Southern Trout Magazine Issue 13 by Southern Unlimited, LLC

issue 13

I Went Fishing Today, and It Sucked! Bob Borgwat

Fly Line Basics Steve Moore

Reading a Mountain Stream Harry Murray

Trout in History Bill Cooper REALLY Helping the Brookie Don Kirk

www.southerntrout.com

june/july 2014

Publisher’s message

REALLY

Helping the Brookie

It’s quite fashionable in southern fly fishing circles these days to be a whole-hearted supporter of the native brook trout. Who could not love these bejeweled, generally gullible fish and the places where they live? Saying you “back the brookie” is like saying you are for clean air and better schools—it just makes sense. To be a fly fisherman and say otherwise is…well, it’s downright heresy. Unfortunately, as with clean air and better school slogans, the problem with “backing the brookie” is that the devil is in details. Brook trout are treasures and arguably the most unique game fish found in the region. The brook trout of the Smokies and Blue Ridge mountains were marooned here thousands of years ago when the last Ice Age retreated northward. For thousands of years, they were stranded in hundreds of streamsheds from Virginia to Georgia, each isolated from the other. Of the 13 major streamsheds of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP), it is unlikely there has been any “cross pollination” among these fish since before Moses parted the Red Sea. It is quite remarkable that such as sub-arctic species of fish has even kept a foothold in the literal fringes of their range. Obviously, the southern brookie is a pretty resilient species. Everyone is somewhat familiar with the demise of the brook trout in much of their pre-1900 range. Logging, poor agricultural practices, mining and land use changes decimating hundreds of miles of pristine water once dominated by brook trout. Habitat loss and disruption were the first blows to the native char. Introduction of exotic rainbow trout was the second body slam inflicted on native populations of brook trout.

For a variety of reasons, the rainbow trout has displaced brook trout. For some reason when non-native fauna is introduced to suitable habitat, this happens. Similarly, the brook trout introduced in many western waters is displacing the cutthroat there. We can talk about what the ‘bows and browns are doing to native populations of brook trout until the cows come in. Suffice to say that the biggest boast we can give a population of native brook trout is to remove or dramatically reduce the populations of these completing exotics. Fishery biologist recognized the problem in the Smokies as early as the 1930s. It’s not that they didn’t give a damn then, but rather they took their mandate to provide recreational fishing seriously, something the NPS largely ignores today. In 1975 the NPS finally decided to address the brookie problem, beginning their efforts with closing off 125 miles of streams to all fishing. They closed the streams on the premise that poaching brook trout was the problem, the first of a series of dumb moves that continue on today. Since 1975 much hoopla has been made about cleansing streams of competing ‘bows and browns by armies of volunteers and countless graduate students armed with nets and electro shocking gear. At best it is like trying to put out a fire by tossing teaspoons full of water on it. One can only imagine how much money has been spent and essentially wasted in the GSMNP with virtually nothing—and I emphasis nothing—to show for it. One thing the NPS has gotten quite good at though, is their ability to hamper fishing, balloon their budget, and run local fishing clubs through the fund raising wine press. If indeed the rainbow and brown trout are the problem, and the conflict between non-natives and brooks is most acute where their populations overlap, then the logical thing to do is to employ the most cost effective means possible to curtail/ remove the rainbows and browns. The most efficient, cost effective option is the fisherman. Knocking back the rainbows and browns in critical stream areas is as simple as allowing fishermen to keep all of these fish that they catch. If barbless hooks are required, the damage to brook trout being hooked would be minimal.

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Publisher’s message

Southern Trout Publisher Don Kirk Editor-at-large Beau Beasley Managing Editor Leah Kirk Travel Manager Adam Kirk Creative Director Loryn Patterson

Contributors Bill Bernhardt Bill Cooper Kevin Howell Roger Lowe Harry Murray Jason Sparks

FIELD STAFF Bob Borgwat

Columnist Ron Gaddy Columnist George Grant Columnist Craig Haney Alabama Editor Jimmy Jacobs, Georgia Editor Steve Moore Columnist Larry Rea Arkansas Editor

(cont.)

There’s a very good reason this is very unlikely to happen. There is no money or power in it for the NPS staff in the GSMNP. As with any group of bureaucrats, job security for the fisheries people comes not with finding a solution, but rather by making it worse and then pleading for more money and regulatory options. This is how you get bigger budgets, an entourage of gullible graduate students and the local fishing clubs milked dry. The brook trout of the GSMNP and other regions of the Southern Highlands do not need more high tech shocking gear, new pickup trucks or $500 pairs of waders—they need relief from the rainbow and brown trout. More studies to validate the uniqueness of the southern brook trout are yet another waste. It does not take a rocket scientist to know that so many disjointed populations of brook trout are going to a little different here or there. All these studies are is funding for fishery people whose time would be better spent enforcing existing fishing laws, if indeed poaching is a problem. I am all for backing the brookie, but not for subsidizing a fisheries culture that is largely as useless as tits on a boar hog. The work that is going on at the Chattanooga Aquarium with brook trout from Carter County, Tennessee is a perfect example of putting money where it does good. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded a grant to Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute to participate in a study to perfect captive breeding techniques for this species. There is a significant need to progress captive propagation efforts for this species before the remaining distinct populations decline further in the wild. 255 Brook Trout were recently released, marking the first successful rearing of this species in a closed-circulation system. Hats off to that project. That is “backing the brookie,” and not lining the NPS coffers.

On the Cover

....................

Joel DeJong is our featured artist, photographer and fly fisherman. Look in the table of contents for an article on Joel and his approach to art and fishing. Also, check out our Tenkara section where Joel brings to you a clear approach to his fly-fishing passion. This picture comes to you from Joel’s 2013 blog. Check his current and past blogs at flyinthesouth.blogspot.com

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74 features

THIS ISSUE

Are You Fer It or Agin’ It? 3 departments

10-50

Gear Review St. Croix - High Stick Drifter

84 What About Fiberglass?

94 Trout in History’s Shadow

148

102 Reading a Mountain Trout Stream

The Black Wing Olive Chronicles 14 History of Southern Trout Fishing

112 In My Mind, I’m Going to Carolina

Cuisine Tellicafe Troutcake

company profile

138

Fly of the Month 32 North Carolina Yellow Sally Featured Rod Builder John Hollifield

118 Flymen Fish Company

124 Fly Fishing Is an Artform: An Artist Profile of Joel DeJong

132 Speckled Trout: Our Very Own Southern Trout Species

Wanderings of the Creek Freak 42 I Went Fising, and It Sucked! New Fly Guy Fly Line Basics

138 From Hatchery to Hook

close look - virginia

112

118

148 Situational Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains: Tying the Perfect Leader

HOW-TO VIDEO LINKS

Discovery: Virginia Creeper Trout

Featured Resort The Omni Homestead

Featured Guide Matthew Thomas

160 Strategic Approaches Dynamic Dry Flies

Featured Fly Shop Murray’s Fly Shop

TENKARA

Featured Fly Tier William Heresniak

156 Cherokee Fly Fishing Museum

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124

168 The Normal Drift

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gear review

St. Croix High Stick Drifter Taking High Stick Nymphing to New Levels

t. Croix has become the slumbering giant awakened to shake the flyfishing world, especially among fly fishermen who are cost conscious but still expecting a lot from their fly rods. Since opening their newest production facility in Fresnillo, Mexico, the Midwest-based tackle company has been creating a lot of excitement. Teamed up with well-known fly -ishing innovator and rod designer Kelly Galloup, St. Croix has a new line of fly rods designed for nymph fishing. Dubbed the High Stick Drifter, as their name implies, they are designed for high-stick nymphing to give anglers superior drift control. The High Stick Drifter is perfect for accurate presentations to pocket waters,

current tongues, and tough-to-fish seams. When it comes to understanding the latest sub-surface fishing techniques, few people know more than Kelly Galloup—which is why they asked him to develop the High Stick Drifter. Designed specifically for today’s advanced nymph fishing methods, it features a unique lightweight tip that reduces angler fatigue when the rod is held high for long periods of time while emphasizing sensitivity for better strike detection. High Stick Drifter rods also feature SCVI graphite in lower sections for added power with reduced weight and St. Croix’s proprietary ART™ and IPC® technology. The balance is Incredible.

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gear review

The “Drifter” rods feature 3M’s “nano silica” resin (like many of the new generation rods), but they’re designed to have a lightweight tip section that enhances sensitivity, and also reduces angler fatigue (when standing in a river in the “Statue of Liberty” position for hours on end). The lower sections of the rods are where you find the reserve power, and overall, St. Croix pulls it off with excellent balance. If you fish below the surface more often than not, St. Croix has made an appealing option (in Park Falls, Wisconsin) for $430. They’re slightly longer than the norm (another benefit for nymph applications) at 9’6” for a 4 weight, a 10-foot 4, and a 10-foot 5. In recent years St. Croix has shaken up the fly fishing market with its lower-pricepoint

rod series like “Rio Santo” and “Imperial” rods. They deliver incredible bang-forthe-buck, as they cast well and are highly functional. The 10½-foot 4-weight Drifter we fished has the power to allow one to cast multiple nymph rigs with an indicator The length of the rods are nice and open and the reach is like magic when the comes to controlling the line. The micro-tip is lightweight to permit comfortable fishing with the Drifter high when it is subject to drag. St. Croix’s High Stick Drifter rod series is specifically designed to perform best in “high stick nymphing” situations. Since 99 percent of most anglers in the Southern Applachian rely on high stick nymphing techniques to catch trout—that only seems natural.

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black wing olive chronicles

Oh, Yes, They Call Him the Sneak by Olive k. nynne

s best I can tell, there is an intellectual barrier between humans and dogs that no one seems to talk about publicly. For example, both Daddy Boy and I are expected to know where not to nap, dig holes or make too much noise. If he gets into trouble, he has to sleep on the couch. If I get caught sleeping on the couch, I’m apt to be shipped off to obedience school again. One trip through boot camp was enough for me. I suppose it just is not practical on my behalf to expect things to be fair. On the other hand though, I truly would like to see some semblance of balance. Sneaking off is one such thing. I regard myself as a reasonably well minding dog who will fetch, beg and sit on command. I know the property boundaries and patrol them with due diligence, although I never get anything back return for my efforts. What I do like to do though now and then is get out to

check the perimeter of the compound. The horse pasture is populated with a half dozen apparently worthless nags, but also attracts a pretty good sized flock of Canada geese. Neither seem to server any useful purpose, but in my opinion they bear watching, which is where I come in. Much the same is true of a few other locations outside of the compound, all of which are regarded by Daddy Boy as off limits to me, unless of course he or Boy accompany me. My absences from the compound are relatively infrequent, as opportunities to exit without being noticed do not happen all that often. However, when I do, the phrase they use for my disappearances is, “that damned dogs snuck out again.” It is correct. Here’s the irony of all. Daddy Boy has what Boy call the “Pharoah Syndrome” which is Boy’s way of describing Daddy Boy’s ambitious project plans so long as he has an army of servants to direct. This in itself is not so bad as he looks rather dapper parading around in nothing in shorts and flipflops with a towel draped over his head. He loves to crack the whip. However, here’s the kicker, once Pharoah gives the staff the blueprints for the project and orders to ensure its rapid completion, more often than not, he disappears. Right in the middle of any project, Daddy Boy is nowhere to be found, or so it appears to the untrained eye. He is not over at the horse pasture or even in the throne room. Daddy has retired to the barn. The barn is located at the back of the compound. It is a short building with unknown contents which Daddy Boy guards as though it were a treasure vault. He claims it is alive with nesting wasps

and hornets, both of which Mommy Girl is terrified of as he very well knows. Supposedly, the barn is also home to a 14-foot black snake that lives on the cat-sized rats that infest the barn. Only Daddy Boy has ever seen any of this stuff as the barn is padlocked all of the time, either from the outside or the from the inside when he sneaks off there. The cooled corner of the barn is also the recipient of an old couch that he was supposed to have the people from local Goodwill Store pick up along with an old refrigerator. The only thing in that corner of the barn that is new is a flat screen television hanging on the wall. You would never know it was there unless you removed the burlap sacks to see it in its Technicolor color glory. Other than Daddy Boy and the guy who installed the satellite dish on the back of the barn, no other human has actually seen the interior of Pharoah’s innermost chambers. When Daddy Boy sneaks away, things actually return to normal at the compound, or at least as close to normal as things ever are here. The servants tend to be more relaxed in his absence. In fact, things are a bit more calm and orderly when Daddy Boy has snuck away to the barn. Careful observation of this phenomenon over the years has enabled me to master the trick of “sneaking off.” My favorite method is what I call the “onyx Sphinx” disappearing act. When Daddy Boy is on the porch, puffing away on cigars and emptying the bottle on the wicker table before his resting spot, I position myself in the yard. Proper positioning in fishing and in sneaking is essential. I go as far as I can into his peripheral vision range where I assume the Sphinx position

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with my rump facing ole Pharoah. Sitting motionless, appearing to stare blankly into the eons of time, in reality, I am watching Daddy Boy out of the corner of my eye. Once the old coot is about three fingers down on the bottle, I mysteriously disappear. Sometimes these are pretty narrow getaways, and I am close enough to hear him cursing that the “damned dog has snuck off again.” Most of the time though, he does not even know I am gone until queried by Mommy Girl regarding my whereabout. Then she evokes colorful language learned from her time spent in the royal court. This has been going on for over ten years. Not once have I gotten into trouble on my forays. I have been spayed and have little interest in mischief beyond challenging a cat or giving chase to a squirrel. This is more than I can say for Daddy Boy during that same period of time. After all, it was he, not me that went before Crazy Judge Green in city court for “barking like a dog.” While charges were eventually dismissed, Mommy Girl still has not fully forgiven him for the little episode.

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southern trout fishing history

Hooverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trout Don Kirk

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southern trout fishing history

“The blessings of fishing include . . . discipline in the equality of men, meekness and inspiration before the works of nature.”

he fly fishing heritage of the South is as storied as that of northeast or Rocky Mountains, although it certainly has never gotten nearly as much “ink.” There was a time not so long ago when the glistening runs of the Rapidan River in northern Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains was the playground of the country’s, and sometime the world’s movers and shakers. In fact, you can still go there today to soak up a bit of history that is better remembered for the men who went there to fish and escape life, than for the quality of the trout fishing. Rapidan Camp, the summer home of President Herbert Hoover in what is now Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park dates back before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Hoover and his wife chose the site at the confluence of the Mill Prong and Laurel Prong partly because it afforded not only excellent trout fishing, which the president loved, but also because of its ambiance. Hoover was perhaps the most

ardent of fishermen to ever be president, a list that included past President Eisenhower and Carter. As Lou Henry Hoover wrote to a friend in January 1929, shortly before becoming first lady: “My husband’s idea was to have a camp down on one of the tree-covered flats beside a stream or at the junction between two streams. He likes to be near enough to hear the water murmuring.” That year Hoover created his own Shangri-La 164 acres that they bought themselves of what was then primitive mountain land. Congress footed the bill for buildings at Rapidan Camp, as Hoover hoped it would be the summer White House for many years to come. Hoover decommissioned the Presidential Yacht Mayflower shortly after taking office, tranfering its Filipino mess crew to Rapidan Camp, along with the kitchen supplies and china. Unfortunately, Franklin D. Roosevelt hated Rapidan Camp. After the 1932 election FDR built his won retreat in

Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains that became what’s now called Camp David. Rapidan Camp fell into disrepair decades after Hoover left office. It was not until a few years ago that the National Park Service restored three of its historic buildings. Originally Camp Rapidan encompassed 13 buildings, including a mess hall, a town hall and the three restored structures: the President’s Cabin (also known as the Brown House), the Prime Minister’s Cabin (where Ramsay MacDonald of Britain had stayed, thus the name) and Creel Cabin, where Hoover’s personal secretary and physician stayed. Rustic and functional, the camp was built by 500 Marines who were quartered nearby. Today, what remains of Rapidan Camp is easily accessed via a couple of hiking trails. Hoover’s vision of Rapidan Camp was that it was a retreat presidents treated as a workplace. Before becoming president, he had been a mining engineer, then a humanitarian whose efforts after World War I enabled Europe to stave off starvation. His tenure in

“I never saw him happier than when he was on the Rapidan.”

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the White House is best remembered for the Stock Market Crash of 1929 that ushered in the Great Depression. Hoover hated the media and much of media hated him, often tagging with the-president-had-anothergood-day-fishing-while-theworld’s-going-to-hell stories. Even today if you decide you’d like to stir up a good fight in fishing camp, blame either Hoover for creating the Great Depression or FDR for extending it---it’s a no win confrontation where emotions still often run very strong. Of substance here though, is the premise that Hoover was a dedicated trout fisherman fond of southern waters. Hoover had three criteria in choosing the Rapidan Camp site. It was three hours from Washington by car in those days. Second, the stream had great trout fishing. Hoover, after all, had once written: “The blessings of fishing include . . . discipline in the equality of men, meekness and inspiration before the works of nature.” The third criterion was an elevation of at least 2,500 feet, supposedly too

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southern trout fishing history cool for mosquitoes to thrive in the summertime. He missed the mark on the third criteria as these blood suckers are quite abundant at Rapidan Camp. While Rapidan Camp was of a place of both business and fun, Hoover stressed informality. Of course there were rules. For example, at the mess hall, husbands and wives

southern trout fishing history eye, at least until Hoover sought re-election when the place was opened a bit for the press to peruse it. “I never saw him happier than when he was on the Rapidan. He could hardly wait to leave the car. He would go put on his rubber boots and hurry out to fish, seldom taking time to change from whatever he had been wearing--

“...the forces of nature discriminate for no man..”

could not sit with each other in order to encourage a general sociability. Business conversation were off limits, unless the business at hand was fly fishing. Hoover had a personal trout pool built just outside his bedroom window. So I’m going with the president on this one. The country’s best known men came to Rapidan Camp to fish with the country’s best known fly fisherman. The long list of line wetters includes such famous personages as Charles A. Lindbergh, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill. With its well-stocked waters, Rapidan Camp was the perfect retreat safe from the public

often a suit, high white collar and tie, and Panama hat,” observed Joel T. Boone, Hoover’s physician, who was a regular at Rapidan Camp. When President Hoover lost his bid for reelection in 1932, he and his wife offered the camp for use by subsequent Presidents and donated the camp property to the federal government to become part of the new Shenandoah National Park then under development. In 1946, the Shenandoah Park Superintendent reported that the camp was unused and requested federal funds for repairs or demolition. In 1948, the Boy Scouts of America were granted a twenty-

year lease to use it as a summer camp, which was also in accordance with Hoover’s wishes. During its use as a Boy Scout camp, the facility was renamed “Camp Hoover.” As maintenance costs rose, however, the scouts withdrew from the lease in 1958. From 1960 to 1963, further rehabilitation work was done at camp. Some Presidents have expressed interest in the camp, but Jimmy Carter was the first President since FDR to visit. In a public speech at the celebration of “Hoover Day” in the county seat of Madison, on August 17, 1929, at Rapidan Camp President Hoover spoke of fishing and his camp: “I fear that the summer camp we have established on the Rapidan has the reputation of being devoted solely to fishing. That is not the case, for the fishing season lasts but a short time in the spring. It is a place for weekend rest—but fishing is an excuse and a valid reason of the widest range of usefulness for temporary retreat from our busy world. “In this case it is the excuse for return to the woods and streams with their retouch of the simpler life of the frontier from which every American springs . . .Fishing seems to be the sole avenue left to Presidents through which they may escape to their own thoughts and may live in their own imaginings and find relief from the pneumatic hammer of constant personal contacts, and refreshment of mind in the babble of rippling brooks. “Moreover, it is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty—for all men are equal before fishes. And it is desirable that the President of the United States should be periodically reminded of this fundamental fact—that the forces of nature discriminate for no man..”—Herbert Hoover

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The Cullowhee River Club

www.cullowheeriverclub.com

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cuisine

Trout Fishcakes O

Recipe

kay, I have to confess, I am not

(intentionally) a fish eater. I grew up on the Gulf Coast around shrimp, oysters, mullet, and crawfish. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what happened to me, but at some point, I must have gotten a bad piece of fish, and then maybe another, but I have regularly turned up my nose to fish of all varieties.

Ingredients 1/2 pound Trout filets salt, black and white pepper 6 jto 8 potatoes 2 to 3 tablespoons butter 2 green onions, finely chopped sunflower oil 1 bell pepper, finely chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 to4 tablespoons butter garlic powder to taste 1/2 to 1 cup plain bread crumbs

Upon marrying Mr. Kirk, and consequently, starting this magazine, I realized I would have to put aside my lack of affinity for fish and find a way to not only make fish palatable, but also to make it enjoyable. I am in a never-ending pursuit with a seeming never-ending supplyline of fish. Recently, Southern Trout attended the Southeastern FFF at Cullowhee NC. On our ride home, we drove through Tellico Plains, TN. There, we found the Tellico Cafe with a charming facade that immediately welcomed us in. Once inside, we found several mouthwatering trout dishes, one of which was Tellicafe Troutcakes. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried to match their troutcakes in taste and texture, and this recipe got pretty close. They are not a substitute, however, for troutcakes served with iced tea and a smile as they were at the Tellico Cafe. Somehow, theirs were just better! Leah Kirk Managing Editor

Boil potatoes until tender, add salt and pepper to taste. Drain, add butter, and mash potatoes.

TELLICAFE (423) 253-2880

128 Bank St Tellico Plains TN 37385

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Season fish with salt and white pepper, Place fishin boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until done. Check fish for bones. In a bowl, flake fish and combine with mashed potatoes. In a frying pan, saute green onion, parsley and bell pepper in butter and olive oil until soft. Combine with potatoes and fish. Cover and leave to chill in a refrigerator. Chill at least one hour. Remove from refrigerator and form cakes by patting into shape. Roll in bread crumbs. heat oil in frying pan until hot. Fry the cakes for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. www.southerntrout.com | May 2014 | Southern Trout | 29

fish hunter adventures in cuisine

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fly of the month

y favorite fly hatch this time of year is the little yellow stonefly which I often match with my North Carolina Yellow Sally. Most all rivers and streams in western North Carolina have an abundant supply of these in June and July. They can hatch all day (off and on), but bigger hatches seem to occur right at dusk. Most of these are bright yellow and sized #14 and #16.

Available July 1, 2014 from Stackpole Books

Seeing these little guys flying around make you think they have two sets of wings. When you catch one of these flies and look closely, you see that the wings are laid flat over the back. Often these flies are called yellow Sallys (see page 21 in Roger Lowe’s book).

“From the old Yallarhammar to modern classics like the Tennessee Wulff, Don has covered it all in his book Hatches and Fly Patterns of the Great Smoky Mountains. This is a must read for every Southern fly fisherman.”

Sallys live in riffles and in rocky runs with faster flows. The nymphs often break loose in the fast current, so a nymph imitation can be effective when drifted through fast runs and riffles. When mature, these nymphs migrate to slower water, then crawl out onto shore. A good nymph pattern is the hares ear nymph #14—#16. Dry imitations like yellow stimulators work well. My favorite is a fly I tie called North Carolina Yellow Sally to mimic little yellow stonefly. Good fishing! RogerLowe

—Kevin Howell, Davidson River Outfitters

North Carolina Yellow Sally

$24.95 Paperback 256 pages 200 color photos 978-0-8117-1117-3 This book and other Stackpole fishing titles are available from booksellers and fly shops nationwide.

STACKPOLE BOOKS

800-732-3669 • www.stackpolebooks.com • Follow us on: 32 Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

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featured rod builder

John Hollifield

featured rod builder

What is your story?

I have lived in Hayesville, NC my entire life, on long-time owned family property. In fact, my two sons represent five generations that have been raised here. I spent 32 years in manufacturing management in jobs ranging from Industrial/Quality engineer, Human Resources Manager, and 6 Sigma/Lean Manufacturing Coach. I recently retired in order to devote more time to my long-standing passions of fly fishing and bamboo fly-rod making.

How long have you been fly fishing, and how did you get started?

I tied my first fly at the age of 8, using material from a Noll fly tying kit my dad received as a birthday gift. He soon learned he didn’t have the patience necessary to learn the craft, so he passed it down to me. For the next few years, I continued to play with the fly tying, but when dad and I fished, I would use an old Heddon spin casting rod equipped with a Johnson Century bait casting reel. Dad would fly fish a run, and if nothing rose to his dry fly, I’d cast to see if I could catch anything. My terminal tackle at this point usually consisted of a “Yallerhammer” streamer attached to the end of a Macdonald spinner. In most streams in our area, that was frequently deadly. I actually began fly fishing in earnest around 11, I suppose. While I enjoyed catching fish on spinners, I was captivated by watching fish rise to my dad’s dry flies. I pestered him until he finally bought me a fly rod of my own. It was a Shakespeare Wonder rod, it had a white fiberglass blank, and I believe it had maroon wrappings. I spent countless hours in the front yard learning how to cast. I’m pretty much self-taught, so I have many of the bad casting habits that go with that process. I’ve recently taken some casting lessons, so I’m working on correcting those flaws. There’s always something to learn. Throughout my childhood, my dad and I spent countless weekends either fly fishing or grouse hunting, depending on which season was open. Fishing trips often involved weekend camping trips to places like Slickrock creek in the Joyce Kilmer / Slickrock wilderness, Fires Creek near my hometown of Hayesville, or the upper waters of the Nantahala river, above white oak bottoms campground in Macon county. 26 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

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featured rod builder

How long have you been building fly rods and how did you get started?

I built my first fly rod around 1984 from a kit I ordered from Cabela’s. It was built on an 8’ 4 weight blank with a rather slow action that was comparable to the old fiberglass rods that I was accustomed to. Through the years I dabbled with an occasional rod build, always with a graphite blank, and just for my individual use. I’ve been making bamboo fly rods for about 3 years now and they represent 100% of my rod making now.

What prompted your keen interest in traditional fly rods?

From an early age I’ve enjoyed crafting things. I’ve always been interested in traditional things, especially pertaining to outdoors pursuits, so it was just natural that I eventually get around to bamboo fly rods. My first start with bamboo came when I bought a few old Horrocks Ibbotson rods off Ebay. They were in pretty rough shape, so I set about the process of reworking them. I learned a good bit just by stripping the varnish, replacing ferrules, straightening sections, installing new grips and such. These were all skills that would be useful when I began making my own rods from scratch. The only thing I really wasn’t doing at this point was making a new blank. Following my wife’s encouragement, I took a bamboo rod making class from a local maker and just fell in love with the entire process. Soon after the class, I purchased a planning form, block plane, and other necessities, built my own heat treating oven, purchased a few culms of bamboo, and built my first rod in a corner of my basement. I still have that rod and fish it regularly.

How are your rods available?

My rods can be purchased directly from me or from selected fly shops. You can visit my web page at www.HollifieldBamboo.com, drop me an email at jhollif@gmail.com, give me a call at 828.557.9790. I have a few rods on hand, but I prefer to work with a customer to design and build a custom rod to meet their unique needs. Seven to eight feet, three piece rods in the 3-6 line weight range are popular. I’ve built everything from a 4’-6” four weights up to an 8’6” eight weight. Rattan grips are popular, as well as my hollow built blank models and swelled butt rods, too.

What rods have you originated, or put an original spin on?

About a year after I began making bamboo rods, I decided I wanted to incorporate hand engraving work in my rods. I took lessons from a Firearms Engraving Guild of American, a certified Master Engraver, purchased the equipment to do the engravings, and began to practice. I’m proud to now offer hand engraved reel seats and ferrules, a treatment that I do personally in my shop. As a further upgrade, I can offer 24k gold inlay in the reel seats. This affords me the opportunity to create some unique and artistic embellishments on the rods I offer. I can work with the customer to create a design that is truly meaningful to them. I believe that I and one other maker are the only two currently making and engraving personally the rods we offer.

What are some of the older rod building materials you use that are tough to find?

Most materials are fairly available. However, one concern recently has been with the bamboo itself. All the bamboo imported to the US comes from essentially one source. The owner of that business has experienced some pretty serious health issues. When word spread of his illness, many makers rushed to buy up stock to meet their needs for a while. As a result, his inventory was rapidly depleted. Luckily, I have enough on hand to get through a couple of years. Also, really good quality cork can be difficult to find. If you are able to find it the cost can be pretty high.

What are some of the newer rod building materials that really impress you?

There are a lot of very high quality materials currently available. I really like the ferrules made by CSE, a company located in Vermont. They offer superb quality in any size you can need. Since they see a lot of stress, you simply can’t afford to compromise on their quality. That’s why I only use CSE in my construction. Plus, I’ve recently begun using the Recoil brand of guides from REC Components. They are lighter weight so they restrict the action of the rod less, yet they are made of a very hard material and resistant to wear. Many new bamboo rod makers make a lot of their tools due to the cost of obtaining those made by major suppliers. Panning forms, binders, ovens and etc. can constitute a significant investment for the budding maker. With the exception of my oven, I chose to purchase mine through Bellinger located in Washington. It can be rewarding to make a set of planning forms I suppose, but I decided I would rather devote the time required to do so, to the task of actually making rods. Form accuracy in great part, can determine the accuracy of your blanks. With Bellinger forms, I’ve never had to worry if my forms were true.

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www.southerntrout.com | July 2014 | Southern Trout | 37

featured rod builder Do you teach fly fishing or rod building?

I offer on-on-one instruction for rod making at my shop. Using my tooling, equipment and material, a person interested in making a rod can do so over a week long class. We will start with a culm of bamboo, and at the end of the week, they will have a complete and ready to fish, two piece rod of their own creation.

Are you available to come speak to TU or FFF groups? Yes. I would be happy to speak to any interested TU or FFF groups.

What are your personal favorite fly rod designs?

My granddad used to say that his favorite cobbler was, “Whichever I’m eating at the time.” Now I may not go that far with my fly rods, but I do have a fairly eclectic taste. I’ve built rods based on several different traditional tapers by makers like Leonard, Payne, Edwards, Garrison, Divine and Dickerson. From that list I suppose I favor the Dickerson tapers most, followed closely by those designed by Edwards. I also have a number of my own tapers that I have found to work well, too. Each taper has its own character. What appeals to one caster may not necessarily appeal to another, but that’s one of the things I enjoy about making bamboo rods. I can work with a customer to select a taper based on their abilities and needs, for many different situations.

What are your personal favorite southern waters to fly fish?

While I enjoy fishing many of the more familiar waters of western North Carolina/Northern Georgia, such as the Nantahala, Raven Fork, Tuckaseegee, Toccoa, Chattahoochee; I really prefer the smaller streams. I especially enjoy those that hold native “Specks” or brook trout. With my recent retirement from a public job, I’m hoping to have more to time to get into the Smokies a bit more frequently too.

What suggestions do you have for someone who is considering buying their first custom fly rod?

Don’t be afraid to try bamboo. Although the initial cost of ownership may be a little more than graphite or fiberglass, they are by no means less durable. A high quality bamboo rod, properly cared far will retain its value indefinitely, and perhaps even appreciate in value over time. Rods of other construction will tend to depreciate the moment you take them out of the fly shop. Bamboo rods are often handed down from generation to generation, and rods 100 years old are not uncommon. Though beautiful, they are in fact, excellent fishing tools. A properly designed bamboo rod can protect a 7x tippet, yet still offer enough power in the butt to handle trophy fish. I would suggest you visit a reputable maker, one with several different models available for casting. Cast their rods and others in all the models you can. Try various lengths, tapers, line weights. Discuss your fishing needs for the rod with the maker. They can suggest models and tapers that best suit your goals.

38 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

www.southerntrout.com | July 2014 | Southern Trout | 31

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I Went Fishing...and It Sucked!! by Bob Borgwat

42| Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

www.southerntrout.com | July 2014 | Southern Trout | 43

wanderings of creek freak

wanderings of creek freak went fishing today...and it sucked.

Bright spring sunshine, a normal water level—clear and strong—and a 10-o’clock start time promised big things when I arrived. The Nantahala River is like that. When spring has sprung on the river’s delayed-harvest section, the action is anchored by dry flies. Blue-Winged Olives, March Browns, Quill Gordons in March. Those March stragglers are joined in April by gray Caddisflies, Hendricksons, and small black Stoneflies. Light Cahills and Sulphurs shine in May. But on May afternoons, it’s anyone’s favorite dry-fly pattern, indeed, that works, and they all work best in the Boulder Garden. That’s why I went fishing today...and it sucked. What’s up with that? No more consistent dry-fly fishing water in springtime that lies within an hour of my home. The Hiwassee runs big and wide over Reliance way, but that damn pulse the TVA pushes down our collective fly-fisherman’s throat pushes things around every three hours. The Toccoa outside

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Blue Ridge is a good choice, but ya’ gotta have a boat in tow to row to take advantage of flogging your bugs beyond the skimpy and crowded public access sites. And the flows are most unreliable on the Tuckaseegee near Cullowhee, where promised (or not) water deliveries may (or may not) appear. What’s up with that? That’s why I went fishing today... and it sucked. The Nantahala in spring is all about flogging dry flies on what is all but a freestone stream. Would anyone argue with me? Duke Energy sends lake water via tunnels and huge pipes to the Nantahala Powerhouse, just downstream from the DH section of the Nanty. Otherwise, the river could be four times its size otherwise. Thank goodness Duke hasn’t wrapped its hands around White Oak Creek, which pumps life through nearly 4 miles of the special-regulation riverway. From fall through spring, White Oak Creek pushes cold water under the bridge at the top of the DH, down through the Cataracts, teasingly past Falls Glade, gliding across the Lunchbox Hole, pulsing past The Wall, tumbling through the Boulder Garden, slipping through The Learning Hole, cutting behind The Cabin, and swinging around The Guardrail.

Thanks to collusion between Duke Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, The Guardrail is now named Wishon’s Fishin’ Hole. (Really? REALLY!?) But that marvelous stretch of kneehigh water on the curve above Powerhouse Bridge will always be The Guardrail to me. I haven’t found a map that spells out those sites like I have, but the guys and gals I fish with know each and every one of ‘em—alive in May. Sipping browns, rainbows and brookies. That’s why I went fishing today...and it sucked. It was about a quarter-mile of the Boulder Garden that teased me. Broken granite and a moderate gradient weaves the river here into myriad runs, steppes, chutes, drains, riffles and pockets that on spring days holds a trout (maybe four!) in every place a trout should be found. Twenty-three years ago, the Boulder Garden was the site where my passion for fly-fishing was re-ignited. I grew up fly-fishing California trout streams — Kings River, Merced River, Kern River, Truckee River, Piru Creek, San Gabriel River, Big Creek, San Joaquin River, Hat Creek, Fall

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wanderings of creek freak

River. More. In 1975, my determination to see LA in the rear-view mirror detoured what might have been a personally fabulous fly-fishing expedition through the West had I chased maturity among the Sierras, Rockies and Cascades. Rather, my crossroad led toward the legions of bass fishermen in Texas. Fast-forward 16 years (and I discount not one of those “green trout” I caught on everything but the fly rod). With fly rods flogging tan Caddis flies, Jimmy Jacobs (yep, that “Jimmy Jacobs) and I shared the Boulder Garden on a hastily called photo shoot for our publisher/employer. Jimmy was the editor of Georgia Sportsman (among others). I was the editor of Arkansas Sportsman (among others). It was classic. I discovered the Nantahala Gorge. My flogging form recovered. My river legs failed and I dunked. And the trout were “looking up” at every fly we presented. That’s why I went fishing today...and it sucked. “It’s a no-brainer,” I thought, when I arrived with two novice fly-fishermen in tow. Ten years, now, into my stint as an outfitter/fishing guide, I’ve long used the “Nanty” as an instruction site for teaching flyfishing. Perhaps, no other river in the region offers a finer set of circumstances for budding floggers. October through May, the river is stocked heavily. Browns. Rainbows. Brookies. They’re all here for new anglers to see, touch, feel, catch—and easy to reach via turn-out after turn-out, bridge after bridge, pool after pool, riffle after riffle, plunge after plunge, run after run. Other than such easy access (the best trout waters should never be so easy to reach), the Nantahala displays every character an Appalachian trout stream should hold. Instruction sites should be like that. That’s why I went fishing today...and it sucked. Every fly-fisherman’s journal spells out the trials and tribulations of his passion. If not, you’re lying. If you fish a lot, your entries of busted trips are many and the reasons flourish. You’re late. You’re early. Flat tires. Break-downs. Wrong turns. Road washouts. High water. Low water. Too bright. Too dark. No bugs. Bugs galore. Wrong fly. Snapped rods. Lost fly boxes. Crowded water. Whiskey last night. Honey, do this today. Even when everything is right, the fish gods cast evil spells. My chores were done. I tempered my whiskey. The fish truck ran great. I didn’t need a map. I was on time. The river was clear. The level was neat. The sky was blue. The wind was light. It was Thursday. There were six anglers on 4 miles of water. It was high spring! That’s why I went fishing today...and it sucked. Contact Bob at Reelanglingadventures.com See their ad on page 27. 46 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

www.southerntrout.com | July 2014 | Southern Trout | 47

Trout only live in beautiful places.

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new fly guy

Fly Line Basics

new fly guy by Steve Moore

een using the fly line that came with the packaged starter kit you either purchased or were given? Thinking about upgrading? While everyone has an opinion on whether the fly line or the fly rod is the most important piece of gear to improve on-stream performance, I agree with the fly liners. I believe a high-quality fly line neutralizes the limitations of most entrylevel rods since a line with a slick, frictionless surface helps overcome even the most stumbling cast on a midgrade rod. Before you pick your preferred line construction technology, you must understand the basics of type and taper. At the most fundamental level, fly lines range between 80 and 105 feet long with the typical line being approximately 90 feet—more than you could ever cast. Add the backing to the length, and you should never run out of line given the typical size fish most of us are lucky enough to catch. Obviously, if you go to heaven where every trout is at least 15 pounds (or deal with steelhead or saltwater fishing), you may need more, but it will come from additional backing, not fly line. All fly line has a “weight” standardized by the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association. Without getting into the complex details, it’s simpler to say that there are fifteen weights (wt) with one being the lightest and fifteen being the heaviest. Each has a stock weight, usually in the middle of the defined, acceptable weight range associated with the rating. Therefore, when you buy a four weight line, no matter what its type or configuration, the overall weight is predictable. The key differences between the types trace to line diameter and how the manufacturer distributes the

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Standards for Fly Line Weights Line Standard Grain Rating Weight Window (in grains)* 1 Weight 60 54-66 2 Weight 80 74-86 3 Weight 100 94-106 4 Weight 120 114-126 5 Weight 140 134-146 6 Weight 160 152-168 7 Weight 185 177-193 8 Weight 210 202-218 9 Weight 240 230-250 10 Weight 280 270-290 11 Weight 330 318-342 12 Weight 380 368-392 13 Weight 450 435-465 14 Weight 500 485-515 15 Weight 550 435-565 *The Standard Weight indicates the weight measured in grains, of the first 30 feet of line for each line rating.

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new fly guy

new fly guy allowable weight. Line weights one through four are great for small flies. Midrange weights of five to seven are the utility lines good for most situations while anything at eight or above are for large flies, windy conditions or distance casting. What should you use on your rod? Without getting into when to over or under line (using a line different from the recommended weight for the rod), just match the line to the rod. A 4wt rod should use 4wt line. On rods with multiple ratings (3/4, 5/6, etc), use the higher rating to select the line. Hence, a 5/6 rod should use a 6wt line. Once you know the size line you need, you have two additional choices: floating or sinking. Most fly lines float. If you consider your last visit to the stream, you know it would be pretty hard to get a drag free drift on a dry fly with a line that consistently pulled the fly underwater. Additionally, you are already familiar with adding a few split shot to the end of your tippet to push streamers or nymphs down the water column to obtain the sinking characteristic required to fish those flies. However, the fly line itself floats on top, ready for the flicks necessary to mend and protect the drift. The variation in floating lines lies in the distribution of the weight along the length with four general choices—weight forward, double taper, shooting head and level line. Weight forward describes a line with most of the weight in the first 30 feet followed by a gradual taper to the longer running line section. It is the type of line that should have been included in your entry-level package. By pushing the weight closer to the business end, the line is easier to cast since the heavier weight exercises the rod to store and release of energy during the cast. Remember this formula from high school physics? Force = Mass times Acceleration (f=ma). A weight forward line has more mass (matter) at the front. Higher mass with the acceleration provided by the combination of the rod flex and the “hurry up and stop” push of your forearm produces the force to move the line. With more mass at the end, it’s easier to get the cast moving. Beyond getting your cast in the air, being front loaded is important for windy conditions. The weight makes it easier to punch the appropriately sized fly through a moderate breeze. The disadvantage of weight forward is it is harder to achieve a decent roll cast, but you can overcome that problem through practice and experience. Weight forward lines come in various tapers tailored to either fish or conditions. You can buy bass, trout, saltwater,

Having a thinner diameter line at the end is better for dry flies and nymphs since you can mend the line easier.

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redfish and other specialty tapers. All the word “specialty” means is the manufacturer rebalanced the weight at the front end with custom tapers to the running line to account for the typical condition associated with the fish or situation. Remember, the manufacturer is dealing with a fixed amount of weight according to the standards and all they can do is move the weight to stay within the specification. Of course, this is where the manufacturing technology (coating, construction, material) comes into play to achieve additional advantages independent of the weight of the line. Unlike weight forward, a double taper line places the bulk of the weight in the long middle of the line with an identical short taper to the running line on each end. Its advantage is the smaller business end is lighter and produces less of a splash/disturbance upon landing; critical when dealing with heavily pressured or easily spooked fish. However, since the weight is in the middle, it is harder to cast since more line needs to get into the air than with the weight forward configuration. Novices will have a challenge achieving distance using this type of line. Double taper is easier to roll cast and better for nymph fishing. With the weight in the middle, when you bring the rod back for a roll cast, the line is balanced and better positioned for the flick that shoots the fly out. Having a thinner diameter line at the end is better for dry flies and nymphs since you can mend the line easier. A final, minor advantage is it either end works equally well. Once you wear out one end, reverse the line on your reel. Given the quality of today’s fly lines, you will probably never do this since you will find cracks or nicks in the belly of the line mandating retirement to the trash heap before the business end becomes unserviceable.

A shooting head line is a specialty taper that pushes the bulk of the weight into a compressed area at the front of the line. Instead of a gradual transition from taper to running line, a shooting head abruptly changes from thick to thin. The heavy front end improves your ability to cast long distances although you are guaranteed the line will create a greater splash upon landing. Shooting heads are good for heavier flies or windy conditions.

The level line, as its name implies, is a line that does not have any variations in thickness with the same diameter throughout its length. Level lines have fallen out of favor because they are hard to cast. In fact, I did a brief search of Orvis, Cabela’s and Bass www.southerntrout.com | May July | Southern Trout | 53

new fly guy

new fly guy Pro shops using the keyword “level line” and did not find any. It has no “must buy” advantages over weight forward or double taper. Granted, the thinner diameter reduces line slap for a more stealthy presentation and it is easier to roll cast than weight forward since you do not have to overcome the heavy business end, but the overall difficulty in casting overcomes those two positives. Sinking lines are the other major category and they do exactly what the name implies. Instead of floating, they begin to sink at different rates depending on the rating associated with the line. Since weight standards remain in effect for sinking lines (a 4wt is still a 4wt), the manufacturers achieve the sinking characteristic by reducing the diameter of the line and coating it with heavy metal particles. You can purchase sinking lines with sink rates ranging from a 1/2 inch per second all the way up to 10 1/2 inches per second. There are two types of sinking lines, sink tip or full sinking (lumping intermediate sinking with full sinking). A sink tip line transitions to floating between five and fifteen feet from the end and does not achieve as much penetration of the water column as a full sinking line. Since you can tie on a sink tip as part of your leader, you really do not need to invest the money for a single purpose sink tip line unless you consistently need the full performance a dedicated line offers. After reading this, you can understand why reels come with spare spools! Unless one line, one weight meets all your needs, you need spools to give yourself quick change options. Need a more gentle presentation? Drop a line weight or pop on that double taper. Need to deal with wind? Change to a higher weight, a specialty line or a shooting head. In an area where every cast is a roll cast? Double taper. Fish deep in the water column? Sinking line. For more information on tackle selection, I recommend either (or both) of these references used for most of the expert background supporting this article: L.L. Bean Ultimate Book of Fly Fishing by Lord, Talleur and Whitlock Fly Fishing for Trout in Streams by The Freshwater Angler

Relax

Unwind

uests breathe easier here, and it isn’t just the mountain air. It’s the entire Eseeola experience: award-winning cuisine, exceptional service, and of course, first-rate fly fishing on 175 Linville Avenue Linville, NC 28646 the Linville River. 54 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com www.southerntrout.com | May July | Southern Trout | 53 (800)742-6717

HIKING GEORGIA

A Guide to the State’s Greatest Hiking Adventures 4th Edition

Jimmy Jacobs has chosen to try filling some very big shoes. Jacobs has taken over the franchise for Hiking Georgia from the original author, Don Pfitzer. Pfitzer retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an assistant director for the Southeast some years back. A trained entomologist, botanist and fervent trout fisherman, Pfitzer then wrote the original text for Hiking Georgia. Having reached his 90th birthday, Pfitzer now has turned the 4th edition revision over to Jacobs. This is not a rehash of past information on the Peach State’s fabulous trail systems. Jacobs and photographer (and fly-caster) Polly Dean re-walked more than 500 miles of trails, producing GPS-tracked color maps of the 79 featured trail systems. Fifteen of those systems are totally new in this edition. Ms. Dean recorded the venture in stunning photography that complements the revised trail descriptions.

River's Edge Outfitters has you covered when it comes to fly fishing. With two shops we guide on more than 3000 miles of trout and smallie waters. For the experience of a lifetime give us a call and book your trip today! LEARN FLY FISHING FROM OUR EXPERT INSTRUCTORS

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We will supply you with all of the tackle and flies while teaching you valuable skills and techniques. Casting strokes, knots, fly selection, reading water, presentation techniques, wading safety, and tips for safely handling and releasing trophy size trout are all part of our program.

Our "Private Waters" offer guaranteed solitude and the chance to catch trophy-sized trout (up to 25 inches) in a pristine mountain stream environment. River's Edge Outfitters manages these private waters with fishermen regularly catching browns and rainbows up 25 inches.

All three of our fly shops are located in the heart of the best trout fishing in the country. Here in Western NC we fish 365 days a year. Whether you are after high country wild brookies, trophy brown trout, or chasing smallmouth bass, our guides are dedicated to putting their clients on fish.

Our full day local wade trips take place on wild and hatchery supported/delayed harvest trout streams. However these trips allow our guide to take you to places that could not be reached with the time allowed on a half day trip. You will also be able to fish an assortment of great locations if the conditions allow.

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The North Georgia region holding the state’s trout habitat is the focus of 39 of those chapters. Trout waters are found along the trails in 21 of the featured hikes. And, those trails lead to some of the lesser known and more difficult to reach cold waters in Georgia, including the haunts of native brook trout. Jimmy Jacobs retired as editor of Georgia Sportsman magazine this past January after 25 years of reporting on hunting and fishing in the state. He also is the outdoor columnist for the state’s leading newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Additionally, Jacobs reports on freshwater fishing in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi for Fox Sports Outdoors on the Fox Sports South network. His Trout Fishing in North Georgia from Peachtree Publishers, Ltd is considered the foremost guidebook to the trout waters of the Peach State. 56 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

River’s Edge Outfitters Carries the Best Flies and Gear

www.southerntrout.com | May July | Southern Trout | 53

close look - Virginia

Discovery: Virginia Creeper Trout

photo by Jim Cowan 58 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

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close look - Virginia

ill Strayley, an early morning customer in Bruce Wankle’s Virginia Creeper Fly Shop, accurately summed up the appeal of Whitetop Laurel creek, “I like it because I think I have an idea where the fish are. I get in a big tailwater where it’s so big and expansive, and I don’t have a clue where to start. When I’m in a small stream I know if there’s an eddy over here in the corner that’s flat or after water dumps in or a little run, there’s probably some fish in there. When it gets hot, they’re in the riffles. I just have a little better understanding of where fish are.” Wankle named his Abingdon, Virginia fly shop after the Virginia Creeper Trail, a major Southwest Virginia recreational resource. The 34.3 mile long National Recreation Trail was established on an abandoned railroad right-of-way running from the Virginia/ North Carolina border to Abingdon. The slow speed imposed by the mountain terrain on steam locomotives hauling timber, coal, iron ore, dry goods and passengers over the line earned it the nickname “Virginia Creeper” which is a pun on the climbing vine that is wild and sometimes unwanted throughout the region. That sobriquet was passed on to the Trail when it was established in the 1970s. What’s that got to do with trout? Well, the railroad followed the line of least resistance, and in our mountains, that’s almost always along the course of a stream. In this case, it is along Whitetop Laurel Creek and its tributaries Green Cove Creek and Laurel Creek. They’re full of rainbow, brown and brook trout—stocked and stream-bred. All

in all, the Trail crosses or runs along miles of trout water, much of it in the Jefferson National Forest and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. I’m the first to admit that 34.3 miles is a long hike in waders and boots. Fortunately, the Trail weaves in and out of an extensive network of state and federal highways, so it’s easy to pick a stretch of water to explore with minimal risk of blisters. Some of the best trout water is accessed on the upper half of the Trail along US 58 and State Routes 726, 728 and 859 east of Damascus, Virginia. Whitetop Laurel and tributary Green Cove pass through public and private land and are managed under a variety of regulations. Sections of the streams above and below the Taylor’s Valley area are under Virginia Department of

Virginia Creeper Fly Shop Game and Inland Fisheries Special Regulations that require the use of single hook artificial lures and impose a 12-inch minimum for keepers. The Taylor’s Valley section and other portions are managed under the less restrictive stocked trout regulations. License and Permit requirements will vary in these areas and a check with Wankle at Virginia Creeper or VDGIF before you wet line is recommended. Anglers can use a number of Creeper Trail parking areas along US 58 and State Routes 726 and 728 to access the Trail in this upper section. The Creek Junction parking area gives you the choice of Green Cove Creek heading upstream or Whitetop Laurel going downstream on the Trail. Handicap access for anglers is also available there.

Bruce Wankle and Jim Staley discuss flies for Whitetop photos by George Grant

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close look - Virginia Wankle sums up the best time to “hit the trail.“ “Like a lot of the mountain streams, the prime time is when the larger aquatic insects hatch in March, April, May and June, and depending on when drought sets in, the larger hatches end by the first of July. Then it’s terrestrial time for me: beetles, ant, and grasshopper patterns. The trout don’t go away; they’re there. In July, August and September, fish early in the morning, and then go do something else. Take a nap. The better fishing time is that hour to hour and fifteen minutes right before dark… Oftentimes, we get rain from tropical storms and that will replenish the water up there in October and November. Then I like to fish the other hatch which is late October, the October Caddis.” Whitetop Laurel does have a good population of Green Drakes, and June is a great time to be

on the water at dusk with a Coffin Fly tied to the tippet. If you’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, this spinner fall will bring trout great and small to the surface in a fantastic feeding frenzy that will be among your fondest memories. One important point to keep in mind is the Trail’s popularity with hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. You’ll be sharing the path with people who may not be aware of the fragility of fly rods, so be prepared to accommodate their ignorance and, on the downgrades, their velocity when you’re walking instead of wading. Don’t expect wilderness solitude, but there’s almost always a screen of mountain vegetation between the trail and the water. There’s also an unwritten “gentleman’s agreement” if you don’t laugh at their Spandex shorts, they won’t giggle and point at your waders.

Whitetop Laurel in Taylor’s Valley photo by Jim Cowan 62 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

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close look - Virginia

The Omni Homestead

“W

ow!” was all I could think as the Homestead came into view. Just pulling up to park was a bit overwhelming. There are two very good reasons for this. First, in order to reach the Homestead, one drives for several miles through rolling landscapes of hills and farmland. The perfect preview for great trout fishing. Second, one can’t help but be impressed by The Homestead’s sheer size. The resort can best be described as “massive.” Pulling up, one knows there is plenty to explore, indulge and experience. For example, upon arriving at The Homestead, I spied a farm tractor pulling a wooden trailer heavily laden with parents and their excited school-aged children. Each day the resort offers a host of family-friendly activities, among the most popular of which

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are the hay rides. My own kids and I have enjoyed hay rides together, and at that moment, I couldn’t help but wish that they were there with me. The 483-room Homestead resort efficiently and impressively staffs about 1,000 employees to cater to its guests. An onsite shop prints daily activity sheets and various restaurant menus. Paint, electrical, and mechanical crews are also on site or on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to accommodate your every indulgence. Just watching this fleet of employees gives one an explanation of why a resort that dates back to the 18th century can look like it might’ve opened its doors yesterday. Tens of thousands of guests visit The Homestead annually—but the visitors were coming to this spot before the resort ever existed. Local Indians often gathered here to soak in the mineral springs. Eventually, Europeans “discovered” the springs, and tourists began traveling to the area to take the waters. Founding Fathers George Washington and

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close look - Virginia Thomas Jefferson came to Hot Springs to escape the demands of public life and seek rest and rejuvenation. In fact, nearly two dozen presidents have stayed at The Homestead, and a portrait of each hangs adjacent to the Great Hall. Hotel guests first arrived at The Homestead by horseback, and then eventually by train. In fact, the large white building situated directly across from the hotel was originally a railway station where guests arrived by the hundreds. At that time the hotel didn’t have running water, so guests would bath at the railway station before trekking across to the hotel, where their leisure activities consisted primarily of taking the waters, walking, reading, and dining. Hot Springs native Sam Snead began his legendary golfing career as a caddy at The Homestead. Snead went on to dominate the sport, winning an astounding 82 PGA events (among other golfing honors) and earning the nickname “Slammin’

Sammy.” Known for his easy-going, folksy manner, Snead often wore a straw hat and would occasionally play golf barefoot. Despite his fame, Snead never strayed too far from home. He died in Hot Springs in 2002, just four days shy of his 90th birthday. A local roadway leading to the resort, the resort’s golf course, and a small local pub are named in his honor. It comes as no surprise, then, that The Homestead is famed for its excellent golf courses. What many folks do not expect, however, is the resort’s great, Orvis endorsed fly fishing. In addition to the guiding expertise of Matt Thomas, former fly shop owner and guide, Matt Fussell, directs recreation for the resort. Both Matts are fly fishing addicts. “We see all levels of anglers here,” says Matt Thomas. “One morning I might guide a guest who’s very experienced and really knows how to fish. Later that same day, I may have a beginner angler who’s just getting started. Either way,” he insists, “we

put them on fish and they enjoy themselves. At The Homestead, we specialize in having a good time.”

diminutive wild rainbows. I don’t know what else Thomas has in store for Homestead guests, but I certainly hope I’m invited back to help him “research” future fishing opportunities.

Anglers may opt for a halfday wading trip on the Cascades. They may pursue wild rainbows beneath scenic waterfalls, or they may fish all day on private sections of the upper Jackson River that traverse family farms. The Homestead works with local landowners to provide great fishing for Homestead guests while simultaneously providing land management opportunities for the farmers. Float trips for trout on the lower Jackson River below Lake Moomaw are also an option. These trips include a streamside lunch.

Make no mistake. Guests will find plenty to do at The Homestead. Fussell says that “sporting clays, archery, paintball, falconry, horseback riding, Segway tours, and guided hikes” are on offer, in addition to a seasonal KidsClub and kids’ Adventure Camp, a full-service spa and KidSpa, and a water complex that features a lazy river and water slides. What does this mean for the sportsman? Simply put, The Homestead is the ideal family getaway, with recreational and rejuvenating opportunities sure to satisfy both the young and the young at heart.

“Once the weather turns warm, we focus on smallmouth bass trips along the James River. I’m also working on some other locations,” says Thomas mysteriously, “but I have more ‘research’ to do before I can offer anything concrete.” I fished with Matt for two days, stalking everything from bruiser Kamloops rainbows with streamers (one of which broke off 3x tippet like it was nothing) to

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close look - Virginia

“These days there’s more young turk fly fishing guides in the South than you can shake a stick at.”

atthew Thomas, who guides fly fishermen on the famous Omni Homestead property, is not only young and full of vinegar, he is wise beyond his years in the ways of trout in his home waters. “Our Mission is to create memorable guest experiences that will last a lifetime,” says Thomas. ”We also strive to provide knowledge and excellent fishing opportunities on the fly fishing excursions we offer on the headwaters of the Jackson River as well as on the tailwaters of the Jackson. We float the tail water and walk/wade private water on the upper Jackson. We also have 4 miles of private water on The Omni Homestead property.”

Featured Guide - Matthew Thomas Omni Homestead Resort According to Thomas, he provides fly fishing instruction according to the levels of experience of the anglers. Since a number of his clients are first-time fly fishermen who do not have tackle, or arrived for a stay at the Omni Homestead for a vacation where they later discovered the angling available there, Thomas can supply flies and tackle. You have choice of hip or chest waders and get a well-stocked fly vest. When asked how he found himself in the fly fishing guide business, Thomas smiled and said, “It is a long story, but the short version is that I got lucky four years ago. I grew up fishing; it was my favorite past time, but I learned to fly fish while in college Pennsylvania. A newby stream had a run of big steelhead. The first time I hooked one of those on a fly, I was the one who was hooked. I did not have a specific person who inspired me to start fly fishing. The art of fly fishing is what inspired me—that and those big steelhead. “Thomas’ love for the art of fly fishing is what drew him in to the sport to the point

he decided to become a fulltime fly fishing guide. Now, Orvis endorsed, he enjoys taking seasoned anglers to his favorite fly fishing spots, but he noted that there is a lot to be said about introducing a person to streams and fly fishing for the first time in their lives. “With first time anglers I concentrate on teaching them basic casting techniques, how to set the hook and bring the fish in. I also give them and overview of the equipment and different flies and how they are fished,” says Thomas. “Our clients have high expectations we strive to make our clients extremely happy. We hope they return and we hope they learn new fly fishing techniques. We supply transportation for all our guided trips. Lunch is included for full day fishing excursions as well as the Float Fishing excursion. The idea is to make it is as enjoyable as possible.” He says there are a lot of people that are just getting into the sport and through fly fishing media they are understanding the best way to learn how to fish and actually catch fish is to go through a guide service. According to Thomas his most popular repeat trips are ½ day and full day trips on the upper Jackson River and on the Omni Homestead’s private stream. The quality of fishing on these waters is consistently great..“On the Lower Jackson I

“Our clients have high expectations we strive to make our clients extremely happy.” walk/wade guide and float guide the lower Jackson River for wild browns trout and wild rainbow trout,” says Thomas. “I typically float the Indian Draft section to Petticoat but other options are available. Guided excursions on the Lower Jackson last six to eight hours. The fish on this section of the river can be finicky which makes it a challenge but it is very rewarding when you catch the fish. Sizes of the fish range from four to thirty inches. “On the Upper Jackson I walk wade guide on the Upper Jackson in Highland

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close look - Virginia

County for wild rainbows and wild browns stocked rainbows and stocked browns and native book trout. Guided excursions on this section of river are full day trips. This section of the river is on a wide open pastures, and there is about 4 miles to fish. This section is very easy for beginners and advanced anglers love the river as well. The fish range in size from ten to twenty inches.” “The Cascades Stream on the Homestead property has 4 miles on a private mountain stream” says Thomas. “The stream is stocked with kamloop rainbows and also has wild rainbow trout. The stream has 2 miles of upper sections with 13 cascading falls and deep plunge pools. This section is home to extremely aggressive wild trout. The fish in this section range from three to eighteen inches. The lower 2 miles of this stream are stocked heavily with kamloop rainbows ranging from ten to twenty inches. The entire stream is very technical, with lots of roll casting needed due to the high brush levels. The stream width averages about the size of one lane of a road. My go-to fly patterns on the Cascades is Size 12 Prince Nymph, a Size 6 White Rascal streamer, and Size 16 Orvis Hetro Genius Nymph” Thomas takes great pride in guiding fly fishermen of all ages. “I have guided children as young as 6 years old on our stream. My nephew Casey at age 6 caught seven fish in his first twenty minutes,” says Thomas. “Additionally, I have guided some people in their nineties. We can also accommodate those who are handicapped as well. I feel the most important thing is to ensure that everyone I guide has the best most memorable experience and maintains a safe environment for them. I have also teamed up with Project Healing Waters and Wounded Warriors on several occasions and will continue to do so. I do guide in inclement weather. This year alone I have guided in snow, rain and thunderstorms. “I have been fishing for the past 12 years. I live and die for the sport. I have worked countless hours on perfecting my skill. As a guide my goal is to pass on my passion of the sport to all those I guide,” says Thomas. You can email him at Matthew.Thomas@omnihotels.com

“I live and die for the sport. . . As a guide my goal is to pass on my passion of the sport to all those I guide...”

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close look - Virginia

urray’s Fly Shop was formed in 1962 in Edinburg, Virginia which is in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley by Harry Murray. It lies close to the brook trout fishing in the Shenandoah National Park and smallmouth bass fishing on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Murray’s Fly Shop is the only shop licensed to offer trout schools and guide trips in the Shenandoah National Park. In fact, the book Harry wrote Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park, was written at the request of the officials of the Park in order to show anglers where they can find these wonderful streams. Harry has written 15 books on fly fishing which, along with the many stories he writes for national magazines, brings many anglers from all around the country to his fly shop for the trout and smallmouth fishing and his schools. He offers over 30 “on the stream” schools each summer and 20 winter classroom schools, 4 of which are fly-tying schools. According to Harry, “The primary thrust behind our schools, guide trips, and the information provided on our website is to help anglers of all levels enjoy fly fishing and learn the fine points of this great sport. The tackle we offer is carefully selected to enable all anglers to choose the specific equipment needed for the angling he plans to do all across the country. We carry tackle by Scott, Winston, Orvis, St. Croix, Ross, Abel, Hardy, Scientific Anglers, Fishpond, Simms, Bailey, Dr. Slick and many others. “We carry over 20,000 flies in 450 patterns and sizes for all types of freshwater and saltwater fly fishing, many of which are tied exclusively for us by our tyers. These include over 50 different fly patterns which Harry has designed including the Mr. Rapidan Series of trout flies and the Shenandoah Series of bass flies.” All of these products and flies can be purchased in person in Murray’s fly shop, or on his website at www.murraysflyshop.com or by phone at 540-984-4212. Murray’s Fly Shop 121 S. Main St. (P.O. Box 156) Edinburg VA 22824

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close look - Virginia

bout ten years ago, an obituary appeared in the Richmond TimesDispatching noting the passing of a prominent citizen who had lived in the city for 93 of his 97 years, noting “he was not from around here…” God Bless Dixie, eh? Only in heart of the Old South could you live 93 years and still be considered an outsider. Thank goodness Southern Trout is more accepting of interlopers, carpetbaggers and Yankees in general. No one can say this is not a somewhat progressive publication.

CK Critter Bug

Fly Tier:

William Heresniak Alexandria, VA

One of Virginia’s most talented fly tiers, William Heresniak grew up in Clinton Corners NY which is about 2 hours North of New York City. However, today he lives in Alexanderia, Virginia which makes him part of the Southern Trout family, once removed of course. Like so many modern southern fly fishermen enthralled to trout, Heresniak did not grow up chasing salmonids. In his youth he fished for trout a couple of time, but most of his angling upbringing was with this Dad and brothers in pursuit of redeye rockbass, bluegill and largemouth bass. In fact, it was not until 1997 when he first gripped a fly rod. “I had seen people fly fish before trying it,”says Heresniak . “I was fishing on a lake in Virginia for largemouth bass and I ended up watching an angler fly fishing from a john boat for bluegill. I was in awe and captured mostly by the beauty of the cast. That night I went home and ordered a fly rod, reel, line and flies from L.L. Bean. I had them overnight it to me, and I was out on the same lake the next day fishing

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on the same spot. My casting wasn’t as pretty, but I caught fish. That same week, I purchased my first fly tying vise. My first guided trip was on the Provo River in Utah with Monte a guide from Spinner Fall Fly Shop. I was with my Dad and each of us caught over 100 brown trout on San Juan worms and Pheasant Tail nymphs. To this day it hasn’t been beat.” Waters where Heresniak cut his teeth catching trout include the Letort, Big Spring, Yellow Breeches, Mossy Creek, North Branch of the Potomac River, Savage River and Shenandoah River. Heresniak’s earliest mentor was Mike Kohut. A baseball coach and Physical Education teacher where he attended high school, Heresniak describes him as a mountain man in a modern sense. “His love for the outdoors was an inspiration for me,” says Heresniak. “Over the years, fly tying mentors have been Chuck Kraft, Kelly Galloup and Walt Cary.”

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close look - Virginia

El Chupacabra tying techniques, fishing his patterns and much more. Other strong influences have been Kelly Galloup, David (Grizzly) Lambert, Walt Cary. When you first began tying trout flies, what are some of the patterns he tied most often then, and why did you tie these patterns, he referred to the Kelly Gallpoup and Bob Linesman book released in 1999 titled Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout. According “When I began guiding in to Heresniak, this was and 2003, Chuck Kraft became still is his fly tying my Bible. a very strong influence “The week I got the book,” he in my tying and fishing,” says, “I tied some of the flies says Heresniak. “Chuck is in it. The pattern that put that a legendary smallmouth, first trophy trout in my hands trout and musky guide in was a Yellow Butt Monkey Charlottesville, Virginia. I have learned so much from I tied that week. That same Chuck about fly development, week when I was fishing on Heresniak’s passion for fly fishing was the proverbial “hook, line and sinker,” as almost as soon as he began fly casting, he became interested in tying flies. When he first started out he describes himself as self taught. ‘He relied on books, magazines, videos, fly tying seminars, fly fishing shows, and such to help him progress.

Crittermite Fly the North Branch of the Potomac River in Maryland I landed a 24” cutthroat trout using the Yellow Butt Monkey. Yes there were cutthroat trout stocked in the North Branch in the late 90’s. But that first day fishing big streamers changed my life.” “Right around that same time when I was in the Angler’s Lie Fly Shop in Arlington, Virginia, the owner, Newel Steele, handed me this shiny fly called a Kreelex and simply said ‘Fish It.’ The Kreelex was my first experience with a Chuck Kraft pattern. It was deadly. It has out fished and out produced any other fly I

have ever fished for both salt and fresh water fishing. using only a hook, thread, dumbbell eyes and Kreinik flash. This fly is simple to tie, but more importantly it is deadly on trout, smallmouth, largemouth, redfish, sea trout, striped bass, gar, snakehead, musky and more.

Jared’s Outlaw

“An example and great tip in regards to Craft stores and Walmart is Bohemian Chenille Yarn. I was turned on to this material by “Grizzly” Lambert for tying very large Clawdad patterns. Great stuff and its dirt cheap. My company, Eastern Trophies Fly Fishing, produces synthetic When it comes to tying tails also. These tails materials, we asked were developed by Chuck Heresniak if he regarded Kraft who works directly himself as a self-sufficient with Eastern Trophies in tier who gathers many of the product development and materials used in your tying testing. I currently have efforts, or do you rely mostly over 1 million tails in stock. on commercially available It’s pretty bizarre with materials? He said he is both. thousands and thousands “I get a lot of materials from of zip lock bags in plastic Hareline, Wapsi, Fly Shops, containers in my office, but Craft Stores and sometimes these things build amazing even Walmart,” he says. patterns and as long as you

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don’t lose your fly, the tails will outlast the hooks.” Heresniak commercially ties about 2,000 flies a year. He ties almost everyday. Most of these are streamers for trout, smallmouth and musky. However, he will also do custom orders for clients.He does not tie a fly, or carry a fly in stock unless it has two attributes. Any fly I tie or carry in stock must produce good numbers of fish and trophy fish. Heresniak does about half a dozen tying seminars annually. He also works with Project Healing Waters and teach veterans how to tie flies and fly fish. In the real world he is an Elementary

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close look - Virginia Physical Education teacher in Virginia at aol is a CETA school (Changing Education Through the Arts) where he teaches 4th and 5th grade students how to tie flies. When asked what are some examples of newer patterns he has come to rely on a lot in recent years he noted the Kreelex first. “If I had one fly to fish, it’s the Kreelex,” says Heresniak. “Other’s that I rely on as a guide and angler are Chuck Kraft’s Clawdad, CK Baitfish and Crittermite. Kelly Galloup’s Sex Dungeon and Nancy P are also go to patterns that produce large trout and also good numbers of trout. Some of the newer tying materials that Heresniak really likes include Eastern Trophies Fly Fishing’s CK Baitfish Tails, Clawdad Tails, Curly Tails, etc. Bohemian Chenille Yarn that you can find in craft stores used to tie larger Clawdads, Woolly Chenille carried by Hareline used to tie the Crittermite and Clear Cure

Goo. “CCG is amazing,” according to Heresniak. When asked what advice to he had for would-be fly tiers, Heresniak said “Wow...yes...ot’s of advice. You won’t get rich tying flies, but it’s fun. Tie every day if you can. The chair you tie in is extremely important, yet not many tyers realize this. Your tying chair should be the most comfortable place to sit. Youtube is a great place to find new ideas and learn techniques. Stay organized. When you go to shows where there are professional fly tiers, spend time to talk to them. We will show you tricks and techniques and all kinds of stuff. We even give flies away. Give back to someone or something. When developing a fly it is extremely important that your fly has the profile and movement of what it is supposed to imitate. In the words of Chuck Kraft, “It may look good in your hat, but if it doesn’t look like the bug or move like the bug, its not gonna catch fish.” Chuck Kraft is notorious for developing a fly for 5-10 years before releasing it publically. This is something I have learned as a tier, that is extremely important. See some of Heresniak’s flies and like his facebook page.

Galloup’s Bottom’s Up 80 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

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What About Fiberglass?

By Timothy P. O’Brien, Ph.D.

“New fiberglass rods are getting a hard look by the fly-fishing industry, as well as scores of fly fishers, because high-modulus graphite fly rods have gotten so fast that it’s reached a point where anglers start scratching their heads and asking, ‘Why?’ Fastaction rods require more effort to cast, and casting distance is not a priority to many fly fishers because trout-fishing situations most often require an accurate cast of 40 feet or less.” --Cameron Mortensen, The Fiberglass Manifesto

ishing rods have been made from various woods and grasses for thousands of years. These materials were considered to be “the best known” and, today, a segment of anglers continue the tradition. Fishing rods, especially flyrods, made from wood and bamboo retain their mystique and the sworn “wood guys” will not consider a fishing rod made from any other product. However, for countless decades rod makers have sought to find different materials from which to make their products in order to make them more durable, stronger, to make less maintenance and care more simple, and were less costly. Some of these different materials have included different forms of laminated wood and bamboo, the use of different metals and alloys, and synthetic materials. Today, in the twenty-first century most fishing rods are manufactured from synthetic and composite materials that

were conceived shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, however, the process to refine these materials into a form that was practical for fishing rod manufacture took decades. The intense industrial mobilization which took place during World War II led to the development of many new “wonder materials” and manufacturing processes. Some of these materials took the form of new alloys, plastics, and practical applications for glass and glass fibers. All of these innovations and changes combined forever changed the lives of hundreds of millions of people and subsequent generations. The first of the true synthetic resins made its appearance in 1909. This resin led to the development of “Bakelite.”1 Bakelite is a very hard versatile material that was used for many years to manufacture all types of products from telephones to grooming products. In the fishing tackle industry, Bakelite was used in the

manufacture of fishing rod components and fishing reels. However, Bakelite was not practical for fishing rod construction due to its weight and it did not have the flexibility required by a fishing rod because it most often broke before bending. Until the late 1940s, the best and most prized fishing rods had as their main component Tonkin Cane, a species of bamboo. However, perhaps the final blow for large scale wood fishing rod manufacturing came when trade with China, the only place where Tonkin Cane grows, was banned in December 1950 by the U. S. Government in response to the Chinese army crossing of the Yalu River during the Korean War. The embargo would stay in place for nineteen years until December 1969, when during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, relations between the two countries were normalized. ______________________ 1Schweibert, p. 1086.

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Some manufacturers began to use other materials like plastic, steel, beryllium copper, and fiberglass for their fishing rod lines. Some of these materials had not been considered previously because either they did not exist in a workable form or they were not readily available. One material that had shown great promise for fishing rods was the “wonder metal,” beryllium copper. It had been developed during the war and its properties long-life, noncorrosive, and springiness lended itself to fishing rods. However, its use in fishing rod manufacturing was short lived. Fiberglass became the most important composite to affect the fishing tackle industry, and the fiberglass blank business was fueled primarily one company, the Shakespeare Tackle Company. Production of fiberglass fishing rods began in the late 1940s, and by the 1960s it had become the standard material used in fishing rod manufacture. Fiberglass is made from one of the oldest and most abundant materials found on the planet, sand. Sand when melted becomes glass; fiberglass is made from the combination of glass fibers combined with a substance or resin to bind the fibers together. The first glass fibers, the primary component in fiberglass, were created by accident when a researcher for Corning Glass was attempting to create an airtight seal between blocks of glass by welding the blocks together. Part of this process was to force molten glass through the crack between two blocks with compressed air. Instead of creating an actual weld,

the compressed air forced molten glass through the gap between the blocks, forming long strands of glass fibers. The Corning Glass company could forsee a use for these fibers and would later partner with Owens-Illinois for further development, patenting the process in 1936. In 1938, both companies merged to form the Owens-Corning Fiberglas® Corporation. Today, Owens-Corning remains one of the largest manufacturers of fiberglass, which is used in everything from home insulation to automobile bodies. The “medium” that binds the glass fibers together to create a rigid material when hard, is called the resin, also known a s a polyester resin. This type of binder was first developed and patented by an engineer at DuPont in 1936, however, a suitable method of hardening the resin had not yet been developed. During World War II, engineers in Germany refined a process to cure polyester resins and this development would refine the fiberglassmaking process. British intelligence agents secured the German process, which was shared with engineers in the United States. Thus, in 1942 a company named American Cyanamid developed the direct forerunner of the polyester resin that is used today. Once the glass fibers and the polyester resin were combined and hardened, the resulting composite became “fiberglass.” As a result, many new military applications for fiberglass came to light, including “non-magnetic land mines, radio aerials for Jeeps, jettison-able fuel tanks, and thermal and sound insulation for military aircraft.”2 ________________________ 2Johnson and Johnson, p. 9.

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This “wonder material” would open an entirely world of new possibilities for manufacturing everything from boats to airplanes. Fiberglass was not only relatively inexpensive to manufacture, it was very durable, very strong, required little upkeep, and did not corrode, rot, or was susceptibility to insect damage. A number of fishing rod makers began to experiment with fiberglass for fishing rods. At the time, unlike research and development of today with all of the communication tools available, many worked on their new products in isolation, independent and mostly unknown to each other. The names Conolon, Montague, Havens, and Howald are most mentioned in discussions of the earliest fiberglass fishing rods. The first fiberglass fishing rods developed were light weight “fly rods.” Dr. Arthur M. Howald, the Technical Director for the Plaskon Division of Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company and an avid fly fisherman was researching fibers and resins during World War II. While out fishing one day, he broke the tip of his fishing rod and he decided to make the repairs using the materials he had been researching, glass fibers and resin. He was not satisfied with the initial repair results, however, he realized the potential of this material and he continued to experiment. In time, he was able to produce a fishing rod that had acceptable traits—lightness, flexibility, and durability. Howald applied for a patent for the “Howald Glastik Wonderod” and the process he had developed on February 16, 1946. The U.S. Patent Office issued Patent Number 2,551,717 on October

16, 1951, which was assigned to LibbeyOwens-Ford, his employer.3 The Howald process involved laying the polyester-impregnated fibers parallel to and around a balsa wood core. This combination was then wrapped in cellophane and placed in an oven for curing and hardening. Once hard, the cellophane was removed and the wood core remained in place, becoming part of the fishing rod.4 The balsa wood would prove to be problematic and later the process would be modified to lay the fibers in layers around removable steel “mandrel.” In 1947, Henry Shakespeare acquired the Howald process and introduced the fiberglass Wonderod®, a move that would elevate Shakespeare and insure the company’s success for many decades. McClane wrote, “When Shakespeare Tackle Company sponsored Howald’s revolutionary rod in 1947, it went off like a delayed action bomb, and without doubt it is the quantitative future of rod building.”5 In 1947, Dr. Glenn G. Havens, founder of the National Research and Manufacturing Co. (NARMCO) of San Diego, California, is also credited as one of inventors of fiberglass fishing rods. He was developing of adhesives and structural laminates for Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft, later merging to become Convair Aircraft. He developed a material of fiberglass and resin, later named “Conolon,” from which to make aircraft parts that were light and able to ___________________ 3U.S. Patent Office. 4Johnson and Johnson, p. 145. 5Rieger, Fishing With McClane, p. 233.

withstand changes in temperature and humidity.6 The Conolon fishing rod blanks made by NARMCO were the foundation of the fishing rods that would be made by the Narmco Rod Company, Montague, and others.7 Johnson and Johnson wrote, “It is interesting that most people interviewed in the Western United States credit Dr. Havens with making the first hollow fiberglass fly-rods. Conversely, most people in the Eastern United States credit Dr. Howald of Shakespeare with being the first.”8 Most of today’s graphite or fiberglass fishing rods are hollow, tapered tubes built by wrapping a resin-impregnated fiber matrix around a steel mandrel. Havens was apparently the first to make fishing rods using this method and Howald is usually credited as the developer of modern synthetic rods, but it was actually Havens who created the process by which most rods are now constructed.9 C. Boyd Pfeiffer wrote, “Hollow glass revolutionized rod building in the post-World War II days and over the years has proved superior to all other rod-building materials such as steel, beryllium copper, laminated wood and similar materials now only rarely found in rods.”10 The blank manufacturing process evolved to become more efficient as fiberglass fishing rods increased in popularity and production increased. Later, hollow glass fishing _______________________ 6 Johnson and Johnson, p. 38. 7 (http://www.vintagerods.com/index.htm) accessed

5-31-2007. 8 Johnson and Johnson, p. 38 9 (http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/ article/0,13199,1061668-6,00.html) accessed 5-31-2007. 10 Pfeiffer, p.

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rods were further developed to solve the problems of weight. Traditionally, there have been four types of fiberglass processes to make fishing rods: convolite, cylindrical molded, molded rectangular, and wood core.11 Schultz wrote, “Uniformity of fiberglass filaments was the key to successful early fiberglass fishing rod and construction. The manufacturers were not only able to design rods, but be confident that quality would be consistent through each production run.”12 Shultz wrote further, “Uniformity also aided in developing mass production techniques with reduced labor costs, and thereby made it possible to offer excellent fishing rods at attractive prices. Moreover, as fiberglass rod technology matured, the uniformity of the fiberglass materials permitted fine-tuning of the manufacturing processes to improve the product.”13 During World War II, Tycoon Tackle maintained a Research and Development department and during this time that the company also began researching the uses of fiberglass as part of its contracted defense work for use in aircraft. When the war ended, Tycoon Tackle began adapting some of the new technologies and materials to manufacturing fishing tackle for which the company had become known. Tycoon Tackle experimented with a hollow-shaft process _______________________ 11 McClane, Wise Fisherman’s Encyclopedia,

p. 941. 12 Shultz, p. 134. 13 Shultz, p. 134.

in order to preserve weight and the first fiberglass blanks were square in shape. The engineers believed the square shape would provide more strength and structural integrity to a hollow shaft, however, these were easily broken when placed under stress.14 Eventually, Tycoon Tackle settled on a solid core round blank, however, experiments continued. Frank O’Brien wrote in the July 1946 Tycoon Take-Off: At Tycoon, we have never made it a practice to talk ahead of time about what we are planning to do in the future; but other people have been circulating a lot of talk about glass rods, and perhaps it is time we told our friends what we are doing. Actually, our designs were complete and our patents applied for a good many months ago, and the only thing which has held us back is the problem of perfecting production methods. We have revised the method several times as a result of test runs… as it is, we’re almost ready…But as long as all the talk has made us tell this much, I’ll say to ALL fishermen, everywhere, that Tycoon’s glass rod is worth waiting for and it won’t be much longer to either. We’ll let you know.15 I am often asked, “Why are you going back to fiberglass?” My response is always, “Some of us never left it!” While I enjoy fishing with all types of rods, I must confess to being one of those “confirmed fiberglass guys.” Why, you may ask…the answer is

because a fiberglass rod is what I learned to use first. You see, I began fishing with my father when I was barely old enough to walk. I was handed a glass rod because it was what we were using then and I remember how that rod seemed to bend in this beautiful arc and how I could feel the fight of the fish through the cork grip. I still have that fishing rod made by Tycoon Tackle, however, today it has a prominent place in my little “rod museum.” It was well used and caught countless pounds of fish for both table and sport. It stays in its little place because of sentimental reasons, but I’d bet it would still “wear’em out” if taken back out to the water. Fiberglass fishing rods never left, they just evolved. So, What About Fiberglass? Timothy P. O’Brien, Ph.D. is the President of Tycoon Tackle, Inc a Charlottesville, Virginia-based angling outfitter that originated in Miami, Florida in 1935. The company was on the scene in the formative years of big-game angling and at one time more than 95% of all world record fish were caught on the company’s fishing rods. The company is still family owned and committed to manufacturing products in the United States of America.

_______________________ 14Tycoon Take-Off, November 1946, p. 15 O’Brien, “Frank O’Brien Says,” Tycoon Take

Off, July 1, 1946, p. 1.

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TROUT IN HISTORYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SHADOW

Bill Cooper

slightly noticeable dimple appeared in the slick water of Maramec Spring Branch when the plump, 2-pound trout sipped the surface for the tiny mosquito imitation. The trout appeared healthy and strong. The well-colored fish powered its way upstream and quartered into the current. I grimaced as my fly line peeled from the reel. My 1-pound leader remained intact, even through four spectacular jumps, which the trout executed in quick fashion. All too soon, I slid my landing net under the exhausted fish. When the fly line went slack, the tiny fly fell from the troutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jaw.

Author, Bill Cooper, fishes in the shadows of Maramec Iron Furnace. The Maramec Iron Works operated on Maramec Spring Branch from 1826 until 1876.

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The sun soon sunk low in the west, casing long shadows from the remains of a long long-dilapidated pre-settlement ironworks furnace nearby. I relished the moment. My mind wandered from the pleasures of the stream’s trout fishing to times long past, when hardy pioneers struggled to eke out a living from a frontier business venture, the Marmec Iron Works. In 1825, The Courtois Hills region of southeast Missouri remained one of the most formidable wilderness areas in the new state of Missouri. Mile after mile of hogbacked ridges lay between Maramec Spring and the St. Louis region, almost 100 miles away. The vast wilderness long remained a physical barrier to settlement, transportation and communication.

Maramec Spring Park now offers a daily put-and-take fishery from March 1 until October 31 each year.

A few pioneer attempts had been made to mine the unusual sinkhole iron ore deposits found in what is now Phelps, Crawford and Dent counties. All had failed, however, until an Ohio ironmonger by the name of Thomas James explored the area after learning about hematite deposits from a ban of Shawnee Indians. The tribe’s members camped on James’ Ohio property while on their way to Washington, D.C. Alongside Maramec Spring, James managed to establish the first successful ironworks west of the Mississippi River. An entire company-owned village developed around the endeavor, which lasted from 1826 to 1876. The legacy and romance of the frontier business are still alive today within the boundaries of Maramec Spring Park, owned and operated by The James Foundation.

The rushing waters of Maramec Spring, the seventh largest spring in the state, once powered trip hammers and grist mills. Now, thousands of park visitors and trout fishermen find tantalizing, breathtaking beauty in its waters as it winds its way downstream. As it does with three other trout parks (Bennett Springs State park, Montauk State Park and Roaring River State Park) the Missouri Department of Conservation maintains a put-and-take trout fishery in Maramec Spring Park. MDC personnel stock the stream each evening with 2 1/4 fish per estimated fishermen for the following day. The trout fishing season in all the parks runs from March 1to October 31. The daily limit at Marmaec Spring Park is four fish. Anglers are required to carry a fishing license and a daily trout tag. Both can be purchased at the reception building at the park entrance. The James Foundation also charges a $5 per day parking fee, or an annual pass for $35.

Four fish limits allow families to catch enough fish for a fry at Maramec Spring Park.

Trout have long been a part of the attractions at Maramec Spring Park. According to Spence Turner, a former fisheries research biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, trout were stocked at Maramec Spring as early as 1880. “The original stock came from the McCloud River in California. Eggs were shipped un-iced by train to a hatchery in St. Joseph. There, the eggs were hatched and the resultant fry were shipped in milk cans to St. Louis by railroad. Crews were given instructions to

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stock a few streams on the return trip, which ended in Joplin. The Meramec River, Maramec Spring Branch, Crane Creek and Spring River were the first place to receive rainbows. Three more stockings took place between 1880 and 1890,” he said. According to Mark Benton, regional manager of the James Foundation, “Mrs. Lucy Wortham James wrote about feeding trout in Maramec Spring Branch in the early 1920’s. She reportedly stocked more rainbows in the branch in 1922. The James family never allowed any fishing above the county road crossing, now the road bridge.” Then in 1942 the MDC and the James Foundation entered into a cooperative agreement for managing the stream’s trout fishery. The agreement advanced through several stages until the establishment of Maramec Spring Park as a daily tag trout fishing area in 1958. During the early 1970’s, I conducted my graduate research at Maramec Spring. Trout fishermen told

Special events, such as Kids Day, allows young anglers the opportunity to catch a trophy trout me they came to Maramec for a variety of reasons. They were drawn by the area’s outstanding beauty, the cleanliness of the park and the opportunity to enjoy the romantic history of a lifestyle gone by. The trout park’s proximity to St. Louis was another reason. In fact, more than 60 percent of the fishermen I interviewed for my study were from St. louis. Metro angler reach the park after driving an hour and a half southwestward on Interstate 44. From St.

James, Maramec Spring lies 8 miles southeast on Highway 8. Taking a limit of scrappy rainbows at Maramec may be a cinch on opening day, and for a couple of months thereafter. However, as spring rains subside, the flows from the spring become crystal clear. A flurry of fast action is enjoyed by anglers at the whistle, which marks the beginning of the fishing day. Fishing success subsides quickly and

Casting a fly to a big, rising rainbow trout, during a late afternoon bug hatch, is the dream of fly fishermen. anglers settle in for the day. Trout spook easily in the clear water and stealth becomes important. For a real summer time trout fishing treat, try fly fishing during the last two hours of the day at Maramec. Bug hatches are common this time of day. A light rod and tippet equals great fly fishing fun. Each year, millions of gallons of cold, crystal-clear spring water flow past the remains of the Maramec Iron Works. And more than a few anglers pause each year from their fishing on cool summer evenings to ponder what life must have been like for the pioneer fishermen of Maramec Spring. For more information on Maramec Spring Park and trout fishing, call the park office at (573) 265-7387. Incidentally, the spelling of “Maramec” is an Anglicized version of the Indian word “mirimiguoa” meaning “catfish.

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READING A MOUNTAIN TROUT STREAM

BY HARRY MURRAY

he most valuable skill a mountain trout angler can develop is learning to read the water. There are actually three stages involved in doing this properly. First one needs to evaluate the various parts of the pool in order to determine precisely where the trout will locate in order to feed efficiently. Next the currents around the feeding station must be evaluated in order to determine where to cast the fly so it will drift naturally to the trout, and finally one needs to determine where to stand in order to make the presentation. Let’s examine these three important aspects in detail because not only will these be the deciding factors governing your success on mountain trout streams but once these are mastered they will become the cornerstones upon which you can grow and fish all trout streams successfully. Here everything is laid out before you in miniature and, as we’ll see, it is easy to understand the needs and habits of the trout, the character of the stream and how we must adapt our tactics in order to achieve consistent success. In essence the stream becomes the classroom and as you fish from pool to pool the trout will grade you on just how well you’re achieving your goals.The Lip feeding station is the first one we 62 | Southern 102 | SouthernTrout Trout| June | June2014 2014| www.southerntrout.com | www.southerntrout.com

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In determining where the trout will locate his feeding station Mother Nature has given us a gracious gift---although, I’m sure the trout would not agree. That is, most mountain trout streams do not have a great abundance of food. This means the trout must be on the lookout for food whenever it is available. However, they must feed “efficiently”. This means they will select feeding stations close to the main currents in the pool, but they will hold beside or in front of some objects which will block or, at least, slow the force of the current. For example, imagine a card table size boulder in the middle of a nice pool…the current comes right at it but slows momentarily as it shunts around each side of it. The trout will hold in this protected buffer right in front of the boulder and easily pick off every food morsel that drifts to him. The second stage of reading the pool requires that one cast his fly to the proper spot in order to get a natural drift to each feeding station. You want your fly to behave just like a real insect. Basically this means it must not be pulled around by the leader producing a “dragging fly”. In most cases I try to cast my fly about two feet upstream of the trout’s feeding station. Allowing more drift than this usually produces drag. In which case the trout will usually refuse to take the fly, and even if successive drifts are natural he apparently suspects something is wrong and usually refuses these. The final stage of reading the water, selecting the correct casting position, is actually the most important one because even if one makes the first two evaluations correctly--that is, determining where the trout should be and where to cast the fly---then errors here you probably won’t catch the trout.

My first concern in selecting a casting position is how do I get there without scaring the trout. This may involve sneaking in behind boulders or even going to my hands and knees. My second concern is choosing a spot from which I can get the drag free drift we mentioned. I must evaluate the currents upon which my line and leader will fall so I will be in control of the drift. If these currents are greatly different from those on which my fly will be drifting I may have to relocate several feet to one side or the other or maybe even sneak in closer to the feeding station. Even with all of this maneuvering I may have to make a slack line cast to prevent the drag and get a natural presentation and catch the trout. My favorite slack line cast is the puddle cast but curve casts, reach casts and lazy S cast are all effective.

Now let’s fish our stream.

There are six potential feeding stations in each pool and although few pools will have all six as our illustration shows, many will have two or three. These streams are usually so small that we are compelled to wade upstream and fish them upstream so we don’t scare the trout. With this in mind we’ll start at the lower reaches of our pool and fish each feeding station in turn as we progress up the stream.

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The Lip feeding station is the first one we come to as we approach a pool from below. This is easy to identify and to fish because it is formed as one or more boulders slows the current before it leaves the pool. The trout can easily hold right in front of the upstream side of this boulder and sip in every insect that drifts by. Frequently the largest trout in the pool will feed here so I refer to the Lip as the “primary feeding station” in each pool. Many of the students in my fly fishing schools quickly learn to identify the lip www.southerntrout.com | July 2014 | Southern Trout | 105

and catch their largest trout here. The easiest way to fish the Lip is to sneak in below it and cast a dry fly several feet above it while simultaneously reaching up and out with the fly rod at about a forty-five degree angle in order to bridge the fast water flowing from the pool. Often one must sneak to within ten feet of the Lip in order to fish it effectively with a drag free drift, but with a little practice this is easy to achieve. Frequently beginning anglers try to fish the Lip from too far below it, making twenty to thirty foot casts. This permits the fast current racing from the pool to grab the line or leader and quickly jerks the fly away from the trout. The Tail of the pool is that portion immediately upstream of the Lip. It is not as easy to pinpoint the troutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s precise feeding location here as it is on the Lip because the best current-blocking stream feature here is usually a slight depression in the stream bottom. For this reason large trout will locate here only if there is no

so the largest trout leave better feeding station in the this area for the young specific pool. trout. To fish the Tail of The one exception the pool I usually stay well is when there are no other below the pool and make better feeding stations in several drifts spaced about the pool. If the Head of the three feet apart across the pool flows like a washboard main current. and there is little depth The Mid-Pool on the Lip the trout are feeding station begins above the Tail and reaches compelled to feed here. To fish the Mid-Pool up to the head of the pool. feeding station I move This is the largest portion cautiously up the side of of the pool and frequently the pool---often going to my receives the most attention from inexperienced anglers. hands and knees. I must get around the point where The largest trout seldom the fast current in the Tail select this part of the pool of the pool can grab my line as their feeding stations and cause my fly to drag because the only cover as soon as it lands on the will be in the protection of stream. I make three or the boulders on the stream four presentations spaced bottom. Holding here and across the pool so any trout swimming all the way up there will see my fly. to the surface in a three to The Mid-Pool area four foot deep pool is not is usually flat water and a very efficient way to feed 106 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

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the trout here are very wary. To keep from scaring them I try to never lengthen my casts or dry my fly by casting over this area until I make my delivery cast. If I need to lengthen my casts or dry the fly I make these casts below the pool or well to the side of it so the flashing line won’t scare the trout. The Head of the pool is that area where the water rushes in from the pool upstream. There are good populations of nymphs here, and in the spring when many insects are hatching you can expect to catch many trout here. Different trout seek out different areas to feed here. Rainbows will frequently hold in surprisingly heavy water to pick off natural insects. Cutthroats may pull out into the slower sides of the pools while brookies and browns usually hold immediately on the sides of the incoming flow---right where the fast water meets the slow water. The Head of the pool is an easy area to fish because one can easily control the drag here. If you wade straight up below this area it is easy to get into a casting position where a straight cast up toward the Head will permit the line, leader and fly to fall onto a current which is uniform all the way down the pool. By fishing the closest water first, then gradually lengthening your casts and fishing on both sides of the incoming currents you can often take several nice trout from the Head of each pool. The Back Eddy of a pool is formed during periods of high water when the powerful currents cut into the soft stream bottom on the side of the pool receiving the greatest force. When we come on the scene to fish the pool we see an area

ranging from five to twenty feet wide with a reverse flow of current pushing upstream tight to the bank. The Back Eddies may vary from a foot to five feet deep, but they all have one thing in common---the trout will be facing downstream in order to feed on the insects the reverse current brings them. The Back Eddies become collecting reservoirs of insects in the spring when there are heavy hatches. In the fall one can often find some of the largest trout in each pool cruising about the Back Eddies to sip in all of the insects they can find. In some pools I find it is best to fish

the Back Eddy before I fish the Head of the pool. This depends on how the overall pool is laid out because I don’t want to spook the trout on one feeding station as I fish the other. The Corner of the pool is the furthest upstream feeding station in the pool. It is formed on the side of the pool where the incoming riffle rushes past a boulder or several basketball size stones. Like the Back Eddy this is formed by a reverse current. Here the flow is almost siphoned across the face of the upstream boulder by the current racing down the middle of the stream. The trout hold close to the boulder always facing toward the side of the stream because the natural insects

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are pulled across this area and are at the mercy of the trout. If the largest trout in the pool is not on the Lip he will be in the Corner of the pool because he can capture a great amount of food here with a minimal amount of effort. The most demanding aspect about fishing a Corner is achieving a drag free drift with your fly. Often these areas are no larger than a dinner plate and the currents around them must be negated if you expect to fool the trout. The best way I’ve found to do this is to move in closely from the main part of the pool. As I make the presentation cast I simultaneously reach up and out over the fast currents with the fly rod so I can hold the line and most of the leader off of the water. Usually a foot-long natural drift will catch this trout because if he’s here he’s here to feed. As you can tell by the tactics we use on mountain trout streams, accuracy in fly placement is extremely critical. In order to achieve this I use rods which are from six and a half to seven and a half feet long that have very delicate tips and balance with number two or three weight lines. Light weight single action reels weighing about three ounces are ideal. I like nine foot compound knotted tapered leaders which taper down to 4X, 5X and 6X. By analyzing each pool carefully and identifying the specific feeding stations, then fishing them in order one can get great fishing on mountain trout streams. And, the lessons learned here will be a great help as you move on to larger streams.

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In My Mind, I’m Going to Carolina

By Ed Mashburn

Singer James Taylor got it right- I’m going to North Carolina and its trout fishing right this moment—my mind.

finally got a short cast to go right, and I finally got a drag-free drift in the fast, clear water which flowed around a car-sized rock in the middle of the stream. When the floating top fly suddenly popped under the surface, I managed to lift my rod and come tight on a fish. Here I had proof that even slow learners can learn—just slowly. When my hooked fish, a fine eleven-inch rainbow, came to the top of the fast water and leaped for the second time, my fly flew free and the line went slack. And I didn’t even care. I had made my cast properly, hooked my fish, and I had seen his power and beauty in the stream

where he was born, would die, and now would go on living for a while longer. I couldn’t improve on this moment, even if I had brought my fish to hand. I looked around me—after my hands stopped shaking—and the water was perfect. Clear and fast, the stream sang around the huge granite boulders, a few aquatic insects were coming off in a sporadic hatch, rhododendrons covered the stream banks, and high, high mountains soared up all around me in the early spring sun. Sometimes I don’t have to actually catch a fish to have a grand fishing day. This Smoky Mountain trout fishing is something special.

No doubt about it, I am going back to Bryson City, North Carolina in my mind, and soon I’m going back there in the flesh to fish those magnificent waters for the wild trout that live there, too. Where to Go in the Smokies From just looking at the blue squiggles of a good map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is obvious that there are more streams, creeks, and rivers for trout anglers to fish than can ever be worked by one angler. Trout water is literally up every draw and valley. Rainbows and browns are found in the lower reaches of the streams, and native brook trout are generally up higher in the mountains. Anglers can fish water

that is just a few steps from the parking area, or they can hike up in the mountains to small spring streams that may have never seen a human catching fish. It’s always good to use local knowledge when looking for fishing spots, and this is especially true in the Smokies of North Carolina where the wide range of fishing choices can be a bit overwhelming. My new fishing buddy, Eugene Shuler, lead guide of Fly Fishing the Smokies-828-488-7665- showed me Noland Creek, the upper Nantahala River, and Deepwater Creek all in one day, and I experienced a new appreciation for the quality of the fish and the fishing here. My

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new fishing buddy combined the physical skills of an athlete in his casting, the scientific observation of an entomologist in his fly selection for specific streams, and the creative skills of an artist in his fly tying work on the flies we used. He is a good man to fish with. Eugene Shuler advises visiting anglers to start their planning for a North Carolina trout fishing trip by first looking at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He says, “The Park gives anglers a lot of water types. All three species of trout are there, the water doesn’t have a whole lot of food for the trout, so the trout are eager to bite.” Another real draw for many anglers

when fishing the National Park waters is that the fish in the park are all wild. There’s no stocking of trout in any of the Smoky Mountains National Park waters, so an angler who catches a trout in Park waters knows that this rainbow, brown, or brookie is a wild, born in the same water fish, and that makes for a special kind of fish. Shuler continued,” There’s good access for anglers in the park. There’s secure parking, too. Deep Creek and the Oconaluftee are good places to start, and the upper Nantahala- even though it’s not in the park- offers anglers both wild and stocked trout.”

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A great resource for anglers planning a trout trip to Bryson City is to go to www. greatsmokiesfishing.com and look at all of the specific streams in the Swain County area. This excellent online source has a great deal of good specific information for anglers who are considering a trip to the Smokies. A Few Streams I Got to Meet The first stream we fished was Noland Creek. This drop-dead gorgeous flow is found up “The Road to Nowhere” out of Bryson City, and good parking is at the bridge which crosses the stream. It’s a bit of a walk down a wellmaintained path to the water, but a trout angler in the Smokies needs to get used to walking up and down to reach water. Noland Creek is shallow, and it’s primarily dip and drop fishing to reach deeper pockets and holding water behind boulders and at the heads of plunge pools. Long casts are difficult on Noland- lots of limbs and rhododendron bushes make close approach the order of the day. Eugene Shuler caught some beautiful, wild rainbows here while I was working and taking pictures. The upper Nantahala River is not in the National Park, so it receives stocked trout as well as the fish that naturally reproduce in the stream. There is a very good population of trout here, and some of them are good-sized, too. There are some wonderful deeper plunge- pools below massive boulders for anglers to dead-drift nymphs for browns and rainbows here. Even though the road runs right beside the upper Nantahala, car

fishing. These big trout are living in a natural stream, and they are not fools. Anglers who catch a trophy trout at Cherokee have to work for it. On my recent trip to Bryson City, Eugene Shuler and I were scheduled to make a run way back in the high hills for some native brook trout fishing on the second day of our trip, but the night before, it rained hard, and on the early morning of the brook trout trip, it rained very hard. Some trips die before they are born, and this one was like that. All of the streams were blown out- even the small high ones where brookies live- so we agreed to try again later. And that’s why Carolina stays on my mind; just thinking about hiking up to brook trout water makes me squirm and start to make plans. Brook trout fishing was my main goal of this trip, but since I couldn’t do that on my first trip to Bryson City, I’ll just have to do it on my next one. Or the one after, or the one after that. traffic is not objectionable, and the surrounding scenery is spectacular. I had my best luck of the day drifting a two-fly rig- a parachute Adams above and a rainbow warrior nymph below- here on the Nantahala. Deep Creek is a special stream that heads up far in the national park towards Newfound Gap and flows through a fine access area at the south border of the park before it empties into the Tuckasegee River right at Bryson City. It gets heavy use by anglers and tube-floaters

toward the park boundary, but the fish bite well even in this heavily accessed area, and hiking upstream soon puts anglers far away from the less-enlightened. On this wonderful fishing day, it was a true pleasure when I watched Eugene Shuler catch a beautiful brown trout in the Talmadge Shuler Hole on Deep Creek- a stretch of creek named after his dad, a fine angler who passed his skills on to his son. The Oconaluftee River runs alongside Hwy 441 from Cherokee to the Sugarlands Visitors Center

in the middle of the Park, and it offers good trout fishing all along the route. Many of the smaller tributaries to the Oconaluftee are fine fishing spots, also. Anglers will need to obtain a tribal fishing permit to fish the Oconaluftee in addition to the North Carolina permit when on tribal lands. The Cherokee waters are also the best locations for trout anglers to find some very large fish. Eugene Shuler says,” For big trout- go to Cherokee and fish the trophy catch and release waters. It’s fly fishing only, and many anglers catch the trout of a lifetime there.” By the way, don’t think this is trout-farm

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The biggest mistake folks make when fishing here is using the wrong fly. In a week, blue drakes will be coming off. We have blue wing olives, quill Gordons, little yellow Sallies, March browns, light and black Cahills- six different kinds of caddis- we have a lot coming off.” Anglers who can see the insect life coming off the water and then present trout with flies that match the real thing will have best results. The fast, boulder-studded waters of the Swain County region also present some problems for trout anglers used to long, moderately-paced deeper pools. Shuler says,” Many folks feel they’re getting a good dead drift, but they’re not. A bad drift will put off feeding fish. To correct this, anglers need to get better at line minding— get a good stack mend. Also, keep the whole rod parallel to the water.” Shuler likes to fish a double fly rig with a dry above a smaller nymph pattern which matches the present insect life. He says,” You need to have

Technical Aspects of Swain County Stream Fishing

For those who are not familiar with fishing the creeks and rivers of the Swain County/ Bryson City area as I was not, things will go better if you work on your “short game” before you come. These creeks and streams are not wide-open, full backcast waters. These are sneak up and drop the fly and take care of the line in the fast current waters. These small, fast Smoky Mountain streams are match the hatch waters, for sure. Eugene Shuler says,”

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something that floats high, but still matches what’s present on the water. The high-floater helps detect strikes on the nymph below.” Schuler makes his own leaders on the spot, but I used a commercially prepared 6x trout leader, and that seemed to work well. My 4 wt. rod was a bit short at seven and a half feet- a longer rod allows a better reach to put short-cast flies in very precise locations.

Local Advice and Sources of Information

There are certainly other locations to access the grand fishing waters of the Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding environments, but Bryson City may be the best. Bryson City is a small town, but it offers visitors the best access to the most places to fish in the Smokies. Bryson City has full services for families, and just ten miles down the road at Cherokee, North Carolina, are all of the amusement parks, casinos, and shopping non-anglers could desire.

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We stayed at a very nice cabin managed by Carolina Mountain Cabins- 828-488-7500, and these good folks can hook visitors up with affordable and very comfortable lodging. There is a wide range of restaurants in Bryson City from fast-food to sit-down real-cloth napkin places, and our favorite was Pasqualino’s at 25 Everett St. in Bryson City. Their chicken marsala was first-rate, and the quiet surroundings were perfect for unwinding after a long day of wading fast mountain streams. Finally, Bryson City is just the kind of place most anglers enjoy. The general level of fishing awareness is high, and most local folks are very happy to help visiting anglers find what they are looking for. A very good fishing river in its own right- the Tuckasegee- runs right through the middle of Bryson City, and having a fishing river as Main Street is a pretty good recommendation for any town, in my opinion.

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company profile

river and around tree stumps and other structures. As I waded downstream, I looked up at the rain. Lost in my thoughts, I hung the pattern up on a sunken log. So I thought. Muttering to myself, I tried to free my pattern. “That’s odd,“ I said out loud. That “log” was moving rapidly downstream. My rod bowed, the reel screamed, and eventually a butter-colored brown trout came into hand. I held the trout for a few seconds and gently dislodged the sculpin pattern, which was lodged squarely in the corner of his mouth. I couldn’t help but smile; I’d chosen wisely.

Beau Beasley

t had been a very long drive from Virginia, and in the last few hours the heavens had opened up and the rain came. I’d already unpacked my gear in the wonderfully appointed Bee Cliff Cabins (www. beecliffcabins.com), a family-friendly lodging establishment in Elizabethton, Tennessee, that caters to fisherman. The cabins were within easy walking distance of the Watauga River, so I slipped on my waders and ambled over to the river. ‘ Though I’ve written a couple of books on fly fishing, every time I fish I realize how much I have left to learn. I have, however, garnered a few skills over time—and one of those is

Beau Beasley determining what pattern to use. I don’t mean that I know the Latin names of the flies or the minutiae of their larval stages. Rather, I can read the water and the fishery well enough to have a sense of what will work. At the Watauga, knew that I was on a well-respected trout river. I reached into my fly box and pulled out a pattern that I felt certain would work. The heavy Fish Skull-Skulpin Bunny I chose wasn’t easy to cast, so I adjusted my casting stroke and methodically stripped the fly back toward me. Moving in the water, it looked great. I began tossing the sculpin pattern in the seams of the

Flymen Fishing Company, headquartered in Brevard, North Carolina, is doing the Southland proud by creating effective and award-winning patterns like the one I used on the Watauga. Owner Martin Bawden, a Zimbabwean who grew up primarily in South Africa, permanently relocated to the United States in 2004. Bawden began fly fishing in the mid90s, but because there wasn’t a fly shop anywhere near him, he’s almost completely self-taught. He credits Essential Trout Flies by Dave Hughes for getting him started in the right direction. By 2008, Bawden decided to launch FFC with his first product, Nymph-Head, a tungsten fly-tying bead crucial for weighted nymphs. That one product has led to a host of other fascinating and popular fly-tying products. Think I’m exaggerating? Between 2010 and 2013 alone, FFC racked up half a dozen “Best in Show” awards for various innovative products at the International Fly Tackle Dealer shows,

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FIELD TESTERS WANTED FFC is all about supporting fly fishing guides. Mike Smith, Director of Marketing for FFC, is a guide himself and knows that guides are the backbone of the fly fishing industry. “Guides are out in the trenches every day with our potential customers. We depend on them to give us feedback, and we actually listen to what they say. We give excellent discounts to qualifying guides, and we work with them to get their clients on fish.” Current FFC pro staffers include well-known guides Capt. Gary Dubiel, www.specfever.com. Greg Senyo, steelheadalleyoutfitters. com, and Blane Chocklett, newanglefishing.com. Their endorsement alone speaks volumes about the quality and effectiveness of FFC patterns. Not a big name guide yet? No problem. FFC is interested in connecting with top-notch guides, whoever and wherever they might be. For more information about being a field tester for FFC, contact them at flymenfishingcompany.org

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Where to Go for the Goods Flymen Fish Company has over 500 dealers in the US alone. Chances are your local fly shop carries their cool products already, so call or stop by your local dealer. If your local fly shop doesn’t carry FFC flies and tying supplies, contact Hareline Dubbin, hareline.com which is a major distributor for FFC. the fly fishing industry’s premiere annual event attracting fly fishing dealers and manufacturers from across the country. Eventually, Bawden needed some help. He turned to Mike Smith, fly fishing addict, author of several fishing books, respected smallmouth guide on the New and James River, and a perfect fit for the rapidly growing company. Smith fishes with clients all over Virginia and uses his local rivers as laboratories to see what works and what doesn’t. A well-respected fly tyer and fly designer in his own right, Smith handles marketing for the company and thoroughly tests new products before they ever see the light of day. Both Bawden and Smith are passionate about making the best products possible for as many fly anglers as possible. Their patterns are well suited for trout, steelhead, bass, muskie, stripers, red drum, and nearly everything in between.

A few of their products include unique specialty eyes which are easily placed on different patterns. Also available are articulated shanks for steelhead and salmon flies, and various body materials for everything from crayfish bodies to baitfish tails. One of my favorite products is Fish-Skulls. The tyer can easily fit these sculpin helmets over any streamer for nearly limitless variations on old and new patterns alike. Even those not adept at fly tying can quickly see the benefit of these heads, which provide an excellent profile and help weight the pattern. Anglers could easily spend hours on the company website researching all of their options. “FFC is totally focused on designing and producing the next generation of flies,” says Bawden. “We aren’t interested in being a ‘me too’ company, offering the same old products everyone else is.” For proof you need look no further than FFC’s collaboration with TFO pro staffer Blane Chocklett to provide fly tyers the materials they need to tie Chocklett’s aptly named new pattern, “The Game Changer,” at home. (To see how Chocklett’s new pattern works, check it out on YouTube The Game Changer.) Of course, anglers can also purchase completed FFC patterns at their local fly shop. Because if you’re like me, you’d rather spend less time tying and more time fishing.

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S “Fly Fishing is an Art Form”

o why do we do it? Fly fishing can be quite the frustrating sport. It is an ageless struggle that repeatedly plays out of man against trout, sometimes man against man, and often, man against himself. Yet, we continue to return, time and time again, still struggling, still trying, still attempting to explain to others, why we pursue flies and fish with the tenacity and vigor that we do. Fortunately, there are people who capture and explain for us, just how fly fishing can sing to our very souls. “I love painting trout and anything to do with fly fishing,” beams Joel DeJong, fly fisherman and professional artist. As many fly fishers have fallen into rivers and streams, Joel DeJong sort of fell into trout painting. “In 2009 I made a commitment to myself to not only work on improving my artistic abilities, but also to work on developing my fly-fishing skills. With the help of a smart phone and an easy-to-use blog making site, I began to post one painting a day, focusing on fly fishing. Although this site was originally designed as a tool for me to improve my skills and share works with family and friends, I soon began to get requests for original works of art from fellow anglers. After that, the ball just started rolling.”

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Hailing from South Carolina, Joel attributes his artistic success to his Dutch ancestry. “I was raised in a house where every penny counted, and if we could make it instead of buy it, we did. As an adult, my wife and I had very little money to decorate the walls of our tiny apartment, so I began painting a few wall hangings just to add some color to the room. Eventually, friends began asking for www.southerntrout.com | July 2014 | Southern Trout | 125

pieces, and occasionally, I would find an outlet to sell a few pieces here and there.” At the genesis of his painting, Joel was inspired by artists such as Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth. At first, he allowed their style to influence his own. As his experience grew, however, he developed his own style which has also kept him close to watercolor as a medium. “I love watercolors. It is what I started painting with, and as my skills have improved, so has my love of the medium. I have been experimenting with acrylics lately and a few other mediums, but it’s the watercolors that I have the most confidence in.” According to Joel, watercolor is the perfect medium to recreate the flowing natural beauty of fish in their natural habitat. “Perhaps one day I’ll branch out into more oils and acrylics, but for now, watercolor is usually my default medium of choice.” Joel pursues several subjects like birds and other wildlife, but trout continue to be his preferred subjects. His favorite is the eastern brook trout. “I suppose this is because I love chasing blue lines and seeking out the hidden habitats of these special fish. The colors of these unique

trout are like no other, and the places in which they are found are some of the most beautiful in the South. If I lived out west, I suppose my favorite subject would be the cutthroat, but for right now, it’s the brookie. They make for stunning paintings.” Personal trips and photographs from clients provide him with subject matter. As an avid photographer, Joel takes notes on types of fish and the flies used to catch them. When he finds himself far from home, he seeks out museums, fly shops, and local rivers. “Having a good day on the water is always the best source of inspiration for me. I come home filled with ideas and I usually end up painting my best works right after some of those trips.” One of his top places to go to for inspiration is a little-known blue line in the upstate of South Carolina. “People don’t often think of South Carolina when they think of trout, but this stream is completely isolated from civilization and rarely if ever sees another fisherman. It is magnolia choked, completely overgrown, about a three mile strenuous bushwhacking hike from the closest road, and stacked full of the prettiest brook trout you have ever seen. You can’t help but get inspiration from a place like that. In the end it is the fish and their colors that inspire me.”

Joel’s process includes gaining an idea of the finished painting before he begins. As he works, he often changes the details to fit what develops on the paper. “With watercolors, I have found that if I fight the flow of the pigments and water then I will end up with a finished piece that I

I kind of just let the painting dictate, and I work in the details. I have always loved the more realistic styles of art, so I try to keep that style in mind when working with my paintings.”

really don’t like. It took me a long time to come to that realization, but with subtle influences, I am now able to better coax the water to do what I want it to do. Still, at no point do I have full control over what the finished product will look like. Just as a stream raised trout can’t control his spots,

does. When he can’t get to the water, he paints, so Joel’s rewards come from what he gets to do. “The recognition would be nice, but it isn’t what drives me. Last year, I helped illustrate a book of Spanish barbel fishing as well the cover of a book on streamers, which was really encouraging. Then again

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Joel has never pursued art contests, nor has he looked for accolades for what he

last October, I was tapped to supply the top prize paintings for a large fishing tournament out of Tampa Bay. I suppose one day I’ll get around to entering my works into an art contest, but until then, I’ll enjoy the recognition of my fellow anglers.”

When asked about advice he would give up-and-coming young painters he responded, “Do it because you love it. Do it often and push yourself to do it better. If you ever loose that love of painting subjects you enjoy then your painting will suffer for it. I paint fish, because I love to fish. If you love

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bugs, then paint bugs. If you love architecture, then paint interesting buildings, but regardless of your love always be on the lookout for inspiration. It often is found in the most unlikely places. For those who are interested in finding more information on his paintings, his blog is found at www.ayearonthefly.blogspot.com and the website for his original works and prints is www. hexfishing.com. Joel will also complete custom works for anglers who want to commemorate a day on the water with an original painting. More of his artwork is on physical display at the Chattooga River Fly Shop in Mountain Rest. South Carolina. “Fly fishing is in itself an art form. I fly fish because it is a beautiful thing to hook a rising trout on a fly you had a hand in creating. As fly fisherman we all have to appreciate art in order to be good at the sport. If it was all just mechanics, then there would be no love of the sport. As a society we have long passed the need to fish for our food, so why do we do it? We do it for the love of the sport. We do it to see those beautiful fish rise for a fly. We do it for the isolated beauty of the places where we find those fish. We do it for the art of the perfect cast into that perfect pool, that perfect take, and that perfect picture of a wild trout leaping from the water.”

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hen I was a little kid, I had a favorite storybook by English author Rudyard Kipling called Just So Stories that used whimsical children’s tales to explain such things as how the leopard got his spots. Thus, when I started writing this article about the difference between a brook trout and a speckled trout, and why neither one is really a trout after all, I was reminded of those old Just So Stories.

Speckled Trout: Our Very Own Southern Trout Species Bill Bernhardt

trout and a speckled trout are presently classified as members of Salmoninae Salvelinus fontinali (family, genus, and species) instead of Salmoninae Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) or Salmoninae Salmo trutta (brown trout). In fact, the name “trout” There is a common question amongst avid fly is commonly used for some species of fish in three of fishermen who pursue wild trout here in western the seven different genera in the subfamily Salmoninae North Carolina.” What is the difference between a and they are Salmo, Atlantic genus; Oncorhynchus, brook trout and a speckled trout?” Well, first of all, Pacific genus; and Salvelinus, char or Charr genus. let me clear up a common misconception. While Therefore, although rainbow trout (Salmoninae both brook trout and a speckled trout are salmonoids Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmoninae just like rainbow and brown trout (all are family Salmo trutta), and brook trout (Salmoninae Salvelinus Salmonidae/sub-family Salmoninae), both brook fontinali) are all members of the Salmoninae subfamily,

they each belong to a different genus and species. Consequently, even though all three species are categorized as Salmonoids, brown trout are members of the Atlantic salmon genus whereas, rainbow trout are members of the Pacific salmon genus, and brook trout are members of the char genus. Thus, neither brook trout nor speckled trout are really trout after all, because they are both members of the “charr” genus (Salvelinus) even though we call them Trout! So, why the heck do we call ‘em “trout” instead of “charr”? H’mmm. Well,…I’m afraid I just don’t know. I suppose it could be ignorance, and I suppose it could be

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stubbornness. Heck, knowing us Southerners like I do, it is likely to be some of both!!! After all, what other people do you know of who are stubborn enough to insist on calling Vienna Sausages “Vie-eenas” despite the evidence to the contrary printed right there on the label. (I know, I did it, too!) Anyway, now that we have all of that cleared up, let’s talk about the main difference between a brook trout and a speckled trout which is what we started out talking about, isn’t it? First, the brook trout is a native northern species while the speckled trout is a good ol’ native southern species. In fact, beginning in 1967, a National Park Service biologist by the name of Robert E. Lennon (awful close to Robert E. Lee isn’t it?) began a study to catalog the characteristics of the northern brook trout and to compare them to that of southern speckled trout. Consequently, his studies led him to believe that the differences between the two were so great that speckled

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trout should be considered separate species from, or at least a sub-species of, Salmoninae Salvelinus fontinali (kind of like Southerner’s, huh?). Part of the reason for this is that native southern speckled trout are usually somewhat smaller than northern brook trout, and they display more speckles which are of a brighter color red than those found on brook trout. In addition, speckled trout consistently display larger eyes, a larger snout and lower jaw, and a larger pectoral fin than those of brook trout. Thus, Lennon felt that according to the Toxicology classification rules of his day, this was enough evidence to classify speckled trout as a separate southern species! Hell, yeah boys! We have our own trout species!! Now, you may be wondering (and if you are not, then you should be), if the brook trout is a native northern species, then how the heck did they come to inhabit our southern trout streams, and how did they come to displace the native speckled trout in most of our southern trout streams? Well, the answer to that question is Man’s insatiable avarice combined with the way that people used to view natural resources in this country. You see, in the late 1800s, most Americans viewed the land as something to be conquered and tamed, and the natural resources it held were thought to be endless and thus, they could be harvested and/or mined at will by disregarding the many for the benefit of the few. (After all! They were just sittin’ there! Weren’t they?). Thus, the people of the time who had both wealth and positions of power in our society (as well as a responsibility to steward it) used their means and influence to harvest the country’s natural resources without thought to the well being of the land or with any regard to future generations. Consequently, many of the older mountain folk living here in the Appalachians clearly recall the overzealous and unregulated logging and mineral mining operations that took place here in the Southeast that completely denuded their beloved mountain slopes (and our brook trout streams). Therefore, this widespread clear-cutting of the streamside foliage removed the shade necessary to keep our native, speckled trout streams cool enough

during the summer months for the fish to be able survive in those streams throughout the year. Thus, many southern states were forced to build hatcheries and establish stocking programs in order to create sustainable populations of trout in their local streams. However, most attempts to rear native speckled trout in hatcheries proved to be impossible because our wild speckled trout were highly susceptible to diseases when they were forced together in close quarters and held in concrete pens (they don’t like cities!) So, in self-defense, many frustrated hatchery managers started importing northern brook trout from hatcheries in states such as Michigan, Massachusetts, and New York. However, because these northern brook trout had been raised in hatcheries over many generations, the trout that southern hatchery managers were importing had become specifically adapted to the hatchery environment. So, although southern hatchery managers had much greater success at raising the new, non-native, species, the new brook trout were not physically the same as our endemic speckled trout. Thus, when these newly imported northern brook trout were released in our local, southern Appalachian trout streams, they not only differed in appearance from our native speckled trout, they often lacked the instincts that wild trout need to survive and thus, they were far easier for anglers to catch. In addition, once the hatchery supported brook trout were released into our local waters, the ones that did manage to survive began to interbreed with our native speckled trout; thus creating a hybrid species. As a result, the only southern Appalachian trout streams left today with endemic populations of wild speckled trout are streams that have impassable barriers such as tall waterfalls

Bill Bernhardt Professional Guide & Instructor Harper Creek Fly Fishing Company

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From Hatchery to Hook Ron Gaddy

R From Hatchery to Hook by Ron Gaddy 138 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

ex Wilson and I often get together at the fly tying table to share fly patterns, ideas, opinions, a few secrets, and a lot of good fishing stories. I may even slip in a little white lie in at the appropriate time. During one of our tying and lying events, Rex mentioned that he was a volunteer fly-fishing and flytying instructor at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. As we discussed his volunteer work, I mentioned that I had always wanted to take a tour through the hatchery. Rex arranged the tour with the great folks at the Pisgah Center and what a great learning experience it was!

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The Hatchery Tour

Pictures: Left-Rex supervising the hatchery feeding; nextstocking truck. Right pagehatchery incubator trays.

Linda Michael, an Education Specialist at the Center would be our tour guide for the day. Linda was very knowledgeable about the hatchery facility and processes. She is also an avid fly fisher, fly tyer, and certified fly caster by the Federation of Fly Fishers. Her love for teaching the art of fly fishing and fly tying was obviously demonstrated by her enthusiasm during the tour. Our tour of the hatchery lasted over two hours, and as we left the hatchery, all we could do is just scratch our heads and say, “Wow!”

During the spawning months at the hatchery, females are separated from the males and checked every 5 to 10 days to determine if they are ready to spawn. When the females are determined “ready” they are dipped into a tub of water containing an anesthetic to relax the fish so the eggs can be taken without injury to the fish or the eggs. The eggs are then hand stripped from the females into a catch pan. Milt from the males is collected in the same fashion as the eggs from the female. When a catch pan is full, the eggs are transferred to a bucket, fertilized and transferred to an incubator tray where they are place in a rack under a constant flow of cool, clean water.

I could have never imagined the work and science it takes to raise a healthy trout to a creel size fish, and then transfer that fish safely to the appropriate fishery. It takes sixteen months to raise a trout to a 10 to 12-inch stocking size fish. So the next time you have that awesome encounter with that delay harvest or catch and release trout, please take the proper precautions necessary to safely release that fish back to its environment. This article will not compare to having the actual tour of the facility. To fully appreciate the process, you will just have to tour the hatchery with one of their hatchery specialists. Highly recommended!

The eggs hatch in about thirty to fifty days. Thanks to mother nature, the newly hatched sac fry will thrive for about two weeks from a yolk sac that is attached to their belly. After the yolk sac has been absorbed the sac fry will have to be fed a fine grain fish food about 12 times a day. As the trout get bigger the feedings will be less frequent but larger in quantity. The fish food is a commercialized fish meal containing vegetable meal and vitamins. All the trout get the same type food but a different size depending on the size of the fish. The sac fry will be kept in the controlled environment of the hatchery facility for four to five months until they reach fingerling status at about 2 to 3 inches in length. The fingerlings are moved out into the raceways and as they grow bigger moved through different raceways until they are ready for the stocking process. When the trout reach the proper stocking size, they are moved to the stocking truck equipped with an oxygen tank to ensure they get to their assigned fishery safely.

The trout used at the hatchery for the reproduction process are called Broodstock. The Broodstock fish are used for about five years and then delivered to the hatchery supported fisheries along with the other fish

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The Stocking Event

For over three years, the Trout Unlimited Cataloochee Chapter volunteers have met at the delayed harvest section of West Fork of the Pigeon River prior to each stocking event. It appears to be a fishing party except each volunteer is equipped with a five-gallon bucket instead of a fly rod. When the stock truck arrives and moves up and down the river, it becomes a foot race to disperse a hatchery truck full of trout by five gallon buckets throughout the delayed harvest section. This way of scattering the fish throughout the river gives them more room to feed and allows for a more enjoyable fishing experience. At the last stocking event on the 6th of March, the Trout Unlimited Cataloochee Chapter carried 800 pounds of fish to the river. This has proven very successful for the fly fisher since every section of that delayed harvest water will more then likely hold some good fish.

Testing the Waters

Nothing like being able to measure the results of all the hard work of the WRC (Wildlife Resource Commission) hatchery folks and the endeavors of the Cataloochee Trout Unlimited bucket brigade. Rex Wilson and I decided to head up to the West Fork of the Pigeon River one warm afternoon to do just that. After all, someone had to do it. As we arrived fly fishers were strewn throughout the delayed harvest section and all seemed to be catching fish and having a great day. We found a little vacant section and geared up for the test. Rex’s first cast delivered a 10-inch brook trout and second cast another! After a few more casts, I heard the line sing and I heard Rex say, “That’s a good fish.” And so it was. A football shaped brook trout with a red belly in the 4 pound range had hit the net. Test complete.

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erfect fly fishing leader systems may look somewhat different for any given fly fishermen and many will employ different configurations depending on the fishing conditions at hand. You may not change your leader system as much as you do your flys or maybe not at all, but a little research and forward thinking could make a big difference not only in your fish catching, but your aggravation level as well. After all, if you are spending your time fishing instead of staring at a rats nest the size of Kansas City, you will catch more fish and have a lot more fun in the process.

Situational Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains Tying the Perfect Leader Ron Gaddy 148 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

Most fly fishermen that you encounter on the creeks and riverbanks always look to see what fly you are fishing with. I guess since being a fly fishing instructor I seem to be more interested in the leader system. I am amazed at the store bought tapered leaders, furled leaders, granny knots, half hitches, fly line loop knots attached with a clinch, and some knots that would leave a boatswains mate and an engineer disciplined in ductility scratching their noggins. If by now you are starting to get that little empty feeling in your stomach then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time you

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learned your fly fishing knots. Just watch the videos in this article and spend a little time to learn three or four basic knots and then you won’t have to hide your fly rod as you interact with other fly fishermen. Just kidding of course, well maybe not. Over the years I’ve fished monofilament and fluorocarbon tied leader systems and furled systems using nail knots, blood knots, surgeon’s loops and perfection loops. As I grew more and more tired of my perfection loops and nail knots hanging up on my guides and my leader looking like a slinky, my choice of leader knots and line materials have changed. After all, it doesn’t have to be that way ! There is nothing like casting from any given point on your fly line or leader and your line actually sliding out through the guides. It’s a beautiful thing.

he below leader system is what I am using at present and the lengths of leader materials and sizes will depend on the fly rod size and fishing conditions. I do tie all my own leaders since I like having full control of my leader system. If you are still struggling with the rats nest and guide hang ups, you may want to give this a try. For the butt end of my leader, I use a piece of 30 lb. to 50 lb. Spiderwire braided fishing line. It’s very strong, tough as nails and has no memory. For the attachment to the fly line I use a hybrid, needle/nail knot and a few coats of Zap a Gap medium to smooth the knot out and make it stronger.

he next section of leader is down to a 10 lb. to 12 lb. monofilament or fluorocarbon. The issue with connecting the braided line to the mono is using the proper knot. Braided line is very slick and without memory it will slide right through most proven knots. For this connection I use my improved Albright Knot. This knot is not all that pretty when connecting braided line to fluorocarbon, but it will not slip. Again a coat of Zap a Gap Medium will provide the finishing touch.

Click on each picture to see a YouTube video on each knot!! For more information on knots and leader systems visit our website at www.JonathanCreekSchoolofFlyFishing.com

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or my next section of leader I use fluorocarbon in the 8 lb. to 10 lb. range. The knot I use for this connection is the Blood Knot. Most fishermen avoid the blood knot because it’s a pain in the neck to tie. I have discovered one little trick that you will see on the video that will make tying the blood knot much easier. Again, a couple coats of Zap a Gap will smooth the knot out and make it even stronger. If not using a super glue type finish, don’t cut your tag ends too close. If you are just appalled at the idea of tying a blood knot, then the surgeon’s loop will work just fine.

astly you will need to add some tippet. I use a cheap Wal-Mart brand fluorocarbon for all my tippet. I do not subscribe to the idea that there is a special kind or color of tippet that makes any difference to a hungry trout. I’ll normally connect a foot or so of 6 lb., using a Surgeon’s Loop. A Surgeon’s Loop is easy to tie and a very strong knot.

One last important note, always check your knots with a few good tugs. Better to retie a knot then to leave your fly in the mouth of a trout. Fish Responsibly.

Click on each picture to see a YouTube video on each knot!!

For more information on knots and leader systems visit our website at www.JonathanCreekSchoolofFlyFishing.com

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5 States 38 River Systems $21.95

9 States 46 Tailwaters $19.95

Trout Fishing Guidebooks For The South By Jimmy Jacobs

80 Watersheds On Public Land $15.95

Autographed copies available.

www.jimmyjacobsoutdoors.com

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Cherokee Fly Fishing Museum Launched by Don Kirk

On May 16-17 the museum was officially announced at the Southeastern Fly Fishing Festival held in the Ramsey Center on the campus of Western Carolina University. The museum manned a booth for the two day event, signed up a number of new contacts with interest in the museum, and developed video footage of a number of spontaneous interviews with anglers and vendors at the show. The edited footage will serve as promotional material moving forward. The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians will be located on Highway 441 in downtown Cherokee, North Carolina beside the Cherokee Visitor Center. The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians is a much anticipated project that has been on the drawing board for almost two years. It is headed by Alen Baker of Huntersville, North Carolina who is working in association a number of people including Forrest and Amy Parker, Dr. Jim Casada, Gene Barrington, Roger Lowe, Ron Beane, and Kevin Howell. The museum Board has been assembled and approved by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Board and will soon begin meeting. The legal work to formally establish the museum by-laws are underway as well as the application for 501c3 status. Planned as a first class facility, the museum will house historic fly fishing artifacts such as vintage fly rods and reel, literature and photographs on fly fishing in the Southern Appalachians, fly pattern information and items owned by famous fly fishermen from years past such as Joe Manley and others. Video interviews with well known persons in the sport as well as their surviving family members will be on display at the museum. Progress to date includes a small grant for legal, marketing, renovations and initial setup of the museum. There are thousands of dollars in private pledges to date and more founding members are coming forward with a pledge every week. The museum has a signed lease for the 5,000 square foot building beside the Cherokee Visitor Center downtown in the cultural district. The exterior renovations to the building are 100% complete. Internal electrical and plumbing work is underway.

July is the projected timeframe to open the chamber in the renovated facilities. The museum gift shop will also begin operating with a limited stocking that will gradually increase as appropriate merchandise is acquired. The gift shop will sell fly fishing books from regional authors, maps, hatch charts, fly fishing related art, clothing, jewelry and other items deemed appropriate and not in direct competition with local and sponsoring fly shops. April-May 2015 is the projected timeframe to open the “live trout exhibit” and Phase 1 of the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians. Phase 1 will have a number of exhibits in a broad sense as it will take time for in-depth research and acquisition of fly fishing artifacts. Artwork and short-take videos will be utilized. Pilot workshops will be scheduled and conducted by volunteers. Hatchery tours will begin as an extension of the museum. Current and additional trout fishing and fly fishing events will continue as an integral part of the museum’s programming.

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Harper Creek Fly Fishing Company

Your small stream specialist

www.nc-flyfishing.com

We are North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Backcountry Fly Fishing Guide Service! Harper Creek Fly Fishing Company is a professional fly fishing guide service specializing in back-country, walk/wade, fly fishing trips for experienced anglers and guided fly fishing instructional trips for novices. We also offer summertime fly fishing or light spin-tackle kayak fishing trips for Smallmouth Bass on the New River.

Warning!

This article is directed for advanced fly fisherman only! Catching trout on dry flies can potentially be addictive and extremely exciting!

Strategic Approaches Dynamic Dry Flies

by Shawn Madison downstream in a natural manner. The dry fly drifts naturally with the water current and mimics a typical adult insect on the water’s surface. This approach is generalized as being the typical method to fishing dry flies for trout. In contrast; the dynamic approach is an active method of taunting trout and playing their natural instinct.

ry flies tend to be one of the most technical and restrictive fly presentations for trout. Resembling natural adult insects, dry flies are generally fished by drifting on the surface film of the water with a static presentation. Generally, the natural water currents and wind dictate how the fly is presented to the fish. Typically, most fly fisherman cast at an angle upstream and allow the fly to float

Being that trout feed primarily on subsurface aquatic insects, fishing dry flies can yield lower quantities of strikes. However, taking a trout on a dry fly is one of the most invigorating and exciting fly fishing experiences. That being said, the fly fisherman can approach the typical dry fly presentation with a different look and enhance their fishing experience of landing a trout. The key to this approach is presenting the fly dynamically or with action. This type of approach is often minimized

in fly fishing as it tends to foul the fly’s presentation. However, if done correctly and with the appropriate fly, it can yield exciting results. For my dry flies I tend to use nymph and larger gauge hooks. The intent is that the body will break the water film easier and sit naturally. I have found that many of the heavily hackled flies and lighter flies tend to float on top of the water film, float sideways, or even upside down. Also; I always knot the hook from the bottom up with the intent of positioning the tippet lower in the water as to sink. My favorite is a slender sulphur pattern with Trico style wings pulled up-parachute style. This allows it to sit down in the water and present the fly’s silhouette clearly to the fish. Plus; it usually

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stays on top after a few bumps of the line. The shape of this fly can quickly be related to an adult insect’s silhouette. This outline is an important consideration in matching the fly. When dry flies lose their floating ability, some air drying by repetitive false casting, if conditions permit, may temporarily restore floating characteristics, but more likely the fly will need a dressing to help it repel water. If the fly has absorbed a lot of moisture, press it with a cloth to remove the moisture and clean it; then apply some form of dressing to it. I use Gink wet for my tippet and Gink dry on my fly - then subsequent applications of dissectant powder to the fly to keep it floating.

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Suggested Flies

Suggestive and impressionistic flies that match the natural insects’-three dimensional shape are the most successful. Suggestive flies can match a multitude of possible foods while exact imitations sometimes restrict the number of matches. The color match is helpful but it is not as important as the other elements of imitation. Natural food’s color and patterns can vary in shades and tones. Select your fly as to the general color pattern of the prevalent adult hatch. Try to classify your findings into one of the following general groups. Match the natural food’s size, texture, color, action, and silhouette with one of your files.

Typical Dynamic Pattern Materials: • #16-14 Nymph [Hook] • Micro-Fiber [Tail] • Yellow [Thread] • White/Grey Antron [Wings] • Yellow Fly [Dubbing] • Optional-Permanent Marker [Head]

Selected Flies For Dynamic Fishing: • Trico-Style Dries • Minimal Emergers • High Floating Flies • Elk Hair Caddis • Parachute Flies • Foam Flies

Hatch Variables

During heavy hatches the fish may hold just below the surface; consequently, this restricts their vision window. When hatches are sparse fish can hold deeper so that they can view a wider area looking for insects. Moreover, deeper holding fish can see you better. Also, during heavy hatches, fish become less cautious because they are preoccupied feeding. The longer a hatch persists the less wary the fish becomes. It can be easier to closely approach fish late in a heavy hatch than earlier in the same hatch.

Surface Film & Water Tension The surface film tension is the property of a liquid by which it acts as if its surface is stretched elastic membrane. This tension allows insects to stand on the water’s surface. 162 | Southern Trout | June 2014 | www.southerntrout.com

Surface film tension is caused by the attraction of water molecules to each other; consequently, the surface molecules are attracted back underneath by the underlying molecules. Surface film tension is the property which allows items that are not wetted to float. This causes insects to float. It is also the reason why floatant is placed on our lines and flies; consequently, it prevents these objects from being wetted. They will float in the surface film. Emerging aquatic insects must be able to break through this surface tension to reach the air. At times, when this surface tension is great, insects have difficulty emerging through the surface. They may become trapped in the surface film and vulnerable to fish predation. The amount of surface film tension is affected by both temperatures and dissolved substances.

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• An increase in temperature lowers the net force of attraction among molecules and so decreases the surface tension. The cooler, overcast days provide a longer surface duration of insects hatching because they have more difficulty piercing the surface film. Being trapped at the surface, insects are forced to drift for a prolonged time. Surface tension commonly traps terrestrial insects which fall into the water. An increase in surface tension makes it more difficult for these terrestrial insects to escape. Hence cooler temperatures enhance the angling production during emergences of midge, mayfly, and caddis flies by prolonging the insect’s presence at the surface. A fresh rain may cause an increase in dissolved organic or inorganic substances in the water. If it’s an increase in inorganic salts, the surface tension rises; on the other hand, if it’s an increase in organic substances, the surface tension lowers. Warm temperatures favor the insect’s escape by lowering the surface tension. During warmer temperatures, hatching insects are not on the surface for long. During extremely high surface tension times heavy objects such as snails may be found floating. Best dry fly conditions are when the surface film tension is high. The trapped insects are prolonged at the surface and this elicits fish predation. • An increase in dissolved organic substances also lowers the surface tension. However, an increase in dissolved inorganic salts causes a rise in surface tension. The surface film also reflects light; similarly, it reduces the amount of light entering the water. This influences both the angler’s and the fish’s vision.

Weather Conditions

The surface film also reflects light; similarly, it reduces the amount of light entering the water. This

influences both the anglers and the fish’s vision.

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Action

Action is the natural insects’ movement while emerging, mating, or laying eggs. Generally, most fly fishermen present and the retrieve without this motion. Action in the fly depicts living movement that fish key upon while feeding. Sound Vibrations Fish have a special sensory organ located in their lateral line. With this organ fish can detect underwater sounds and disturbances. This lateral line is so sensitive it can detect a fish’s prey. An injured minnow’s struggle is readily perceived. Sound and other vibrations carry better underwater; therefore,. The riffling hitch provides a surface struggling-and-waking action that simulates an injured baitfish trying to right itself. With this crippled action, fish are attracted to an easily caught meal. This method is productive for salmon and steelhead as well as trout and smallmouth bass. Whenever the fish are actively feeding at the surface, the riffled fly may be fruitful. At times of giant stonefly and golden stonefly egg laying flights, the riffle hitch affords an enticing action. Stoneflies commonly sputter along at the surface during egg-laying. Simply, the riffling hitch is just a couple of half-hitches tied to the head of the fly so that the leader extends out at a right angle. Using stiff heavy tippet materials accentuates the fly’s action. The tippet can be tied to extend out on the right side, the left side, or the underneath side of the fly’s head. Each position furnishes a different action when fished across the current. Frequently, the most useful hitch is the one that directs the tippet out towards the bank side of the fly when the fly is directed upstream. This position intensifies the fly’s surface action. Like to work my flies as well to entice strikes and many dry patterns do not allow me to do that. No matter what technique you use, always remember to find the joy in your fishing and life!

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Fly Fishing the Smokies Guided Fly Fishing in the Tennessee and North Carolina Smoky Mountains (828)-488-7665 or flyfishingthesmokies.net Wade Trips, Float Trips, Hazel Creek Camping, Beginner Lessons, and Fly Fishing for Kids. Est. in 1999, one of the oldest and most experienced Guide Services and Outfitters in the Smokies. Wade or Float for Trout and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Muskie, and Carp. We offer guided fly fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the WNC Fly Fishing Trail, Tuckasegee River, Little Tennessee River, Ravens Fork, Pigeon River, and Fontana Lake

For reservations call (828)-488-7665 or book your trip on the web at; flyfishingthesmokies.net

Tenkara

The Normal Drift by JoelDejong

am sure frequent bloggers have heard of and even might know quite a bit about Tenkara but for those new comers to the Tenkara style, this week I decided to start a little series on illustrating a few techniques for fishing with a Tenkara rod. This first technique I call - The Normal Drift. I am always a big advocate of the KISS Theory. Keep It Simple Stupid. This first technique embodies this theory better than any other. Basically the Normal Drift is done the same as one would drift a fly with the standard fly fishing system but doing it with a Tenkara rod will dramatically increase the realistic drift a bug would make while floating down stream. The reason why a Tenkara setup is better than a standard fly fishing setup for fishing this technique is simple. You dramatically reduce the drag of excess fly line being pulled by variant currents on the surface of the stream and so the fly is able to drift in a more normal pattern. 1- First cast your fly up stream, letting it fall on the surface of the water as gently as possible. Keep as much of the line off the water in order to avoid veering currents from catching the excess line and dragging the fly through the water. 2- Next, as you let the fly drift down stream in its natural coarse you want to follow the fly with the rod, all the while slowly raising the the tip of the rod in order to take up the slack in the fly line. This action will allow you to avoid excess line from being dragged by the currents and thus effecting the drift of the fly.

3- Finally as the fly begins to pass you, you will have to slowly lower the rod tip in order to allow the fly to continue its natural drift. 4- Wait for that killer hookup. This technique can be used for dries as well as wet flies and nymphs. Depending on what depth you desire, you will have to lower the rod tip accordingly. The key to using this technique successfully is controlling the amount of line on the water in order not to control how the fly drifts with the current. I have even used this technique successfully for a small streamer pattern like a #14 Black Nose Dace or small Woolly Bugger. For a small streamer I have added a bit of a twitch to the rod tip during the drift to imitate a struggling bait fish or bug. If you have a Tenkara rod then you have probably used the Normal Drift but I you are looking at trying this type of fishing, check out TenkaraUSA.com or TenkaraBum.com for some killer gear and more great advice. In a few days I will post another Technique for Tenkara. For more information, go to Joelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog at www.ayearonthefly.blogspot.com.

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CALL TODAY FOR YOUR

FLY FISHING ADVENTURE! James Bradley Ellijay, GA (706) 273-0764 cell (877) 647-4535 home

jbradley@ellijay.com

ReelemInGuideService.com

CONTRIBU TORS 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 and Fish Magazines, Primedia and Intermedia Outdoors, and is an active member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association.

Scott Spencer is a freelance writer who was born and raised in Alabama. An avid hunter and fisherman, he learned about flyfishing nearly 40 years ago when he first picked up the fly rod at the age of 12. He was tutored in the art of casting and fly-fishing using his father’s 1952 Phillipson bamboo fly rod. 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 tail waters of northern Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. He is married with three children.

Virginia Editor Beau Beasley is a well-known name among readers of fly angling magazines. His work has appeared in nearly every major 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 Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writer’s Association for his investigative piece, “Where Have all the menhaden Gone?” He is also the director of the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival, www.vaflyfishingfestival.org, and lives with his wife and children in Warrenton, VA.

A native of northern VA, 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 that Steve was born. Steve has published five books on fishing in VA 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.

Marc Payne is Knoxville, TN 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 that 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 reiverdalecalsssiscsbamboo@ gmail.com

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).

CONTRIBU TORS A Clinch River, fly-fishing fanatic, Shawn Madison is also a passionate entrepreneur and experienced boat builder. Using his vast experience in design, engineering, and manufacturing in the boat building industry, Shawn is currently finalizing the production plan for a Southern Style Drift Boat. An avid photographer, fly-tyer, and inventor, he also maintains The Clinch River, TN Facebook page that promotes one of the East Tennessee’s greatest resources. His goal is to help promote the sport of fly-fishing, increase conservation, and to help others find the joy of tricking trout. Watch for his current project soon, a book titled Find the Joy of Fly Fishing.

Roger Lowe was born in Waynesville, NC and now lives in the nearby town of Cashiers. He has enjoyed fly-fishing the waters of the Southern Appalachians all his life. He first began tying flies and fishing them at a very early age. Roger has his own fly shop for twelve years and has been guiding full time for twenty-seven years. He can most often be found at Brookings Angler in Cashiers where he guides daily or works in the fly shop where is signature patterns are available. He is also a fly tying instructor. He is the author of Roger Lowe’s Guide to the Great Smoky Mounatins, and he has a fly tying video, Smoky Mountain Fly Patterns, that shows how to tie a lot of the Smoky Mountain Patterns.

Ron Gaddy grew up in Waynesville, North Carolina and started fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains at an early age. He grew up fishing Chattahoochee, 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, VA. After retiring from DOD in 2009 he returned to Waynesville, NC 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 for building rods.

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 specializes in small streams, wild trout, and backcountry, remote access, and walk/wade trips into the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consequently, his freelance outdoor articles along with his nature photography focus specifically on the exceptional beautify and excellent trout fishing opportunities available to fly fishermen in western North Carolina.

Kevin Howell fished 38 states before college. In 1997 Kevin took a job as Manager or 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’t Custom Tackle while remaining the Manager of 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.

Georgia Editor Jimmy Jacobs is with Game & Fish Magazines. He also is the Outdoor Columnist for the Atlanta JournalConstitution newspaper and online Atlanta Outdoor Travel Writer for Examiner.com. Jacobs has authored five guidebooks to fishing in the southeastern US, including Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia: Trout Fishing in Northern 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.

CONTRIBU TORS Jason Sparks is the founder of Southern Appalachian Tenkara Anglers, A growing community of fishermen that embrace the elegant simplicity of the traditional Japanese method of fly fishing.. As an ambassador in promoting Tenkara across the South he often conducts clinics, instructs techniques and speaks to groups on the subject. A Navy Veteran, he has fished the world in waters from the Azores to the Appalachians. Now living near Banner Elk, North Carolina, he is recognized by Tenkara USA as a Certified Tenkara Guide and a leading instructional resource in the Southeast for inquiring anglers and fly-fishing clubs.

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 tail waters to be his mistress. 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.

Living in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, Bill Cooper has experienced the magic of the long rod from the Allegheny in the East to the Yellowstone in the West, and from the Quetico in Canada to the North to the Yucatan in the South. With an MS in Outdoor Education, his experience as a park superintendent and teacher of outdoor skills at Bass Pro Shop’s Wonders of Wildlife School has served him well ashe serves as a tourism consultant to Campeche State, Mexico and Maya Amazing Outfitters. He is the author of the Outdoor Celebrities Cookbook and his writing experience spans writing for Cabela’s Outfitter Jornal, Bassprolsours.com, Game and Fish, Trophy Whitetail World, Turkey Country and Union Sportsman.

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 fly-fishing 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.

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 majority 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 / HaneyMullins 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.

Ed Mashburn lives in Bay Minette, Alabama, and previously lived in the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri where he spent much time on the White and Little Red Rivers neglecting school work and home chores in pursuit of rainbows and browns. He has published three books and several hundred magazine articles. When not fishing or writing about fishing, Ed Mashburn builds wooden kayaks