Southern Trout Issue 41 February 2019

issue 41

feb/mar 2019

Southern Trout

www.southerntrout.com

2 l June 2018 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

Publisher's message

T

he Third Annual ST “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame ceremony went off with out a hitch. Five new inductees joined the 18 previously elected and grandfathered members of the Hall of Fame. The next one is already in the planning stage, but I will not be the sole officer on deck. Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing editor Jimmy Jacobs will join me, along with Associate Publisher Claude Presott, III, and Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited president, John Reinhardt. A couple of others have shown an interest, and they will be announced in a short time, most notably Sam Venable.

Sam and I go way back. He had been the long outdoor editor for the Knoxville New Sentinel when in the early eighties when I managed to talk the late Ben Byrd, Sports Editor for the now defunct Knoxville Journal Newspaper into hiring me as their outdoor editor.

Even though it was the smaller of the two Knoxville newspapers, it was a fun gig while it lasted. The paper ceased publication a couple of years later, and few years afterwards the New Sentinel moved Sam from outdoors to a general beat title that he maintained until his retirement. The outdoors were deeply engrained in his blood, and his general beat topics often covered water fowling and trout, when in season.

To call a spade a spade, 2018 was a troubling year for Southern Unlimited, LLC. The primary culprit in the wood shed was my health. Spring and summer were troublesome and despite rallying in fall, sales fell short.

Currently, the kayak mag and the Ozark one are on suspension. There is hope they will be back, but not until STM and SSF are back to fat and sassy. Digital publishing is a tough business inside a tough busy environment. Do I believe we’ll pull them out of the tank? Yes, but staying healthy and our team working together will be the keys.

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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.

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soncreekretreat.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

Southern Trout Publisher Managing Editor Special Projects Dir. Photographer/Writer Editorial Consultant

NEW FOR 2018

Don Kirk Leah Kirk Loryn Lathem Adam Patterson Olive K. Nynne

UNI-Thread 8/0 Mahogany Waxed or Unwaxed on spools of 50 or 200 yds

Contributors Soc Clay Matthew Lewis Keith Gann Matt Reilly Ragan Whitlock FIELD STAFF

Jimmy Jacobs, Georgia Editor Rocky Cox Columnist Steve Moore Columnist Columnist Polly Dean Columnist Bob Mallard

AXXEL 6 Orange and Salmon on spools of 7 yds

Look to UNI for the best in spooled fly-tying materials!

www. uniproducts .com

Southern Trout is a publication of Southern Unlimited, LLC. Copyright 2019 Southern Unlimited LLC. All rights reserved.

6 l February 2019 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 7

On September 30, 2018, Solarez, in partnership with Southern Trout and Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazines, Dr. Slick Fly Tying Tools and FlyTyer Magazine launched The Solarez UV Revolution World Tour. Rock Concerts? NO. Instead, an awareness program exploring all of the different types of flies that can be tied with Solarez UV Resins.

So, just what is this Solarez UV Revolution World Tour? It is a contest and social media tour directed at the fly tying and fly fishing world that will generate awareness and the unique application value of using Solarez in constructing flies. This program runs through April 1, 2019, and will create an opportunity for fly ters from all over the world to showcase their fly tying abilities.

REQUIREMENTS: Tyers will be required to post a photo of their fly with an accompanying Solarez UV Product and pattern ingredients for the fly on one of the four Solarez Facebook pages: North America, Europe, Australia or New Zealand. Entrants should select the Facebook page that geographically represents them.

Posts that do not include the Solarez product with fly and pattern will be deleted immediately.

Only those posts meeting the requirements will remain.

So, what happens next?

The top 5 contributors with the most Facebook ‘likes’ at the end of each month will receive a t-shirt and an additional 5 t-shirts will be awarded via a random drawing from those who posted likes. Drawings will be held on last day 8 l February 2019 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

SOLA

UV Rev World Tou

AREZ

volution ur Contest

of each month and winners will be announced during the first week of the following month. (All t-shirts will be size XL to manage inventory)

On October 1, the first drawing was from individuals who “liked” the Solarez Page from September 19 - September 30. This contest was announced “softly” via Solarez Facebook pages, shares, Pro Team Members, and partner posts.

For the final drawing in April, we will start the whole process over again. October will set the stage for November, December, January, February, and the last on in March, for a total of 7 months in each geographical area. TWO (2) GRAND PRIZES, will be randomly drawn from tyers who have submitted flies for the World Tour and all those who have provided likes.

Votes will only be collected for flies posted on Solarez Facebook pages. Contributor flies will be shared with Partner Facebook pages.

Partners will also be encouraged to offer monthly prizes from random drawings from monthly ‘likers’ of their own individual Facebook pages.

Winners will be shared/posted on all Solarez Facebook pages.

Southern Trout and Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing magazines will be featuring some Pro Team and consumer flies in each issue over the next 6 months. Of course, they will be respective of either trout or saltwater patterns.

Dr. Slick will provide fly-tying tools monthly. Flytyer Magazine will be supporting this tour program by highlighting flies.

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THIS ISSUE Publisher's Message

3

Solarez

8

Legends of the Fly

Hall of Fame 2019 Inductees

Fishing Shrimp and Cress

Bugs for Trout

12

Fiberglass Revolution

Epic 370 Fastglass:

A Gift from

Down Under

30

Remembering Paint Creek

40

20

20

12

New Fly Guy 52

The Upshot on Split Shot

Dry Fly Heaven 64

on the South Holsten Gearhead

Multipack Leaders:

A Good Idea

74

You'll take a Shine

for this Fly Rod

86

Does It Really Matter?

98

Best Jacket EVER

for Fishing

30

104

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30

THIS ISSUE

74

Olive Blackwing

Ole Elmo

112

Contemplating Winter Fishing

116

Skillet Trout ‘n Taters

128

40 52

86 8

110

116

64

118

170

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“LEGENDS OF THE F

F

ebruary 1st was a big date for the Southern Trout Magazine (STM) family. The event was created two years earlier to recognize the fast fading memories with respect to southern trout fishing and to honor noteworthy fishermen’s contributions. Thus, STM brought about the ST “Legends of the Fly” Hall of Fame (HoF). Others have tried to establish a hall of fame for fly fishing in the South, but their efforts have, as some have noted to us, come across as woefully provincial, and the inductees all seem to have the same zip code. The ST “Legends of the Fly” receives nominations from anyone taking the time to present them. With this selection process, you the people get to vote on the six annual inductees. We feel this is a fair approach that takes the matter from the smoke filled back rooms to out in the sunshine where everyone’s vote matters.

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FLY” HALL OF FAME

Hereto I have overseen the development of HoF pretty much on my own. Under STM, 24 individuals have been inducted, including six extra the first year under grandfather status. I’ve queried many people over the last three years and placed many more up for nomination vote. Each year, I’ve accepted nominees from anyone and everyone. One reason I’ve held the process tightly was because of my considerable knowledge of the history of the sport in the South. Some notables such as the vast contributions of Ernest Peckinbaugh and Joe Manley might have been overlooked. Lots of time went into the whole affair. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 13

Next year, STM will have a sort of ad hoc committee which will help identify candidates to be voted upon as well as the usual call of candidates for STM’s growing readership. The potential for this event to grow is tremendous. Although the committee is still in its formative stages, those who have agreed to lend a hand are Jimmy Jacobs, editor of Southern Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine; John Reinhardt, President of the Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited; Claude Prescott, III, the Associate Publisher of Southern Unlimited, LLC; and three others yet to be determined. I’ll share more on this very soon.

This year’s inductee class was a superlative lot as have been those from the previous two years. The late Joe Manley who wrote the first guide on fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains Nation Park was acknowledged for his invaluable contributions between 1930 and 1990. He was the “Bill Dance” of that era. His son, Joe Manely, Jr. accepted the award in the company of other family members who traveled from Wilmington and Tampa.

Eugene Shuler was inducted to become the youngest member of the HoF. A lifelong resident of Bryson City, North Carolina, he owns and operates the largest fly-fishing guide services out of his Bryson City local of Fly Fishing the Smokies. To list Shulers many accolades and accomplishments in the promotion of southern fly fishing would take all morning.

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Monte Seehorn became only the second fisheries professional inducted into the HoF along with the legendary Don Pfziter. The HoF was established to recognize people who made a genuine contribution to the sport of fly fishing and not paid biologist unlike the clowns in the Great Smokies who mindlessly closed hundreds of miles of brook trout streams in the 1970s.

Seehorn is a true man of all seasons who has left a lasting mark everywhere he served.

Chuck Kraft of Northern Virginia was honored with induction to the HoF. Locally is renowned as the top flyfishing guide for trout and smallmouth bass. To the Southern masses though, he is the creator of the CK series of fly-fishing guides.

Chuck has devoted his life to fly fishing in the South and was richly deserving.

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The late Eddie George of Knoxville, Tennessee was also honored. Best know for the creation of the George Nymph (also known as the Cotton Top Nymph). He and his wife Mona were perhaps the best known for their steadfast fight to prevent the Little Tailwaters from becoming Tellico Lake. He introduced more people to fly fishing that Cecil DeMille killed when making his epic movies.

Myself, Don Kirk, was in the 2019 class of HoF Inductees. My call to fame was writing the modern stream guide book to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting Southern Trout Magazine seven years ago, and my well-known vigilante efforts against the evil force of otters.

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with the Sweetwater Brewing Company logo.

Sweetwater Brewing Company complimented the event by making their newest brew, Guide Choice (a lager) available.

Delicious suds.

Other sponsors who made the ST Legends of the Fly HoF possible include the Bryson City Chamber of Commerce, home of the Southern Appalachian Museum of Fly Fishing. Thomas and Thomas Rod Company was yet another sponsor.

The event could not have been possible without sponsorship of The Atlanta Fly Fishing Show and Ben Furminski. All three years they have hosted the event and made it all possible.

Plans for next year’s ST Legend of the Fly Hall of Fame are pretty much

Brian Miesieski, Sweetwater Brewery

2019 marked the first year an award was given to sponsor of the event. The ST Legends of the Fly Hall of Fame sponsorship award went to Sweetwater Brewing Company.

A faithful sponsor all that relates to trout in the south and especially the Chattahoochee River as well the Hof, Brian Miesieskireceived a large size Big Green Egg cooker.

With it came a special circular thermometer engraved

the same: six anglers of renown and a corporation will be recognized. We may expand it to include saltwater.

The ST Legends of the Fly Hall of Fame is a good thing that needed to be done.

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SweetWater Brewing Company • Georgia • SweetWaterBrew.com

Fishing Shrimp a W

hen the late Vince Marinaro did his evaluation of the aquatic insects which were available to the trout in the Letort Spring Run in Pennsylvania he found over two thousand pounds of insects per acre of stream bottom.

Vince told me, as we sat beside the stream, that the great majority of this food was in the form of cress bugs (sow bugs) and shrimp (scuds).

Many rich spring creeks, freestone streams, and tailwaters have excellent populations of these crustaceans and by using a Kaufmann’s Olive Scud and Shenk’s Cress Bug in sizes 12 down to 18 and the appropriate tactics you can get outstanding fishing.

Most angler’s like to use three and four weight rods for this fishing because of the delicacy required in the presentation. Reels that have a light starting drag are very helpful in protecting fine leaders on the powerful first run of these large trout. Ninefoot leaders tapered to 5X and 6X are ideal.

The most productive tactics vary from one type of stream to the next. In order for you to apply this to your personal fishing let us first examine the spring creeks, and then we will look at freestone streams and finally the tailwaters.

Ed Shenk’s Cress Bugs in sizes 12 to 18 are very productive flies to use when trout are feeding on these crustaceans.

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and Cress Bugs

The rich spring creeks which are too small to wade provide great fishing in low light levels at dawn, dusk and in slightly discolored water. This is one on one fishing where you spot the trout feeding in water a foot or two deep along the banks and below the aquatic grass beds. You may locate these trout by the disturbance they make as they root the bugs from the stream bottom… often showing their swishing tails like a tailing bonefish. Sometimes you will spot discolored water flowing downstream from this rooting.

However, you locate these trout, crawl into a comfortable secure casting position downstream of them. Watch closely and you will see a trout swim upstream several feet to root the bugs out then drop back to his feeding station to feed on them as the current pushes them to him. When he goes upstream the next time wait until he drops back to his feeding station then present your bug several feet upstream of him, timing your presentation so it will drift to him just ahead of the naturals. Set the hook when you see him turn to take your fly or “white it” revealing the white interior of his mouth as he sucks it in. Some trout will feed in this manner every twenty seconds while others may feed every two to three minutes. I have seen a specific trout feed in this way for hours if the light level is low.

Harry murray

for Trout

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Spring creeks which are large enough to wade can also provide great fishing since they also have large populations of shrimp (more in the West) and cress bugs (more in the East).

The one on one tactic used on the small spring creeks mentioned earlier works well here when you see these trout feeding in the shallows.

However, another technique which the late Charlie Brooks taught me is very productive on the large spring creeks. Wade upstream and fish a Shrimp or Cress Bug upstream dead drift through the deep cuts and beside the aquatic grass beds.

Many trout hold on feeding stations under the edges of these grass beds and quickly grab every natural bug that drifts by. Depending upon the stream depth and speed of the current you may need to place a small lead-free split shot six inches above the fly. Strike detection is easy by placing a small indicator from three to five feet above the fly depending upon the depth of the water.

Fighting and landing large trout with fine leaders on grass-filled streams can be a little tricky, but here is a very effective method. Always try to get downstream of the trout and get him on the reel by quickly cranking in the slack line. As the trout runs upstream apply a light rod pressure to the side with the rod twenty degrees above the stream. If you try fighting him with the fly rod held high in the air he usually dives deep in the stream and frequently runs

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upstream into a grass-tunnel. If this happens he can usually be coaxed out by a gently low rod pressure from directly below where he went into the grass. Once you feel you have him ready to land, lead him over to water two feet deep with the rod at a high angle to cushion any possible last minute run. Position your landing net in the stream and gently lead your trout into it. Even very large trout can be effectively landed in this way, assuring you they will survive when returned to the stream.

Large freestone streams often have large springs flowing into them. Many large trout feed heavily below where these springs because during the summer they provide cooler water than the main flow and during the winter when these springs are running from the upper forties to the mid-fifties they are much warmer than the streams. The alkalinity these springs afford is ideal for good shrimp and cress bug growth.

A Kaufmann’s Shrimp fished below a dry fly as its indicator is a great way to catch large trout on rich streams.

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If you spot trout feeding on the naturals in the shallows along the banks go one on one with them. If you do not see feeders wade to within forty feet of the spring and ten feet above it. Fish your fly down and across the stream at a twenty-degree angle with a slow two-inch twitching action every five seconds. Start right where the spring enters and cover the whole area thoroughly. Depending upon the volume of the spring and the speed of the current in the river, this area can be very productive from thirty to one hundred feet below the spring. Many streams in rich limestone valleys have a great number of these springs throughout their length, easily spotted by the rich green grass growth along the banks and in the streams below the springs.

Tailwater streams often hold great shrimp populations and these large trout feet heavily upon them all day.

When you float these rivers in a drift boat or kick boat, drift forty feet out in the river from the banks or aquatic grass beds. Fish your Shrimp on a 5X or 6X leader with an indicator or dry fly from thee to five feet above it, this distance depending upon the depth of the water and the speed of the current.

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Large brown trout you spot feeding on shrimp in shallow water are exciting to fish for and can be successfully landed as the author discusses.

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Jeff Murray, the author’s son, enjoys the challenge of fishing for large trout on tailwater streams that are feeding on shrimp in shallow water.

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You may even need to place a tiny leadfree split shot six inches above the fly so it drifts deeply. Cast forty to fifty feet downstream at a twenty-degree angle dropping your fly ten feet off the bank. With gently mending you can usually get a natural drift for thirty to forty feet before the boat catches up to the fly. At this point pick it up and cast back downstream. This method is effective all day, but at dusk, you have another option.

When the sun drops below the horizon many large trout move into the water which is two to three feet deep along the banks. You may see tailing fish or swirls as they turn to feed on the natural shrimp. Beach your boat and wade in below these feeders‌. It is not unusual to spot over a dozen feeding in twenty to thirty-foot pockets of large shrimp populations.

Place your indicator three feet above the fly and go one on one with these fish when possible. If you have trouble pinning down specific feeding stations just fan our casts over the whole area and watch your indictor for the strikes.

If you like challenging trout fishing which is very gratifying I strongly recommend going after them with Shrimp and Cress Bugs.

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The Fiberglass (R)evolution

D

o a search on fiberglass fly rods and Epic will be at or near the top of the list. Read a fiberglass rod “best of” article, and likewise, Epic will be the first, or one of the first, mentioned. Go to the website of a custom rod builder that deals in various blanks, and again, Epic will be noted as a best-in-class product. To say that Epic is the “big dog” in the world of fiberglass fly rods would be fair.

My first question was how did a company in New Zealand become the torch-bearer for something as American as fiberglass fly rods? While not native to the country, New Zealand is home to some of the finest trout fishing in the world. Where there’s trout fishing,

Epic 370 Fastglass: A G

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there’s fly fishermen, and where there’s fly fishermen, there’s fly fishing innovation. But why fiberglass? While I can’t say for sure, I suspect it has something to do with the light-tippet sight-fishing for large fish.

I also learned that the owner of the company, Carl McNeil, spent time in Florida and Montana, and served on a number of FFF committees, including serving on the International Testing Committee for many years. He was also an associate editor for their casting program publication, “The Loop."

Gift from Down Under

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The first time fiberglass was used in a fly rod was to repair a broken cane rod. This triggered Shakespeare to launch the first commercially available glass rod, Wonderod, in the late 1940s, made using what was called the “Howald Process,” named after the guy who fixed his cane rod. I have a print of baseball legend Ted Williams on the Miramichi River holding a Wonderod fit with an equally timeless Pflueger Medalist reel and wearing a pair of vintage Red Ball bootfoot waders.

At 60 years young, I was brought up fishing fiberglass fly rods. Many sub-par products went through my hands before I discovered graphite like just about everyone else at the time. In fact, while I had a few good glass rods, I never had a truly great one.

Twenty or so years after casting my last glass rod I rediscovered small stream fishing and as a result, glass fly rods. Small stream fishing presents a number of unique challenges. It is a smallfish centric pursuit done in tight quarters, where short precise casts are the rule not the exception. Rolls, flips, sidearm casts, bowand-arrow shots, etc., are the only way to reach some of the micro-habitats that harbor these small stream fish. Short, light, and slow-action rods excel under these conditions – especially fiberglass ones.

I owned a fly shop for fifteen years, served on the pro staff a major fly rod company for several years, guide, write product reviews, and have otherwise handled a whole lot of fly rods. I currently own two dozen, all so-called “premium” products, and a few dozen others have passed through my personal inventory over the years. To call me an avid fly rod fan would be accurate, to call me a “rod snob” fair.

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Few if any fly rods have been as eagerly anticipated as my Epic 370 Fastglass “Studio Built.” The reason I was so excited about getting my hands on it was that while I have developed a true appreciation for glass rods, I am a tech-head at heart. To find a company that was as focused on technology as they were tradition really got my attention.

Upon receiving my fly rod from Epic, I inspected it thoroughly. The blank was clean, the cork flawless, the hardware top-notch, and the workmanship impeccable.

While clearly a high-tech product, it still had that traditional glass feel that I have grown to love.

Next I grabbed a couple of reels spooled with a variety of lines and went out in the snow to cast my new tool. I went close-in first and then I reached out.

I rolled and I hauled to see what it would do and made casts typical of what I will be doing afield. While my 370 Fastglass excelled in close, my primary use for a 7’ 3-wt, I was able to reach out further than I should have been. While not sold as a “performance” rod, it is, if you need it to be.

Like those made of graphite, fiberglass rods come in many flavors. The type of glass, scrim, taper, ferrules, guides, length, line-weight, etc., all impact how the rod will perform. The glass most familiar to fly fishers is E-Glass. It’s been around for decades and defined the “feel,” and limitations, of glass rods for generations. Next up was S-Glass, then S-2 Glass, which bumped up the modulus, sped up the action, and took some of the wobble out.

On the subject of modulus, while it is only part of the picture, there are some general things to consider when buying a glass rod. In its simplest form, modulus denotes

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stiffness or speed, with higher modulus rods stiffer and faster than lower modulus rods.

It also influences strength with S-2 Glass said to be up to 30% stronger than E-Glass.

Glass rods however are not nearly as high modulus as graphite rods. To put this in perspective, S-2 Glass has a modulus roughly 20% higher than E-Glass. Conversely, even low modulus graphite, say IM6, has a modulus 2.5 times or so higher than S-2 Glass.

Epic FastGlass fly rods are made from 8 micron Unidirectional S-2 Glass, a product of ZenTron, designed specifically for use in fly rods. The individual fibers are nearly half the diameter of similar fibers.

This produces a denser and stronger material. The use of longitudinally aligned fibers with limited cross fibers is much better suited for fly rod construction than the standard cross-centric weave found on most rods.

But again, materials are only part of the equation and as any serious fly fisher knows, taper is at least as important as what a rod is made of. When you get both right as Epic has, great things can happen.

The semi-sanded blank used on my Epic 370 is a light olive green, and more olive than it appears on the website in my opinion. The proprietary SnakeBelly™ finish is clean and consistent and feels rugged. Blanks are painted and then clear coated creating a finish that should not flake as some unfinished blanks do. Aesthetically, the blank is beautiful and modern looking.

The lettering on the blank is white and subtle, and there is tiny white laser-engraving on the wrapping check. There are also small white alignment dots, something not found on many high-end graphite rods these days.

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Unlike most fiberglass rod manufacturers, Epic uses modern low-profile sleevestyle ferrules versus internal, or spigot, ferrules. While I admittedly had my doubts, as I like internal ferrules on light line rods, the design is such that there is no discernable difference in feel or performance. The benefit however is that sleeve-style ferrules tend to be more secure, and do not wear out over time like internal ferrules can.

My new Epic 370 is a rare four-piece rod in a market dominated by threepiece, and even two-piece rods. This will make it easier to pack in when I’m fishing the backcountry, and fold in half when moving through the woods or from one place to another in the truck.

The grip is a slender wells-style design that instantly felt good in my hand.

It is long enough to keep my wrist away from the reel seat but narrow enough that I can get my hand around it. The cork, flor grade, was as clean as any I have seen with very little filler. Having watched the quality of cork degrade over the years, I was pleased. Unlike many newer rods where the grip starts pitting soon after its first use, the grip should hold up well for years to come.

The uplocking aluminum reel seat and wrapping check are gloss black, and the spacer is cork, giving the rod a very stealthy and modern look.

The rod has a single chrome double-foot stripping guide sans insert, seven chrome double-foot snake guides, and a tip. If not for a single dark green accent wrap, you’d think the guides were glued and epoxied over not wrapped and finished. On close inspection, each wrap was flawless and looked more like a sleeved component than something done manually. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 35

Even the tube and sock were top shelf. The tube is semi-clear ivory white glass with black lettering and a black screw-on aluminum cap and fixed end cap. The fourcompartment sock has a unique flap on the top that is sewn roughly an inch down on either side so you have to manually pull it back to get the sections out. This will help prevent accidental drops or exposure to the inside of the tube.

While there are still many marginal products on the market, there are now some fiberglass fly rods that are truly a pleasure to fish, and in fact, the best tool for the job in some cases.

While clearly high-tech products, Epic FastGlass fly rods are still fiberglass rods.

They have that same deep flex that fiberglass aficionados have come to love yet more mid than full. They dampen more like a graphite rod than an older style E-Glass rod.

They are responsive but not restrictive and can cast in tight well, while also having the reserve power to reach out a bit when needed.

To say I’m satisfied with my new Epic 370 Fastglass fly rod would be an understatement. To say am ecstatic would be fair. While I’m gaining the durability, flex, and action found in fiberglass rods, I don’t feel I’m giving up anything from a performance standpoint. And aesthetically, the rod is an interesting blend of technology and tradition and something that looks as good as any rod in my quiver.

Epic has my full attention. I am already thinking about how to best follow-up my 370. I now own a 6’ 2wt S-Glass, 6’6” 3wt E-Glass, and 7’ 3wt S-2 Glass, and have a 5’ 2wt E-Glass on order. I’m now thinking I need, or more accurately want, a 4wt for use in larger streams. Or maybe I’ll get out of my comfort zone and go for a 5wt. Or maybe both…

BOB MALLARD has fly fished for forty years. He is a former fly shop owner and a Registered Maine Fishing Guide. Bob is a blogger, writer, author, fly designer, and native fish advocate.

He is the Publisher, Northeast Regional Editor and a regular contributor to Fly Fish America magazine; a columnist with Southern Trout online magazine, and a staff fly designer at Catch Fly Fishing. Bob is a founding member and National Vice Chair of Native Fish Coalition. His writing, photographs, and flies have been featured at the local, regional and national level including Outdoor Life, Fly Fisherman, Fly Fish America, Fly Rod & Reel, American Angler, Fly Fishing & Tying Journal, Fly Tyer, Angling Trade, Eastern Fly Fishing, Southern Trout, Southern Trout Ozark Edition, Fly Fishing New England, The Maine Sportsman, Northwoods Sporting Journal, Tenkara Angler, On The Fly, OrvisNews, the R.L. Winston catalog, and the books Guide Flies, Caddisflies and America’s Favorite Flies. Bob has written two books and contributed to several others. Look for his books 50 Best Places Fly Fishing the Northeast and 25 Best Towns Fly Fishing for Trout (Stonefly Press.) Bob’s next book, Squaretail: The Definitive Guide to Brook Trout, is due out summer of 2019 (Stackpole Books.) He can be reached at www.bobmallard.com, info@bobmallard.com or 207-399-6270.

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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

www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 37 GUIDE SERVICES | ONLINE & RETAIL STORE | LESSONS

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.

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Remember Paint Creek Paint Creek Kelley Waterfall

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ring Don Kirk

P

aint Creek is a mid-sized flow beginning high in Greene County Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest highlands that has hosted an untold number of trout fishermen over the last century. For many, it was where they caught their first trout, and unfortunately for many others, it is the only place they ever wet a line for the rainbow trout.

As reputations go in the trout fishing world that is East Tennessee, Paint Creek has a checkered reputation like the good looking girl who enjoyed playing a little fast and loose with the moral aspect of her life. Since it was first stocked regularly by the state of Tennessee, those folks have probably totally worn out a dozen stocking trucks in an effort to replenish trout as fast as they hit the iron skillet.

It was a stream that transformed one day from a peaceful flow to the hell of an Atlanta traffic jam the first morning it was legal to toss corn into the creek.

Most Southern Trout Magazine readers, myself included, cut our teeth on those hurly-burly, put-and-take streams that were in the opinion of many southern anglers what most trout fishing was. In those days, the tailwaters rivers were but a shadow of what they are now, and lots of the better-known streams such as Tellico River and Indian Creek were largely supported by regular stocking. It’s not that Price Wilkerson, the state’s coldwater fisheries’ biologist in the ‘70s did not know better, but he

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was under lots of pressure to keep the stocking trucks rolling.

Mention the curtailment of stocking trout anywhere in the state is like slapping a hornet’s nest of local opposition.

Over the last couple of decades, Paint Creek has received a facelift of sorts. The post-World War facilities were grade significantly, and the stream has most recently come under that state’s Delayed Harvest regulations. The stocking trucks still slide along road weekly spring through early summer, and locals still drive the road with maniacal fervor moonshine runner, but its to have taken on the demeanor of a kinder, gentler place.

Paint Creek is a tributary of the French Broad River that can be accessed from Houston Valley Road (highway #107) a few miles from Newport, Tennessee. The best sections of Paint Creek are the upper and middle sections of the stream. A trail that leads from the Paint Creek Campground takes you upstream to the best water. This trail runs a long way, so there's plenty of good fishing as far upstream as TN 70. Years ago Little Paint Creek held brook trout but no more. Although, these brightly colored fishes will soon be restored.

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At this writing, the restoration of brook trout in Little Paint appears to two to three years in the future. Unlike the old days when trout, and particularly brookies, were haphazardly stocked, the main criteria being they were brook trout. Today’s fishery biologists are much more DNA conscious. The puzzle remains to be solved as to precisely what DNA brookies need to be planted there. Insofar as the existence of brook trout in the Little Paint Creek in the 1960s, I find this to be great news.

Upper Paint Creek, and particularly the gorge once had quite the reputation for the trophy-sized brown trout found there. In the day roughly half of the fellows catching big browns took them from the gorge area. As gorges go, Paint Creek is not all that different or difficult to wade, but the mountainsides flanking both sides of the creek are formidable. Once in the gorge, the only ways out are to wade upstream or back down to the Paint Creek Campground.

Lower Paint Creek is as it is remembered by Southern Trout Magazine’s oldest member when they are kids. The biggest and best-known remembrance has to do with the big swimming hole Dudley Creek dashes down. Great for trout fishing and swimming, the 20 feet high rock cliff is a favorite among local daredevils eager to demonstrate their aquatic prowess by scaling the climb to jump into the cool waiting waters below. An even 44 l February 2019 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

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more spectacular drop is Kelly Fall. While not the most impressive waterfall by height (it’s only 15 feet), it is still quite pretty. It’s also very easy to get to so there are bonus points for that.

One of my fondest memories of trout chasing at paint creek included the atmosphere of the place in the early days when it opened up. It was a real hillbilly free-for-all, especially if you camped out.

The first carloads of anglers rumpled over the gap well in advance of dawn. It seems that everyone had a favorite rock or pool that had to be staked out in darkness to prevent interlopers from getting an edge.

Ironically, for the most part, it was the same people and they knew where you were going. Occasionally you might beat them to “their” rock which was not a problem.

They would wade right over beside you and show you how to fish. General trout stream courtesies were lost upon the masses at Paint Creek.

The speed used to get from hole to hole was truly amazing. By nine in the morning, the place settled down since the few had caught a few. Then the picnic grounds at Paint Creek took on a Medieval Festival of sorts. The aroma wafting from skillets on Coleman Stoves carried a dizzying blend of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and of course trout. Most of the locals changed from creek hoarding trolls to food peddlers eager you to help to eat the morning catch. Suffice to say that many arrived troutless, and after cooking, left troutless.

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I feel a little sorry for the modern fly fishing generation. Raised and schooled by those largely unfamiliar with knowing the trout that are from the stocking truck, they never developed the taste for the hunt. I’m not saying they are not better fishers than we were, but back then, it was like going to lonely wild trout streams like the Grand Prix glamor and excitement. (If you were there, you know what I am talking about).

Was it better then?

Hell, no, not by a long shot. It was different though, and you can put that in the bank. Southern trouters have never had it so good. Paint Creek is now a 12 months a year fishery, and thank you God, a more civilized place.

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764 Miami Circle, Atlanta, Georgia 30324| Phone: (404) 237-3473

www.thefishhawk.com

The Upshot on Split Shot New Fly Guy

H

By Steve Moore

ere’s an interesting question. What’s more important?

The split shot or the nymph? If you cannot get the nymph to the proper depth, the fish will ignore it.

Therefore, selecting the right amount of split shot and positioning it correctly on the leader is more important than the actual fly! Now, as soon as I state that opinion, I also need to recommend it’s best if you can avoid using split shot at all – no need for extra hardware banging around.

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To keep from using split shot, pick a fly with enough weight to get down to the bottom. However, in a fast current, that may result in a huge, unrealistic fly bouncing along. As a new fly angler, it is crucial to understand that the current must move the fly naturally. To solve the problem, use a tandem rig with the weighted nymph as the first fly (basically duplicating the function of the split shot) and the light fly as the trailer.

Most anglers tie the trail fly off of the hook bend of the lead fly and this puts tension on the lead and reduces its natural movement. To address this, more anglers are tying their tandem rigs using a tag dropper since it allows both flies to operate independently without the lead fly being impacted by the trailer or vice versa.

Back to split shot. The first rule of using split shot is it is better to use a more massive, heavier shot than multiple small ones since a single shot is more comfortable to cast. One way to keep the size smaller (and reduce the corresponding splash) is to use 54 l February 2019 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

Picture 1: The fastest and easiest way to stop split shot movement is to double the wrap. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 55

tungsten shot instead of lead.

Tungsten packs more weight into a smaller form factor with the added advantage of being better for the environment. An alternative to traditional split shot is putty. Putty comes in a blob, and you pinch off what you need. After massaging it to warm it up, form it onto the leader in a football shape, and it should stick to that spot while also allowing up and down adjustment. Unlike split shot, putty is reusable until it loses the ability to adhere to the line.

For fly fishing, split shot comes in sizes ranging from nine, the smallest at 0.05 grams, to ridiculously huge weights. The “BB” size being the largest practicable one for most fly fishing. Frankly, if you need more than the “BB” size, consider using a sink tip. If you buy a pre-loaded split shot dispenser, it will contain the most popular sizes. Frankly, I find the teeny tiny sizes eight and nine to be unusable, but that’s just me as a result of my aging eyeballs and fat fingers. Unlike putty, split shot clamps onto the leader and is not inherently sticky. When 56 l February 2019 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

Picture 2: The first step in the snell technique is to make a loop www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 57

attaching, avoid squeezing with tremendous force since that crushes and weakens the leader. And, since you cannot just mash the heck out of it, it will slip.

There are different ways to prevent split shot from sliding on the line. The worst solution is to tie a blocking knot below the split shot because knots weaken the line. Since the fly fishing leader isn’t very strong to begin with, the induced weakness could be the difference between catching and losing a beautiful fish. A better method is to wrap the leader back through the split shot. This puts a loop around the shot, providing more surface area for the split shot to grab on. [Picture 1] Another option is to tie a snell directly to the leader. Once tightened, the snell blocks the shot from moving. Tying the snell is simple – grab another section of tippet and make a loop [Picture 2] and wrap the tag end through it as many times as needed for grip and tighten. [Picture 3]

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Picture 3: Wrap the tag end through the loop several times. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 59

Put the split shot above the snell. You can quickly move both to adjust the shot to the right depth. [Picture 4] Another increasingly popular option is to avoid putting split shot on the leader at all. Instead, attach the split shot to a tag hanging off the leader. This allows the fly to move more naturally with the split shot hanging independently on the tag.

To keep the split shot from sliding off the tag, tie a knot at the end.

Final question – how much weight do you really need? The rule of thumb is the distance between the indicator and the fly should be 1.5 times the depth.

Obviously, you must play a bit to figure out where the fish want to see the nymph – especially since trout like to look up at their food. Be prepared to add or remove weight to achieve the right balance.

Check out Steve’s YouTube channel at KayakHacksFishing for more on this topic.

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Picture 4: Tighten the snell, clip the tag ends and attach the split shot above the snell. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 61

Dry Fly Heaven on th I

t was after noon when the leaden sky and drizzle broke to reveal a bluebird sky and a sun that had been in hiding for near on a week. Consistent rains had the mountain freestone streams flowing high and dirty, and despite it being August—the height of “bug season”—smallmouth fishing was just a dream— at least until the flood waters receded. Thankfully, the South Holston River in northeast Tennessee was running clear and cold, and as the bad weather broke, the dry fly fishing that the river is known for caught fire.

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he South Holston River Matt Reilly

One of my home mountain streams, the South Fork of the Holston River, flows over 30 miles through southwest Virginia towards the city of Bristol on the Virginia/Tennessee state line, where it fills up South Holston Reservoir. Fueled by cold water discharged from the depths of South Holston Reservoir, the South Holston River, or “the tailwater,” as it’s distinguished, locally, is a tailwater fishery controlled by South Holston Dam, a hydroelectric dam built in the 1950s. Because of the bottom-release nature of the dam, the South Holston runs cold year-round, creating the perfect venue for a wild trout fishery. And with no major tributaries, rain doesn’t muddy the water, easily.

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Typically, because South Holston Dam only has one generator, the South Holston River is either running at 100 cubic feet per second (CFS) or 2,400 CFS— glassy and wadeable, or a torrent best fished from a boat. But because of an ongoing dam project, the dam had been spilling a steady 400 CFS, and the results were amazing. With a low, but full flow, the river’s bottom structure is emphasized and visible; and the trout, a bit less spooky.

Every spring, beginning sometime in April, the River begins to see the emergence of Sulphur mayflies, a medium-sized, sulfur-colored insect that hatches prolifically all the way through the month of November, some years. These small bugs, and the wild brown trout that feed on them, draw hundreds—maybe thousands—of visiting anglers to northeast Tennessee every year. And as dreary gave way to bright, that highly sought-after spectacle was unfolding before our very eyes.

First, it was a single bug spotted whizzing upward from the river through the warming air. Then it was several. Soon the surface was alive with the fluttering of sulphur wings. Dimples began to form where bugs once rode the current depositing eggs, and their frequency increased with the number of bugs in the air. Small, splashy rises betrayed the presence of the quick, spritely browns, generally in the six- to 12-inch range. The more quiet, confident, and “solid” rises told on the larger fish, and it was those fish that my fishing buddy, Luke Newton of Mountain Sports Ltd. in Bristol, and I were searching for as we stood alert, d riftboat anchored just downstream of a deep, river-wide ledge.

Normally, neither one of us keep a count of the fish caught while fun-fishing, but it was evident from the morning that it would be a day to remember. So we had kept track, and were poised at number 99, searching for our goal of 100, and it needed to be a good one. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 67

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Just a few feet out from the far bank, a narrow run slid past a jam of limbs and leaves. A solid fish had risen several times just downstream of the tangles, and almost went unnoticed thanks to a slurry of more reckless surface dining taking place in the foreground. We both had our eye on it, and had attempted several casts, but none had been close enough to the jam to be viable.

Here, the best dry fly presentation is with a long leader and light tippet. The fly is delivered either acrossstream, or downstream with enough slack line built into the cast to allow the fly to drift naturally downstream ahead of the fly line and leader. A natural drift is a necessity, and presenting the fly ahead of the rest of the rig reduces the fish’s interaction with the leader.

Finally, after a few reaching casts that came up too short, my fly landed softly about ten feet above the feeding fish and several feet past his feeding lane. A big, longdistance mend pulled the fly into the fish’s path and ensured that the fly would be drifting naturally as it passed over the fish. And just where it should have, when my bug drifted near, a small, controlled dimple claimed the fly.

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I flexed the rod tip on the rise, and, characteristic of the species, the brown rolled and bulldogged into deeper water. My slow, flexible rod bent almost in half.

After a short fight on light tippet, the brown hit the net bag with its spirit broken. A beautiful, streamborn brown of about 14 inches. Not big, by any means, but a fun challenge and a fish well-earned, nonetheless.

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We celebrated fish number 100, and the feeling of success and pride that follows a very successful day filled the air just in time for the golden light of evening to wash over the valley. We netted four more fish before pulling anchor for good and pushing through the rest of the float.

As the surface assumed the glare of dusk, masses of dead midges and Sulphurs emerged as specks floating on the surface, and the noses of brown trout bobbed up and down in feeding lies as far as the eye could see.

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Authorized Concessioner

Gearhead

I

Multi-Pack Leade

f you haven’t already started using multi-pack leaders, you should, and for several reasons. First is that they save you money.

Second is that they lessen the amount of packaging, and by default, waste. Lastly is that multi-pack leaders take up less room in your vest, chest/fanny pack, gear bag, or pocket.

The focus of this article is trout leaders for obvious reasons: I am writing for Southern Trout. But there are also multi-pack leaders available for saltwater and warmwater applications, as well as fishing for large trout and salmon with big streamers and mice, or what is known as “big game.”

Multi-pack leaders are offered by Cortland, Orvis, RIO, Scientific Anglers, and Umpqua. Cortland has 24 SKUs, Orvis 25, Scientific Anglers 30, Umpqua 47, and RIO 54.

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If you haven’t alread started using mult pack leaders, yo should, and for severa reasons. First is tha they save you money Second is that the lessen the amoun

Bob Mallard

ers: A Good Idea

dy tiou al at y. ey nt

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Multi-pack leaders come in 2-pack, 3-pack, and 6-pack options – and the latter does not mean beer. Some leaders no longer come in single packs, and multi-packs are your only option. In fact, if you use Cortland Nylon or Orvis Superstrong Plus you are already limited to 2-packs.

As far as multi-packs go, Cortland, Orvis, and Scientific Anglers offer 2-packs only.

RIO offers 2-packs and 3-packs only. Umpqua offers 2-packs 3-packs, and 6-packs.

And multi-packs are far more common for standard leaders than they are fluorocarbon leaders, most likely due to potential sticker shock. The only two multipack fluorocarbon leaders I could find were Orvis Mirage and Scientific Anglers Fluorocarbon. And like their standard leaders, Orvis is only available in 2-packs.

Multi-pack leaders come in 7.5’, 9’ 10’, and 12’ standard, and 9’ fluorocarbon.

They can be purchased in 0x to 7x. My research found 180 unique brand, model, length, and x combinations. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 77

Standard multi-pack leaders run from $7.95 for 2-packs of Cortland Nylon and Orvis Superstrong Plus, to $24.99 for Umpqua Power Taper and Umpqua Trout 6-packs. Fluorocarbon multipack leaders cost $23.95 for 2-packs of Orvis Mirage and Scientific Anglers Fluorocarbon.

The lowest cost per leader I could find for standard leaders was $3.98 for 2-packs of Cortland Nylon and Orvis Superstrong Plus.

The highest cost per leader I could find for standard leaders was $5.00 for 2- and 3-packs of RIO Powerflex Plus. The cost per fluorocarbon leader was $11.98.

The lowest savings per leader I could find for standard leaders was $0.50 for 2-packs of Umpqua Power Taper. The highest savings per leader I could find for standard leaders was $1.00 for 2-packs of RIO Powerflex Plus. Only one of the fluorocarbon multi-pack leaders I could find was available in a single pack, Scientific Anglers Fluorocarbon, with a savings of $0.98 per leader.

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The lowest savings per pack I could find for standard leaders was $0.99 for 2-packs of Umpqua Power Taper. The highest savings per pack I could find for standard leaders was $4.95 for 6-packs of Umpqua Power Taper and Umpqua Trout. Only one of the fluorocarbon multi-pack leaders I could find was available in a single pack, Scientific Anglers Fluorocarbon, with a savings of $1.95 per pack.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, not all leaders are available in multipacks. In fact, some are even offered in limited lengths and/or x-rating. For example, while Orvis Superstrong Plus 7.5’ 2-packs come in 0-6x, the 9’ comes in 0-7x, and the 12’ only comes in 4-6x. A similar situation exists for Umpqua Trout 3-packs with 0-6x, 2-7x, and 0-7x respectively. And while Umpqua Power Taper 2-packs come in 2-6x, the 6-packs only come in 2-5x.

A unique multi-pack leader offering is the RIO Powerflex Trout Selection. This 3-pack comes in 9’ only with either 3/4/5x or 4/5/6x.

So, there you have it, the lowdown on multi-pack leaders.

Leaders are arguably the highest volume consumable we fly fishers use.

Get on the multi-pack leader train and save some money, save some space, and help save the planet… www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 81

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What’s So Special About Bryson City?

Hundreds of miles of native mountain trout streams Trout are also flow through the Great common in our Smoky Mountains four rivers – National Park above Bryson City and Cherokee — freestone creeks with native rainbow, brook and brown trout. Most streams offer all three species.

Cold Weather Means Bigger Fish .

What are you waiting on?

Bryson City is the home of the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians Learn all about it at FlyFishingMuseum.org

The Oconaluftee, Little Tennessee, the Tuckasegee and the Nantahala, one of Trout Unlimited’s top 100 rivers. And now, a 2.2 mile section of the Tuck through Bryson City is designated delayed harvest waters, with one of the highest trout counts of any stream in the US.

The 30 miles of trout streams on Two mountain lakes the Cherokee offer trout fishing Indian Reservation The 29-mile long, 11,700 acre Fontana Lake and its smaller downstream neighbor Cheoah Lake both have strong populations of trout, particularly near the mouths of streams flowing out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cheoah is regularly stocked by the State of North Carolina.

are the longest privately owned and stocked fishing waters east of the Mississippi.

The 2.2-mile Raven Fork Trophy section is home to the biggest trout in the Smokies. This specially regulated section is fly fishing only and catch and release.

Visit GreatSmokiesFishing.com for a map and profiles of 26 great fishing locations near Bryson City, North Carolina. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 83 Photo by Justin Anderson Fly Fishing & Guide

You’ll Take a

Shine

for This Fly Rod T

he minute I heard about a new fly rod company audacious enough to call it itself “Moonshine Rods” I thought either they made moonshine along with fly rods, or they had a lot of pride in their wares. I said “Howdy!” to them, got my hands around one of these fly rods, and I bellied up to the bar. While hardily a household name like Winston or Hardy, the name is sufficiently catchy in this neck of the woods to automatically invite the curious to know more. Do so because you just might kick your clutter of rods to the curb.

Moonshine Rods is a southern company born and bred. Its corporate home is in Charlottesville, Virginia in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is what is known as a small batch, blue collar, fly rod company that offers more for less. The motto of team members brother Jack and Jonathan Lavezzo and Tate Cunningham is “High Quality Fly Rods, Without the Corporate Nonsense.”

To understand this, check out their Midnight Specials, one-of-a-kind creations built in the USA at more than a reasonable cost that is less than half the cost of their nearest competitors.

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For a company barely into its second year of production, Moonshine Rods has already offered an impressive stable of fly rod models. Their Epiphany is the focus of this review. Offered in a 3-weight 10-foot, 6-inch model with Fighting Butt, it is priced at $225 and is the maker’s most popular rod. It was introduced in 2017 for the most technical of nymph fishing. Modern serious nymphing is a very technical style of fishing, and perfect weight distribution is something that the pros 88 l February 2019 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com

and competitive nymphing folks are constantly seeking. There always seems to be an endless battle between reel size, line, and backing. To give buyers greater control over the balance of the Epiphany, Moonshine developed two options: an Uplocking Epiphany with a Removable Fighting Butt, and a Downlocking Epiphany.

Choose the setup you prefer and enjoy some tight-line nymphing with an easy-tobalance rod. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 89

The 10-foot, 6-inch, 4-piece (5-piece with extra tip included on all Moonshine Rods) Epiphany is an eye catching matte black blank that is constructed of highest quality South KoreanIN8 high performance graphite. The total weight of the rod is a mere 3.6 ounces. A removable fighting butt helps balance the length of the rod. The matte black used is helpful to keep the glare down on the water when the fish are spooked easily. Black wraps have been applied with high quality Titaniam anodized hardware from reel seat to tip top. To top it off, it has hand turned spalted burl that has been dyed to reveal the exceptional graining in the burl and the highest quality cork grips. It comes with a lifelong warranty and a hard 5 compartment embroidered rod case.

Literature accompanying the Epiphany 3-weight informed me that it balances well with the Ross Cimarron II 5/6, Animus 5/6, Animus S 5/6 and Gunnison 5/6). As fortune would have it, my reel assortment held a Ross Cimarron II (5/6) and a Gunnison 5/6. To get the show on the road all I had to do was replace lines with the recommended Rio FIPS Euro Nymph line. In no time flat it was show time in the casting area at Condor Hurst Compound.

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Confession time. Pior to trying out the Moonshine Rods Epiphany 3-weight, I had only briefly cast a couple of other three weight, 10-foot plus nymphing rods. They were two-weight rods, yes. I really liked the two weight Orvis Flea before it disappeared along with number of personal favorites the night wifey number 6 disappeared.) A prospect of actually getting to cast a properly rigged and balanced euro nymphing rods is still a fairly new experience for me. As it turned out though, casting the Epiphany rod was a bit was like receiving a special blessing from the casting gods. I’m stopping short of calling it magical or for that matter divine in nature, but I will say it is as good as I have ever cast. Part of the secret was having a well balance rig that cast left when I to the cast left and cast to the right when I asked it to.

I had to take the outfit to the Little Cahaba River that flows behind the Condor Hurst Compound. Although void of trout (I’m working on a clandestine stocking plan), it is silly with spotted and redeye bass and big sunfish. They are tough, too. Here I rigged up a soft tip which has so many benefits. It helps to detect strikes, protect the tippet, and it seems to make hook sets stick which is a problem I have always struggled against. I can cast a dry dropper rig on my 3-weight line surprisingly well. I fished it for an hour or so... It casts very nicely and is very sensitive, I could actually feel the point fly ticking along the bottom, unlike my other nymphing rod.

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In the middle of writing this rod review, I had a lengthy telephone discussion with my friend Eugene Shuler. He is the owner of Fly Fishing the Smokies Fly Shop and Guide Service in Bryson City, North Carolina. His newly opened shop carries Moonshine Rods. He explained how fortunate he was to land the such a value filled line of fly rods.

“There is not another fly out there today, including most of the custom fly rod maker that comes close to value offered

by Moonshine Rod,” explains Shuler as he waxed eloquently on about this new make. “This is not to say that Moonshine Rods are the very best fly rods you can buy. There are several rods available today that cost $1,300 to $2,500 each that are literally incredible. But when you consider these Moonshine Rods are available for $199 to $250 each, well that is almost one tenth the cost of lots of high dollar fly rods.”

To a certain degree, a fly rod is but a fly rod. In terms of workmanship, components used, construction, and shear handsomeness, I give the Moonshine Rod’s Epiphany a double thumbs up. When you consider you are casting what is essentially a $249 to $200 out of pocket investment, then how do you recommend it beyond all thumbs up? When you have a fly-fishing dog like Olive Blackwing, you ask for help. She prevailed upon herself to give these rods double front paw approval.

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ll this…this… stuff. A week past another fly-fishing festival and I am struck by the magnitude of this pursuit of fish. Row upon row, acres and acres of nothing but fishing.

Mostly, I am aghast at all the items used for fishing.

My home is a museum and a showcase for all manner of fly-fishing gear.

Regularly, when I get my morning coffee and take Olive out for her first yard marking of the day, there is a package on the porch that a delivery person left after we went to bed. I pick it up and take it to Mr. Kirk who then takes it to his office or his closet or his cabinet or to the threecar garage, which, by the way, has no cars in it. I am swimming (pun intended) in fishing things. I am amazed and I just don’t get it.

Does It Really Matter?

I don’t get it.

Leah Kirk

Another thing for which I am regularly amazed is the fervor for which fisherfolks make a pursuit of all things fly fishing. In 2012 when we started Southern Trout Magazine, I was an utter newbie to the sport.

Townsend, Tennessee sponsored a fly-fishing festival that garnered not only the attention of fly fishermen, but also my fascination. As I walked around the tents and as I just sat back and watched, I saw the interest, the intent, the intensity of desire to create fishing adventures be they real or imagined. I didn’t get it.

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Later that year, we attended the Virginia Fly Fishing festival. I saw it again. Joy, sheer joy at the pursuit of this (at times) tiny little thing. Attending a soiree after one day of the festival, I turned around to see a huddle of men all facing inward, all bent forward inspecting an item on a low sitting patio table. It was a box of flies. In my ignorance I giggled and pointed out to one of the other women gathered around the buffet that the grandfatherly males looked very similar to little boys gathered around a Lego table or Hot Wheels collection—same interest, same happiness, same murmurs of approval. She looked, nodded her acknowledgement of the scene, and quickly moved on. Later I found out she was a pez pursuer as well. My bad.

So, like the Tennessee slang and Tennessee whiskey that Mr. Kirk introduced me to since our marriage almost 18 years ago, I have slowly been wooed into liking the sport of fly fishing. At first, yes, I giggled, arrogantly. You see I hold two advanced degrees, neither of which include anything about the outdoors except in play acting. So, over the past seven years of the magazine, I have taken almost an academic approach to my perusals, and I have come to a few conclusions to my own question, “Does it matter?” www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 99

As far as fishing equipment, does it matter? Yes and no. It matters if it matters.

Right? If you are limited in equipment, but unlimited in time and opportunity, it doesn’t matter. Yes, I have tried flinging flies. I suck. I’ve tried several rods (as Mr. Kirk continues to compare and contrast ALL of them) because I have a steady supply, but I find it is not my pursuit of the fly rod, but my pursuit against myself that is the real challenge here. To me that is fascinating! Once I began to exercise what became a fly-fishing muscle, I couldn’t wait to flex it again. Casting and catching, many times, just my fly, became a hill or mountain that I wanted to scale.

Could I improve? If I moved this way, or my wrist that way, or changed my grip, my thumb…? I questioned, is this what mattered? Is this what I'm supposed to get?

Recently, because Mr. Kirk has had several limits placed on him because of his health, I encouraged him to go to a nearby creek to practice or reclaim his flyfishing joy. If anyone has struggled with his or her health, you know that at times you need to forget about it. It seemed like the best way for him to do that. So, we packed up a few supplies (rods, reels, line, a few flies), and we drove a short distance to the creek nearby. A selfproclaimed Glamper (glamour camping camper) I must acknowledge that if I was encouraging him to stretch forth into nature, I was planning on staying in the car with a good book.

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He forgot his glasses. So, because I knew he might try wading where he shouldn’t or walking where he shouldn’t, I knew I had to go with him, if only for my peace of mind. Therefore, I had to take directions on how to get everything ready to fish. As he began detailing directions, he developed a faraway look in his eyes like he was watching himself complete each step as he had so many times before. Pull this through here.

Lock this in here. Thread this like so. And so, we went. We pulled it all together, and he began to cast. Within a very few slings of the string, his fly-fishing muscles re-emerged from when he was in his twenties. Back and forth. Back and back and forth. I watched as his knowledge bubbled up within him and with it came back that same joy that I had seen so many times.

Yet, this joy was not just the joy I had seen in him, it was a joy I had studied for over seven years. It was both identical to that of others and yet, vividly different. It was both personal and universal. It was both spiritual and earthly. And I felt both humbled and uplifted.

Does it really matter? Its easy to say fly fishing matters when we speak of Wounded Warriors or Casting for Recovery. It’s easy to say fly fishing matters when we speak of getting kids to go outdoors and appreciate nature instead of electronics. Now, for me, it is also easy to say fly fishing matters if it matters.

Do all the trappings of fly-fishing matter?

The accoutrements if you will? No. They don’t.

But, they matter if they help anyone create just one beautiful moment, one touching event that can give a lifetime memory to live and relive.

Now I get it.

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BEST Fishing J O

kay, it’s me gleefully sharing my opinion again, but this time I am 100 percent sold on the many virtues of one of Simm’s new fishing jackets. Granted everyone reading this has a personal history with coats, both for fishing, cold/cool weather and some designed to make one appear more dashing. Back in the eighties when I was a struggling freelance writer, I often got assignments from a number of magazines to review the latest in cold weather outerwear. In the day, W.L. Gortex even took to their Maryland research facility to demonstrate their latest. I was active in the hunting markets, so folks such as Remingon and Browning would take field test their latest. I ended up giving away more coats than the salvation army I had so many samples.

Recently Simm’s caught me off guard with their new camo Bulkley River Jacket named in honor of British Columbia's famous Bulkley River. The moment it arrived I tried it on. It was love at first sight. Simms is best known for their waders, the standard issue for guides and serious fishermen across the country. They are known for their superior workmanship and components. They introduced the Bulkley River Jacket last summer at the ICAST Show amid a smorgasbord of new products.

Part of a highly touted campaign on the part of Simms to promote the concept of a camouflage patters designed to at least partially conceal anglers wearing it from trout, the camo Bulkley River jacket is offered in the company’s Simms River Camo patterning. Developed by Veil™ Camo, Simms says the pattern gives angler’s an edge by distorting a fish’s ability to detect shape and motion as you work through the run from head to tailout. Over the years a lot of people have tried to sell the ideal of fish fooling camo. So far all have failed…. perhaps this is different. I remain quiet on that question although I do recommend the coat to duck hunters who know camo.

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Jacket

EVER

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Anyhow in the spirit of fairness, here’s what Simms has to say about its camo patterns currently being sold on the jacket and waders.

“Uniquely designed to evade fish, River Camo offers you an edge at beating detection, so you can get one step closer to the fish and that perfect casting position.

In collaboration with Veil Camo, Simms® developed River Camo—a cutting edge, proprietary and mathematically driven camouflage pattern for fish—by breaking up shapes. Built with a color palette tested in the river environment and against the fish’s vision, River Camo is technology built to keep you more in tune with the natural world.”

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Far more important in my opinion, is the overall functionality of Simm’s Bulkley River jacket as a utility garment. In terms of sheer opinion, the “wearing comfort” is gets an A+. It fits like a glove and is minimally bulky despite being named for a chubby river in Canada. As stated earlier, it’s the best jacket ever. The secret behind the jacket’s design are many. The jacket hem features waterproof GORE-TEX® inside and out to keep you drier in deep wading conditions. The Bulkley River Jacket also features our watertight Shingle Cuff™ design to prevent up-sleeve water migration every time you reach into the river. Fleece-lined handwarmer pockets help defrost your digits, and two fly box compatible pockets keep essentials within easy reach. The fly box pockets are really big and perfectly positioned to easy access.

The GORE-TEX® membrane is the heart of all GORE -TEX® products. As noted earlier, some years ago W.L. Gore flew me to their Maryland facility to get first-hand look at how the The GORE-TEX® membrane is created. Despite its micro thinness, the membrane contains 9 billion microscopic pores per square inch. These pores are so small that water droplets cannot get through, but water vapor can still escape. Water from the outside cannot penetrate and cold winds cannot pass through, but perspiration can escape easily, keeping you dry and comfortable all day. GORE-TEX® fabrics are created by integrating the GORETEX® membrane shell between an outer fabric and lining.

To function at it best, GORE-TEX needs the help of a driving force that makes it perfect for cold weather attire. For example, you have a raincoat made of GORETEX, and it is raining but outside temperature is 80 degrees. You will sweat and feel the wetness inside the jacket due to high temperature. If it is raining and 40 degrees outside, the ambient cold serves as a driving forces to wick body moisture away. Simple physics, but important to know and understand. Water droplets stay out, moisture is forced to the outside by cooler temperatures.

As innovative has GORT-TEX is in making rainwear, it is also pretty much wind proof. By cutting out cold wind cutting through. GORE-TEX promoted this quality of the membrane that could be incorporated into garments by stitching rather than constructing a stream free shell over which the rest of the garment was built around without stitching. GORE-TEX is keen technology.

As with any GORE-TEX product, care is a consideration to achieve the maximum service from garments. Cleaning your GORE-TEX® garments regularly will extend the life of the product. It will also keep them breathable as dirt and oil can clog the GORE-TEX® membrane over time. It is critical to wash jackets. Natural oils www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 107

can damage the GORETEX® tape and adhesives causing a peeling effect.

Machine wash warm. Do not use fabric softener or bleach. Remember to zip all pockets and close all Velcro cuffs before washing to prevent any damage caused by the machine. Tumble dry on warm setting making sure not to use a high heat setting. Drying on warm will actually reactivate the DWR coating.

If you’re looking for a great all round cold weather coat that performs admirably on the water as well when running around town, I can’t recommend a better choice than the Simms Bulkley River.

Its tough to describe the feeling of wearing it, but as close as I can get to it is that feels like a custommade glove. Unlike so many coats that get a stingy in the shoulders and in the arms, it feels like wearing a T-Shirt. Yet another winner from the people at Simms.

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Riverfront suites at the

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146 North River Road, Dillsboro, North Carolina 28725 TJ & Terry Walker welcome you to the Dillsboro Inn and invite you to join them on a whitewater river, where the Blue Ridge Mountains meet the Smokies. Whether you are looking to spend a relaxing time on your riverside deck or boating on the river, the Dillsboro Inn is the place for you!

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866.586.3898

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black wing olive chronicles

Ole Elmo Olive Blackwing

F

rom a four-legged perspective, it is my opinion every man finds it important to have a goal to reach, no matter how odd or ridiculous it may seem to his fellow species. We canines have already achieved our ultimate goal in life.

That is just being able to lay around and do nothing all day, every day.

For Daddyboy, one of the greatest endeavors he ever undertook was to catch what by his account was the greatest trout ever to live in the Little River in the Great Smokies. Dubbed “Ole Elmo� in the 1970s, Victor Stewart and he pondered ways to bring this legendary trout to the net. Ole Elmo sounds like a name worthy of fear in the hearts of fishermen. If the truth was told, Ole Elmo was a balding old man who ran a Shell Station in Ware Valley, who according to the story, was cockeyed as was the fish bearing the same name.

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black wing olive chronicles According the gibberish of the two good friends, Ole Elmo was a brown trout that somehow bore the genes of the whale that swallowed Jonah and had the fighting instincts of Joshua. However, when you consider in those days in a region where moonshining is a mainstay and eagerly supported by the two, it’s tough to separate fact from fiction (An ongoing narrative in Daddyboy’s fishing tales.)

I take them all with a handful of sodium.

Reading over Daddyyboy’s hand-written research notes, this brown trout was anywhere from 16 inches to 30 inches large depending on the time of day and how much he was dinking.

I’m also highly skeptical as to whether or not the brown spots on the sides of the trout were the size of “silver dollars.”

Doubtless, Ole Elmo was a trout of legends though, but to these two twits, it could have been as dumb as an extremely

crafty chub. What we do know is that Vic and Daddyboy labored year to year to catch him without success. Over time they designed spots in Little River as Elmo’s Hole, or Elmo’s Escape Chute, or Elmo’s Throne Room that somehow remained a secret of sorts. All others knew for certain was that the fish liked to hang out just downstream from Metcalf Bottoms.

According to legend, Ole Elmo was a direct descendant of the whale that swallowed Jonah.

I’m not a really a born skeptic, but few tales of renown exist prior to 1960 when the big brown trout became the obsession of Vic and Daddyboy. This occurred about the pair met Elmo Blankenship, an old coot who referred to himself as a Pigeon Forge original. He ran a hardware store near the mill dam on the river so long he claimed to remember when passenger pigeons roosted in streamside trees.

Blankenship

also claimed to have introduced fly fishing to the area. In this canine’s perspective, he was but another bipod blowhard to have hoodwinked our heroes.

The winter that year was spent tying flies and drinking whatever brand of whiskey happened to be available on sale at the local package store.

One reoccurring subject was Ole Elmo the trout.

God forbid that Little River probably held a couple of thousand fish that accurately fit this storied trout description, and neither of these two could have picked Ole Elmo out of a police lineup made up of channel catfish. They believed, which is the foundation of delusional thinking.

That spring and summer every trip to the Smokies included a side trip to check on Ole Elmo twice he was spotted, the last time being in November. Despite this dismay season’s lack of success, the Dynamic

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Duo was not was not shaken, nor did they give up on the quest to place the big trout to a piece of wood in the wall of their caves.

The spring of 1973 arrived with far less fanfare. In those days, Metcalf Bottom was a family picnic ground with the adjacent waters being closed to adult fishing.

Kids under12 or so could fish this reach and they were not bound to bait restrictions that the two

observed most of the time, especially when highly visible on Little River. It was Sunday morning in May when the pair arrived for their weekly exploration of park waters and a side trip to Metcalf Bottoms.

That’s when Vic noticed a story in the Knoxville New Sentinel and let out a painful “NO! NO!” The story in the newspaper read “Eleven Years Old Girl Catches Big Trout in the Smokies.”

Yes, it was caught on a

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nightcrawler, and yes it was caught where Little River tails out of Metcalf Bottoms. Yes, it was Ole Elmo as from the pictures.

One eye was cocked left, a weakness of which the boys were never able to take advantage.

It seems that little Cindy Fargo was dancing the nightcrawler haphazardly by an overhanging laurel bush when Ole Elmo grabbed it. Rather than allow the big trout an inch of quarter, she launch back on her Zebco 33 to prevent it from getting the current. Strung with 20-pound test Trilene nylon monofilament, she manhandled the big fish to the bank where she promptly killed him. The entire affair took just under a minute.

Pulling off of the road to collect their thoughts, Daddyboy and Vic sat there in silence for a half hour before composing themselves to continue.

“Not even a decent funeral,” was Daddyboy’s last remarks about Ole Elmo.

new fly guy

Contemplating

By Jimmy Jacobs

T

ruthfully, the late fall and winter have never been of much interest to me when it comes to chasing trout in the small streams of the North Georgia mountains.

Mostly that is because the fishing is rarely good. Once temperatures begin to regularly drop into the 20s and 30s at night, the trout seem to go into hibernation mode. Getting strikes generally involves getting a weighed fly to the bottom and hoping it bumps right into a fish’s nose.

Since the introduction of delayed-harvest waters in the Peach State during the last two decades, those streams have presented more practical destinations for fishing in the colder months. That is particularly true of the tailwaters on the Chattahoochee River, where the year-round water temperature is in the 50s.

But, like most anglers, I still find that the best time to go fishing is when you have the time to go fish. Thus, on a Monday during this past November, while in the town of Blue Ridge, accomplished fly angler and outdoor scribe Polly Dean and I headed over to Noontootla Creek to try our luck.

Polly Dean casting to the logjam holding the big trout.

Photo by Jimmy Jacobs

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Winter Fishing

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Polly Dean fishing the creek bend where the big trout chased her hooked rainbow.

Photo by Jimmy Jacobs

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The stream is probably best known these days with regard to the pay-to-play trophy fly fishing in the privatelyowned section on Noontootla Creek Farms.

That fishery offers some of the best action in the Southeast for lunker rainbows and browns, with many of those fish measured in pounds, rather than inches.

This day, however, we are heading upstream to the portion of the flow on the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area within the Chattahoochee National Forest. At best, on public lands, Noontootla qualifies as a mediumsized trout stream by Georgia standards. For a number of reasons, it also stands apart from most of our mountain waters. To begin with, it has not been stocked with trout since the 1960s. The creek is home of wild, stream-bred rainbow and brown trout, while a number of its small feeders still harbor native brook trout. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 119

Management of the water also is different on Noontootla and its tributaries.

Only artificial lures are allowed for angling here, and a special creel limit of one fish per day is enforced. Oh, and did I mention that keeper must be at least 16 inches long? In effect, that makes Noontootla a catch-and-release fishery.

Periodically, fisheries managers got complaints from local anglers that the creek needed stocking because they were not catching many fish. As a result, electro-fishing surveys were done a couple of times that turned up lots of 10- to 14-inch trout, which is above average for Georgia public waters. The problem was not lack of fish, but the presence of finicky trout.

Over the decades, I’ve had plenty of bad days on Noontootla, but on rare occasions, I’ve also experiences some stellar fishing. This is a stream that tends to highlight our shortcomings as anglers, rather than the quality of the trout population.

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The rainbow that was almost eaten by it bigger cousin!

Photo by Polly Dean.

Noontootla officially begins where the Appalachian Trail crosses the flow at Three Forks. This is the spot where Chester Creek is joined from the east by Long Creek and on the west Stover Creek. From that point the creek flows northward to empty into the Toccoa River. Along its entire length on public land it is paralleled

by Forest Service Road 58, providing easy access.

But enough description and back to my qualms about fall and winter fishing.

Upon reaching the creek, Ms. Dean headed to a pool where she had hooked and lost a big fish the previous spring. I chose to wander upstream to an area where storms had produce several logjams that impounded a long, calm pool.

After drifting a pair of nymphs through the deeper portion a few times, I stopped to pick out a couple of other patterns to try. Glancing toward the far shore, a dark shape came upstream and into a patch of sunlight along the edge of a sunken www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l February 2019 l 121

log. That shape proved to be a trout that easily topped 18 inches. It then turned and edged into the dark shade along the log.

Over the next 30 minutes, and multiple changes of flies, the fish showed itself a couple of more times. It also totally ignored all my offerings. At this point, I fetched my angling partner to show her this lunker. When we got back and crouched behind a deadfall, she immediately spotted a fish. However, this one was probably in the 15-inch range and was soon followed by a couple of smaller ones.

Lots of creeping along the shore and changing of flies ensued, but the result was the same. Neither of us could manage to interest any of these trout. The calm condition of the water made it very difficult to even get a fly near them in a stealthy manner.

Like most anglers, I’m loath to leave fish to go look for other ones. But this present situation was disheartening.

We moved far upstream to near Three Forks, in hope of finding more accommodating trout. I did not, but Polly did hook a brightly colored rainbow of about 10 inches. Then from somewhere in that bend-of-the-creek pool a much larger trout appeared in pursuit of her hooked fish. Of course, once the smaller trout was landed and released, she spent quite a while trying to find and entice that bigger fish, but again to no avail.

Meanwhile, I took a perch on a streamside rock to once again search through my fly box for a magic totem that would fool these fish. I also spent some time meditating on how this day’s action was, to quote Yogi Berra, déjà vu all over again.

The Appalachian Trail bridge over Noontootla Creek.

Photo by Jimmy Jacobs

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A direction sign on the Appalachian Trail at Three Forks.

Photo by Jimmy Jacobs

A couple of decades earlier, I was backpacking along the Appalachian Trail with some buddies and we camped near Three Forks. It was the last weekend of October, which then was at the end of the regular trout season. Having brought along a rod, I was exploring up Long Creek near its junction with Noontoola.

At one long slow spot on the creek, I spotted a brown trout of at least 20 inches cruising the pool. It would make a pass through the shallow gravel foot of the pool, then head back up to disappear under an undercut bank and root ball. Lying flat on the ground, I watched this route a couple of times, then begin tossing flies out well ahead of the fish, hoping one would intersect its next circuit. An hour later, and near sundown, I got one of my angling buddies to crawl back to stream edge with me for another try.

As you may have guessed, we drew a blank. The next spring when the trout season opened at the end of March, I was back at that same pool to see if the brown lived there yearround. This time I didn’t lay on my stomach because there were a couple of inches of snow still on the ground. And, of course, the trout was nowhere to be found.

As I now sat reviewing that episode, as well as the events of the present day, I finally reached enlightenment. Perhaps my distain for fall and winter fishing really has little to do with how good it is. It more likely revolves around not liking to have these fish rub my nose in the deficiencies of my ability to fool them.

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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

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I

n the recorded annuals of trout fishing literature, this “Campfire Trout ‘n Taters” recipe has probably been written and recorded many thousands of times. It’s super simple and is a crowd pleaser every time it is served. While I have never written about cooking in Southern Trout before, I figured what the hell, I’d give it a shot. The following was passed along to me along with her big iron skillet by an aunt who died at 103 years old, an unheard of age in a family where the DNA is fast-tracked so you cease to exist much sooner.

As the name implies, proper preparation calls for modest campfire that has settled down past licking yellow flames to a smaller more manageable thick bed of coals. You can use a cooking rack, but I prefer placing the skillet directly atop the coals, constantly removing it has necessary to reduce heat. Don’t worry, it will not ruin your skillet.

Next, put a pound of bacon in the skillet. Cook until crisp. Set aside the bacon on a plate. Then set aside the bacon grease filled skillet. Take a paper lunch bag and fill with two cups corn meal, and a half cup of flour.

ut 'n Taters

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Then comes the whole trout. They are seasoned liberally inside and out.

Place one at a time in the bag to shake and thoroughly cover with meal. Place breaded trout in the skillet which was placed back on the coals. Some people like to snap off the heads of trout, and others (myself included) prefer to peel back the skin leaving the fin intact. Whatever floats your boat. Cook until slightly golden on one side. Then flip. Don’t crowd the trout in the skillet.

Prior to cooking the fish, which only takes a few minutes, peel and thinly slice 1-2 taters per person. Peel and slice two medium onions. Once the last trout is done, place one stick of better in the skillet, then all of the taters and onions. Cook until tender and slightly brown. Enjoy.

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A unique riverfront, pet friendly cabin near Bryson City.

800-470-4718 or 912-596-4360

World Class trout fishing just a few steps from your front door!

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