Southern Trout Magazine Issue 8 by Southern Unlimited, LLC

ISSUE #8

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Southern Trout Soc Clay: There’s Gold In Them Thar Streams

Beau Beasley: Virginia’s Popping Bug King

Jimmy Jacobs: Waters Creek - Georgia’s First Trophy Trout Stream

IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOUTHERNTROUT.COM

news Publisher’s Message

you that for our editor Jeff, and for me, one of the most satisfying aspects of this project has been uncovering hereto a largely unknown treasure trove of writing talent.

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

There’s a lot of ego-driven reasons for writing a fishing book or starting a fishing magazine. While it may not necessarily be financially rewarding, such efforts have their perks. Among them is the ever present feeling that you are David challenging Goliath. When we launched Southern Trout Magazine, for reasons I do not fully understand, we were able to attract well-known, southern fly fishing writers such as Jimmy Jacobs, Beau Beasley, Soc Clay, Larry Rea, Kevin Howell, Roger Lowe, Steve Moore, Bob Borgwat and others who are well known to all. What they bring to the publication in terms of experience, fly fishing, writing expertise, and reputation in the world of fly fishing is beyond my ability to quantify. In each issue they provide great copy as might be expected from great writers. They get a lot of credit for the success of Southern Trout Magazine. So long as they like, they have a home with Southern Trout. Having said this, I have to tell

Wh at Ma ke s It Wor thwh i le

Over the years I have been the editor of many sporting magazines and have dealt with writers and editors across the country. During that time I not only watched a lot of my mentors and old timers in the business disappear quietly into the sunset, but also I have watched a number of rising stars. Many came and went as it is a tough business in which to maintain your vigor and enthusiasm in the face of a lack of financial reward afforded for your effort. A few though that are willing to work hard and stick with it are at the peaks of their writing careers. In this business, the old adage, “Success is 10 percent talent, and 90 percent hard work,” applies perfectly. I can tell you right now that Southern Trout Magazine is chugging along nicely thanks to the influx of a lot of hard working new talent. The writing efforts of these new talents are, in my opinion, as good as is run and re-run in other fly fishing magazines. In fact, some of these up-and-coming writers bring a fresh perspective to fly fishing that I would put up against anything published in the big fly fishing magazines. In some of those magazines I have seen the same writers’

bylines as were there in the 1970s and 1980s, with the same advice, tips and insight in their articles as when I was first cutting my teeth. It’s an old, tight-knit fraternity that new writers have a very, very tough time breaking into. This is where I can boast that Southern Trout Magazine has been so lucky. Articles sent in by Bill Bernhart, George Grant, Ron Gaddy, Marc Payne, Jason Sparks, Shawn Madison and Matt Green are incredibly good. So good in fact, I often find myself muttering, “Wow!” I cannot overstate how pleased we are that these writers have become regular contributors of Southern Trout. I don’t want to say too much, but I can tell you that just about every one of them is working on a book that will be published in the not too distant future. They are a high octane group that are having, and will continue to have, a big influence on the literary trail of southern trout fishing. Be careful when you read their material, as I can assure you, one or more of them will earn a spot as one of your favorite fly fishing writers. - Don Kirk

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THIS ISSUE What Makes It Worthwhile departments

8 Growing Up In A Trailer

10-80

features

82-157

Generally Speaking Roan Mountain State Park

A Passion For Trout

Mountain Musings There’s Gold In Them Thar Streams

Broderick Crawford: Selftaught Self-expression

Loose Loops and Wind Knots Air-Fishing At The Brown Pool The Black Wing Olive Chronicles Trouble With Terrestrials Fishhunters Adventures in Cuisine Chigger Creek Chili History of Southern Trout Fishing Remembering Ole Peck Book Review North Carolina Trout Fishing Ebook Guide Profile Clay Aalders, Smoky Mountain Gillies Fly of the Month Fore and After Dry

Casting For Recovery

92 99

Virginia’s Popping Bug King

106

Fred Turner: The Map Man

114

The Great Southern Hex

122

Five Summer Nymphs You Should Never Leave Home Without

130

Waters Creek - Georgia’s First Trophy Trout Stream

138

142

The American Civil War from a Trout’s Point of View Tips For Finding Out What the Fish Are Eating

Featured Fly Shop Brookings’ Cashiers Village Anglers Featured Lodge The Lodge at Buckberry Creek Featured Bed & Breakfast River Lodge Bed and Breakfast Featured Fly Tyer Joel Dean

Featured Rod Builder Cherry Log Rods

Wanderings of the Creek Freak Bringing It Home

New Fly Guy Tenkara Tips

Colton Lindsey

152

Tenkara: Climbing to the Top

160-165

58 62

122

148

Southern Trout

Field Staff

On the Cover

Craig Haney, Alabama Editor Greg Ward, Tennessee Editor Jimmy Jacobs, Georgia Editor Beau Beasley, Editor-At-Large Larry Rea, Arkansas Editor Dr. Todd Larson, Columnist Bob Borgwat, Columnist Jeff “Owl” Jones, Columnist

Publisher Don Kirk

Editor Jeff Kirk Digital Creative Director Leslie Kirk Web Editor Megan Allbert Managing Editor & Advertising Leah Kirk Social Media Manager Loryn Kirk Communications Adam Kirk Contributing Graphic Artist James Blackwelder

Adams Varient #14 Artwork By Cindy Day

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contributors

Contributors Bill Bernhardt John Berry David Cannon Bo Cash Soc Clay Dave Ezell Ron Gaddy Daniel Brent Golden George Grant Matt Green Kevin Howell

Roger Lowe Oak Meyers Steve Moore Harry Murray Marc Payne Bob Shanks Scott Spencer Benjamin VanDevender

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news Editor’s Letter

Growing Up in a Trailer

When I tell people about growing up in a trailer, they assume I am referring to having spent my childhood in a 60-foot long mobile home set atop cinderblocks under which a pack of blue tick hounds lived. While that is a somewhat accurate image of trailer life in the South, it is not to what I am referring. In this instance, I am referring to a Starlight, pop-up that my parents pulled around that wore out a couple of vehicles in the process. As such inexpensive camp trailers go, it was nice, but not luxurious. It slept all five of us comfortably, had a small kitchen, and took all of five minutes to set up or take down. It was perfectly suited for the nomadic lifestyle of our family in the 1970s and 1980s. I am not sure how many miles it was pulled, but I do know the tires were replaced at least twice. Looking back, sometimes in those days, I wished we were home as seeing one more distant destination grew a bit wearisome. I cannot recall all of the trips, and in some cases, the details of the trips, but some still do stick out in my mind. Lasting as long as a month at a time, my parents laid out trips with great care. I recall on one trip we went due north to Montreal, then drove along the southern edge of the Saint Lawrence River all the way around the Gaspe Peninsula into New Brunswick. Three weeks of life in Frenchspeaking Quebec darned near scared my psyche for life. A couple of years later we did a similar trip across Nova Scotia and then around Newfoundland. It was on this fishing trip that I came to regard the sight of the golden arches of McDonald’s as a point of cultural refuge.

Craft camper all over the place when he and his sisters were children. When I was little, my grandparents had an Airstream that they pulled everywhere. Finally, they took it to a campground at Douglas Lake where it stayed until Papaw died in 1992. I think that trailer is probably still there. When not being pulled around by my parents, we children, including almost a half dozen cousins, were there staying with them at the lake. It was easy for us to keep our rooms clean, as we were never home that much. Pop got this love for fishing and his hellbent-for-leather driving tendencies honestly from his Pop, Arnold, whose dying words supposedly were, “Let me make one more cast…”

Pop pulled that trailer all over the West, too, to places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and such. We also did the coast from the Outer Banks south and much of the Gulf. I can recall us having the entire campground at the Cataloochee to ourselves. And then there was the annual trip to Indian Boundary Lake at Tellico that afforded the old man access to lots of streams within a few minutes of the lake. About the only thing the trips had in common was that they involved fishing and/or fishing and hunting, especially spring bear hunting when Pop was still pissed at the bears. However, I do recall a few trips that included stopovers to camp at amusement parks along the way. Which considering the way Pop drove when pulling a camp trailer, it made the rollercoaster rides seem almost anticlimactic. When en route to a fishing destination, slow traffic was not tolerated. In fact, Pop should have painted numbers on the side of our vehicles.

The wanderlust bug is still in me. My wife Leslie and I briefly owned a travel trailer until someone decided they wanted it more than we did. During it’s brief time with us, we stayed at places including Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, Skippers Virginia, Owensboro Kentucky and even back in my old stomping grounds, Panther Creek State Park in Tennessee. Neither my siblings nor my parents own a camping trailer, nor has there been any talk about the desire to own one. For them, a trip is now more likely to involve a stay at a cozy bed and breakfast than sleeping in a tent with a bear nosing around outside at night. While our 30-foot self-contained travel trailer may have had more creature comforts than the little trailer pop pulled all over the country side, it still brought back wonder of the great outdoors. - Jeff Kirk

The funny part is, Dad was second generation trailer trash. His parents had pulled a Norris

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generally speaking

Roan Mountain State Park GEORGE GRANT

ne of Tennessee’s best state parks for fly fishing may have gotten its name because of a sick horse. According to the story, Daniel Boone’s horse began to fail on a long hunting trip and he turned it loose in the naturally occurring meadows atop a mountain near the current Tennessee/North Carolina border. He didn’t expect it to make it through the winter, but when he passed through the area in spring, he found his favorite roan-colored mount fully recovered, and he named the peak Roan Mountain. Darn good story - and if it isn’t true, it ought to be. In the 1950’s Tennessee came along and began to set aside over 2,000 acres at the foot of Roan Mountain for a state park. They looked for the horse, but it was long gone. I guess they didn’t want to call it Missing Horse State Park, so they settled for Roan Mountain State Park.

The Doe River that flows through the park is an excellent fishery for wild brown and rainbow trout. Many of its tributary streams in the surrounding Cherokee National Forest hold populations of Southern Appalachian strain brook trout. The icing on this cake is the park’s layout. Tennessee Highway 143 bisects it end-to-end with Doe River seldom more than 100 yards away on the right or left. There are multiple paved parking areas throughout the park as well as numerous pull-over parking spots alongside the Doe. The Doe at this point on its course is creeksized, around 25-feet wide, and easily waded. Rods 8-feet or less in length will be just about perfect for dealing with the river’s over-story and streamside vegetation. Much of that vegetation consists of a species of mountain laurel known as Hookgrabicuss cusssomemore, and its presence places a premium on short, easily controlled leaders and accurate casts.

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Ma jor hatches on the Doe are easily matched with the classics: Blue Winged Olives, Cahills, Sulphurs, Adams, Light and Dark Hendricksons, Tan Elk Winged Caddis and, on late summer evenings, Yellow Sally stonefly patterns in appropriate hook sizes. Attractors such as the Stimulator, Grey Fox Variant, Ausable Wulff, Dunn Variant, and even the Fanwing Royal Coachman deserve a toss at any likelylooking spots if the bugs aren’t coming off. Nymphs ranging from your favorite Beadhead to classics like the Tellico and Prince are productive throughout the year. Doe River has a fair population of baitfish, so streamer patterns like the Muddler Minnow and Black Ghost

can ring the dinner bell for some surprisingly large browns. The Doe gets regular stockings of rainbows, around 5,900 yearly, but this seems to have little impact on the river’s wild populations. Hatchery truck trips end in June and the angling pressure from campers wielding corn and garden hackle extracts the bulk of the “hatch-bows” before they can put undue pressure for space and forage on wild fish. In the past, it was possible to hook up a grand slam in the park by catching brown, rainbow, and brook trout in the Doe on the same day. But, recent

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generally speaking

generally speaking tennis courts, a heated swimming pool, and hiking trails that provide distractions for non-fishing family members. Park staff and area nature lovers offer frequent educational programs focused on plants and animals native to the area. Full details on facilities and programs are available on the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. The Doe River and its tributaries come under general Tennessee trout regulations so you can expect to share the water with anglers using all types of tackle. The easy access by road and a solid wild trout population in the river itself and nearby tributaries makes Roan Mountain State Park a great base for exploring this corner of Northeast Tennessee.

surveys by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have failed to find a brook trout in park waters. Several of the Doeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tributaries upstream of the park still hold specs. Cove Creek, which joins the Doe just upstream of the park boundary, has a mixed brook/ rainbow population near its junction. Then, it transitions into exclusive book trout water in its upper section. Another nearby steam, Twin Springs, also holds brookies. The Doe and its tributaries are coming off of a minor drought cycle from 2013, and the TWRA 2012 Stream Survey reported an abundance of browns and rainbows in sizes that indicated there would be strong populations for the next few years. Right now, rainbows appear dominant, but population studies over the years indicate

they trade the top spot with browns fairly often. Roan Mountain State Park is in Carter County, Tennessee just off US 19E. It is only a few miles from the North Carolina state line. Tennessee Highway 143 connects with US 19E in the small town of Roan Mountain and runs the length of the park before crossing into North Carolina atop the mountain. TN 143 also provides access to Cove Creek and Twin Springs on its way to the top. Extensive park facilities that include camping, camper hook-ups, rental cabins,

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2013 Southern Council Fly Fishing Fair October 3 - 5, 2013 Mountain Home, Arkansas

http://www.southerncouncilfff.org/fair/2013/index.php You are cordially invited to attend our 2013 Southern Council Fly Fishing Fair, an annual fall event held in Mountain Home, Arkansas. We are offering free and low-cost workshops to help you expand your knowledge of fly fishing, tying or casting for registrants. Certified casting instructors are available to help with a free one-hour casting session intended to work on a problem area or learn something new. You can sign up for a one-hour fly tying session with one of our featured fly tyers. A youth conclave is held on Saturday for young people under 16 years of age. Advance registration and parent permission is required. There is plenty of lodging in the area. The fly fishing is great during this time of year. Book your guide services early if you need one. Vendors are welcome to set up a booth but are requested to contact our fly fishing fair program director to make arrangements in advance. We will have a great auction opportunity for fly fishers and their spouses to contribute or purchase items. Non-profit organizations such as Reeling and Healing, Reel Recovery, Casting for Recovery and Project Healing Waters will be present and available for discussing their programs. An outreach luncheon is held for the non-fly fishing participants including a separate special auction. Take a minute or two to explore what is available at the fly fishing fair this year by visiting our Website for more accurate details. And special thanks to Southern Trout Magazine (Photo credits - Larry Murphy and Howard Malpass - FFF Southern Council.) for becoming a new sponsor. 14 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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mountain musings

THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THAR STREAMS Soc Clay

tanding just upstream from where a four-foot waterfall plunged into the foaming surface of a deep pool of the upper Cranberry River somewhere in Pocohontas County, West Virginia, I could see the fish darting here, then there, searching for something. Perhaps it was looking for a place to hide. The scene was my first view of what was being called “West Virginia’s Centennial Fish.” It was mid-October in 1963 and my fishing partner Don Groh and I had hiked into the six mile shelter along the stream-following Cranberry Trail hoping to sample fishing in the stream that at one time was considered one of 100 best in America. Well, if we’re talking a goodly number of brookies living

in the small pockets of the high end of the creek, plus a more than generous stocking of rainbows, the stream could have been considered good in eastern America. Non-the-less, the Cranberry was on the must-fish list of anglers like Groh and I who enjoyed the challenge of finding the lightest pressured pools where it was possible to catch a nice brookie and a chunky rainbow that had reached some size by oversummering in the clear, cold mountain stream. “What the hell is that, “ Groh asked just as we made our way to the edge of the plunge pool a couple of hundred yards upstream from where we’d set up camp in the Adirondack shelter built by the National Forest, which most of the stream runs through.

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“That’s one of those new golden trout I’ve been reading about,” I answered. Since I was writing outdoor reports from West Virginia for Outdoor Life in those days, I figured we were seeing our first one.

Petersburg Hatchery, first noticed a yellow mottled fingerling swimming among the rainbows in the raceway as early as 1955, giving the unusually colored fish the name “Little Camouflage.”

I recalled trout hatchery folks had been seeing the color mutation occurring in the hatching process of the common rainbow. Vincent Evans, then the manager of the

As the female matured, it was spawned with a regular colored rainbow. This process continued until late in 1956 and early 1957, golden-hued fingerlings were transferred

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mountain musings

from Petersburg to Spring Run hatchery. Within a few weeks, nearly 300 fingerlings had developed a true golden color. During subsequent years, hatchery personnel were able to develop the golden rainbow with good color quality. By the spring of 1963, a sufficient number of golden trout were available for stocking in West Virginia waters. Since 1963 was the state’s centennial year, the golden would be dubbed the Centennial Trout. For years afterwards the mutated rainbow was held tightly to West Virginia’s waters, but eventually they would escape to cross state boundary lines and eventually, the golden rainbow was made available to other state fishery programs.

was receiving a direct hit of the sun, and since the fish’s instincts realized it was a sitting duck in the clear, sun-lit waters, it was frantically searching for shade! Over the years I have learned that shady places are spots to search out the golden rainbow, but I agree with many of the early anglers that the fish is more difficult to catch--unless you’re fishing in complete shade early or late in the day. I do not agree with fishermen who consider the color objectionable. In fact, I believe the fish is more difficult to catch. That’s why I keep a battered mount of my biggest one hanging on my wall of fame.

Groh and I would soon understand why the fish was darting about. The plunge pool

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loose loops and wind knots

his week started off horribly. You know what I’m talking about; everything that could screw-up, mess-up, fail, or otherwise go wrong had done so. The only other thing that could go wrong would be if second cousin Donnie, his wife Lindsay, and 4 children under 5-years old called from the edge of town and said they thought they would surprise us with a weekend visit. I was dog cussin’, cat kickin’ frustrated, and it was only Wednesday.

was to drink before I left with the brilliant reasoning that if the caffeine didn’t keep me awake then stopping every 100 miles to relieve myself certainly would do the job. My wife, ever the morale booster, told me she thought it was not a good idea, wished I wouldn’t go, and asked where the copy of my will was in case I fell asleep and drove into the Nantahala River. Not deterred by her “good” wishes, I grabbed my gear, loaded it into my vehicle, and headed for the interstate.

I decided that what I needed was water therapy to ease my frustration, pain and the agony of defeat. I called buddies around home to see if anyone wanted to get in on a spur-of-the moment trip to the mountains, but everyone already had weekend plans. It was a long-shot, but I called Steve in Bryson City to see if he could fish Saturday and Sunday, and surprisingly, he said he could. We set a time and place to meet.

I arrived at Cable Cove about 6:30 a.m. and had my fishing pack out and ready to go when Steve’s truck arrived about 10 minutes later pulling the boat. We loaded our gear in the boat, launched it and headed for Hazel Creek.

After getting off the phone with Steve, I knew the week would end well. Now, I just had to survive until after work on Friday. In the meantime, I would check over my gear and arrange it in my fishing pack so I would not have to do it at the last minute. Rather than drive up after work, I decided to leave at midnight, central time, to head to the mountains to meet Steve at 7 a.m. at Cable Cove on Fontana Lake. In retrospect, I would have to say the mess-ups and mishaps of the work week had altered my reasoning ability. Let’s think about this. I can leave at 5 p.m. Friday and drive all or most of the way and get a decent night’s sleep in a motel, or I can leave town at midnight, get wired on coffee, and drive straight through to meet Steve with no sleep. I‘ve got a couple of 7-year-old grandsons who are smart enough to make the right decision about when to leave, but apparently, I’m not as smart as a 7-year-old. Friday night at 10:30 p.m. found me in the kitchen making 10 cups of coffee which I

The fall leaf colors were brilliant, and I knew the week’s bad luck was behind me as we motored to the mouth of the creek. Once there, we tied up the boat and hastily assembled our gear. There was a minor problem, however. My fly rod was not attached to my pack, in my pack, or lying on a boat seat. My heart sank as I remembered putting it by the front door, so I would not forget it. Evidently, in my caffeine induced haste to get on the road, I left the rod. Quick question, what is a five letter word

the clear, deep water, we counted 22 brown trout between approximately 18- and 30-inches holding their positions almost motionless. There were no flies coming off, but occasionally you would see a head move to one side or the other as it took a nymph that drifted by. Steve went below the pool

Air-Fishing at the Brown Pool Craig Haney for dumb? Answer: Craig. Steve, obviously enjoying my predicament, said, “Don’t worry you can air-fish!” I knew it would be a long day with Steve giving me a hard time about air-fishing. We shouldered our packs and headed up the trail toward our starting point, the “brown pool” with Steve asking me questions continually about air-fishing techniques. The “brown pool,” is several miles up the creek and a congregating spot, in the fall, for trout with love on their mind but not feeding. The trail is probably 10 feet above the “brown pool,” and as we gazed down into

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and moved into position with patience and stealth to cast to the nearest fish. The 12foot leader landed gently in the feeding lane above the fish, but the trout didn’t budge as that first cast drifted past. Steve used up his supply of good casts for the year fishing the “brown pool” that day without getting a serious look from a fish. He came back up to the trail and suggested we should head upstream to try the next spot. Steve had evidently gotten tired of ragging me about air-fishing and suggested we take turns using his rod and swapping out when one of us missed a fish. Steve had not

fished long when he caught a 12-inch fish on his size 16 Parachute Adams and the fun began. The miseries of the past week began to disappear as the trout turned on, and we alternated back and forth with the rod and reel for the rest of the day. What I thought was not going to be a very good day, turned out to be the best I’ve ever had on Hazel Creek. We consistently caught trout with Steve catching 16 straight at one point before missing one. I took my turn and remarkably followed Steve’s 16 straight with 17 straight catches before I missed a fish. Late afternoon, as we headed down the trail to the waiting boat, Steve suggested that I leave my rod at home more often since I’d had my best day on the creek without it. I hate to say it, but he may be right. The week that had been so stressful had certainly ended in a great way with a lot of dumb, hungry fish providing me with much needed water therapy.

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the black wing olive chronicles

Trouble With Terrestrials Olive K. Nynne

nsofar as I have made arrangements to write a regular entry into this electro-rag, it’s only fair that I introduce myself. My name is Olive. While I am sure how people sort out such matters, as best I understand my circumstances are that I belong, more or less, to Adam Kirk who appears to be owned by or at least be a ward of Leah and Don. My position in the pack, though lower tier by any estimate, is nonetheless key to how things get along here. While I believe that Adam is largely responsible for my wellbeing, it is evident that Don is the alpha member of the pack. He is generally easy going when he is sleeping, which in the opinion of the rest of the pack is quite often, but as few really know, he can be difficult. I also would like to add that I do not mind him referring to me as a “bitch” so long as he is generally civil in the words that proceed him using that language. Unfortunately, he has a variety of less than charming terms that sputter from him most of the time before he finally gets to…that term. It’s a fair question to ask what business has a dog writing anything noteworthy in a publication dedicated to fly-fishing. While my lineage is a little confusing, at least in the eyes of fascist groups such as those that monitor canine pedigrees (they should be so strict on humans…), I am what may be hereto referred to as a fly fishing dog. There are lots of pointers, and setters, and retrievers, and I am the first of what will hopefully evolve into bloodline known as fly fishers. My angling experiences go back over eight years (that’s 48 in dog years) when I acquired my first fly, a 6-foot, three weight Orvis Flea. Despite being taught fly fishing by one of the most inept anglers to ever qualify for a fishing license, I overcame this handicap to become one of the most skilled fishing dogs you will ever accompany on a stream. I prefer casting dry flies when there is a chance of trout feeding on the surface, but I am pretty good at retrieving streamers. The subject of my column in this slush bucket is how terrestrial insects play an important role in fly fishing southern trout streams.

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Unlike you, I have the ability to wind the presence of ants working along the edges of streams. They omit an aroma that this faintly reminiscent of basset hound living next door to me. Jassids, on the other hand, are surprisingly odor free, although grasshoppers present quite distinctive smell in my snout as they smell almost identical to discarded chewing tobacco. Having noted my olfactory advantages, I need to also interject that I have pretty decent vision for watching the water, and I am not distracted by mosquitoes or skinny dippers (Although, just once I would like to receive commands to fetch one of those humans gliding through a pool on an inner tube.) Two summers ago Don and I were fishing Paint Creek in the Cherokee National Forest, one of our rare trips where he made the grievous error of not replenishing the contents of either of his flasks. I only carry mineral water in my flask which made him gag the moment he pointed it skyward. Anyhow, we had the upper gorge to ourselves, and fishing was decent enough. As is his custom, Don, whom I usually refer to as “Daddy Boy,” (but don’t tell him) was preoccupied with not taking a fatal tumble and stopping to talk into the microphone he has in his fly box. (I presume Daddy Boy has a microphone in his fly box as every time he resorts to it for some sort of divine help, he talks and seems to use the word “God” a lot.) Part of my job for accompanying Daddy Boy on his solo trips astream is, according to Mrs. Kirk, to bring him back alive. No life insurance company will even discuss issuing a policy on him, and he is, once again according to Mrs. Kirk, at this time worth more alive than at a room temperature state of being. My job, along with measuring trout and keeping an eye out for copperheads and highwaymen, is alerting Daddy Boy to danger and perils he is just too dense to see when hyper-focused on catching trout. This trip and the hornet’s nest hanging from the sycamore tree beside a very inviting run is the point of all I have mentioned prior to now. Daddy Boy had just taken this third tumble and lost his Maui Jim sunglasses (don’t worry, he’ll talk someone out of another pair) when we came to this www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 27

the black wing olive chronicles run. It was not too fast, and not too shallow nor very deep, and was well shaded. It had “16-inch brown trout lives here-please do not disturb” written all over it. Suffice to say that it was a splendid glide of water that even Daddy Boy recognized as having considerable potential. I positioned myself on a moss covered boulder to watch this clown give the run his best shot. As I recall, I calculated his chances of catching a trout of any size at about 4-to-1, which for Daddy Boy is about as high as I can handicap him. The fun part about watching Daddy Boy fly fish is that you never know what he will do wrong. Even when he has the correct fly, makes a perfect cast, and then makes a faultless presentation, the odds of him missing the strike or sneezing at the moment of the strike are quite high. It is an understatement to say that observing Bozo do his magic is entertaining. Focused like a mongoose on a cobra, he stalked the back of the run, his eyes riveted on the water before him. It was at this time that I spotted a basketball size hornet’s nest that was just over his head. Knowing my master was in keen danger, I dashed toward him. Five paces from Daddy Boy, he wheeled around and said, “You &%#*@ bitch, what the hell are you doing?” Of course, I stopped and retreated, and with that he began stripping out fly line. I made another approach that was a bit more cautious, but was meet by an even more stern reprimand. Again, the genius began stripping out fly line. Spotting a stick on the side of the creek, I charged for it, and with it

in my mouth, made a dash to my master. Clearly agitated, Daddy Boy put his fly rod in his left hand, and yanked the stick from my mouth and tossed downstream, saying, “Fetch, you nutty bitch.” So, I did what he asked. I picked up the stick at about the same time the tip of his fly rod smacked that hornet’s next on his back cast. Confusion dominated the next few minutes along with effort on the part of Daddy Boy to evoke eternal damnation on the hornets that found him to be an easy, slow moving target. I held onto the stick in case he needed it, which as I recall the moment, even if he were so armed, I do not think he would have faired any better against that swarm. En route home, Ole Daddy Boy was pretty quiet, you know, no attempts to sing old Hank Williams songs as he usually does when we are alone. His face was pretty swollen from the hornet stinks which not only quieted him down a bit but made moving his mouth a bit difficult and painful. As could be expected, about half-way home, Puffy looked over at me and said, “You know Olive, it would have been nice had you pointed out that damned hornet’s nest to me…” Not my first trip to the “hot seat” I just looked sympathetically at Daddy Boy, sort of batting my big brown eyes as though to say, “I feel your pain.” Of course, what was going through my canine cranium was “Warn you? Hell I was trying to let you know there was more hornets overhead than you could shake a stick at.”

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fishhunter adventures in cuisine

all and spring are my two favorite seasons to camp, (whether backpacking or car camping) especially on a long weekend trout fishing trip. My expectation of great fishing is much higher during those times. Another prime reason to camp, at least for me, is cooking outdoors whether over an open fire or using a camp stove. Sitting around the campfire, eating a good meal, and discussing the day’s fishing with friends are enjoyable ways to close out the day.

With cool evenings in the spring and fall, chili has become a “must have” at least one of the nights for supper when camping. I have used most chili mixes available at the supermarket over the years, and they make pretty good chili, plus they are quick and easy. There are times, however, when I want something different and a rung up on the culinary ladder. It is like deciding to take rib eyes or New York strips instead of hamburger steaks for another supper on the trip. Sometimes you just get the “hungries” for something better on one of these trout trips and you need to feed that hunger. One of my favorite food upgrades is Chigger Creek Chili which has become a favorite with my fishing friends whether on a camping trip or at home.

chigger creek ChilI Craig Haney

Over 30 years ago, three friends and I spent a week in southeastern Wyoming outside of Wheatland hunting mule deer and antelope. The outfitter we used provided great meals using elk as the primary meat, and his chili was an instant hit with the four of us. It was unlike any chili I had eaten before in terms of looks, texture and taste. Before we left, he wrote the recipe for me on a page torn out of his son’s school notebook and offered it with the advice that it “would be almost as good with beef as with elk, but not quite.” He was right, it is still darn good chili!

The first time I made the chili for a camping trip was when my buddy JW and I were camped on a stream in the southern Appalachians. It had been a good day of fishing with the fish looking up and providing us with some good top-water action. Unfortunately, during the course of the day, JW and I were “eaten up” with chiggers and were miserable when we got back to camp. Fortunately, in with my first aid kit, was a bottle of clear fingernail polish that we used to coat the bites and find some needed relief. The three-day trip was a great blend of fishing, fellowship and food. Because of the chigger problem, we nicknamed this little-fished creek “Chigger Creek” because we wanted to keep it relatively unknown if possible. I decided to name the chili recipe “Chigger Creek Chili” after the creek since the outfitter never gave his recipe a name. Are you a crazy, fishunter? I understand. You don’t want to go to that much trouble after a long day’s fishing when you are tired and hungry. I don’t either, so I make it up at home before the trip and vacuum seal it with my FoodSaver GameSaver and toss it in the ice chest when I’m ready to head for the mountains.

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fishhunter adventures in cuisine

Chigger Creek Chili

3 pounds beef tips or round steak cut into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces 4-5 pieces thick bacon diced 2 cups diced onions 1/4 cup flour 1 T salt 1/2-1 T black pepper 1 T garlic powder 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 T ground cumin 1T paprika 1 T chili powder 2 cups beef stock Brown bacon in a Dutch oven and add onions before the bacon is done and cook until onions are soft. Take out bacon and onions and save. Dredge meat in flour, salt and pepper and brown the beef in the Dutch oven. Return the bacon and onions to the pot and add garlic powder, tomatoes, beef stock, cumin, paprika and chili powder. Add water to the pot to completely cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 1/2-3 hours. Add water as needed. What, no beans! The original recipe did not call for beans, but feel free to add pinto beans, navy beans or my favorite, black beans. Sometimes, I’ll add 2 cans of different beans (drained) to the pot, it is a good way to stretch the chili.

www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 31

Just a 3-hour drive from Atlanta! Destinations

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history of southern trout fishing

outdoor writer from Chicago, contacted Peckinpaugh about the new cork poppers, Dilg began to spread the word about them in national outdoor magazines. The formation of the E.H. Peckinpaugh Company took place in 1920.

outhern fly fishing history is as rich as Dutch chocolate. It remains resplendent with names known nationwide among anglers. Although in many cases, they are not necessarily remembered as southern mountain trout fishermen. Ernest Peckinpaugh is one such person. Every bass fishing, fly rodder has heard of Peck’s family of popping bugs, however, lost in the shuffle, is the fact that Ole Peck also commercially offered an extensive line of flies for catching trout. To tell the truth, it’s a pretty damned interesting little story. Prior to the First World War, Peckinpaugh resided in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he was by profession a building contractor. Something of a do-it-yourselfer, he tied his own cork poppers for catching warm water game fish first by using double hooks made in England. “According to Peckinpaugh, he had accidentally dropped a cork bottle stopper on the stream which he was fishing and as it floated away with the current he was suddenly struck with the idea of making bucktail hair, tying in the thatch at the head a floating bass bug out of cork. As a result, of the fly, as it were. While this initial lure he ran the stem of a hook through a cork. Instead of feathers, he used a pinch or two of was quite crude, Peckinpaugh was amazed at the fish that it took fish. This took place in the year 1907.” The legend of Peckinpaugh’s invention was recounted by Robert Page Lincoln (Bloody Abe’s boy) in 1952.

By 1940 the E.H. Peckinpaugh catalog listed five dozen different bugs and flies with hundreds of color combinations. The era of his best known flies included his poppers such as his Flash Skitter Bug, Special Popping Minnow, Snake Doctor, and Peck’s Floating Feather Minnow, although, he also offered an extensive line of mostly wet flies for trout. At the peak of the business, the Chattanooga company annually sold over 300,000 handmade bugs and flies and employed 300 people. Peckinpaugh was known for quality construction. Regarding his commitment to high standards, he said “they could not have good sport with lures made of cheap materials hastily put together, because they will not stand up to fishing for any length of time.”

success. High quality American workmanship and materials have produced reliable and durable bass-catching poppers since 1910. Quite the marketer, Peckinpaugh entered into agreements with well known anglers of the 1900s to have their names associated with special bugs and flies in his diverse line. Along with Ozark Ripley, the list includes Zane Grey, Dr. Henshall, and of course, Wil H. Dilg. Ozark Ripley, one of the best known outdoor writers of the early 1900s, moved from Missouri to Chattanooga in the 1930s. Ozark Ripley was the colorful pen name for John Baptiste de Macklot Thompson (generally referred to as John B. Thompson) who was educated in France prior to World War I. An avid fly fisherman, Ripley lived in east Tennessee where he continued his passion for float fishing for smallmouth bass, a hobby he had taken up while operating out of the Ozarks.

Remembering Ole Peck Don Kirk The war made getting double hooks difficult, forcing Peckinpaugh to switch to domestically produced, single hooks. Years later he wrote, “...inasmuch as they were developed for night fishing, I called them night bugs.” With the great success of his bug, Peckinpaugh went to work, next developing a series of bugs known as the “Mississippi River Patterns.” Will H. Dilg, a well known 34 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

Ole Peck died in 1952 at the age of 68. His son John, took over the business, and eventually in 1980, the original company was purchased by Tony Accardo and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The AccardoPeckinpaugh Company still uses the same design and techniques “Peck” utilized and they still adhere to the same formula for www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 35

history of southern trout fishing Peckinpaugh held a number of patents related to fishing flies. While the Scenic City entrepreneur is best remembered for gaudy bass bugs, he also sold loads of trout flies and was the first to commercially offer the famous Tellico Nymph. Here is a list of the flies offered in the 1920-30s by Peckinpaugh’s line called Floating Trout Midgets. It is worth noting that the Tellico is not listed here. March Brown Gray Hackle Yellow Jacket Montreal Royal Coachman Professor Black Prince Wickhams Fancy Coachman Yellow Sally Seth Greet Lady Bug

Brown Hackle Rube Wood Stone Midget Paramacheene Black Midget Peck’s Favorite Ginger Quill Cowdung Silver Doctor Red Ibis Queen of Waters Western Bee

That the Tellico Nymph was not listed here does not mean it was not commercially produced by Peckinpaugh. This list does not include his line of wet flies, a list I have so far been unable to find. Although, I am relatively certain it exists as the flies are not at all difficult to locate among collectors. As is often the case, the more you learn about the old timers, the more questions you end up with that require answers. Peckinpaugh and the Tellico Nymph are one such mystery.

history of southern trout fishing

nor the name of the apparently modest “viseman.” It’s not that I have not researched the matter, as I have. So did Eddy George from Louisville, Tennessee who is best remembered for his Cottontop Nymph which is referred to as a variation of the Tellico Nymph. George and I both agreed that Ray Bergman was incorrect in the origins of the fly he noted in a later version of his book, Trout. Bergman mentions the Tellico in the 2nd edition of his monumental book, Trout, and credits its development to a Rev. Edwin T. Dalstrom of Tennessee. The book was published in 1952. Trout was originally printed in November of 1938 and was reprinted thirteen times. In 1952, a second edition that was revised and enlarged was printed and it was also reprinted eleven times. The 3rd edition was enlarged in 1976. However, according to one source in North Carolina, The Tellico Nymph is an old pattern that was developed around 1927 by a priest along the Tellico River in Tennessee and North Carolina. Another source says that the Tellico Nymph was tied to imitate a kernel of corn.

Almost everyone loves and uses the Tellico Nymph. There is a general consensus on the origins of this pattern’s name, the Tellico River in East Tennessee, and that these flies catch trout year round where trout abound. Other than that though, no one seems to agree about who first tied the Tellico Nymph, when it was created, or with any certainty what it was invented to mimic. I am the first to admit that I neither know when the Tellico Nymph was first tied 36 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 37

history of southern trout fishing

history of southern trout fishing I do know that Ernest Peckinpaugh was the first to commercially offer the Tellico Nymph. Tellico Nymphs (weighted and un-weighted) with and without Hildebrandt style spinners were sold by Peck on cards in the 1940s.

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book review North Carolina Trout Fishing Ebook

n ideal resource for travelers, visitors to North Carolina, and long time residents alike, North Carolina Trout Fishing, part of TroutProStore.com’s CyberGuide Series, is a treasure trove of information for anglers seeking to learn more about the Tarheel State’s trout fishing hotspots. Offered in an inexpensive Ebook format, author Steve Maslar not only covers how to access these waters, but he also discusses tackle and techniques, and explains the regulations of trout fishing in the Old North State. It is a well-written, well-illustrated book that will add to the knowledge of all southern trout fishermen. An insider’s guide to trout fishing in the North Carolina high country, the book is based on years of research and hands-on practical experience by Maslar. The book discusses over 75 of North Carolina’s finest rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. Included in the book are the numerous fishing opportunities, including those in three state parks, a state forest, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and the Blue Ridge Parkway waters, along with fishing tips. This book will put you where the North Carolina trout are and help you select the best fishing experience for

your particular fishing preferences. The book is in PDF format (3.14MB) and will be mailed to your email address.

book review wellbeing of the trout and their habitat. He specializes in “special ops” fly fishing, having developed the caneing, slingshot and other casts suitable for small North Carolina streams. North Carolina Trout Fishing is available from Trout Pro Store (www.TroutProStore.com) for $5.99.

Author Steve Maslar is also the Chancellor of Trout University. He was born in Upstate New York but moved to North Carolina very soon in life. He specializes in fly fishing for the wild trout found in the mountains with a particular fondness for brown trout. Stephen has been trout fishing throughout the Southern States, Colorado and Alaska. Stephen has a healthy respect for the environment, and property rights as well as the

40 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 41

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guide profile

guide profile Clay Aalders - Smoky Mountain Gillies - Knoxville, Tennessee

ore than two decades ago on a bass pond in Ohio, Clay Aalders taught himself how to fly fish on his Uncle’s pond. A graduate of both Kenyon College as well as an Orvis Endorsed Guide School in Colorado, Aalders has acquired over a decade of guiding experience. Working in a fly shop after college, Aalders used guiding as a sales incentive. “I would tell them,” Aalders explains, “‘If you buy this rod and reel I will take you out and show you how to use it.’” Through this tactic Aalders found that he really enjoyed taking people fishing and instructing them more than selling the gear for it. Soon after he went to guide school, moved to Idaho, and started guiding all in quick succession. Aalders moved to Tennessee in 2006 with his family where he opened Smoky Mountain Gillies a year later. “Guiding is teaching and fishing rolled into one,” says Aalders, “A significant number of our clients have never held a fly rod prior to the trip. Advanced fishermen will benefit from learning specialized techniques and diagnosis of casting issues if necessary.” Offering trips on most streams on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains, Smoky Mountain Gillies is dedicated to providing safe and exciting guided fishing trips to clients with an emphasis on helping each individual improve his or her skills and enjoy the fishing resources in a responsible manner. The spiked popularity of guides in recent years can be attributed to the fact that, as Aalders explains, “Hiring a guide lets you bend the learning curve. While anyone can eventually correct mistakes and figure out how to catch a fish in a given fishery, a guide will help you speed up this process and save you a tremendous amount of frustration.” While there are good days and bad days, Aalders reminds us that “There is a saying in the business that ‘the only guarantee is lunch.’ While we work our tail off to put you onto fish sometimes it just

Half day and full day trips differ: half day trips include snacks and drinks and full day trips include a full lunch. “I bake my greatgrandmother’s ginger molasses cookies for all trips,” Aalders boasts, “they have become a bit of a trademark for me.” As far as equipment, all gear is supplied, however, clients are responsible for providing a valid fishing license and appropriate clothing for the weather. Within-trip transportation is provided and typically client and guide will meet at a central location and carpool to the river. “There are many backcountry options in the Smokies,” Aalders states, “The farther you range off the beaten path, the more gullible the fish, and the scenery is even more spectacular than front-country locations.”

For more information contact: Smoky Mountain Gillies, LLC 3313 Timberlake Drive Knoxville, TN 37920 phone: 865-964-6403 email: clay@smokymountaingillies.com web: www.smokymountaingillies.com

doesn’t happen. Believe me, no-one feels worse than I do after a client gets ‘skunked.’” “I have been guiding for over 15 years now.” Aalders says, “While I loved guiding the Snake in Idaho, and fishing the famous western rivers, there is nothing I miss about out West that a week won’t cure. There are 700 miles of WILD trout waters in the Smokies, and it is all public access. I have truly fallen in love with mountain fishing in the Southeast. And that doesn’t even include the fantastic tailwater fishing we have outside of the GSMNP. I would put several of our TVA tailwater fisheries up against any western river any day of the week.”

44 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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fly of the month Fore and After Dry Roger Lowe

ly fishing for southern highland trout in August and September presents a variety of challenges. Water levels normally drop and become warmer. By now, too, most ma jor hatches of aquatic insects are gone for the year. These factors seem to make mountain trout somewhat finicky and more selective than in spring and early summer. One of my “go to” attractor patterns for this time of year is the Fore and After dryfly. As its name implies, the Fore and After dry is pattern that features a hackle at the front and rear of the fly. It’s an old Southern Appalachian pattern, and I’m not really sure of its origin. I do know though, that the Fore and After was real popular among western North Carolina fly fishermen between 1950 and 2000. As a kid fishing the Oconaluftee and Deep Creek with my grandfather, I recall him using the Fore and After pattern a lot this time of year. He often used two of these fly pattern at once, tying one with that one tied with a bright green body, and one with a bright yellow body. Oddly, most my grandfather’s Fore and After flies were tied on a long shank hook. My grandfather liked to fish these about three feet apart. He would grease these with the mucillen floatant so both flies would float real high on the surface. These seemed to work best when fished next to the banks of the creeks and rivers. According to my grandfather, it was his opinion that high

riding Fore and After imitated grasshoppers or various other terrestrials that which had the misfortune of falling into or being washed into a stream. The Fore and After is a pattern that is not known for catching great numbers of fish, but it is known as a pattern that often catches larger trout. In my opinion, it is a fly pattern that often catches and produces well because it is something the fish haven’t seen before, or at least very often. The Fore and After is a simple pattern to tie. The tail is made of golden pheasant. The rear hackle is grizzly . The body is yellow most often or green wrapped midway of the hook. You can use dubbing or floss. The front hackle will be grizzly and brown. The Fore and After makes a great attractor pattern for late summer, and it is most often tied on size 12 to 14 hook. Tie and add a few of these to your fly box, and I believe it will give you an advantage for late summer trout.

Recipe Hook: 94840 Mustad Thread: Black Tail: Golden Pheasant Body: Yellow dubbing or floss Hackle: Grizzly and brown

46 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

If you enjoy matching the hatch for some great dry fly fishing be sure to try these in June and July. Roger’s book, Roger Lowe’s Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains is a fly tying and identification guide. He also has a tying video, Smoky Mountain Fly Patterns that shows how to tie a lot of the Smoky Mountain Patterns. His hatch book, Smoky Mountain Fly Patterns is a guide book, so you can decide which patterns to use each month.

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featured fly shop

featured fly shop Cashiers, North Carolina When asked about the overall interest in fly fishing in the western area of North Carolina, Canter said, “Fly fishing in Western North Carolina has been a part of our heritage for many, many years. This area has been what I consider to be one of the best kept ‘secrets’ as a fly fishing destination for a long time, but recently we are starting to see an increased interest in not only locals, but people from all over the country.” Trends in the area surrounding Brookings include a wave of younger fly fishermen becoming very interested in the industry, fly fishing having become a “cool” thing to do among young adults. This trend can be attributed to Brookings’ close proximity to Western Carolina University where there are more and more college students taking an interest in the sport.

conditions, and locations.

Brookings’ is managed by Matt Canter who, with the help of owner Stephen Zoukis, has or 25 years Brookings’ Cashiers changed Brooking’s to a fully equipped, flyVillage Anglers has been catering fishing shop that includes not only fly fishing to the abundance of outdoorsmen equipment, but also apparel for fishing, in the not only the western North conventional tackle, fly-tying materials, and Carolina area, but also in other surrounding a large focus on guiding. “Being a full service states and regions. Founded by John Druffel shop in this area is very important,” Matt in 1988, the store has since been bought by Canter tells Southern Trout Magazine, “We its current owner Stephen Zoukis who gave have a tremendous resource here, and the the shop a ma jor facelift by changing not more people we can educate and get into just the location, but the inventory as well the sport, the more people we will have as to include almost all of the ma jor lines of equipment. “We try to pick the best products a vested interest in this resource to protect it.” Not only do the employees of Brookings’ from our vendors,” Canter says. “We try to enjoy fly fishing, they enjoy helping anglers stay away from the ‘gimmicky’ stuff and have a great experience when fishing, stock our store with products that perform the best and hold up against abuse.” Staffed whether that entails giving them advice or guiding them in the stream. With 12 fullby five of the most experienced fly fishing time guides that have been instructing for guides, Brookings’ takes immense pride decades, Brookings’ has one of the most in giving customers the most up-to-date experienced guide staff in the region. advice and information on hatches, fishing

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As far as their customer service efforts go, Canter continues saying that Brookings’ wants people to enjoy their experience on their waters and wants them to feel welcome back any time so they go as far as offering free casting lessons for anyone who needs some help. “We try to help all of our customers work out those kinks so their time fishing is pleasurable and they’ll come back for more!” Whether it’s on a guide trip or in the shop, the staff at Brookings tries to be personable and as helpful as possible. One of the biggest parts of any business is word of mouth and Brookings makes sure that every customer leaves with a smile. Again, Brookings’ is not strictly a fly fishing equipment shop. There is also a very important fly tying aspect involved in the retail operation. Brookings has made a dramatic effort to focus on fly tying in the past few years, and part of this effort included the addition of a fly tying bar that seats eight tiers where classes of tiers are instructed. “Our region is home to some very effective fly patterns you won’t find

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featured fly shop

anywhere else in the world,” Canter says, “Without people tying their own creations, they wouldn’t exist.” One of the best fly tiers in the region, Roger Lowe, as well as Matt Canter and Marc Hipp offer fly-tying lessons for single tiers or for a group of friends. Settled in one of the best areas for fly fishing, Brookings’ is only a short drive from most ma jor surrounding cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, and many more urban areas. Since the best part of the area is that you can fish all year round, should you find yourself in the vicinity, visit, fish, or just stop by and let their devoted staff point you in the direction of some incredible fly fishing. Phone: 828-743-3768 Web: www.brookingsonline.com

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featured lodge The Lodge at Buckberry Creek

hile they only opened their doors in 2005, it was in 1945 that the grandfather of Buddy McLean, owner and operator of the Lodge at Buckberry Creek, purchased 180 mountain acres of land where the lodge now sits. While it was purchased sixty years ago, the family completed their dream for the land by building and operating the lodge less than ten years ago. Although it is relatively new, the success and reputation of the lodge is overwhelming. Featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine in 2007, the lodge received a glowing review. “Picture this: 850 miles of winding trails, rushing waterfalls, and seemingly endless mountain ranges blanketed in a lush patchwork of gold, orange, red, and yellow. With a rustic log cabin feel, the Lodge at Buckberry Creek boasts views of Mount LeConte. Each of the 45 luxury suites has a deck, soaking tub, and fireplace. Get in-room massages followed by a meal at their excellent restaurant.”

featured lodge Gatlinburg, Tennessee

The view of the country surrounding the lodge is certainly part of its appeal. There are many other things that pull the visitors to the very spacious and equipped resort. The driving force behind this lodge includes the people seeking an authentic experience with nature and the people who want to present their children with that same authenticity. Be it fly fishing, hiking, rafting, kayaking, or any of the other numerous activities available in the area, it’s all part of the Buckberry experience. While there are many things to do while visiting the lodge, fly fishing is of particular interest in the area due to the excellent and abundant streams and water systems that facilitate the hobby. “Fly fishing,” McLean tells Southern Trout Magazine, “is just one part of the overall mountain experience. Some come here to learn fly fishing, and some just want to experience a little bit of the overall mountain experience.” In terms of advice, support, and instruction, the

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featured lodge

lodge facilitates Orvis instructing and also provides fly rods on the property for anyone that needs one. “Men and women who never fly fished before are especially prevalent in our area, but we often have groups who come together and have a lot of fun learning together.” The adults are not the only ones, however, who are accommodated. Only about five minutes from the lodge itself is an area where kids of all ages can learn to fish,

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making fly fishing not only an adult’s activity, personal service.” The Lodge at Buckberry but a family one. Creek can be found at 961 Campbell Lead Road in Gatlinburg Tennessee and On a more personal level, the lodge staff can be reached by telephone toll free at invites visitors to come and experience 866-30-LODGE or by email at frontdesk@ amazing food, service, and an intoxicating buckberrylodge.com. Visit their website at outdoors experience from the suites that www.buckberrylodge.com to see more of overlook the smoky mountains. To quote what they have to offer. Buddy himself, “Here you can have the authentic mountain experience and receive

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featured bed & breakfast The River Lodge Bed & Breakfast

n a bend in the Tuckaseegee River sits a lodge incased in 100 year-old hand-hewn logs taken from old barns and cabins in the Great Smoky Mountains region. A massive stone fireplace makes a ma jestic presence over the leather laden great room and billiard parlor. Looking out one of the many expansive windows, one fantasizes about the casts to be made in the creek that is, forgiveness requested, within casting distance of the magnificently rustic front door. While the area is well known for its wealth of waters that offer outstanding fly fishing runs, at the River Lodge Bed and Breakfast, wetting line requires only a short walk down to the Tuckaseegee River that flows along the property. Here you have a shot at either big brown trout that prowl the shoals, or spunky bronzeback trout that often top the five pound mark in this scenic river. The River Lodge Bed and Breakfast in Cullowhee, North Carolina makes a

statement unlike any other. Sitting and talking to innkeepers Cathy and Anthony Sgambato, a guest absorbs the history that went into creating the perfectly rustic lodge. The open layout does little to change the cozy comfort and peace exuding from the lodge and grounds, and one cannot help but feel, energetically, wrapped in a soft blanket. Owners/innkeepers Cathy and Anthony are native New Yorkers who traveled through the Appalachian Mountains in search of the perfect place to open their bed and breakfast. Their eight-year search ended when they visited the Great Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina. While bedding down in the nearby town of Sylva, a weekly newspaper advertised the sale of the house and property. The description was everything they were looking for. Upon entering the massive front door, they knew they had finally found it...the perfect home for rustic and elegant Smoky Mountain lodging in the Adirondack style. The North Carolina bed and breakfast sits

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featured bed & breakfast Cullowhee, North Carolina on six acres of manicured grounds with several streams that flow into the Tuckasegee River. A cascading waterfall runs along the side of the inn; a standing forest of 100 year old pines is the backdrop. Rhododendrons, hemlocks and ferns line the driveway that winds its way to the entrance. One can sit on the porches and balconies of the lodge and enjoy the river, waterfalls, streams and mountain views that surround this elegant retreat. If out-of-the-way lodging near Dillsboro, Sylva, Cullowhee, Cashiers or Highlands, North Carolina is what you seek, The River Lodge is in the perfect location. Queen size, mountain made log beds dressed with plush pillows and cozy comforters await guests in each room that includes wood carvings, American Indian prints, mission oak, stick, and turn of the century furnishings. The private baths add to each room’s character. Claw foot bath tubs with brass fixtures await you along with separate showers. Pedestal sinks that take you back in time suggest old world charm with new world conveniences. Scented soaps, plush towels and

warm bright colors fill the rooms to make your entire experience a delightful one. Breakfast is as varied as the surroundings. Enjoy their homemade braided French toast topped with macerated strawberries and toasted almond slivers or their shitake and Havarti cheese omelet. Eggs Benedict may grace your plate or perhaps it will be a Frittata filled with a variety of vegetables and three kinds of cheeses, sweet Italian sausages and homemade focaccia bread. However, that’s not all they serve. They may be native New Yorkers, but at any given breakfast they may show that they have mastered the art of making good ole southern grits! The River Lodge is located at 619 Roy Tritt Road in Cullowhee, North Carolina. One can go to their website at www.riverlodge-bb. com to check them out and make a reservation. Or perhaps, you may call 828293-5431 and talk to the owners themselves.

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featured bed & breakfast

Convertible Wading Socks

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877-462-4682 60 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 61 www.chotaoutdoorgear.com

featured fly tyer

he Southland is not only blessed with a long tradition of tying flies for catching trout, but with a number of modern tyers who remain dedicated to helping preserve the old patterns that were used as long as a century ago. One of the most gifted among these virtuosos of the vise is Joel Dean. His business, Tennessee Traditional Flies, is based out of Nolensville, Tennessee. Unlike many of the region’s fly tyers today who are well versed in the old patterns, Joel did not grow up knee deep in a southern mountain’s creek in the company of a cadre of mentors to teach him the ropes of fly fishing and fly tying. Joel grew up in Upper Arlington, Ohio, which is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Of course, as so often happens, once he relocated in the South, Joel embraced southern culture with a gusto.

Atlanta, Georgia. In the Peach State, he continued to fish bass tournaments. However, according to Joel, he always cherished the fishing opportunities in Tennessee and always hoped to retire in Tennessee. Before retirement though, he was offered the opportunity to move to Tennessee in the 80’s.

Joel Dean - Tennessee Traditional Flies - Nolensville, Tennessee

“My step-father began taking me fishing when I was ten,” says Joel. “In those days, we fished the Mad River for rainbow trout. We also fished the Scioto River, Olentangy River, Big Darby Creek, and Little Darby Creek for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, crappie and bluegill. One of our choice yearly trips was to the western basin of Lake Erie every year to catch walleye and smallmouth bass. We also made a trip south every year to fish in Dale Hallow for trout, smallmouth bass and walleye. Back then, I fished the Olentangy River almost every day after work and usually at least one day during the weekend during spring, summer and fall for more than fifteen years.” As befalls most fishermen sooner or later, Joel was sidetracked for a time when he started a family. And as it usually does, this coincided with him starting a new profession. For him it was in Information Technology. Such obligations took up most of his time for many years, however, he still found time to tie flies and compete in bass tournaments in southern Ohio for over a decade. Joel’s profession took him from Columbus to Dayton, Ohio, then to 62 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

Charleys Whoper

“By the time I relocated in Tennessee, the kids were growing up and were moving away,” notes Joel. “I found that I had more free time, and I started fishing bass tournaments again. I fished bass tournaments in Middle Tennessee for over ten years. I then stopped fishing tournaments competitively, as at that point in my life, it just was not as rewarding as fly fishing.”

Crow Fly

Horse Hair

Jim Charley Royal MOJO Midge

Little River Ant

Joel has tied flies and fly fished for more than 40 years now for warm water and cold water game fish. Now officially retired, but a long way from being ready to retreat to the rocking chair, he launched a small business of tying flies and selling fly-tying materials. His company, Tennessee Traditional Flies, targets fly patterns and tying materials for the Southern Appalachians, Tennessee River Valley, and Western Arkansas. From the onset, he has used and offered only the highest quality materials.

Secret Weapon

Yellow Hammer Dry

Tennessee Wulf

Yellow Hammer Nymph

“The cold water fishing opportunities in Tennessee are very good. I decided to dedicate all of my available time to fly fishing and joined the Middle Tennessee Fly Fishers.”

Joel has been fly fishing and fly tying since the late 60s. As with so many anglers, he found fly fishing to be very rewarding and challenging. He cut his teeth fly fishing for warm water species of game fish, but once in Tennessee, trout was the focus of his attention. To accommodate this switch, he moved into the realm of tying flies for catching trout, starting by tying based on patterns from Art Flick, Swisher/Richards,

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featured fly tyer

featured fly tyer from him, but he will tie custom and guide flies by special order. All custom and guide flies recipes are protected if requested. He gives quantity discounts, however, this is not a sweat shop. He ties quality flies and focuses on using on materials made in the USA to the degree that they are available. Some of the older tying materials that he sometimes has a tough time obtaining include crow wing feathers, woodchuck, horse hair, acetate floss, and a number of other furs, especially seal. Some of new fly materials that impress him include Fly-Rite Polly II Dubbing, Arizona Dubbing, Hebert Miner Hackle, Whiting Farms Hackle, Spirit River Hair, and Veniard Seal Fur. When asked what are the top ten sellers are, he provided the following; TTF MOJO Midge TTF Foam Hopper Eat At Chucks Stick Bait Charlies Whopper Little River Ant

Paul Jorgensen, Robert Boyle, Dave Whitlock, Alvin Grove Jr., Eric Pepper, Gary Lafontaine, Ernie Schwiebert, Vincent Marinaro, Joseph D. Bates Jr., and other pioneer fly tyers. In those days, Joel notes that fly tying materials and such were pretty difficult to obtain locally. Only a few local outfitters stocked more than the basics. To get much of what he needed to pursue his passion of fly tying, it was necessary to make mailorder purchases from such providers as Orvis, Raymond Rumpf, E. Hille and Whiting Farms. When asked what prompted his keen interest in traditional flies of the South, Joel responded, “Over the last forty plus years I have seen a lot of fly recipes. Probably 80% of all patterns today were designed by the fly fishermen who came before us. Granted, materials have changed which have resulted in recipe variations, but the basic

Tennessee Thunderhead Yellowhammer Dry Crow Fly Horse Hair Nymph When asked to tell about patterns that were original to him or patterns that he put a “Joel Dean” spin on, he responded, “I do not take any credit for an original pattern, however, I have put a spin on a couple flies currently earning a reputation they are the TTF MOJO Midge and TTF Foam Hopper.” His personally favorite flies for catching southern trout include the TTF MOJO Midge, TTF Foam Hopper, Tan Caddis, Juicy Bugger, and the Tennessee Wulff. His favorite southern trout waters include the Caney Fork River, Tuckasegee River, White River, and Norfork River. You can reach Joel through his website, www.traditionaltennesseeflies.com. Besides offering flies, he also teaches fly tying, beginner fly fishing, and entomology. Joel is also available to speak to TU or FFF groups.

credit should go to the old-timers and the natives. The Southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley River are rich resources which provided sustenance for the American Natives as well as for the early pioneers for thousands of years.” Says Joel, “Our history is a valuable resource handed down from person to person. These traditions are lost from time to time if we do not document them. I have found that using the old traditional patterns provides me with an additional rewarding fly-fishing experience when fishing for the native trout species as well as stocked trout. I have found that the traditional patterns sometimes catch more fish by providing a variation in the usual patterns used by modern fly fishermen.” Joel’s flies are available directly from him via his website, www.tennesseetraditionalflies. com. The site lists the flies that are available

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Traditional Flies Custom Flies

Specializing in traditional flies used in the Appalachians, Ozarks and Tennessee Tail Waters

Tying Materials Tying Tools Fly Fishing Accessories

www.tennesseetraditionalflies.com Made In the USA shop.tennesseetraditionalflies.com www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 65

featured rod builder

featured rod builder “Because of my first profession, I have been able to travel to distant parts of the country in a dental mission capacity that has also enabled me to fish. Just returned from treating Lakota Sioux Native Americans in South Dakota, I was able to fish South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. I treated patients in Honduras and was able to bonefish, etc. It also was great ‘research’ to see how my custom rods performed and allowed me to see my rods used by several very proficient guides on the Henry’s Fork, Big Horn, South Fork of the Snake, South Holston, various Alaskan rivers, etc.”

Tom Carroll Cherrylog, Georgia

avorite fly rods are more than mere fishing rods. They seem to be some sort of silicon chip device that stores memory only its owner can access. It’s about impossible to pick up your favorite fly rod without triggering a flow of emotions and memories and desires for where you would like to be waist deep at that moment in time. For a select few, the passion for fly rods goes beyond even these heights to the realm of not only creating their own unique fly rods, but also crafting a fly rod that is like no other fly rod in the world. Tom Carroll is one of those rare fly fishermen with a love for the sport and a cleverness to make not only great casting fly rods, but also rods that are honest-to-goodness works of spellbinding artistry. At 68 years old, this retired dentist is now well into his second career as the owner of CherryLog Rods. His Georgia based operation is in the business of building custom fly rods, repairing and restoring all kinds of fishing rods, especially restoring vintage split bamboo fly rods. “I have been building custom rods for about 15 years as a business, first as a pastime, now as a full-fledged operation,” says Tom.

Tom’s approach to rod building is somewhat unique. He goes to great effort to put his rods in the hands of very accomplished casters to try out concepts on improving his custom rods as compared to the “store bought” variety. According to Tom, there are at least two philosophies on building custom rods. One is to attempt to copy a retail rod and sell it for less; just add some cosmetic improvements (thread work, engraving, custom inscriptions, etc.) The other is for a rod maker to work to improve on the retail rod’s performance by using better materials (guides, reel seats, cork, etc.) to arrive at a lighter, stronger more accurate casting instrument. “I try to accomplish both philosophies: make a beautiful fly rod that my customers look at as an heirloom, while also owning a superior fly rod,” says Tom. “It’s been said that ‘it ain’t the arrow, it’s the Indian,’ and it’s true that Lefty Kreh or any of the FFF casting instructors can catch fish with a $99.00 Walmart rod. I hope that with my rods, they can catch just as many fish but do it more comfortably, with less effort, and more satisfaction. “One example of more comfort is that

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I custom fit the cork handles to each customer’s hand size. By doing so, less fatigue sets in during a long day of casting. That’s why I would make the same sized handle for an individual customer regardless of the size of the rod, except for 2 handed rods. Another would be custom balancing of the rod to the fly reel and finding the best weight fly line to match the rod’s ability. Many ‘5 weight’ rods need a 6 or 7 weight line to properly load the rod, for example,” says Tom. Tom began his fly fishing career sort of backwards from many people. He was an “apartment kid” who grew up without a father in a big city. In his youth, he was never exposed to hunting or fishing. Luckily, Tom married a wonderful woman who was from a real hunting/ fishing background. As great wives do, she was determined to “re-educate” Tom, with part of his training becoming savvy in the ways of the great outdoors. According to Tom he resisted that until we had our first son, who started fly fishing in spite of him. Once he saw that fishing might be a way to get some male bonding, he began taking fly-fishing instruction from his son. Fly fishing has indeed been an important, enjoyable part of their relationship ever since. As many fly rod builders will allow, just after he got into fly fishing, he got into fly tying. (He still sells flies on special order). As happens so often on the slippery slope of

fly fishing, shortly thereafter, Tom decided he wanted to experience it would be to catch a fish with a rod that he built. He got training from a local rod builder who finally retired and sold much of his shop to Tom. “I am a traditionalist at heart and love history, especially since I’m getting old enough to be part of history,” confesses Tom. “Cane rods connect us with the earliest fly fishing traditions and techniques, many that we still use today, and hopefully improve upon. I try to include a little bamboo philosophy into even the hightech graphite rods I build: signature thread wraps, hand-formed cork handles, exotic reel seat spacers, agate stripping guides, etc.” Being in North Georgia, with many mountain streams and some tail waters, the most popular rods Tom builds are 8- to 9-foot, 4- or 5-weight graphite rod, but are followed closely by 9- to 10-foot, 6- to 9-weight rods for bass, redfish and bonefish. One of his “signature” items on his custom rods is a variation on a custom feature he first saw on a Phillipson bamboo rod and continued on a Winston graphite rod. He calls it his “hammer handle.” It is an individually hand turned and hand shaped eccentric (not totally round) cork handle. It helps an angler keep the rod oriented in relationship to the reel and guides, to fight the natural pendulum motion that develops when casting.

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featured rod builder

Being a traditionalist has its drawbacks. Tom says that older rod building materials are often quite hard to find. This is especially true of certain silk threads that were used by early bamboo rod builders that he needs to properly restore vintage rods. The same can be said to about some reel seat spacers in certain burl woods, especially really highly figured cherry wood burls (after all, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the name of his shop). Another of his hardto-find items that he likes to use are the really excellently made nickel-silver stripping guides with high quality agate inserts. These may have been easy to come by a century ago, but, according to Tom, try looking for them now. Even though he enjoys using the â&#x20AC;&#x153;tried and trueâ&#x20AC;? rod building materials, there are a couple of current rod building materials that really impress Tom. One is

featured rod builder

the nano-composite resin that is used in graphite manufacturing, since it allows higher strength with less needless weight. Being a dentist, he used composite resins in everyday treatment for years and really appreciates their usefulness and dependability. Another of the new innovations he praises is the use of nickeltitanium metal guides. These are different from stainless steel because they are stronger, lighter and more flexible. This makes a difference in the total weight of the finished fly rod and in slightly affecting the intended action since it allows the rod blank to flex closer to its intended design. Guides made with this alloy will not corrode in any environment and will bend and return to their original shape rather than deform or brake as stainless steel guides will do. Besides building exquisite fly rods, Tom also teaches fly fishing, does a little guiding on

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featured rod builder

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featured rod builder

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featured rod builder For native wild fish, Tom recommends a 7-foot, 4-weight moderate to moderate-fast bamboo rod. For larger streams he prefers a moderately fast, progressive action graphite rod, 8.5- to 10-foot, 4- to 6-wt. These are what he takes to his home water, the Toccoa River in North Georgia (along with a “sort of secret” tiny wild trout stream close to his home) as well as to other favorites that include the Watauga and South Holston rivers in Tennessee, the Hiwassee river in Tennessee and the Nantahala river in North Carolina. “My advice for a first-time custom fly rod buyer is to not let it be your first fly rod,” says Tom. “Buy a moderately priced retail rod, learn to cast it, and catch fish and find out what you do not like about it. Then approach a good custom builder who is ready to listen and adapt your likes and dislikes to a better custom rod.”

local streams and teaches fly rod building, usually one student at a time, since his shop is small. He has given programs to TU chapters on “Graphite fly rod building,” “Care and feeding of fly rods” (how to, or not to, break them), and “How to choose a fly rod, reel, fly line, etc.”

CherryLog rods are available through visits to Tom’s shop, through telephone/ email interviews, through referrals from fishing guides and fly shops in the North Georgia and through his website: www. cherrylogrods.com. Contact Tom at: cherrylogrods@mac.com or cell: 678-7879941. He has built rods solely by phone or email contacts, then mailing the rod by UPS, never having met the customer in the flesh.

Southern Trout “Distilling Southern Trout fishing since 1959”

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f you like online magazines that are more like their paper counterparts, then the new issue of Southern Trout is for you!” — Phil Monohan, Orvis

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Subscribe to our Newsletter for FREE! Click Here! w w w . s o u t h e r n t r o u t . c o m Don Kirk - Publisher / don@southerntrout.com

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Photo credit: Mountain River with Sunlight by Mihai Tamasila

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wanderings of the creek freak

Bringing It Home Bob Borgwat

picked up a fly rod 22 years ago, casting caddisfly dries to rising trout on the Nantahala River, and I ignited (I was going to say “kindled,” but that just wouldn’t be honest) my passion for fly fishing for trout. Gone were my days of youth, fishing trout-stocked lakes of wintertime with flies attached to bobbers and spinning rods. Gone were my summer days on East Texas lakes where bream busted popping bugs on nearly every cast. Some (my bass-fishing buddies) might say “gone” was I. Indeed. Where I did go that day in April 1991? I was on a long trip with my fly rods in hand. An inspired journey. Sounds a bit hoity-toity? Yeah. I know. But, believe me; I don’t care to lift myself or my sport beyond the practical effectiveness of catching trout by flogging away at cold water with tinsel, thread and feathers. But, the words “inspired” and “journey” are accurate descriptions that came home to

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roost just weeks ago. It brought my passion home during the course of four days of flyfishing on a selection of home waters--the Toccoa River in north Georgia; the Nantahala River in the national forest of the same name; Cataloochee Creek in Great Smokey Mountains National Park; and Dark Ridge Creek--a cascade of cold, clear water that plunges through the belly of a very special piece of ground on Balsam Preserve near Sylva, North Carolina. By the time 1997 rolled around, I had flyfished for trout throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains, into the Cascade Range of Northern California and Oregon, out and about on the grand rivers of the Rockies, and even tasted our sport’s historical trout waters of New England. I made some tracks (not necessarily deep tracks) into those regions, but I had taken my passion for coldwater flogging onto rivers and streams far and wide in America.

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wanderings of the creek freak

wanderings of the creek freak and I laughed side-by-side on the Toccoa River with 20-inch rainbows leaping at the end of our lines. We shared satisfaction when Arno caught browns, ‘bows and brookies on the Nantahala to accomplish the “Appalachian Slam.” We challenged our best high-stick nymphing techniques to snatch wild brookies from the tumbling waters of Dark Ridge Creek. And we were awed by the graceful green drakes, the flurries of brown caddisflies, the dainty flight of yellow sallies, the brilliant glow of sulphur mayflies, and the fluttering black stoneflies that breathed life (all of them at once!) into the air over the Cataloochee. Sometimes, we just need a kick in the butt to see the forest among the trees. Photos courtesy of Arno Laubscher

Between all the travel and wide-eyed wonder of fly-fishing for trout in and out of those piscatorial holy places, I never forgot about all the water that flows just beyond sight from my front porch. The peaceful Toccoa River glides by just a few minutes’ walk down the hill, and its many tributaries tumble and plunge through the surrounding draws, gorges and valleys. As the fire that put a match to my passion, the Nantahala’s great boulder gardens reach out and tug at me every spring. The gravel bars and riffles of Cataloochee Creek grew even more intriguing when elk were re-introduced to the historical valley of early American settlers. And the plunge pools of Dark Ridge Creek... well, you can’t say enough about a piece of gem-like trout water that’s offered to you through a warm friendship. Life--mine, anyway--has a way of twisting the path that leads you forward. And when you’re armed with a fly-rod, you’re often best served by taking “the path least traveled.”

Stolen words. But how else does a flogger in Appalachia end up on a trout stream in South Africa? Yeah, South Africa--8,000 miles from home, plus 180 miles more one Saturday morning to a roadside meeting where a stranger with a shirt sporting the words “Fishy Pete’s” shook my hand in front of a quaint Anglican church that somehow didn’t rattle its walls and shatter its windows when I showed up. Arno was a young dude (just 24 years old) and his passion for fly-fishing boiled over during our phone conversation just days earlier. I wanted only direction. He offered me trout water. You don’t have to invite me onto private trout water more than once. We were off “... into God knows where,” I thought, while Arno’s inquisition drilled down through my life’s story. The existence I chose to share with him didn’t stretch too far outside a 40-foot roll cast. I hoped I wasn’t boring.

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Guess not. For nine months more, Arno plowed ahead of me, clearing my way across the hills and valleys of South Africa’s highlands and its trout streams. Spekboom River. Otter’s Creek. Bell River. Elands River. These are among his home waters, and after 16 years working hard to build the business of fly-fishing in South Africa, Arno’s angling path finally twisted its way into my home and southern Appalachia. When Arno’s fly-fishing journey cut a path last spring across north Georgia and western North Carolina, the flogger’s journey I set upon more than 20 years ago closed, but it will not end. Despite traveling to so many places and fishing so many waters, I discovered I could not measure my flyfisherman’s trip in distance or by variety. Rather, the course I’ve followed with fly-rod in hand is measured with every stumbling step I have shared with fly-rod friendships. Arno www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 77

new fly guy

new fly guy or dapping, or you routinely curse trees for grabbing your back cast and cry as you see the brookies scatter when your traditional fly line splats onto the water, you are in the sweet spot for Tenkara. So, 11 or 13 feet? Make your purchase based on the size of the stream/length of typical cast and the associated trout you are certain to catch.

Tenkara Tips Steve Moore

Small tight water gives the Tenkara angler a decisive advantage. cane pole? Hardly! If you fish small mountain streams, Tenkara USA sells six different versions stuffing a Tenkara rod into your of Tenkara rods; each has a confusing backpack instantly levels the playing Japanese name to add to the mystique. All field and puts the new fly guy on equal footing with the most experienced fly angler. are collapsible. None use a reel with the only difference between them being their length In fact, these rods are so deadly, they are and action. I own 11- and 13- footers and have bound to become illegal at some point (just kidding...but only about the legal comment... used both very successfully. When choosing to use Tenkara, first decide whether your hopefully...) After a few minutes of practice, intended location is compatible with Tenkara a high-tech Tenkara rod eliminates most of style fishing. If the stream is large, wide, the problems new anglers experience on and casts greater than 3/4 the length of the small water: line slap, inability to achieve a Tenkara rod, and your line and tippet are drag-free drift, too many false casts, and spooked fish from unpracticed erratic hand/ normal, stick with traditional fly gear. On the other hand, if the stream is small, tight arm casting motions with line scattering in random directions in search of trees or other and the typical cast is short, nothing beats the effectiveness of Tenkara. In fact, if the snags. only way to fish is to use short roll casts

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the catching advantage. Combine the low impact presentation with the ability to hold the line off the surface with the long, light almost invisible rod and a drag free drift is within anyone’s reach-even for the new fly guy! Here, Tenkara is outfitted with two EZ Keepers to hold the line and a strip of duct tape ready for deployment to shorten the overall length of the rod.

For small mountain water (think Blue Ridge) where brookies leverage the protection of dense overhanging vegetation and a long cast is 15 feet, stick with the 11 footer and, if you can afford it, splurge the extra 40 bucks to buy the handle that drops the length to 9 feet 4 inches. Match that up with the shorter (10.5 foot) “traditional Tenkara line” (a custom furled leader) using no more than six feet of size 5X or 6X tippet. Practice casting for a few minutes to get the hang of everything. Slight movements are key since the flick of your wrist provides the “hurry up and stop” motion of traditional fly fishing. There are good videos on YouTube (search for “Tenkara Casting”). Combine Tenkara stealth casting with a normal cautious, lowto-the-ground approach, and the trout will not have a chance as you attack using the Tenkara soft presentation.

Now, for the important school of hard knocks stuff.

Dealing with trees and vegetation. Casting an 11-foot rod in tight vegetation is tough and might put some locations off limits unless you have a short strip of duct tape. When you encounter a situation requiring a shorter rod to work under the brush, collapse the Tenkara to the desired length and secure it with a piece of duct tape where the handle meets the collapsed section. You can shorten the rod by several feet and still get the needed bend to work the fly. Be ready for this by wrapping a small amount of tape

The first time you watch the light Tenkara line flutter slowly to the stream to touch the water without making a ripple in contrast to the splash, however slight, produced by traditional fly line, you instantly appreciate www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 79

new fly guy the line, not the end of the rod, and pull until the tippet breaks. If you fish without a backup rod in your pack (a fool’s choice if you walk any distance to the stream...get a 7 piece mountain pack rod), you should get a spare tip from Tenkara USA and carry it in your Tenkara tube to keep from crunching it. In short, going Tenkara is perfect for small water. Once you catch your first brookie, you will agree that simple is best. No need for a reel and 80 yards of fly line, just spend that money on all that other stuff you think you need!

Flyfisher’s Guide to™

TENNESSEE Don KirK

AVA I L A B L E F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 3 The 37th book in our best-selling Flyfisher's Guide series CONTENT Flyfisher’s Guide to™ Tennessee By Don Kirk

The 11 foot Tenkara handles big fish; just be sure to keep a bend in the rod to be the surrogate for a drag! around the rod part of the handle section to use when needed. Stream movement. Threading an 11foot noodle of a rod through brush and undergrowth is an unsolvable calculus problem. Luckily, it only takes seconds to collapse the Tenkara back to 20 inches. But what about the line? You could buy Tenkara USA’s blue wheel thing that slips over the rod and wind the line around it, or your hand, only to become frustrated with how long that takes. BackpackFlyFishing.com has a YouTube video discussing the ideal solution. Buy two EZ Keepers , intended for holding a hook on a spinning rod, slide them on the handle and wrap the line between them. You can do this much faster, keeping the line just as organized and ready for subsequent use. Spare Tip. You are guaranteed to break your tip if you try and jerk a fly free from a snag. Assuming you cannot just reach up and free the obstruction, grab 80 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

Softcover 6 x 9 inches 380 pages, 40+ maps 50+ B&W/color photos ISBN: 978-1-932098-96-9

UPC: 8-09206-98969-6 Retail Price: $29.95 Case Quantity: 16 Available February 2013

Tennessee has long hosted some of the United States' best big-brown-trout fisheries, yet somehow it has managed to stay under the radar. Until now. Longtime writer and flyfishing guide Don Kirk covers everything in his all new guide book the Flyfisher's Guide to Tennessee. Productive tailwaters like the Clinch River, South Holston River and Watauga River are covered in full detail, as are their tributaries and reservoirs. And Kirk goes well beyond the major drainages, deep into the Cherokee National Forest uncovering some gorgeous gems that will give up trout for days. From brook, brown and rainbow trout to bass and panfish, Kirk covers all the gamefish. Hatch charts, detailed maps, recommended flies, specialized techniques, accommodations, sporting goods and fly shops, restaurants and all other relevant information is included. Kirk gives you tips from a lifetime of flyfishing in Tennessee in this comprehensive volume. If you're ready to give the tailwater pigs a shot, or even if you just want to pluck some brookies from an idyllic mountain brook, you'll want this book. Tennessee is the next great destination - get in while you can. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM AMAZON.COM, FLY SHOPS, BOOK STORES OR DIRECT FROM PUBLISHER.

Wilderness Adventures Press, Inc. Order Toll Free: 1-866-400-2012 Fax: 1-866-400-2013 Email: books@wildadvpress.com 45 Buckskin Rd. Belgrade, MT 59714 http://store.wildadvpress.com www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 81

n abundance of artists are recognizable as artists from an early age. They doodle and create small, simple pieces that may not be much, however, they are able to convey to an onlooker their potential within. Artist Michael Simon was encouraged at the young age of 13 by the selling of his first fish portrait by his father, an artist and art educator. Growing up in a home that was partial to the arts seems to have fueled Simon’s passion for it. “I feel most fishermen,” Simon begins, “even fly fishermen, are basically Philistines, and only a small percentage of them have a deep appreciation of the art revolving around their world.” As a young child, Simon was given mediums that were outside of the

childhood norms of crayons and markers. Instead, he was handed watercolors at 10 years old. While Simon has experimented with etchings and lithographs as well as some pen and ink and pencil sketching, it is in his watercolors that one sees some of his most breathtaking work. Perhaps it is somewhere in the movement of the color that one can find the movement of the water and the movement of the fish that Simon so brilliantly captures.

A Passion For Trout

Loryn Patterson

Subjects that are of particular interest to Simon include the Appalachian brook trout. To him they are some of the most colorful, and they present an artist such as Simon with a wide range of colors to work with.

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Among the awards won by Simon for his work is the Frank Smoot award for Art from the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association for an Atlantic salmon painting that appeared in an article written for Atlantic Salmon Journal. Ever an outdoorsman, Simon looks to the future and where his art will take him and says that he is “looking to fish some of the less-trammeled native brook trout streams of the Blue Ridge.” Advice from Simon to up-coming painters is that unless you show a talent in marketing, don’t do what he does! While anyone can put paint on a canvas, it takes exceptional talent and skill to make the picture itself flow. You can find and view his artwork at www.michaelsimonanglingart.com or email him at michaelsimon@yahoo. com. By telephone he can be reached at (804) 266-0277 and by mail at 1530 Cross Keys Court Richmond, VA 23228.

Simon also holds a deep admiration for the wild and rare species like the bull trout, grayling, and land locked salmon. While envisioning artwork without seeing it in the world is common for abstract artists, Simon is far from an abstract artist and because he draws from nature, he must experience nature and see his subjects firsthand. “I carry a camera every time I go fishing and take photos of most of the fish I catch, large and very small. I also take photos of various sites, root structures and wildflowers.” Always having a goal in mind when a painting is begun, Simon draws inspiration from the various photographs, but he allows the paintings to take a direction of their own. The character developed from the paintings is overwhelming and perhaps this has something to do with how he allows the subject to tell him its own direction.

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Adriano Manocchia

Invitation For Next Summer

Oil on Panel

9” x 16”

Oils • Watercolors • Etchings

2611 RUTH HALL ROAD PIGEON FORGE, TN 37863 WWW.ROCKYTOPOUTFITTER.COM (865) 661-3474

518.677.5744 • www.adriano-art.com

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very cast has a ripple effect.

Fly fishers know that just as in life, one can cast, catch, or just deal with the ripples. East Tennessee’s chapter of Casting for Recovery (CFR) gives women in the midst of dealing with the ripples of breast cancer a way to control the casts of what life has given them. And, according to Lindsay Long, CFR of East Tennessee’s Program Coordinator, “These women do not practice catch and release.” Lindsay relates, “I first found about Casting for Recovery in 2002 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, there was not a retreat in Tennessee, but I was finally accepted for the North Carolina retreat in August 2006. Little did I know that there would be two volunteers from Townsend, Tennessee that were in the process of planning the first retreat for Tennessee. Mary K and Charity each presented their own individual flies to me, they recast at me several times, and finally hooked me. It took a couple more casts after the weekend was over to land me as a volunteer for the first Tennessee Retreat in March 2007. And before she knew it, she became the coordinator for the East Tennessee chapter in 2008.

feature “The best part of my job,” points out Lindsay, “is watching the transformation of the ladies at each retreat. The idea of fly fishing is out of most of the ladies’ comfort zone. They arrive a little timid; they realize they are among strangers, yet sisters born out of a disease as they begin to form bonds of friendship. There is an eagerness about learning to fly fish, and even some competitiveness.”

free of the stresses from medical treatment, home, or workplace to experience something new and challenging. Weekend retreats incorporate counseling, educational services, and the trained facilitators that staff each retreat, including a psycho-social therapist, a health care professional as well as fly-fishing instructors and river helpers.

One of the River Helper’s commented about his fishing buddy Gwen Lane, “She positively beamed when she caught her first trout, and second, third, and fourth.” Wendy, diagnosed as stage IV, was very tired all weekend and had to rest often. Jack, Wendy’s River Helper, was very cognizant of her lack of energy and continuously asked if she needed to rest. She replied, “No, let’s fish!” Her excitement about the fish she was catching gave her renewed energy. Wendy caught a total of 21 fish that morning.

Kerri is from Arkansas and comes to our retreat each year to serve as our medical facilitator. She also helps with the fly tying and serves as a River Helper. Kerri is also experienced with adaptive fly fishing for people with needs/handicaps. It doesn’t matter what physical condition the ladies are in, we are able to meet the situation and the ladies will experience the time of their lives.

On April 11, 2014, a new group of women will have an opportunity to experience Nancy was able to fish on the streamside with Kerri as her the CFR program through the East guide. Kathy, another staff member and fly fisher came by to Tennessee chapter. “When people think cheer Nancy on. about breast cancer, they think of breast cancer awareness, prevention and finding the cure. Our mission is to educate and Beginning in 2007, Buckberry Creek in empower women that have already been Gatlinburg, TN donated its facilities for the diagnosed with breast cancer,” says Lindsay. East Tennessee retreat. Buckberry owners, Each retreat offers an opportunity for Jeanie Johnson and Buddy McLean, have women whose lives have been profoundly a special spot in their hearts for Casting affected by the disease to gather in a for Recovery and ensure the weekend is natural setting and learn the sport of fly absolutely perfect for the women attending fishing. The belief of those who work with with the help of their wonderful, attentive Casting for Recovery is that cancer survivors lodge staff. As Lindsay points out, “Without deserve one weekend free of charge and the passion and generosity of the owners of

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Wanda Taylor - our first retreat leader says that Southern Women must always have their pearls on - that includes fishing. TOP dresses up as a trout and hands out pearls to all of the ladies on Sunday morning at breakfast so they will be fishing in their pearls. One of our retreat traditions The Lodge at Buckberry Creek, our retreat would not be, in my humble opinion, the best in the country. Jeannie Johnson lost her best friend to breast cancer and as a tribute to that friendship, she and partners Buddy and James McLean along with their fantastic staff, turn the lodge into a magical place for the ladies each year.”

According to Mary Johnson, the East Tennessee Chapter weekend leader, Linda arrived the first day in tears and wondered aloud if she should even be there. She felt very sick and, according to her, she “… didn’t know anything about fishing.” By the end of the weekend, she had caught 27 trout, charmed her fishing guide, won a fly rod, and felt immensely better. For the entire struggle, this one weekend gave her hope. Yet, it’s not just a weekend for those with cancer. The families and friends of cancer fighters are often riding the ripples with them. The CFR healing does not just stop with the participants. After one East Tennessee retreat, Ron, a husband of a participant, wanted to say “Thank, you” for the change he saw in his wife when she came home. According to him, she was much more relaxed and more accepting of

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This is the lodge chariot taking the ladies down to the pavilion for lunch and on-stream demonstration. It is Swiss Army Vehicle - Pinzgauer.

The first retreat - 2007. All of the participants, volunteer staff, and Jeannie Johnson and Buddy McLean - lodge owners. her diagnosis. One could say that the ripple effects of the retreats spread to family and friends just like the impact of the diagnosis of cancer also spreads to those we love.

life and staying hopeful helps to reduce the fear. They realize it’s not an instant death sentence.” Anyone can support the CFR community.

Endorsements of the program are plentiful and impressive. According to Janet, an R.N. with the American Cancer Society in New York, “Your program does more in one weekend than most programs are able to achieve in years.” Also, Virginia F. Borges, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Health Science Center said of the CFR program, “For women who face the fear of recurrence to be able to see women to whom it has already happened living

Donate Tax-deductible donations help the East Tennessee chapter meet the ever-growing demand for services. Donations can be made on their website. Volunteer Recovery relies on the enthusiasm and support of volunteers to plan and staff the retreats, as well as conduct fundraising

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Sue Lepsch enjoying the hammock down by the lodge stream/pavilion.

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feature events. A list of corporations who match donations is available. Refer a friend Send a friend an email referral or print a PDF of a mail-in form that is provided on the website at castingforrecovery.org. Donate flies CFR uses donated flies not only at their retreats, but also for fundraising events and as gifts to alumni. To contribute flies to CFR, a list is provided on their website. Flies Needed • For fishing – Bead-head Nymphs (sizes 10, 12); Attractor Dry Flies (sizes 8-12); Terrestrials (sizes 10, 12); Wooly Buggers (lightly weighted, sizes 6, 8); Parachute Adams (sizes 10, 12) • For fundraising – Special Flies or Collections (by exceptional tiers) • For participants – Put together a box of flies for each participant, each with an assortment of 6-12 flies. There are 14 participants at each retreat. • For prize drawings at the retreats – Put together a box of flies for one lucky participant. Please send flies to the East Tennessee chapter of Casting for Recovery at their contact address posted on their website at castingforrecovery.org/wordpress/cfrtennessee-1/.

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At each Casting for Recovery retreat, every participant is asked to toss a stone into the water to help release her fears or worries. The ripples from all the group’s stones join together into one giant swell of support. The healing ripples of Casting for Recovery can only spread with help from volunteers and donations of support. Since 1996, they have helped over 5,600 women reach toward hope and healing. Yet, the need continues to grow. Today, more than 500 women will be newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Women approach chapters every day to ask about attending a retreat and volunteer groups inquire about bringing the CFR program to their communities. When asked about the most memorable part of the weekend, Linday says, “If you ask any woman…she would say Sunday’s guided fishing on the stream. What we see as volunteers at the retreat is the chance for the women to be themselves, voice their joys, fears, and even anger with someone who understands, and to laugh and be filled with the excitement of the fish they will soon catch. When we hear a ‘Woooo Hoooo!’ of joy when they have caught a fish, or the ‘Awwwww! It was only a stick,’ we see each woman as the epitome of the word Survivor.” Just remember, every cast has a ripple effect.

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virginia

Walt Cary at his fly tying bench tying a Carolina Blue popper.

Breast Cancer is N O T A Spectator Sport

802. 362. 9181

P.O. Box 1123, Manchester, VT 05254

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Virginia’s Popping Bug King Beau Beasley

hen I walked behind Walt Cary’s home a few years ago into the small but comfortable one-room wooden building that serves as his shop, I entered a sacred place that few people have ever seen: the place where the Popping Bug King has created his sought-after patterns. The day was special for me, and I’d looked forward to it for quite sometime for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I love to fish with poppers. More importantly, though, I had been granted a rare interview with Walt Cary, the namesake of Walt’s Poppers. As soon as Walt had granted the audience, I jumped at the chance. After all, he’s a bit of a curmudgeon. I was afraid

that he would come to his senses and change his mind before I had actually talked with him. I hot-footed it out to Walt’s place as soon as I could, but there was a wrinkle in my plans: I had to bring my young daughter Maggie along for the ride. I know how secretive Walt is about his bug designs, so I almost expected to be met by some sort of security system. Instead, I was greeted by a host of unframed Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries commendations mounted unceremoniously on the wall of the shop and bearing silent witness to Walt’s fishing prowess. Walt was sitting on his trusty tying bench with a popper

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virginia

virginia Top-Yellow Bee Middle- Subaru Blue, Subaru Green, Black Bee Bottom- Tan Bellied Frog, Fire Tiger, Carolina Blue

Walt’s Poppers are some of the most sought after bass bugs in the country. in his vice, tying black feathers around the bend of a hook. “Come on in, Beau,” he said with a broad grin. “You’ve come to see how I make the best poppers in the state, and you ain’t gonna see nothing by standing outside. So get in here.” It will come as no surprise to those who know Walt or who have met him tying at a fly fishing show or event that he charmed Maggie right away. Entranced, she watched his fingers twist and turn the cork in his vice into another Walt’s masterpiece. Standing next to Maggie, watching Walt tie one beautiful popper after another, I reflected on my own introduction to the venerable popping bug. My father had taken me to a local farm pond, and I was absolutely amazed as I watched him pull in one fish after another. Pond fishing remains my favorite way to spend a summer afternoon, and those memories of time with my father are some of the most cherished of my childhood. No doubt other anglers in the southland have experienced this same rite of passage.

Top - Carolina Blue, Subaru Blue, Fire Tiger Bottom - Black Bee, Subaru Green, Tan Bellied Frog Trash to Treasure Like many of the young men of his era, Walt Cary went into the military and eventually saw active duty in Korea. Though he joined the Army, he only served two years before enlisting in the Navy. Walt enjoyed serving his country, but to be honest, he’s a bit tightlipped about it. He eventually retired from the Navy as a Master Chief with 28 years of faithful service to his country, but don’t come to Walt expecting to hear a lot about his career. He won’t elaborate on what exactly he did in the Navy, though he does admit that during the Cuban Missile Crisis he was ordered to report to the naval air station immediately and fewer than six hours later he had been transferred. “They refused to tell me where I was going. As a matter of fact, I was told to pack my winter and summer uniforms because they didn’t even want me to know what part of the world I was being sent to. They wouldn’t even let me contact my wife until I had been gone for three weeks.” Curious, I pressed Walt about his assignment. His response is just about what you’d expect from an old sea salt, “The Navy has not informed me that I am at liberty to discuss what I did for them. Until I hear

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Walt’s Poppers are practically indestructible. otherwise,” he says wryly, “I have nothing else to say.” The Navy however is in part responsible for the creation of Walt’s Poppers. “I worked part-time at the Chief Petty Officer’s Club as a bartender,” Walt says. “I was uncorking a bottle of champagne and tossing the cork top into the trash when I thought that it was a terrible waste of good material. At the time I was so broke that I made all my own flies— not because I wanted to but because I had to. I couldn’t afford to buy what I wanted. So, I took some old cork bottle tops and whittled them down with an Exacto knife and then painted them battleship gray with some leftover ship’s paint. Those poppers didn’t look too good, but they sure worked.” He kept tinkering with his new creation, and eventually Harold Grimstead, the owner of the local tackle shop, offered to buy Walt’s

supplies in exchange for some poppers for his store. Walt agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history. One Bug at a Time Walt’s poppers range in size from 1/0 through #6 and come in a variety of colors. Some of Walt’s poppers resemble bees with black and yellow stripes; others are a placid Carolina blue which is my personal favorite. All come with wiggly legs except the largest patterns that are used for much larger fresh and saltwater fish. Walt explained to me that he selects each body by hand, carefully inspecting it for cracks or deformities. He then fills in any cracks with putty and sands each body to a smooth finish. In the final analysis, each of Walt’s poppers goes through a ten-step production process, which includes at least seven coats of paint. Each and every popper really is a little piece of art.

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virginia

Walt selects each popper and fills in any cracks with putty. They are then painted with up to 7 coats of paint.

Walt Cary at his fly tying bench tying. Anglers should take note of the citations on the wall as proof of Walt’s angling prowess. Though the rest of the world knows them as Walt’s Poppers, Walt identifies his patterns by number. Some of the patterns have acquired a name of sorts over time—christened not by Walt, of course, but by his customers. Walt’s #21, for instance, was dubbed “The Little Bee.” Walt, however, still stubbornly refers to each bug by number. And he is equally adamant about sharing credit for innovation where that credit is due. “One of the most popular patterns I have is #70, which is Carolina blue. I didn’t create it,” he insists. Instead, Bill Gallash of Richmond, Virginia, came up with the pattern. “I started making it because Bill unfortunately went blind, and the stores were screaming for someone to make it. So I stepped in to do it. As it turned out, it’s one of my biggest sellers.” Other

popular

patterns

include

Walt’s

cricket-colored bugs and those made to look as though they have scales. One of my personal favorites is the olive-colored bug that resembles a small frog, which is deadly effective on smallmouth and largemouth bass as well as crappie and bluegill. Some of Walt’s larger saltwater-sized poppers have become quite popular with anglers pursuing bruiser smallmouth bass along with bluefish and stripers in the Chesapeake Bay. He occasionally does specialty orders, and a few years ago the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival asked him to make some poppers for one of their sponsors, Subaru. True to form, Walt crafted some excellent poppers colored in honest to goodness Subaru car colors, dark olive and dark blue.

On a busy year Walt will create a 1,000 dozen poppers.

Smallies like this often fall for poppers.

Since he began crafting his poppers in the winter of 1959, Walt has never advertised. “But

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virginia at times it was still all I could do just to keep up with the orders.” Over the years he has had to turn stores away from time to time because “I won’t rush; I won’t make something just to sell it.” It is precisely because of these exacting standards that shop owners and managers have learned to be content with whatever product they receive. Ironically, Walt’s prickly disposition has actually contributed to his cult following. He doesn’t allow just any store to carry his poppers. If he likes you, he’ll send you what he can (when he is darn good and ready). If he doesn’t like you, you’ll be shoveling snow in purgatory before your order shows up. And the size of your order makes no difference to Walt. Big or small, he’s in it for people and relationships and perfect poppers—not the money nor the numbers. Passing the Torch After crafting poppers for over 50 years, Walt Cary has finally decided to put in a little less time at the vice. “I still very much enjoy tying my poppers—but making 1,000 dozen poppers in a single season is tough for just one guy.” In September 2010, Walt signed a contract with Solitude Fly Company of Pasadena, California www.solitudefly.com. Solitude will to continue to make Walt’s Poppers to his exacting standards while simultaneously keeping up with growing demand from traditional fly shops. Walt’s poppers can be found in any number of independent fly shops in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Fortunately larger companies like L.L. Bean and Orvis have also begun to carry his patterns because of Solitude. In return, Walt gets paid a royalty on every bug that Solitude sells, which makes the deal a good one for him, for Solitude, and for his customers, who can continue to get his great poppers on a more regular basis. As the afternoon drew to a close, Maggie became a bit fidgety, so I took a few quick photos and scribbled some notes. I thanked Walt for his time, and he graciously gave me a few of his poppers to try out as soon as time allowed. I loaded up my gear and deposited my girl in her car seat, where she promptly fell asleep. As we made our way home, I

thought about what a blast she and I had had chatting with Walt and watching him weave his magic. I glanced in my rearview mirror at Maggie asleep in her car seat and smiled.

The author with a nice bluegill caught on a Walt’s Popper. Photo by King Montgomery I know that one day soon I’ll be taking her fishing with me just as my father took me. And when I do, I know exactly what I’ll put on the end of our lines. Beau Beasley www.beaubeasley.com serves as the editor at large for Southern Trout Magazine and resides in Warrenton, Virginia. His latest book is schedule for release in late 2013. Photos by Beau Beasley

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career took off in 1993. We opened our own Gallery in 1995 and seven years ago when I turned 50 I again took her advice and retired from being a jeweler and devoted my time totally to my painting.“ With a jeweler’s eye it is not surprising that the artwork crafted by Crawford is detailed and phenomenally close to perfection. Crawford explains that much like fishermen, he shares a bond with the outdoors. When he cannot be in the outdoors, it is a subject that plagues every thought. “When an artist can capture something, for them, in a moment, they’ve lived or are trying to live,” Crawford says. “It offers opportunities to take them away from the parts of their life that are not fishing, to bring them glimpses of better things to come when they pass by the art during the day at their home or office.”

Broderick Crawford: Self-taught Self-expression

Loryn Patterson

rtists of all mediums often show a talent from a young age that will later pave the way to the craft and this holds true when considering professional artist Broderick Crawford who has been playing with his paint set since childhood. “I have been painting since I was

a child,” Crawford says, “then as a young adult I painted occasionally and gave them to friends and family.” Until 1992, Crawford says that he had only dreamed of his passion becoming more than just a hobby and forming into a full-fledged career. “I am a totally self-taught artist,” Crawford says,

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“and I am the first in my family to sharpen the talent and to make it into a career.” In fact, he blames meeting his wife Michele on his artistic career. “She fell in love with a painting on my easel,” he explains, “and encouraged me to finish it with quail flying in front of the woodsy scene. From there, my

In a way Crawford’s artwork is encouraging and like most artists, the inspiration and influence comes from surroundings: the particular shape of a fly, the way a fishing pole lands when tossed down, the colors of a fish compared to the habitat, and how the particular plants make the colors on the fish seem brighter. “I usually have already

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feature Crawford participates in shows up and down the eastern coast from the Charleston, SC Southeast Wildlife Expo in February to the Easton Waterfowl Festival every November in Easton, MD. According to him, it is usually pretty easy to catch him at one expo or another. Crawford’s work is featured at his gallery in Clayton, GA at Crawford Art Gallery, 68 North Main Street, and it can also be viewed online at www.broderickcrawfordart.com. Broderick Crawford is reachable by phone and email at 706-782-8379 and crawfordart@ windstream.net.

envisioned how I want the subject to be on a painting. From there I paint what I think it needs. Like if I need more limbs from a tree branches in a trout painting or more reeds in a duck painting.” A classic observation of shadow, light, texture, and composition are all factors when sitting down and contemplating creations. Crawford explains, “When I sit down to pant, I may use a background from one thing, but my main subject from another time. I just keep going with what I envisioned until I am satisfied with the finished product.” Although it may seem that painting something you see every day, the outdoors, isn’t much of a challenge.” Crawford explains that he starts over many times. “That’s just part of it.” He says simply.

the Colorado Stamp Art Design with my depiction of a black bear sow leading her cubs along a wooded edge of aspen trees.” When questioned about advice and inspiration, Crawford responded, “The best advice I ever got was ‘there is no right or wrong, only what works for you.’” Crawford seems to have taken that advice and ran with it and luckily enough, he has pulled most of the outdoors and art communities with him.

Like many wonderful modern artists, Crawford has won many awards including the most recent one which includes his artwork being selected for the Trout Unlimited license plates in Georgia. His accomplishments are abundant, currently being the Ducks Unlimited Sponsor Print Artist of the Year for North Carolina and Georgia. Crawford also won the Ducks Unlimited State Print of the Year for 2014-2015 for Idaho. “Since 2007,” Crawford says, “I have had numerous top 3, top 5, and top 10 finishes, a couple of magazine covers, t-shirt designs, and in 2009, I won

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feature digital versions of the same. Fred’s maps make finding fish and fishing spots so easy, frankly, they should be outlawed. The story behind these topographic wonders though is certainly worth telling. But first, read what others have said of Fred’s work as posted on his site, www.SmokyStreams.com. Jim Casada, a native son of the Smokies, outdoorsman and noted author states, “Any Smokies’ angler who is serious about sampling and savoring the trout waters of the Park needs to be willing to do his homework. That means reading, learning the whereabouts of backcountry campsites, studying remote areas and “blue lines,” and pondering means of access to promising places. All of this translates to the fact that cartographic knowledge is critical. USGS maps are a starting point, but they weren’t produced with the fisherman in mind. Fred Turner has remedied that situation with his ongoing production of maps of Park waters, logically organized by watersheds, which are a flat-out bonanza for the Park fishermen...”

further relates, “In most cases the best maps are the USGS maps but that’s not the case with the streams of the Smokies. Fred uses the USGS maps as a basic ingredient, but goes far beyond that by increasing and improving the information provided to meet the angler’s best interest and needs. The maps cover streams that are logically organized by watersheds and in my opinion, are by far the best and most useful maps available.: Hailing from Saint Clair, a small community near Bulls Gap in Northeast Tennessee, Fred was born in 1945. A graduate of Bulls Gap High School (the same school attended by Archie Campbell of Hee Haw fame), he went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee. While I was growing up our family took a break from farming every summer to camp in the Smokies,” notes Fred. “I remember peering down at small rainbows holding

Fred Turner: The Map Man Don Kirk

f you are as old as dirt, like I am, you can remember pouring over US Forest Service maps and the 23x29 inch USGS 7.5 Minute, 1:24,000 Scale, Quadrangle Topographic series maps (quads) doing what is now referred to as “blue lining.” Of course you probably recall rotary dial phones, having three television channels to choose from, and gasoline with loads of lead to keep the valves in your truck from chattering like a mina bird. Some of us still use the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer book series, but they lack the topographic detail needed for even the larger mountain streams and most tailwaters such as that afforded by the quads. However, even in the case of the quads, it is often necessary to study (or if so minded, cut and paste the

old fashion way) two or more maps in order to cover just one trout stream. As for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Trails IllustratedMap® Item 229 (1:70,000) and Items 316 and 317 (1:40,000) are by far the most popular printed map choice of backcountry and through hikers. Although impressive publications, and endorsed by the National Park Service, they still leave much to be desired for an angler due to their small scale. Fred Turner, owner of Saint Clair Mapping, is almost single-handedly making fishing maps using those above a thing of the past with his large scale (equal to or greater than that of the quads), high resolution, laser printed maps and the recently added

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Jim is the author of the much acclaimed book, Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider’s Guide to a Pursuit of Passion. James Marsh, a native of North Alabama and producer/host of eighteen fly fishing DVDs including Fly Fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park relates, “Before I go to any fishing destination, I get the best map of the area I can find and study it in detail. When I arrive, most of what I see just confirms what I already knew was there. This isn’t something new for me. I’ve done that for years fishing lakes, rivers, and streams in 49 states and dozens of foreign countries. I wouldn’t think of fishing a trout stream that I wasn’t very familiar without first studying the best map I could find. In fact, I prefer to have one along for reference even on the streams I’m quite familiar with.” James

in the swift current of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River at Chimneys Campground. I was mesmerized. Growing up I mostly got to only fish our farm’s section of Roberson Creek stalking trophy shiners. So, gazing at the trout I thought, ‘Man, how would you ever catch one of those? I mean the floater’s not gonna to stay in place long enough for anything to take the worm.’” Unlike many trout bums I know (selfincluded), Fred allowed college, working, raising and enjoying children keep him from fishing until he, in his fifties, decided he had time to catch trout. Fred recalled, “My first fish on a fly wasn’t even a trout, but close. The pretender rose to my stimulator fly on Beaverdam Creek in the Backbone Rock Recreation Area of Cherokee National Forest around 1979. Earlier that year, my brother Al, who was nearing completion of

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feature his goal of fly fishing in all fifty states, gave me some basic casting instruction and we fished Watauga River,” reminisced Fred. “I was immediately addicted to the sport. Over the next ten or so years while working in Kingsport, I regularly fished the South Holston and Watauga Lake tailwaters and numerous streams in the upper section of the Cherokee National Forest. I caught my first wild brown in Laurel Fork Creek. But by far, the most memorable catch of all was a beautiful four inch native speckled trout in Cosby Creek in the campground where forty three years earlier I met the gal who would become the future Mrs. Maps. It was in 1965 that I helped her family put up their tent for the first time. In exchange for my putting up her tent, Dianne has been “putting up” with me for what is now approaching fifty years.” Following his retirement from full-time work, Fred fished numerous Smoky streams and

sampled all the East Tennessee tailwaters. As so often befalls fly fishermen, Fred wandered a bit, too, fishing spring creeks in Wisconsin and the Madison, Gallatin and Yellowstone Rivers. Fred’s technical background and love for fishing merged into one when he recognized the potential of a new product for trout fishermen. “It was in the late ‘90s as I was starting to fish the Smokies and the surrounding region,” Fred states. “I had purchased Don Kirk’s book, Smoky Mountains Trout Fishing Guide and Jimmy Jacobs’ Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia, which included very good descriptions of the fishing and stream access. Their maps were very helpful especially when used in conjunction with the official park trail map and my DeLorme. However, I was still looking for more detail that would permit more fishing for the limited amount of time I had

to do so. In 2007, I began to create some simple overlays from quad composites for some of the park watersheds and shared the PDFs freely through the Little River Outfitters Forum. They were well received. It was January, 2010 when I learned, with the help of newly found friends Steve and Nick on the CartoTalk Forum, about a nocost alternative to the tedious tracing of the contours, streams, etc., form the original digital quads. I was painstakingly instructed on how to download free digital elevation models (DEMs) and GeoTIFFs of the individual quads. Then using shareware, I was able to add terrain shading. From this process, the 1:24,000+ scale, visually and park history-rich foundations of our maps came into existence. More information on the technique is discussed in the thread, ‘Looking for 1:25,000 Shaded Relief TIFs’ at www.CartoTalk.com. From there it was a matter of carefully merging portions of from up to four quads to cover a selected stretch of water, adding color coding of streams by species, trail and campsite enhancements, stream crossings, coordinates, etc. Our 108 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

first commercial map, 18 by 26 inches, with species colored coded waters was of the Little River watershed. It sold quite well through Little River Outfitters and the Sevierville Orvis and Bass Pro Shops locations. Unfortunately the map had to be discontinued due to the high setup costs of the necessary offset printing and distributors markups.” Seeing a need, potential and, similarly, ideas are the easy part of any success story. It’s working to overcome obstacles, like the offset printing costs, that is the tough part. Fred quickly discovered that while he was an engineer, he had no formal cartography education or training. He also discovered the cost of ArcGIS or similar professional geographic information system software can make you a little dizzy. However, as is the case with every successful entrepreneur, Fred learned how to turn his dream into a reality. continued on page 118

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Beginning in June, 2013, Saint Clair Mapping began donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their digital park stream maps set to the Friends of the Smokies Fisheries Scholarship Fund. Several years ago, the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Friends set up the endowment to benefit up and coming high school or early college students and give them an opportunity to work in the fisheries field with the staff at the park. The fund gains interest. The staff draws a small amount annually to support an eight-week summer seasonal. For more information, contact Steve Moore or Matt Kulp, Fishery Biologists, or Sarah Weeks, Director of Development, Friends of the Smokies or visit the TU chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s web site, www.lrctu.org.

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COSBY

maps of key streams, and at some point, custom maps of certain backcountry waters for smart phones, tablets and GPS handheld devices.

When asked about his future plans, Fred noted that products in progress or planned for development include a Caney Fork River map, a digital set of Tennessee tailwater maps, downloads of low cost, read-only 112 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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“Of course, the whole endeavor requires the understanding and moral support Dianne provides me and the valuable input from my uncompensated son David, an effective business and technical advisor and father of two great sons who now fish for trout due to, in part, our wading into the stream map business. When asked about the all the time and research that has to go into the effort, I like to say with a smile, ‘Well, yes. It does involve a whole lot of work… like the camping, hiking and fishing required in order to legitimatize the products, but somebody has to do it.’”

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Available for fishing the Smokies is a brand new Printable Digital Park Stream 44 Map Set in an interactive PDF format on a USB flash drive, and in print on 11 by 17 inch weatherproof paper, each of the 44 park maps and sets of maps covering the Little River, Little Pigeon River, Deep Creek and Noland Creeks, and Oconaluftee River watersheds. For fishing outside the park, maps of all the East Tennessee tailwaters are available involving the Holston, South Fork Holston, Watauga, Clinch and Hiwassee Rivers.

When asked what has been the most exciting and most satisfying part of this entire adventure, he responded that it has been the encouragement and suggestions from park support volunteers working in Great Smoky Mountains Association and Friends of the Smokies and friends on the Little River Outfitters Forum; getting to know Jim Casada, James Marsh, Don Kirk, and others who remain champions of the sport and the region; and also, getting to know veteran guides and instructors like Walter Babb, Hugh Hartsell and Dave Carson, and those following in their footsteps including Ian and Charity Rutter, Randy Ratliff, Steve Bryson, Josh Pfeiffer and Rob Fightmaster.

ay kw r Pa ills h t o Fo

Smallmouth/ Red Eye/ Rock Bass

All of Fred’s products are available for purchase online at www.SmokyStreams. com. Certain maps can be purchased from retailers in Tennessee: Little River Outfitters in Townsend, Hiwassee Angler in Reliance, 3 Rivers Angler in Knoxville and Eastern Fly Outfitters in Johnson City.

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Most of the worthwhile fishing waters in the Park are Color-Coded by Species. Other products include 11x17 weatherproof and tear-resistant printed versions of all 44 park stream maps and a dozen more covering the following East Tennessee tailwaters: • Apalachia Dam (Hiwassee River below powerhouse)* • Cherokee Dam (Holston River to Nances Ferry) • Douglas Dam (French Broad River) • Norris Dam (Clinch River) • South Holston Dam (South Fork Holston River) • Watauga/Wilbur Dam (Watauga River) All maps are enhancements of USGS 7.5 Minute Series Quadrangle topographic at scales equal to or exceed that of the scanned originals. * Thumbnail example is of the Powerhouse to Reliance section.

Saint Clair Mapping P.O. Box 398 Russellville, TN 37860

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he truck window is rolled down and a light fog is beginning to form over a run or flat (to be honest I really haven’t decided what it really is) on a stretch of water 200 feet downstream of where I have pulled off. I’m on private property, or so I have been told, but I’m not fishing. Rather, I am just watching, as I have been for the last three days, captivated by a mayfly the size of an Eisenhower silver dollar. Why? Simple. Nerd. To those who know where I am, I have no plans of spilling it because I keep super emergences and spinnerfalls and their exact whereabouts as closely guarded secrets. I am nearsighted, but I can make out the faint silhouette of white and light tan colored insects emerging in a small furry in the riffle below me where a metal culvert quickly shrinks the flow into fast paced small-scale whitewater unfamiliar to most of the creek. Trout are picking them off one by one. It seems as if very few of these adult insects are making the journey to the tall meadow grass behind me. Initially, I am startled and claim to myself that they are as leptoceridae caddisflies of the genus Triaenodes having discerned them as such by both color (light tan) and the aerodynamic shape of their wings as they emerge. The force by which these insects are emerging is so great that their wings are bent backwards over their abdomens as they exit the water. Perhaps the force behind the emergence is because they are being chased by a fearless predator? Consulting basic aquatic entomology morphology texts will instantly tell you that such wing positioning belongs to the trichoptera or the caddisflies. The trout are reacting to the emergence as if they are seeing caddis pupa, evidenced by their surface destructive rise form. However, I am bewildered, mostly because I have never collected nor seen Triaenodes on streams such as these, and therefore, I remain reluctant to stick with my initial identification. I grab one of the insects as it flies past the car door after having gotten

feature out to get a better look at what is happening downstream. I have proven myself incorrect. The insects are light cahills (Maccaffertium Ithaca), size 16s, and mostly males. The latter is only a predictable (yet fun) sideshow to the entire production. I keep

female imagos are bouncing up and down perpendicular to the watercress laden surface, and occasionally, a female lands with its abdomen raised firmly in the air and its wings held upright. It looks as if the water and its current, being choked by aquatic vegetation, is a trampoline held increasingly

The Great Southern Hex Matt Green staring downstream and there they are, right on schedule. I call them the flying monkeys. They remind me of the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz because their flight patterns are as erratic as launching a paper airplane into the air and watching it fall. Most other anglers simply refer to these mayflies as the late summer hex (Hexagenia atrocaudata). To me, they are the greatest of the southern spring creek insects, the kings and queens of the miracle mile are more often confused with dragonflies than mayflies. Believe me, I have been the victim of such horrendous misidentification at the location where I am currently standing. The male and

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tighter as horizontally polarized light brings darker shades of blues and purples to the naked eye. I wait eagerly for a trout to make a splashy rise to consume one of these helpless females on the surface. It happens, if only for a moment, the trout, having driven you crazy with anticipation and having led you to ask yourself the question, “What’s taking so long?” has now fulfilled the needs and wants of your consciousness. More imagos have now begun to leave their subimago refuges in the nearby limestone upwellings of karst boulders and tall grasses to join

their genetically similar counterparts in a ma jor swarm. Lining up in discrete feeding lanes, trout are now feasting on the exposed female imagos hidden in the shadows of a setting sun. Taxonomy, Distribution, and Morphology of Hexagenia atrocaudata The above is certainly an event to romance about, but understanding the how and why behind script can prove for more productive angling opportunities when you encounter the late summer hex. In both the scientific and fly fishing literature, Hexagenia atrocaudata is often considered second in the running as the most important species of Hexagenia to fly anglers. Number one, you can imagine, is Hexagenia limbata (common, widespread distribution) followed by the equally interesting Hexagenia bilineata of the upper and lower Mississippi River drainage and great lakes region. Ernie Schwiebert recalls in his classic work titled Nymphs that Hexagenia atrocaudata can be found as far north as Ontario, as far west as Wisconsin, and as far east as Pennsylvania, especially on Little Lehigh Creek and White Clay Creek. Currently, I can find no published record of the southern extent of the late summer hex’s geographic range. I can assure you that my identification of the insect is correct having compared it to the closely related Hexagenia bilineata where the presence of two distinct dark mottlings surrounding the primary cross veins are pronounced near the mid point of the hind wings. In Hexagenia atrocaudata these two dark mottlings are completely absent, making their presence or absence an excellent character for adult subimago and imago identification. The adults of Hexagenia limbata (The Summer Hex) have forewings that lack the bold longitudinal veins of Hexagenia bilineata and Hexagenia atrocaudata in addition to a lack of the sepia (reddish-brown hues found along the anterior margins of the hind wings) of each of the latter two species. Therefore, Hexagenia limbata can and should be easily distinguished from Hexagenia atrocaudata. Unlike the adults, Hexagenia nymphs are

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feature much more difficult to distinguish as identification to the species level is made by examining the shape of the insect’s frontal process, a horn or nob-like structure projecting from the nymph’s head. In Hexagenia nymphs, the frontal

process is located on the frons between the insect’s two mandibular tusks. The anterior margins of the frontal process in Hexagenia bilineata are conical (cone) in shape whereas the frontal process in Hexagenia limbata is more elliptical and wider. The frontal process of a Hexagenia atrocaudata nymph is very different from the previous two species and is both truncate and conical, closely resembling a rubber stopper for a jar or vial. Going so far as to imitate the distinct nymphal morphology of each of these three species may be a bit of a stretch, but understanding how to identify each as nymphs may prove to be beneficial when adult identifications become difficult or are

feature met with low confidence. The mature nymphs of Hexagenia atrocaudata measure between 17-26mm, have a dark blueish brown thorax, dorsal blueish/grey plumose or feathery gills on their first 4 or 5 abdominal segments, a dark chocolate brown abdomen and legs, and have three cerci with a thick fringe of fine setae or hairs that extends to the tip. Early instar nymphs of Hexagenia atrocaudata are much lighter in coloration and have light tan and yellowish bodies. Prior to the late summer hex emergence, anglers should tie and use darker colored nymphs (as described in greater detail above) if imitating drifting and emerging mature Hexagenia atrocaudata nymphs. The subimagos of Hexagenia atrocaudata have wings and bodies that are dark slate in coloration (e.g. Origin of the nickname “The Great Slate Drake”), measure 25mm+ in body length (tip of abdomen to eyes), and have two long cerci. The imagos measure 23-25mm in body length and are different in their coloration being dark reddishorange with M-shaped patterning along the dorsal sides of the abdomen. The imagos often appear darker on the water’s surface due to the reduced amount of light being reflected from the benthos at sunset when they are most abundant in the vicinity of trout. The wings of the imagos are not slate colored, but rather are clear with boldly

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marked inner cross and longitudinal veins that display a reddish tent. The hind wings contain sepia or reddish-brown hues at their anterior margins and lack two dark mottlings at their mid point. Imagos also have two long cerci and the males have big, bright orange eyes while the females have far less pronounced light orange, brownish eyes. It is important to note that Hexagenia atrocaudata is considered one of the largest mayflies in North America and including cerci and forelegs can reach outstretched lengths of greater than 8cm. Knowing these figures and measurements is important to creating lifelike imitations of the late summer hex that trout will want to consume. Most important are perhaps the plumose gills of the

nymph which can be imitated with CDC puffs and produce large trout. CDC gills bring a certain lifelike appearance to the fly that is often underrepresented in most nymphal imitations. Biology and Ecology of Hexagenia atrocaudata The biology and ecology of Hexagenia atrocaudata is actually quite complex and fickle. The nymphs of Hexagenia atrocaudata are burrowing mayflies that construct U-shaped tunnels in silt and sandy substrata

at depths of up to 6” below the benthos. Late summer hex nymphs use their mandibular tusks to drill and tunnel themselves through fine silt, pushing and undulating their bodies into substrata to create burrows in which they live. Despite living in stream sections, that are generally hypoxic (oxygen poor) and low in nutrients, Hexagenia atrocaudata survive on diets of detritus and CPOM and FPOM (coarse and fine particulate organic matter) and increase their oxygen uptake by undulating their body within their burrow. The amount of energy used with this locomotive behavior is enough to increase the flow of water into the burrow from the benthos and replenish depleted dissolved oxygen and food

resources. Given the location of the nymph’s habitat, it appears unlikely that trout encounter early instar Hexagenia atrocaudata nymphs on a regular basis. Therefore, it is recommended that anglers focus their efforts on the habits and emergence behavior of the mature nymphs if they are to increase their chances of catching fish. Life history studies of Hexagenia atrocaudata have indicated that nymphs can take up to 1-2 years to reach nymphal maturity

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feature spanning over 20 instar stages. In the south, late summer hex emergences begin as a small trickle in late July, reaching their height during the second and third weeks of August, and end by Labor Day. In spring creeks, Hexagenia atrocaudata nymphs will often migrate en masse to sandy riparian edges and stream sections with slower currents to facilitate an easy emergence. Hexagenia nymphs are known to be good swimmers both during an emergence and when trying to access new habitats. In fact, similar to the eastern green drake mayfly (Ephemera guttulata), Hexagenia atrocaudata nymphs often shed their final nymphal exuvia and molt into subimagos before they make it to the water’s surface. Hexagenia atrocaudata emergers, wetflies, soft hackles, and other surface film imitations are therefore not as effective as fishing true nymphal patterns with a swimming motion by twitching the rod tip up. Jigging Hexagenia atrocaudata nymphs with sufficient weight in slower stream sections and against riparian edges can produce large fish in the early evening and at dusk. I have not known the subimagos of Hexagenia atrocaudata to be of the greatest importance to southern anglers given that their likely emergence (i.e. during the night) does not correspond well with the fishing regulations of rivers and streams where the mayfly is of interest here in the south. However, in spite of this fact, recognizing the subimago through identification could definitely aid you in locating a prime location of future spinner activity. It has been theorized in a portion of the scientific literature that Hexagenia mayflies have a tendency to undergo emergence waves where different broods or subpopulations of nymphs develop at different rates and are likely to be sexually isolated. This hypothesis would explain why mass emergences of Hexagenia mayflies are sometimes separated from each other by one or two weeks. Although I have not witnessed this phenomenon in Hexagenia atrocaudata, I

feature am not dismissing the validity of the latter hypothesis. Hexagenia atrocaudata spinnerfalls produce the greatest dry fly action of the emergence period. I have found that spinner activity for Hexagenia atrocaudata begins at approximately 6:15PM and can last until 8:30PM with the peak spinner activity occurring somewhere in the middle. Late summer hex adults are short lived and newly emerged subimagos rest in limestone upwellings, grasses, and wildflowers next to spring creeks where they molt into imagos (spinners) in less than 24 hours. When the sun begins to set, a perfect combination of polarized light, light intensity and quality, humidity, pressure, and temperature signals to imagos that conditions are ideal for returning to the water to mate. The females gather over runs or quick moving flats choked with several species of Fontinalis and American Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) and parachute to the water’s surface by flying up and falling back down—all while maintaining a 90° angle with the stream. This behavior attracts the attention of nearby males who recognize the mating behavior of their species by the timing, length, and speed at which the females rise and fall. The males then enter the swarm, mate, and leave either to fall to the water and die or to seek refuge on nearby riparian vegetation and die there shortly after. Once their eggs are fertilized with male sperm, females finally fall to the stream’s surface and begin dipping the tip of their abdomen in the water to release their eggs. Trout will often detect these mating swarms from afar and sit and wait for the females to fall in order to get an easy meal.

are usually tied. I have watched many fish consume floating female imagos with upright wings and I am convinced that this wing presentation is what trout waiting at the backside of Hexagenia atrocaudata mating swarms prefer. Trout feed on these floating female imagos very aggressively and will continue to feed until the mating swarm dissipates and the last imago is left standing. Concluding Remarks I have seen many great spinnerfalls so far during my lifetime, but this one in particular not only is accompanied by the gentle, soothing tone of a meadow wind, but is followed by an orchestra of surface feeding conducted by some of the most famous trout south of the Mason Dixon Line. For most fly fishermen, angling is an escape

from the stress of life decisions that are not particularly conducive to fishing success. Fishing for me will never be this way. Rather, fishing is not an escape, but an opportunity to which the angler is blessed with the simplicity of happiness gained only when his or her heart is opened to the beauty of such rivers and streams. The spring creek is a revelation into beauty. Matt Green is a graduate of North Carolina State University. His past research with aquatic insects has led him to pursue fly-fishing opportunities across the entire east coast. Having developed a love affair with mayflies, he has become a connoisseur of great eastern emergences particularly on spring creeks and tailwater rivers. Photos courtesy of Jason Neuswanger (www.troutnut.com)

To fish these falling females, I usually cast my imago imitation below the mating swarm where rising trout are waiting for females passing by. It is very important that your hex imago imitations have wings that stand straight up rather than resting at the side of the thorax similar to how most smaller traditional mayfly imago imitations

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Minutes from Miles of Wild Trout Water. Located Just 3 Miles off Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. Southern Trout | August 2013 the | www.southerntrout.com

“Crystal Prince”

Original Oil on Canvas, 20 x 24 - $2,000 Giclee Print, Edition of 100,2013 18 X| 21.5 - $300 www.southerntrout.com | August Southern Trout | 121

feature Inchworm This is my favorite summer terrestrial pattern. In my opinion trout will get more selective on inchworms then any other terrestrial pattern. From May through October you should have at least a dozen in your nymph box. I carry them in size 12 and size 10 on a 2x nymph hook, and some with a black bead head. Inchworms patterns are very effective because the inchworm is easy to imitate and trout can see them a mile away.

Five Summer Nymphs You Should Never Leave Home Without Ron Gaddy

eing primarily a nymph fisherman and fly fishing instructor, I get asked a lot by my students and local fishermen what are my favorite nymphs. I find myself asking the same question of other fishermen who are successful nymph fishermen. If you ask five different fishermen to name their favorite nymphs, you will get five different answers. In my opinion, if there is not a connection from the brain down through the fly line and to the nymph, called confidence, then a fly fisherman may not give his nymphs an equal opportunity to be productive. At the present time, my five favorite summer nymphs and patterns are listed below. Next summer my answer could be very well different. Fish Responsibly. 122 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

Inchworm Pattern Hook – Mustad 9671 size 10 Bead Head (optional) Black Thread – 6/0 Chartreuse Body – Fine Chartreuse Chenille Rib – 12 lb. Green monofilament

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Bead Head Prince The bead head prince is my “go to” nymph. I carry size 10, 12, and 14 tied with a heavy gold metallic rib trimmed in red, black, and yellow thread. I always wrap a tag about halfway down the hook shank and always weight my nymphs with lead wire. Choose heavily barbed peacock hurl for the body and select strands from different areas of the stem to show a variation of color on your nymph.

Secret Weapon This traditional and very effective Smoky Mountain fly pattern was originally tied for Cataloochee and Big Creek. The Secret Weapon is still very effective in all Western North Carolina and East Tennessee creeks and is a good year round nymph pattern. They work well in sizes 10 to 16. I’ve seen times when the Secret Weapon would catch trout when nothing else worked.

Bead Head Prince Pattern Hook – Mustad 9671 size 10 to 14 Bead Head – 1/8 Gold Lead – 015. to 025. round Thread – 6/0 Black, red, or yellow Tail – Brown goose biots Body – Peacock Hurl Rib – Gold wire or heavy metallic quilting thread Wings – White goose biots Collar – 3 wraps of brown or grizzly dyed golden straw hackle

Bead Head Pheasant Tail Pheasant tails are a good year round suggestive nymph pattern. In the summer they may imitate a mayfly or stonefly nymph. I tie the pheasant tails with brown goose biot tails, scored rubber legs and sometimes include a poxy flashback. Liquid Fusion works well for the poxy flashback and will dry in a few hours. For the body of the pheasant tail, I use golden pheasant tail feathers and a fine gold rib that would represent the colors of the many species of mayfly and stonefly nymphs.

Secret Weapon Pattern Hook – Mustad 9671 Size 10 to 16 Lead - .015 or .020 round Thread – 8/0 or 6/0 Black Tail – Golden pheasant tippets Body – Peacock Hurl Rib – Heavy metallic quilting thread Wings – White good biots Collar – 3 wraps of brown hackle

Bead Head Pheasant Tail Pattern Bead Head - Gold Lead - .015 or .020 round Thread – 8/0 or 6/0 Copper Tail – Brown goose biots Body – Golden pheasant feather Rib – Fine gold wire Wing Case – Turkey feather Thorax – 3 wraps of brown hackle over peacock hurl Legs – Brown scored sili legs 124 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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feature San Ron Worm A killer red worm pattern that will put the San Juan Worm out of business. I have experimented with these patterns in different colors and sizes and it works any time of year and especially after a little rain. Use a brighter fluorescent color for dark, dingy, or stained water and a dull color for clear water. The texture of this pattern will cause trout to hang on much longer then your basic nymph even in slow or still water. The pattern is made from a puffer ball kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toy.

San Ron Worm Pattern Cut two tentacles from your puffer ball and glue the fat ends together with Loctite brush on super glue. Put a size 14 or 12 nymph hook in the vise and brush a stripe of super glue on the hook shank. Wrap a layer of heavy red polyester thread around the hook shank using your fingers. Using a bobbin will cause too much tension for the material. Hold the thread with one hand and put another stripe of glue on top of the thread. Place your worm on top of the thread with the worm joint mid ways of the hook, and it should stick. Lightly wrap a layer of thread around the hook and worm to cover the worm joint and then put a half hitch in the thread. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wrap tight enough to disfigure the worm. Trim off your thread and finish with a drop of thin Zap a Gap and let dry. Be careful not to glue your fingers together. 126 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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georgia provide extra forage to improve the size of the brook, brown and rainbow trout stocked in the creek. A host of special regulations were introduced as well. Angling is allowed only on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday during the regular trout season from the last Saturday of March through the last day of October each year. Fishing hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (or 7:30 p.m. during daylight savings time).

Waters CreekGeorgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Trophy Trout Stream Jimmy Jacobs

nglers in Georgia are a bit spoiled when it comes to catching big trout. Between the many private trophy waters in the state, the tailwaters of the Chattahoochee River, the delayed harvest streams, and the trophy waters on Dukes Creek, the chances of an individual catching a 20-plus-inch rainbow or brown every year are very good. But, there was a time when catching such a trout in Georgia was literally an event of a lifetime. Most anglers never saw such a behemoth, let alone hooked one. Prior to the 1990s, a fisherman catching a trout that was that size had bragging rights for years and most likely had the fish mounted and displayed above the hearth. The only place in the Peach State where targeting such trout was feasible was on Waters Creek. The stream now is mostly overlooked, but it was Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first trophy trout water and was once legendary for the fish it gave up. Waters Creek begins where it drains out of Dockery Lake on the Union and Lumpkin County border in the north central part of the state. The creek flows for 2.5 miles to the southeast through Lumpkin County and the Chestatee Wildlife Management Area. Along this course, Waters is small, never spanning more than 30 feet wide at any point. Eventually, the creek empties into Dicks Creek, which in turn is joined by Boggs Creek to form the Chestatee River. In 1970, the old Georgia Game and Fish Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Trout Unlimited jointly began managing Waters Creek as trophy trout water. Several feeders were set up along the flow to 130 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

Anglers have only limited access to Water Creek.

Anglers are required to sign in at the check station before fishing on Waters Creek.

Anglers can use only single hook, barbless artificial lures and the hooks can be no larger than No 6. Additionally, landing nets can be no more than two feet in length. The daily limit for trout is one fish. Rainbow and brown trout must be 22 inches to be legally harvested and brook trout must be 18 inches. Finally, anglers are limited to harvesting three fish per year from the creek. Up until 2000, anglers showing up to fish were required to surrender their fishing license at the check station on the creek and pick it up upon leaving. The check station is no long manned, but a sign-in sheet is on the front porch, and fishermen are required to provide their names and fishing license numbers. Regarding licenses, besides the regular fishing and trout licenses, anglers are required to have a Wildlife Management Area license. Upon leaving, angler also must record the size of any fish harvested, along with the number of fish caught and released. With this plethora of hoops to jump through just to go fishing, one might imagine that the angling would hardly be worth the trouble. Up until the late 1980s just the opposite was true. The creek received heavy fishing pressure in those early years. The reason for that crowding was the number of trophy trout Waters Creek was yielding. In 1987, anglers checked out 76 keepers from March to October. The vast ma jority of those were rainbows. That works out to more than 30 fish longer than 22 inches per mile of water! Then, a long string of disasters struck this amazing fishery. Just prior to the 1988 season, poachers using either nets or gigs took more than 100 trophy-sized fish from www.southerntrout.com | August 2013 | Southern Trout | 131

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The cooperative efforts for trophy trout began on the stream in 1970.

The giant trout of yore on Waters Creek are now a distance memory.

Waters Creekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s course is relatively level for a mountain stream.

Waters is a small to medium-sized mountain stream. All photos by Jimmy Jacobs 132 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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Trout Fishing Guidebooks For The South Stealth is an important ingredient for fooling the fish in Waters Creek. the stream during a nighttime raid. Those backwoods hoodlums were never caught and they started a long spiral downward for the fishery. In 1989, only three keepers were recorded, with another dozen caught and released. But, the creek seemed to be recovering. Anglers were catching large numbers of 15- to 18inch trout. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was about to get in on the act. In 1993 a tornado ravaged the creek valley, knocking a large number of trees into the stream. Those blockages caused silting problems. Then in 1994 the remnants of Hurricane Opal pushed the flood of the century down the valley, adding more mayhem. Finally, river otters appeared in the stream. Biologists said at the time that the otters were only feeding on crawfish and minnows in the creek, but the big trout suddenly became very scarce. The collapse of the fishery coincided with the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acquisition of Smithgall Woods and the trophy waters on Dukes Creek, as well

By Jimmy Jacobs

as the introduction of delayed harvest on several waters. All these factors led to angling interest in Waters dropping sharply. Today the special regulations still apply on Waters Creek. Those giant trout of the past have not made a comeback. But, you still can find fish of 12 to 15 inches in the creek. The anglers also have not returned to Waters. This past Memorial Day weekend saw a total of five individuals signing in at the creek. Four were there on Saturday and a lone fisherman had the creek to himself on Sunday. Those anglers recorded catching just shy of 30 trout for the two days. The bottom line is, Waters Creek is still an above average fishery. But now, it has a lot more competition from other quality waters.

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te Sta ! i r T ion Reg

Georgia -- Tennesssee -- North Carolina

Trout -- Bass -- Striped Bass -- Panfish

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! ing ! h s i g F Fly- Fishin n Spi

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read a news article a while back about a man in North Carolina who had been arrested and was being sued for trespassing on private property even though, at the time of his arrest, he was actually in a small boat and floating on the surface of the water in a small pond. However, according to the news article, he was also in sight of at least one “No Trespassing” sign. But, according to his statement, he had paddled his small craft up an adjoining stream from a public body of water in order to gain access to the small pond where he was fishing and, because he was in a small craft at the time, he felt like he was within his rights to fish that particular body of water. Because this raging controversy is very prevalent among fly fishermen here in western North Carolina who feel that they should have the right to wade and fish any stream at any time, reading that article prompted me to do some research into stream access laws in North Carolina. There exists a frequently asked question among fly fishermen here in the western NC mountains, “What are my rights to access and then wade in any particular stream for purposes of fly fishing vs. those of a property owner to deny me said access by posting the steam ‘No Trespassing?’” Thus, my research revealed an interesting statement brought to you by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics: “Although riparian owners have certain rights to use water, they do not actually own the water itself. All surface and ground waters are legally “waters of the State.” The water, plus the fish and other aquatic life, belongs to the State. (There is an exception for fish in private ponds if the fish cannot escape to or enter from public fishing waters.) Even when all of the submerged land under a water body belongs to private owners, the State owns the water, although the riparian owners continue to enjoy their riparian rights.

If the body of water that lies over privately owned submerged land and can be navigated by any craft such as a canoe or a raft, then the public has a permanent right to use the water surface for all purposes of recreation and commerce, including fishing, whitewater canoeing, etc. It is not clearly settled whether the public’s right to use such water bodies includes the right to wade on the privately owned stream bed for fishing or other recreation. When a stream is so small that it is no longer navigable by smaller craft such as a canoe, there is clearly no public right to wade, fish, or otherwise use or enter upon the stream.

Similarly, there is no public use right for man-made ponds on private property. On water bodies over submerged lands owned by the State (historically navigable waters and tidal waters) the public has a clear right to navigation, fishing, and other recreation on the water, as well as the right to use the foreshore the area between the low and high water lines.

right to use the dry sand above the high tide mark on coastal beaches. By custom, however, the public has long been allowed to use the dry sand between the dunes and ocean in North Carolina and many other states. With increasing development and public use of beaches, conflicts have sometimes arisen when property owners have tried to exclude the public from the dry sand.” (Allain C. Andry, 1996)

Therefore, it appears that the answer to the question of a N.C. fly fisherman’s right to access a stream vs. the right of a private property owner to deny said access is like high water after a monsoon rain: both murky and dangerous to wade! The reason that I say it’s murky is that while the right to access the surface of the stream for recreational purposes by the public is clearly defined, the right to walk on the stream bed for the same purpose is not clearly defined. In addition, the term “navigable” is ambiguous at best because one person’s idea of what bodies of water can be “navigated” by a small craft such as

have a somewhat volatile temper due to the many encroachments upon their family’s rights by scam artists and powerful land barons after the end of the Civil War and, while they are generally a very friendly sort of people, they tend to be a bit stubborn and are very protective of what they feel is “theirs.” Consequently, most land owners here in the western North Carolina mountains feel very strongly that they should have the right to deny access to “their” section of stream to anyone they choose (they have a shotgun that says so!) and, some of them have even been known to fire a warning shot or two at people in an effort to make them leave “their” property even though it is under water! On the other hand, many western N.C. fly fishermen feel that the property owner’s rights absolutely and positively end at the water’s edge, and thus they also feel very strongly that they should be able access any stream that they choose to fish at any time. Thus, conflicts have been known to ensue over this hotly contested issue and, although legal cases have been fought in North Carolina over this matter, no clear overall resolution has yet been

The American Civil War from a Trout’s Point of View Bill Bernhardt There is no public right to travel over private property to obtain access to streams, lakes, tidal areas or other waters that the public has a right to use. Likewise, the public cannot generally trespass on private property on the banks of a stream, river, or lake. Under traditional riparian law, the public had no

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a canoe or kayak is open to interpretation and does not define whether or not portages around rapids and waterfalls when traveling upstream preclude such navigability. Also, the reason that I say that this is a dangerous subject to wade into is that many of the Mountain Folk here in western North Carolina

established by the N.C. Judicial System. So, what do you do when you see a posted sign on the stream you are fishing? Well, at that point, the choice is up to you since your course of action depends upon your interpretation of N.C. law. On the one hand,

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you can arm yourself with knowledge of the law as it pertains to this matter (and/or a very large stick), ignore the posted signs, and continue to fish while wading only on the stream bead. Then, if you are confronted by either a land owner (and his shotgun) or a Game Warden, you can attempt to reason with them using your knowledge of the law (and/or your big stick). However, if at any time friendly conversation turns to confrontation, the best course of action is for you (and your stick) to agree to leave the property peacefully. After all, tussling with an angry property owner can be hard on your fly rod and tussling with an angry Game Warden can land you in jail or get you shot and we wouldn’t want that to happen since either one can ruin your whole fishing trip! On the other hand, as soon as you see a posted sign on the side of the stream, you can “respect” (pronounced “grit your teeth and smile”) the property owner’s right to deny you access to that section of the stream and cease to fish beyond the posted signs. However, most of the Mountain Folk here in western North Carolina are pretty darn congenial and, if you will simply respect their rights and stop and talk to them a bit and let them get to know you some, then most of them will gladly give you permission to fish “their” section of the stream.

However, the best solution to this dilemma would be for the N.C. Legislature to simply declare all land located underneath a body of water to be owned by the State (with the exception of private, man-made, ponds which do not connect with a public body of water) in addition to the water located above it and thus declare the property underneath the water open to recreational use in addition to the surface of the water. Or, at the very least, the U.S. Forest could condemn (and possibly purchase) all privately owned stream beds located on National Forest and declare said land public property and open to recreational use even though said property is located within the confines of private property within National Forest. Either way, this is a hotly contested issue that needs to be addressed and resolved by the N.C. court system. Thus, it may be that the best course of action is to join together with other, fellow, N.C. trout fishermen through conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited and/or the North Carolina Public Access Foundation (www.ncpaf.com) to resolve this matter via the court system or the state legislature once and for all instead of leaving it in limbo. That way, arguments from both sides can be heard and fairly weighed by an impartial judge which, will hopefully result in a definitive decision that is fair to both fly fishermen and landowner’s. References - Allain C. Andry, IV*. (April 16, 1996). Water Law in North Carolina. (Section) Land Ownership Issues. (Bullet Point) Public Use Rights. Resource and Economic Policy. Applied Resource and Economic Policy Group. Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. Retrieved November 1, 2012 from http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/ publicat/arep/waterlaw.html

Bill Bernhardt Professional Guide & Instructor Harper Creek Fly Fishing Company www.nc-flyfishing.com

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Tips For Finding Out What the Fish Are Eating Kevin Howell

hrough the years I have been amazed at how often I arrive to the stream to find fish actively feeding only to struggle to catch a fish. We have all been there fishing away to rising fish who show no interest in what we are throwing regardless of how many times we change flies, or tippet. They just keep feeding away, as if they were silently trying to drive us mad. Here are some simple tips that I have used over the years to figure out what the fish were feeding on. If fish are feeding under or around the trees only after the wind blows, then the fish are

feeding on ants or inchworms that are being blown out of the trees. If they are feeding under the trees and there is no wind or when the wind is not blowing, they are feeding on flying insects, i.e. beetles or bees. Think about it. Have you ever seen an ant commit suicide by jumping off a tree? While approaching the stream, check the bushes and spider webs for any insects. Are there any mayflies trapped in the spider webs? Are there any caddis flies flying out of the bushes when you shake them or bump into them? Are there any stonefly cases on the rocks or logs? These can all be an

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indication of what is going on in the stream. What are the weather and water conditions? As a general rule, you should fish bright colored flies on bright days and dark colors on gray overcast days. In muddy water, black or dark colored flies, while whites and olives will excel in clear water. For example, blue wing olives are more active on gray overcast days, and hoppers are more active on warm sunny days. Never under estimate the power of the STONEFLY. Stoneflies have a three year life span in the stream and are available to trout everyday of the year. They are also very

poor swimmers and are very vulnerable to trout in times of high water. When nothing else works, a stonefly will usually catch a few fish. Remember that stoneflies live in clear fast water on the bottom under rocks, so your fly should be fished near or on the bottom. How are the fish rising? If you are seeing heads popping out of the water, they are eating dries on top. If you are seeing dorsal and tail fins, the trout are actually feeding on nymphs just under the surface of the water. This is the time to use soft hackles and wet flies.

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feature Keep adding weight to your fly. A lot of times in warm weather or when fish are inactive, they lay on or near the bottom of the river. Keep adding weight to your fly until you start catching fish or you are continually hanging on the bottom. Inactive fish are as lazy as some humans and will only move a couple of inches to take advantage of a free meal. *Bonus Tip* Remember when the fish will not cooperate, you can always go have an ice cold beer. Watch out for the drag and micro drag. You may have to lengthen your tippet and drop to a smaller size. Often people equate the smaller tippet to trout seeing their tippet. More often, the smaller tippet works because it is more supple and offers a more drag free presentation.

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Southern Trout

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arkansas HEBER SPRINGS, ARK. - One the perks of being asked to be the speaker at the Sunday morning worship services at Lindsey’s Resort was that my wife and I would be able to spend a few hours fishing on the Little Red River. I didn’t ask who’d be our guide. After all, Lindsey’s Resort is known for not only its hospitality as a four-star trout fishing destination, but also for its talented group of guides, many of whom have been guiding out of the resort for years. When Billy Lindsey told us we’d be fishing with his son, Colton, who is 19 and an honor student (3.81 GPA for the spring semester) at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Ark., we knew we’d be fishing with someone who truly grew up on the Little Red.

arkansas On this day, we were not fly fishing. We were casting Trout Magnets as Colton used the boat’s oars (that’s right, oars) to stay within striking distance of hungry rainbows. “I can keep us where we need to be,” Colton says of using oars. “It just works out great.” Ron Wong of Memphis, one of the MidSouth’s legendary anglers, says of Colton’s devotion to using oars, “That is lot of work, but it is a great way to fish, too, especially when you have current. It takes some talent to keep the boat in the right spot.”

That was before he took them fishing.

Believe me, this young man knows the Little Red River…and he loves to take people fishing, especially when it gives him a chance to show off his Shawnee boat, which is powered by a 25-horsepower Mercury motor and is capable of smoothly maneuvering in less than five inches of water. “It is a great boat for fly fishing,” Colton says.

He admits some clients are skeptical of his guiding abilities. “They are like, ‘This kid is taking me fishing? I kind of want somebody who is a little older and more experienced.’ What they don’t understand is that I fish a whole lot more than they do,” he says. “I fish this river almost every day during the summer and a whole lot during the school year. I mean, I fish this river all the time. If you want to put it in experience wise it doesn’t really matter how old you are. It’s just how often you do it.”

“He actually started taking people out on the river when he was 13, and of course, he has been fishing on the river since he could hold a rod in his hand,” Lindsey said of his son, acknowledging that some clients have questioned Colton’s age.

“I tell them to give me an hour or two and come back and let me know how it works out for them,” Lindsey says with a laugh.

Colton can’t remember when he didn’t want to be a guide. “I’ve always wanted to be a guide,” he says. “I’ve always enjoyed taking people fishing. Being in this family you either really love it and you want to do this, or you don’t. I was one of the ones here that was immersed in it; learning from all the guides, my father and old brother, and from just the different fishermen that came here. It has been a great learning experience and something that I enjoy.”

Colton says it also takes a lot of practice, but it’s worth the extra effort. “It’s one of the best ways, and you don’t ever run out of battery either,” he says. Again, don’t let Colton’s age fool you when it comes to guiding. “It’s is a passion with Colton,” Colton’s dad says. “He truly loves this river and what it represents and what it means as far as a resource that is to be protected and cared for. In regards to a lot of those things, he is wise beyond his years because it is what he has known all his life.”

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you work it a little bit in the water. It is one of the most productive baits that I have ever used. I’ve caught a lot of big numbers on a lot of guide trips using this method.” “The rig is actually the entire Trout Magnet,” Colton says. “It’s not just the jell body or the hook,” he says. “It’s actually the entire jig; the S.O.S. 2-pound test line, the Phantom fluorocarbon leader line, the Trout Magnet hook, the Trout Magnet jig head, the jell body and the E-Z Trout float.” Wong says it’s the jig head that “makes the whole deal” work, noting that “you have to balance it out with the body.”

On this day, we experienced why Colton is a member of the Trout Magnet pro staff. He says his relationship with Jeff Smith of Leland’s Lures in Searcy, Ark., makers of the Trout Magnet, developed a couple of years ago. “It has,” Colton says, “been a blessing. Jeff took me in just like I was family and he really taught me how to use the Trout Magnet. He has been such an asset to my guiding. He is an awesome, awesome guy.”

Colton says members of the Trout Magnet pro staff never fish without a fluorocarbon leader. The Phantom fluoro will help you catch more of any type of fish, including trout, by reducing line visibility.

So just what is the Trout Magnet? “Trout Magnet is an improvised jig,” Colton says. “It’s a soft-jell bodied jig. You can slip it onto the hook using one of their E-Z trout floats to control the depth and also to help

Trout Magnet and the Sore Lip Series SLS150, 6-by-6, two-piece light-line rod that we used are made by Leland’s Lures, based out of Searcy, Ark., and owned by Jeff Smith and Todd Gainer.

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Leland’s Lures began in 1997 with one lure– the Trout Magnet. Now, what began as a hobby has spilled over into many products for trout and crappie enthusiasts. For additional information on Leland’s Lures and the Trout Magnet go to www.troutmagnet.com.

“We’re an easy three hour drive away from Memphis and the Mid-South,” Lindsey says. “Memphis has and continues to be our No. 1 market. We appreciate that fact and we appreciate our Memphis clients and the loyalty they have shown to the river and Lindsey’s over the years.”

Fall on the Little Red River is a great time to use the Trout Magnet. In fact, it’s a great time to be on the river, Billy Lindsey says. “Our fly fishermen are sitting on go,” he says. “We’re looking at the latter part of October and the first of November as getting into the heart of the brown trout fishing with a fly rod. It is a special time of the year on the river and it’s not just about fly fishing. It’s about fishing and from October on it just doesn’t do anything but get better.” Memphis is Lindsey’s No. 1 market area.

For additional information on Lindsey’s Resort go to www.lindseysresort.com or call (800) 305-8790. - Larry Rea

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Jason Sparks

to Climbing TENKARA: If you build it, they will come. One hundred plus people traveled in from twenty states to get to Harrisonburg, Virginia for a weekend of everything tenkara. This cross section of anglers ranged from the savvy experienced veteran to the greenhorn yet to cast a fly rod. The one thing they all had in common was a sincere interest in this ancient Japanese form of fly fishing. Welcome to the Third Annual Tenkara Summit. The weekend was months in the planning and well organized by local hosts, brothers Brian and Colby Trow, owners of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg. The summit was led by Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA. This was an exceptional blend of presentation and application throughout the weekend. It really was everything tenkara.

On day one in a conference hall there was a great amount of information shared by Daniel about the origins of tenkara in Japan and some modern advancements as it has transitioned from professional fishing to a recreational pass-time. Tom Sadler, a leading tenkara guide, discussed techniques and methods in the pursuit of the wild Virginia brook trout. He taught us to “push” the line deeper and how to work a streamer cross current. Brian Trow shared an overview of the types of waters around the Shenandoah Valley. Loften Deprez, John Geer and Misako Ishimura were there tying the Japanese fly called “kebari” in various forms. Chris Zimmer showcased his custom backpacks and tenkara gear. Kevin Kelleher and Misako were showcasing their book “Tenkara: Radically Simple, Ultralight Fly Fishing.” Trout Unlimited presented about the preservation and restoration efforts of

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brook trout in the Appalachian region. We even broke into a casting clinic which used the kidney shaped indoor pool. The second day started with a caravan parade heading to “on the water” demonstrations on Dry River in the George Washington National Forest. Several days of rain had the water levels up and currents ripping. Small groups were taken to the water where practical application of tenkara methods were discussed. Daniel presented many different fishing techniques in which six distinct ways were highlighted. This outdoor classroom let everyone see first hand the “how to” with a rod on the water. The fast water made for tough fishing conditions, but made for a perfect tenkara lessons. There were pockets of water, tight eddies, soft edges... you name it. The dynamics on this fast

Top the

water were complicated to say the least. The techniques were perfect for working these conditions and showcased the unique tenkara abilities. That afternoon the group headed over to Mossy Creek, a slow moving springfed waterway and got the try their hand using everything that had learned. There were guides on hand like Tom, Lance Milks and myself to work with everyone in small groups. The big fish of Mossy were elusive to most, but many of the 60 anglers hooked up with amazing trout. One angler, having never touched a fish before, found herself double-fisted on a 18” brown. The youngest of the Summit at age 11, Justin, went tight line with a monster 20” rainbow from a deep murky hole not 7 feet away. Moments later, he had a smile that was twenty inches too. Everybody walked away having a better feel

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for use and methods to successfully fish their long rods. Let me not look over what might have been the biggest part of this weekend. One hundred people traveled thousands of miles to be able to congregate with like-minded people. Adventurous hikers looking for lightweight tackle, western style fly fishermen open to alternate practices, persons looking for their first fishing experience, and fly fishing converts that have adopted tenkara and their preferred method for working the water. It was a wonderful sight. Anglers from distant lands talking about their home waters and the favorite local fly. We talked about how to better promote tenkara amongst our fellow outdoors-men. We shared techniques and hammered over gear. They were even sharing secret spots out in those hills. It was an open and very engaging crowd. People that have been chatting online in forums and tenkara groups finally met face to face. Friendships were carried on and many were started. The consistent openness amongst tenkara anglers is fresh. It’s never about the rod or the reel or the tech or the gadgets, it is always about “your tenkara.” The simple and relaxing approach we each take to find excitement and escape in our fishing. It may be another year before the “Fourth Annual Tenkara Summit” comes around. I heard rumor it may be near Boulder, Colorado, which is home base for Tenkara USA. I’m sure there are many people already ear-marking a spot on the calendar. There will be more localized events coming in the near future for sure. I heard groups 154 | Southern Trout | August 2013 | www.southerntrout.com

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feature from Pennsylvania and Maryland talking about organizing joint outings. There is movement in the Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for a regional gathering. Colorado has consistent events also. Tenkara continues to grow by leaps and bounds. If you would like to know more about anything tenkara then please send me an email: jason@appalachiantenkara.com For more information regarding tenkara please look at the resource sites: Tenkara USA www.tenkarausa.com Mossy Creek Fly Fishing www.mossycreekflyfishing.com Southern Appalachian Tenkara Anglers www.facebook.com/ southernappalachiantenkaraanglers Zimmerbuilt packs www.zimmerbuilt.com Appalachian Tenkara www.appalachiantenkara.com All photos courtesy of Justin Ide Photography

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contributors

contributors Beau Beasley, Virginia Editor Beau Beasley is a well-known name among readers of fly angling magazines. His work has appeared in nearly every ma jor fly fishing periodical in the country. He is the author of Fly Fishing Virginia. Recently he won the TalbotDenmade Memorial Award for Best Conservation Article from the MasonDixon Outdoor Writers Association for his investigative piece “Where Have All The Menhaden Gone?” He’s also the director of the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival www.vaflyfishingfestival.org and lives with his wife and children in Warrenton, VA.

Bill Bernhardt Bill Bernhardt, 52, is the owner of and guide, instructor, and custom rod builder for Harper Creek Fly Fishing Company (www.nc-flyfishing.com) located in Lenoir, North Carolina. In addition, Bill is somewhat unusual in that he specialize in small streams, wild trout, and back county, remote access, walk/wade trips into the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consequently, his freelance outdoor articles along with his nature photography focus specifically on the exceptional beauty and excellent trout fishing opportunities available to fly fishermen in western North Carolina. John Berry Located in Cotter, Arkansas, “Trout Capital USA,” John Berry provides wade and float trips on the White, Norfork, Spring, and Little Red Rivers for trout and Crooked Creek for Smallmouth Bass. A retired CPA, he has been a professional fly-fishing guide in the Ozarks for almost two decades. An active conservationist, he has taught fly fishing and fly casting at a long list of colleges and events. Bob Borgwat, Columnist Bob Borgwat, 55, leads the team of Reel Angling Adventures at ReelAnglingAdventures.com as owner, administrator, webmaster and guide. His freelance writing, editing, and photography covers fishing across the US, but his daily piscatorial adventures take place with fly-rod in hand just outside his doorstep in the southern reach of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. He is a former senior editor for Game & Fish Magazines, Primedia and Intermedia Outdoors, and is an active member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. David Cannon David was previously a full-timer in the outdoor publication world, having worked for such titles as American Angler, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Fly Tyer and Georgia Outdoor News and Alabama Outdoor News, but he is now a global missions pastor and photographer in Walton County, Georgia (betwixt Atlanta and Athens). He is also the author of the book Fly Fishing Georgia: A No Nonsense Guide To Top Waters. He and his wife, Stephanie, successfully spawned this past winter and are expecting their first fry - a baby girl - this fall. When he’s not working, David enjoys tearing his own ligaments, sprouting new grey hairs and making new people who will eventually replace him. For more, visit CannonTTL.com.

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William “Bo” Cash A native of Morganton, North Carolina, Bo Cash was taught trout fishing by his grandfather at the age of three in 1952. He earned a B.S degree in biology with a concentration in ecology from Gardner-Webb University and began tying flies in 1970, rod building in 1976, and opened a Table Top Angler fly shop in 1980. In 1998, he “retired” from building rods after having completed well over 500 and in 2001he retired from teaching high school biology. He is the owner of the Table Top Angler fly shop, a life member in Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishers, and as had articles published in sporting journals. His first book, Water Under the Bridge, was published in 2011. Bo is married Novah Wall, who accompanies him on many of his trips. Soc Clay Soc Clay was first published in Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines in the 1950s. He was one of the first members of the SEOPA, served as director for the OWAA, founded the Kentucky Outdoor Press Association, an inductee of the Freshwater Fishing Hall, and he is a poet laureate of Kentucky. A lifelong resident of South Shore, Kentucky, Clay is also known as an outdoor photographer. His photography has graced the covers of scores of magazines including in one year 11 of 12 issues of the fabled Bassmaster magazine. His latest book Soc Clay’s Mad Trapper Sourdough Baking Book, portrays the romantic history of the use of sourdough starters and recipes used to sustain rugged prospector during the Alaska Gold Rush. It is the authority for the use of sourdough in baking in the world. (www.WhitefishPress.com) Dave Ezell Dave Ezell grew up fishing on East Tennessee rivers and lakes and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Lucky enough to make a living in sales and as a scribe for business publications, he also has enjoyed fishing a variety of waters from steelhead on the Sol Duc to tarpon off North Captiva, Florida. Dave is one of the sparkplugs in the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, he has been intimately involved with Troutfest since its inception. Currently he finds himself just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Maryville, Tennessee. Ron Gaddy Ron Gaddy grew up in Waynesville, North Carolina and started fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains at an early age. He grew up fishing Cataloochee, East and West Fork of the Pigeon River, Little East Fork of the Pigeon River, Nantahala River and Jonathan Creek. Ron left North Carolina at age 24 for a career with the Department of Defense at Charleston, SC and Norfolk, Virginia. After retiring from DOD in 2009 he returned to Waynesville, North Carolina to be close to all the great trout fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains. Since retirement, Ron has consistently fished in the Smoky Mountains for trout. When not fishing, Ron is tying flies or building fly rods.

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contributors

contributors Daniel Brent Golden Native East Tennessean Brent Golden’s interest in photography began while studying for his fine-arts degree at the University of Tennessee. An avid flyfisherman, his passion for the outdoors is the focal point of his photographic interest. His specialty is shooting large panoramic landscapes of North America’s flyfishing waters. A recent interest in the invisible light of infrared (IR) photography has inspired him to capture his local waters in this unique way.

George Grant George Grant lives in Johnson City with his wife and earnestly wades upstream through his sixth decade. Mountain streams large and small are his first love, but he regards the South Holston and Watauga tailwaters to be his mistresses. In addition to actually fly fishing, he enjoys the history and the craft of fly tying, especially “resurrecting” patterns that have passed from common use. For many years Grant worked in local fly shops. He also wrote columns about fly fishing for a local sports magazine and for the Bristol Herald Courier. Matt Green One of the most knowledgeable authorities in the South on cold water aquatic insects, Matt Green is a graduate student at North Carolina State University. That is of course when he is not fishing, speaking at seminars on trout stream aquatic insect life, or fly fishing for trout on his favorite waters, the South Holston River. A prolific writer published in a number of fishing journals, Matt has also launched the South Holston Aquatic Insect School. For more info on this contact Matt at mwgreen2@ncsu.edu Craig Haney, Editor-at-Large Craig Haney has spent a lifetime chasing trout on the streams, headwaters and tailwaters of the southern Appalachians and elsewhere. After graduating from Auburn University with an animal science degree, Craig has spent the ma jority of his career in the outdoor industry as a manufacturers’ rep for fishing, boating, camping and hunting gear as well as operating partner of Riverwoods Outfitters / Haney-Mullins Orvis for eight years. He has taught fly tying and fly casting at his shops and community colleges. Additionally, he has written on fly fishing and other outdoor subjects for a variety on national and regional magazines. Craig and his wife Lynn live on Shades Mountain in Hoover, AL in the southern Appalachian foothills. Kevin Howell Kevin Howell fished 38 states before college. In 1997 Kevin took a job as Manager of Davidson River Outfitters. He was also helping his father run Dwight and Don’s Custom Tackle. After his father passed away in 1998, Kevin took over the operation of Dwight and Don’s Custom Tackle while remaining the Manager of Davidson River Outfitters. In 2000 Kevin purchased Davidson River Outfitters and combined the operation of the two businesses. He is also a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor. Kevin is also a nationally known fly tyer and is currently the Fly-Tying Editor for Fly-Fishing the Mid Atlantic States. He has also had several of his original patterns published in various magazines as well as being produced by some of the national tying companies.

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Jimmy Jacobs, Georgia Editor Jimmy Jacobs is with Game & Fish Magazines. He also is the Outdoor Columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper and online Atlanta Outdoor Travel Writer for Examiner.com. Jacobs has authored five guidebooks to fishing in the southeastern United States, including Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia; Trout Fishing in North Georgia; and Tailwater Trout in the South. His writing and photography have earned Excellence In Craft awards from the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, Georgia Outdoor Writers Association and the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. Jeff “Owl” Jones, Columnist Fly Fishing Film Maker Owl Jones is a something of polarizing figure among the fly fishing community. He first came on the scene during the message-board craze of the mid-90s. Since the late 90s, he has been banned from most of the larger forums due to his ability to ruffle the feathers of fellow anglers and state wildlife agencies alike. In late 2010 he started his own blog which is now called “OwlJones.com” where he has not yet been banned. Owl currently lives in Gainesville, Ga., with his lovely wife and their invisible dog “Snickers” who always does what he’s told and never barks at night. His goal is to get famous, and to take over the fly-fishing world. Dr. Todd Larson, Columnist A dedicated fisherman and college history professor, Dr. Todd Larson writes and publishes everything related to the history of fishing, including the history of baits, (lures and flies), rods and reels, techniques, and people important to the history of fishing (Zane Grey, Ernest Hemingway, etc.) As an owner of Whitefish Press, Dr. Todd is dedicated to publishing a wide variety of works on fishing history and fishing tackle. Founded in 2006 by Dr. Todd, The impressive Whitefish catalog includes some of the finest in fishing history. He also writes and publishes a fine blog called Fishing for History: The History of Fishing and Fishing Tackle. More recently, he acquired ownership of The Classic Fly Rod Forum. Roger Lowe Roger Lowe is the owner of Lowe Guide Service & Outfitters, located in the heart of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains in Waynesville, North Carolina. The area offers some of the best fishing in the eastern United States. Being a native of Waynesville, he spent his childhood summers camping and fishing with his father and grandfather in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. He learned about insects indigenous to local streams and the trout’s feeding habits. Roger developed his own technique for tying effective imitator patterns and became a master at catching the wild and wary mountain trout. He has been tying for forty years and fishing all his life. Today, as a professional guide, his fly patterns are used extensively by local fishermen. Roger’s book, Roger Lowe’s Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains is a fly tying and identification guide. He also has a tying video, Smoky Mountain Fly Patterns. It shows how to tie a lot of the Smoky Mountain Patterns. He also has a hatch book, Smoky Mountain Fly Patterns which is a guide to the patterns to use each month.

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contributors

Steve Moore A native of northern Virginia, Steve Moore grew up fishing in a fishing family. Steve’s father, much to his mother’s chagrin, was fishing in a local bass tournament the morning Steve was born. Steve has published five books on fishing in Virginia and Maryland including Maryland Trout Fishing, Wade and Shoreline Fishing the Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass, Wade Fishing the Rappahannock River and Wade Fishing the Rapidan River. Steve provides frequent updates on fishing these waters and others on his popular blog at www.CatchGuide.com. Harry Murray Harry Murray was born, raised and still lives on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in the village of Edinburg, Virginia where he owns and has operated Murray’s Fly Shop for over 40 years. He has published eight books on fly fishing, including Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park; Virginia Blue Ribbon Streams; and Murray’s Fly Shop Exclusive Fly Patterns. His articles can be seen regularly in many national fly fishing magazines. Harry conducts “on the stream” fly fishing schools each spring and summer out of his fly shop. He has designed over 50 fly patterns and provides guide service in the Virginia area. Oak Myers Native West Virginia resident, Oak Myers has been a full time trout fishing guide for decades. His company, Cranberry Wilderness Outfitters (wvoutfitters.com, 304-651-3177) is based out of the mountain town of Richwood. A talented writer and fly fishing instructor, Myers is best known for helping his clients use bicycles to access the bowels of the rugged Cranberry Wilderness. Marc Payne Marc is a Knoxville, Tennessee based fly fishing enthusiast. His popular blog, The Perfect Drift, has been up and running since 2009. Riverdale Classics Bamboo is a one man company Marc started seven years ago. His first stab at bamboo rods was purely economic, as he says that he could not afford a bamboo rod but wanted one badly. So he read on techniques, took a couple of gratuitous classes with rod makers, and bought several old rods to restore. From there, he began repairing and restoring old rods for friends, and as word of his skills grew, he began building for others. Now he is repairing, restoring, and building new rods for folks from all over the country. His email address is riverdaleclassicsbamboo@gmail.com

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Larry Rea, Arkansas Editor Larry Rea is the seasoned, retired Outdoors Editor for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, TN, where he held that post between 1967 and 2001. Currently he is the host of Outdoors with Larry Rea on Sports 790-AM in Memphis; www.lroutdoors.com. He is also free-lance writer for The Commercial Appeal’s DeSoto Appeal (Sunday outdoors column). A master scribe, for five consecutive years he was a double award winner (first and second place) in Tennessee Outdoor Writers Association’s Excellence in Craft Broadcast category. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame in 2010 where he is now an honored lifetime member. Larry also serves on the board of directors for Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (2010-present). Scott Spencer Scott Spencer is a freelance writer who was born and raised in Alabama. An avid hunter and fisherman, he learned about fly fishing nearly 40 years ago when he first picked up the flyrod at the age of 12. He was tutored in the art of casting and fly fishing using my father’s 1952 Phillipson bamboo flyrod. A banker by profession, he has hunted across the United States and has done both television hunting programs and hunting DVD’s. A passionate fly fisherman, Spencer frequently fishes the streams and tailwaters of North Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. He is married with three children. Benjamin VanDevender President of Team Dead Drift, Georgia’s Competitive Fly Fishing Team, Benjamin VanDevender, fell in love with fly fishing and chasing trout across Georgia. In recent years he has won accolades and awards for his flyfishing expertise. Ben started fly fishing competitively a few years ago. Through competitive fly fishing, Ben learned more advanced tactics than some have ever thought possible. Already a fan of fly fishing for trout, his entry into its competitive side has given him a new appreciation for all aspects of the sport we call fly fishing. Greg Ward, Tennessee Editor Greg Ward lives in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, where he has been a full-time hunting and fishing guide since 1989. He owns and operates Rocky Top Outfitters, a hunting and fishing guide service specializing in stream fly-fishing, spin fishing, and guided turkey and bear hunts. His articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and outdoor magazines. He is the co-author of the Ultimate Fly Fishing Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains. Greg has hosted several radio shows and has been a popular presenter at Pigeon Forge’s annual Wilderness Wildlife Week. He lives in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with his wife and daughter.

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