their gofundme page. Be it an individual or TU or FFF Chapter, pledge what you can to the Museum . Lets save what we can of our great fly fishing history.
CLICK HERE TO HELP