issue 18
april/may 2015
Southern Trout Win a trip to Rose River Farms INSIDE
IN THIS ISSUE CLOSE LOOK: VIRGINIA
Virginia’s Alternative Trout Beau Beasley
JIMMY JACOBS
Trout, Moonshite, and Legends
www.southerntrout.com
Yep, it’s just that easy with Western North Carolina’s premier fly shop and guide service. Kevin Howell and his experienced staff have been fishing the surrounding 500 miles of prime trout waters so long, they know all the fish on first name basis. And they’ll be more than happy to make a few introductions.
PISGAH FOREST, NC
2 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
GUIDE SERVICES | ONLINE & RETAIL STORE | LESSONS
Publisher’s message
There’s No Business Like
Show Business
by Don Kirk After learning that my fear of heights handicapped my dreams of becoming a fireman, I decided to become an outdoor writer. An outdoor writers was really all I ever wanted to be, and frankly I wish it had worked out that way. For better or worse, being a writer sucked me into a vortex that has included stints as a radio talk show host, magazine editor, television show host, and my current jig as publisher of Southern Trout and Southern Kayak Fishing magazines. I have no appetite for exploring new horizons. Two years ago Southern Trout held its first Fly Fishing Fair at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It went over so well that we were asked to expand it this year, which we did with some success. Late in 2014 we were approached by Art Mearns, the Director of Business Development for the Knoxville Expo Center about putting on a consumer fly fishing show in that river town. As with any undertaking of this magnitude, we kicked it around a lot before anyone made in serious offers. During that time Art came to the fly fishing show Southern Trout attended in Asheville, Winston-Salem and Pigeon Forge, plus a few we passed on this year in Lexington, Cincinnati and elsewhere. Art has a vision that Knoxville was the new epicenter of fly fishing in South. After much discussion we came to an
agreement to launch the East Tennessee Fly Fishing & Shine Festival sponsored by Southern Trout Magazine in Knoxville, Tennessee February 12-13, 2016. It’s a big enough project for our little publishing company that the saltwater fly fishing magazine we had scheduled for launch in July 2015 has been pushed up at least a couple of months. Partnering has a sponsor for a consumer show of this magnitude is new ground for us to break, and that in itself is pretty exciting and scary. For a number of years fly fishing/wine festivals have been popular in California, and Beau Beasley’s Virginia Fly and Wine Festival in Harrisburg is rated as the top fly fishing event held east of the Mississippi. Beau’s event is close enough to the DC/Fairfax area to draw enough “sophisticated” sorts of people to make a combination fly fishing/wine tasting viable. While lots of wine is sold and consumed in Knoxville (especially the cheap stuff…), this scruffy little river town (as the New York Times described Ktown) is not a cosmopolitan centre where wine can help carry a fly fishing show. On the other hand though, moonshine and micro-brewery beer crafters are another in story in east Tennessee. Moonshine making is a longtime cultural component of Appalachian life and lore. Until recently making it or possessing it got you a stint in a federal prison, but no more. Sevier County alone currently has eight legally licensed
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 3
Southern Trout Publisher National Sales Mgr. Editor-at-large Managing Editor Special Projects Dir. Photographer/Writer Editorial Consultant
Don Kirk Lisa Trust Beau Beasley Leah Kirk Adam Patterson Loryn Patterson Olive K. Nynne
Contributors
Bill Bernhardt Bill Cooper Kevin Howell Roger Lowe Harry Murray Mike Kesselring
FIELD STAFF Bob Borgwat
Columnist Ron Gaddy Columnist George Grant Columnist Matt Greene Columnist Craig Haney Alabama Editor Jimmy Jacobs, Georgia Editor Roger Lowe Columnist Bob Mallard Columnist Steve Moore Columnist
Southern Trout is a publication of Southern Unlimited LLC and Stonefly Press LLC. Copyright 2014 Southern Unlimited LLC and Stonefly Press LLC. All rights reserved.
Publisher’s message
(cont.)
moonshine distilleries. Unlike bourbon or sour mash whiskies that require years of aging before being bottled, moonshine is greeted by an eager market the instant is clears the spout of the worm box. Similarly, there has been an explosion in the number of micro breweries throughout the South. Currently about every big town in Dixie has as many as a half dozen so-called craft beer establishments where suds of infinite variety are on tap. The Knoxville Expo Center’s planned venue for the East Tennessee Fly Fishing and Shine Festival is gigantic and quite nice. It’s not only big enough to handle hundreds of booths and exhibits, but unlike most fly fishing shows will have a section designated for kayaks and other mountain sports. The plan for the two-day is to keep it very affordable for attendees and vendors. During the entire show two programs will be available on subjects such as fly fishing the South Holston River, or discovering trout fishing in the Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The East Tennessee Fly Fishing and Shine Festival has a promising potential. In a recent interview, Tom Rosenbauer of Orvis referred to the South as the leading region in the country in the growth of fly fishing. We have a game plan for the event that will be share soon.
4 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
ON THE COVER
Dean Crouser’s love of fishing and the outdoors is found in the expressions of his art that he keeps loose and simple. “I strive to say the most with the least and like to keep my work fast and spontaneous. My goal is to capture the beauty and simplicity of a scene in a manner that people haven’t seen a million times before.” To learn more visit www. crouserart.com
THIS ISSUE
Publisher’s Message 3 departments
Generally Speaking
8-85 8
Gear Head 12 Fly Lines for Bamboo Rods New Fly Guide
22
The Black Wing Olive Chronicles
34
Fishhunter Adventures in Cuisine
38
Fly of the Month
40
Loose Loops & Wind Knots
44
The Bug Man The Winter Trifecta
48
New Product Review 56 SPOT Global Satellite Phone New Product Review BEADMASTER
62
Featured Artist: 70 Michael M. Rogers
12 34 70
40 48
Southern Spirits: 76 Limestone Branch Distilling CLOSE LOOK Featured Lodge 86 Graves Mountain Southern Spirits Spence-Devon Brewing
94
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38
THIS ISSUE94
102
174
102 Featured Guide Bob Cramer - Mossy Creek 108 Featured Bed and Breakfast The Collins House Inn 116 Featured Fly Tyer VA Godfather of Fly Fishing Harry Murray
84
122 Featured Location Shenandoah National Park 130 Featured Fly Shop River Rock Outfitters 150 Discovery Rappahannok
FEATURES
124 130
116
158 Return of the Meramec River Brown Trout 166 Situational Fly Fishing The Basics of Fly Casting 174 Georgia: Trout Moonshine ‘n Legends 182 Line Up Right from the Get Go 188 Cherokee Museum Opening Nears 194 The Elk River
140 www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 7
generally speaking
There is a place... by George Grant
T
here is a place that calls to me. It’s nameless and nowhere because it has a thousand names and places. You can find it on most maps, a fine blue line woven as both warp and weft among the light brown lines of elevation to make the tapestry of the world and the universe. The road that carries you to it will go on to other places.
8 l April February 20152015 l Southern l Southern TroutTrout l www.SouthernTrout.com l www.SouthernTrout.com
generally speaking bright and flashing in the very fires of the If you stay on universe. Something that road this place soft enough to slide will flash past you glinting in the light. You through your fingers and cold enough to may notice it, give it a chill you through has glance, even learn its polished them to an name from a sign; but exquisite roundness. you won’t know it. To know this place Even the tiny grains of you must go on foot as sand that dance in the swirling current behind all pilgrims do. There the larger stones were will be a path beside it because there are other once the hearts of mountains. pilgrims. The path won’t lead to a cathedral, shrine, sepulcher, sacred stone, or Holy Mountain. It will just follow the stream as it goes higher and farther into the wild. That’s all it needs to do because once you are on it you are in the presence of a healing power. I don’t know all that this power is capable of, but I have seen some of the things it can do. Look at the stones that line a stream. Once they were shards of rock with knife sharp edges forged
Listen to this power. It can sing an eternal song without repeating a single note. It roars and whispers in a tongue as foreign as the voices of angels, as calming as a lullaby. Your mother’s voice was this to you before you could comprehend. This power can create a separate world bright with the same light as ours, a world filled with myriad forms adapted, harmonious. Life and death are in this world. Each is in its place and a bond unbreakable and eternal joins them.
The bond is this; life is taken only so that life can be sustained. Madness and murder do not come from this bond. They are born in our world, in our minds. The creatures there beneath the surface cannot comprehend their world and lacking comprehension cannot be led to madness. To see this world, to briefly touch it even as an interloper, can heal. I must go there again. I don’t know what this power is. Even if I did I wouldn’t give it a spoken name. The spoken names of power can become doctrines, dogmas, sects, and schisms. Those names are something men can grasp and what all men can grasp some will seize as a weapon. Give it a name if you want but make it a secret name that’s known only to you.
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gearhead
Fly Lines for Bamboo Rods Bob Mallard
W
hen it comes to tackle, I am all about technology not tradition. I am an unapologetic fan of graphite rods, large arbor reels—including those with graphic designs, condition-specific extruded leaders, fluorocarbon tippet, articulated streamers, tungsten bead nymphs, modular tech packs, and multi-sole wading boots. The closest I have to traditional fly tackle is a few older Winston rods, a socalled “retro” glass rod, and a couple of small arbor reels. I am more like Kelly Galloup than Isaac Walton—and more likely to be found reading The Drake than A River Runs Through It. I like beer, not Scotch; and prefer a cigar to a pipe. I don’t own a stitch of tweed—but I do own a lot of GORETEX®, Windstopper®, and SPF.
12 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
gearhead While working on my book, 50 Best Places Fly Fishing for Brook Trout, I decided to interject some tradition. I had an opportunity to buy a 1970’s vintage bamboo rod that was part of an estate sale I was liquidating. I figured I would never get a better chance to take the plunge so I pulled the trigger. Next I chased down a small arbor click-and-pall reel—you don’t put low-riders on an antique car… While I have cast a lot of bamboo rods--or “cane” as some refer to them—I am admittedly no expert. As a result, I did something I never do—I hit the forums for some advice on what line to use. While many opined, very few asked me what I was going to do with the rod or even what the length, line-weight or action was—all things to consider when purchasing a fly line for any rod. Two lines—both decades old--dominated the discussions. Fly line giants Scientific Anglers and RIO were barely mentioned—an odd omission in any conversation about fly lines. Several of the forum faithful suggested a specific line--arguably the most popular product with bamboo users—and that I cut 6-12” off the front end to “tune” it. In addition to having a front taper, the line has a 6” level tip and a bonded loop. That’s like ordering a BLT and throwing away the bacon—and a sign that while some may think it’s the best option, it might not be—at least for what they do... Not satisfied with what I heard; I perused the catalogs, searched the internet, called the vendors, harassed the reps, and otherwise educated myself as to what was available. I stopped short of considering a silk line--the idea of having to grease my line to make it float seemed messy and unnecessary.
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gearhead Bamboo rods run the gamut. Some can barely handle the suggested line weight—especially longer ones. Others need to be over-lined to effectively load them—especially short ones. In some cases popular lines such as Scientific Anglers’ GPX and RIO’s RIO Grand that are half a line-weight heavier than advertised only make matters worse. Plus bamboo rods are about finesse, not power; making so-called “performance” lines moot. While not what you would call extensive--there are more options than you might think. I obtained some samples and field-tested them. All did something well—and some did a lot of things well. I cast at realistic distances for dry fly and small stream fishing. I made sure not to double-haul or otherwise work the rod in a way it was not intended to be used. In general, what makes a fly line a good fit for bamboo rods is suppleness. Aesthetically, you probably don’t want a fluorescent orange or chartreuse line—that would be like wearing a trucker hat with a tweed jacket.
Photo by Cecil Gray 14 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
gearhead Many bamboo enthusiasts are purists—they fish only dry flies. Others fish small stream pocketwater. There is a big difference between standing waist deep in a placid river casting a #18 sulphur to a rising fish thirty feet away, and standing on dry land trying to stuff a #12 beetle under an overhanging branch twelve feet away. The line that does the former well can be a detriment when trying to do the latter. Some lines such as Cortland Sylk and Wulff Bamboo Special are designed specifically for bamboo rods. Others such as Cortland 444 Peach and Wulff Triangle Taper have established a cultlike following amongst bamboo aficionados. And some such as Scientific Anglers Mastery Trout, Orvis Superfine and RIO Trout LT, while not normally associated with bamboo rods work well on them. Choosing a line for a bamboo rod is not that different than choosing a line for any other rod. What you plan to do with the rod should dictate what line you choose. The dry fly purist is best served by a line with a long front taper. The pocketwater fisherman is better off with a short front taper. Triangle tapers employ a long continuous front taper--they turn-over well. Tapers such as those used in Scientific Anglers VPT, Orvis’ Superfine and RIO’s Trout LT are similar with very long--albeit multi-stage--front tapers. While these fundamental concepts seem lost on many of todays fly fishers, it appears to be especially true with regard to bamboo users.
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gearhead Lines with front tapers 8’ and longer are considered “presentation” products. Those with front tapers shorter than that are what are referred to as “all-purpose” products. Presentation lines do not perform well in tight quarters—or when trying to turnover a heavy or bulky fly. All-purpose lines can be a bit splashy. While there is not much you can do to make a presentation line fish in tight well, you can present a dry fly pretty effectively with an all-purpose line if you use a long enough leader. While they have fallen out of favor over the years, double-taper lines tend to present a fly very gently. The belief that they roll-cast better than weight-forwards is somewhat misleading. Unless you get out beyond the belly—28’ to 45’ on the lines tested—there is no difference assuming they have the same front taper.
Photos by Cecil Gray
16 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
gearhead Below are the lines I feel are best suited for use with bamboo rods. All are accurately weighted and relatively supple—and with subtle colors.
Notes: • Vendors and products are listed in alphabetic order. • Tapers reflect a WF5. Some products vary by line weight. * Available in Weight-Forward and Double-Taper ** Denotes a multi-stage “compound” Front Taper
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gearhead BOB MALLARD has fly fished for over 35 years. He is a blogger, writer and author; and has owned and operated Kennebec River Outfitters in Madison, Maine since 2001. His writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines at the local, regional and national levels. He has appeared on radio and television. Look for his books from Stonefly Press, 50 Best Places Fly Fishing the Northeast (Now Available), 25 Best Towns Fly Fishing for Trout (Spring 2015) and 50 Best Places Fly Fishing for Brook Trout (Winter 2015). Bob is also a fly designer for Catch Fly Fishing as well as the northeast sales rep for both Stonefly Press and Catch Fly Fishing. Bob can be reached at www. kennebecriveroutfitters.com, www.bobmallard.com, info@bobmallard.com or 207-474-2500.
18 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
from Stackpole Books
gearhead
“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.” —Kevin Howell, Davidson River Outfitters
$24.95 Paperback 256 pages 200 color photos 978-0-8117-1117-3 This book and other Stackpole fishing titles are available Available Now! $25 (includes shipping) from booksellers and fly shops nationwide.
Use Paypal or email Don@southerntrout STACKPOLE BOOKS 800-732-3669 • www.stackpolebooks.com • Follow us on: for paying by mail CLICK HERE TO PAY WITH PAYPAL
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 19
15th Annual
2015 SPEAKERS Lefty Kreh • Bob Clouser • Beau Beasley • Tom Gilmore Ed Jaworowski • Blane Chocklett • Walt Cary Captain Gary Dubiel • Pat Cohen • Cory Routh
Advance tickets, extensive beginner and children’s classes, reg
April 11-12, 2015
2015 MAJOR SPONSORS Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation Dominion • Trout Unlimited • Temple Fork Outfitters
gistration and program information: vaflyfishingfestival.org
new fly guy
Reading
by Steve Moore
I
t probably started during the January cold snap when temperatures plunged below freezing for several days. First, your spouse turned the heat up a degree or two. A week or so later, you were forced to watch “Beachfront Bargain Hunt” on HGTV because “there is nothing else on.” Eventually there was the direct appeal, reinforced by tearful, doe-eyed children, to go to the beach instead of the mountains. Poof! Your dreams of a vacation stalking wary brookies on joyfully gurgling streams disappeared.
22 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy
Water
Don’t despair! Until you experience the adrenaline rush of a huge red drum ripping line out of a groaning reel, you have not lived. The southern coastline, from Virginia through Texas, offers plenty of opportunities to tangle with red drum (aka redfish, reds, spottail bass or channel bass) and sea trout (speckled trout, specks). Here is the “starter set” basics for chasing reds with trout found in many of the same places. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 23
new fly guy
Inshore flies mimic shrimp, crabs and baitfish Since both reds and specks eat larger food, inshore fly fishing usually requires an upgrade to a heavier weight rod/line combination designed to efficiently throw the larger flies required to “match the hatch.” While some anglers stick with a six weight rod and work lighter flies, it is much easier to go big and use at least an eight weight, fast action (tip flex) rod loaded with a redfish or bass taper line to punch through the constant sea breeze. Floating line is fine, but bring an intermediate sinking tip for situations when you need to push your fly towards the bottom in a strong tidal current. Be sure your reel has a good drag with plenty of backing since even a small red has the strength and energy to pull hard… really hard. Use a strong tippet, either mono or fluorocarbon, with at least a 15 pound tensile strength. Matching the saltwater hatch means selecting flies built to mimic baitfish (mullet, pinfish, menhaden and mud minnows) shrimp or crabs. Look for weighted flies tied on hook sizes 1/0 down to 4 with a weed guard, poppers and Dupre Spoonflies. As always, purchase flies at a destination fly shop to take advantage of local knowledge. Success requires understanding the impact of the tide on bait and predator behavior. Not surprisingly, the rise and fall of tide creates four different situations: high tide, rising, falling and low. To make the point, here are pictures of the same place (a confirmed redfish hot spot) at different tide levels. 24 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy
High tide shows a deep cove extending into the marsh
Moving tide reveals a narrow entrance
The cove is dry at low tide www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 25
new fly guy Each phase requires a different approach. Although the picture looks the same at the middle of a falling or rising tide, current flow changes where the reds lurk. As Captain Allen Jernigan (breadmanventures.com, a popular coastal guide) showed me on a recent trip into the shallow backwaters of the New River basin, fish key to structure. He explained while inshore structure consists of points, potholes, fallen trees, root balls, creeks, drop-offs, docks and banks - no real difference from freshwater - oyster beds, jetties and tidal flats are the new features. The likelihood of a fish being present anywhere depends on tide phase, with as little as a ½ hour making a difference, and that knowledge only comes from experience fishing a body of water. At high tide, reds will be in the marsh grass away from the main channel. Key on the perimeter of open areas within the marsh grass rather than blind casting to random stalks. Look for tailing redfish or baitfish movement.
Target small points or channels in high tide “lakes”
26 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy At low tide, fish retreat to the main channel. Generally, reds are not active at dead low tide. A better use of this phase is to get the lay of the land and locate the best places to fish when the tide is moving. During the rise and fall, look for additional clues - all revolve around baitfish movement on the shoreline. Put your eyes on the lee shore (bank the wind is blowing towards) since bait tends to favor that side of a bay. In the hot spot below, a creek feeds into a bay. When the tide moves out, baitfish migrate from hiding/feeding positions in the grass into the creek and follow the flow, continuing to move left with the tide. Reds will position at the prime ambush spot marked by the “X” on the back side of a point just down current of the creek.
Use Google™ imagery to find likely spots
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new fly guy
Another way to locate good shoreline spots is to sit quietly and observe. As schools scurry along the shoreline, there will be periodic boils of surface activity as smaller fish flee predators. Once you observe a top water explosion, fish it since a predator is present. Pay attention to birds. They hunt baitfish and, where the baitfish are, the reds (and specks) will not be far away.
“Angler� waiting in ambush for the tide to rise
28 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy
The best time to fish a shoreline is when the tide hits the mud line, the break between grass and mud. When the tide flows into the grass, baitfish follow, seeking cover. Reds also move inland to eat fiddler crabs. On the falling tide, reds wait in the channel, or just within the grass line, to snack on returning baitfish.
Low tide reveals channels reds will follow (middle of picture) to move into the marsh grass
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new fly guy Everyone has a different opinion on the optimum tide phase while agreeing it must be moving. Determine timing by reviewing a NOAA tide chart from a nearby station
Once you find fish, technique boils down to a few rules: • • •
Do not cast into the middle of a school, cast ahead or to the side Cast up current, let the fly sink. Allow the current to move your fly, stripping slower at first and then pick up speed When fishing a popper, do not stop stripping on a missed strike, continue to “flee”
30 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
new fly guy No discussion of the basics would be complete without mention of a few unique safety concerns. Specifically, humans are not at the top of the food chain and need to be cognizant of the danger presented by the American alligator and sharks. Neither of these will present a problem as long as you are aware of their presence and keep any fish you are going to take home out of the water. For sharks, do not wade early in the morning or in the evening. Alligators will be in the coastal creeks and rarely cause problems for humans. Even so, do not swim where they exist, minimize splashing and stay away from the banks where they may lie in ambush. This is especially important when females are guarding eggs or young. Bottom line: Put the mountain trout out of your mind, enjoy the coast and catch the inshore addicition!
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black wing olive chronicles
I
Take This Job and Sh
t was the longest three weeks of my life is about the only way I can sum up my stint as “acting publisher” during Daddyboy’s suspension. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to say the old stinker withered away in despair at his harsh sentence, but as best I could tell, he reveled in it. He even came up with a song that goes something like “fast fly rods— younger women---older whisky---smoother cigars.” If you regarded Daddyboy as significant waste of talent before suffering the consequences of spouting off about you know who, then I am fairly certain that you would find the rejuvenated version of him far more disgusting. Running Southern Trout, as if he ever did anything of the sort, is quite an amusing statement. His writers tell him what they want to write about, a set up that is quite unheard in the real world of publishing. Give Daddyboy a cigar and buy him a drink and become a field editor. Frankly, I am not even sure he reads the magazine. For that matter, it is not certain from my observations that Daddyboy even knows how to read. During the three weeks that I worked like a dog and struggled to salvage the image and reputation of Southern Trout Magazine, Daddyboy went fishing two out of every three days. I like fishing as much as any canine, but for the life of me I do not understand a rule that says you must begin fishing at dawn, and fish until it is too dark to see. If you think that is an
exaggeration, please consider the fact that Daddyboy can sleep as soundly as a hibernating bear while standing upright in a lifelike posture. One of his eyes are open then too. Most people just think he is in some sort of trance. Heaven forbid he fall over while sleeping when he is in a river fly fishing.
34 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
hove It!
black wing olive chronicles
Olive k. nynn
Being something of a throwback, Daddyboy wade fishes wearing the same old smelly vest he found at a Thrift Store several years ago. Checkered with pockets and cubby holes, you’d think he would it stuffed full of fly boxes holding a few hundred dozen flies. Haha…that’s a joke. He carries one fly box that on a
good day has perhaps a dozen flies in it. If you have fished with him you know this, and you know all too well he is not the least bit shy about asking to peak at the contents of your fly boxes. Those that know him watch this carefully and inventory their cache as soon as it is returned to them, which in itself does not happen as often as it should. The last time I inspected Daddyboy’s fly vest, besides a single box of flies and an empty bottle of floatant, I found five flasks, of which only one contained anything, the rest being bone dry. The interior pockets of the vest hide away no fewer than six half partially smoked cigars. That explains where mosquitoes fly away when he approached. His fishing vest also held four butane lighters, what appeared to be a half-eaten Moonpie cookie and a note pad that did not have a single note written in it. I am not sure what was in a couple of the pockets that had metal zippers which were so gummed up they are in a permanent state of closure. I make no secret of my delight that I am back to usual duties of guarding the compound. Daddyboy may appear to live the life of Reilly, but unbeknownst to most, he is actually in a sleeping stupor. The number one rule around here is no do disturb him as this is when he is at his best.
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fishhunter adventures in cuisine
Chicken Noodle Skillet by Craig Haney
W
hen my fishing buddies and I head to the mountains for a trout trip, w The fishing is always good, even if the catching isn’t, and the fellows menu, who cooks and who washes dishes. I guess it has worked pre
Chicken Noodle Dinner meets our criteria for a good meal: easy to fix and tas
38 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
fishhunter adventures in cuisine Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch chunks ½ cup sliced mushrooms, fresh or canned 1 cup broccoli, cut up 1 cup carrots, cut into ¼-½ inch pieces 2 cup uncooked egg noodles 2 cups chicken broth 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup ½ teaspoon onion powder Salt and pepper to taste PREPARATION 1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. 2. Cook the chicken chunks 6 or 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned. 3. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, lower heat to low, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. 4. Uncover and simmer 5 more minutes or until noodles are tender. Serves 4
we are looking forward to good fishing, good fellowship and good food. ship takes care of itself. Over the years, we have settled into who plans the etty well as we all seem to leave camp or cabin well fed and happy.
sty!
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fly of the month
The Irresistible
E
Roger Lowe
arly in my fly fishing career around the mid 1970s I walked and fished the beautiful streams of western north Carolina. Little did I realize really how popular the sport would become in the years to come. Fly patterns were few and somewhat simple compared to some we all tie today. I would help myself to my grandfather’s old dial fly box and found mostly Adams, Palmers, Bivisables, Tellicos,and Gray Hackles. My favorite springtime dry fly was the Irresistible or what we called the (Deerhair). This fly seemed to always produce plenty of fish and floated very high in the water and was easy to see.it was really good on high mountain streams for brook trout. This fly was hard to find in the stores because local tiers found it a pain to tie because of the spun deerhair body and all the trimming that it required. One unique thing about this fly was that you could change body colors by using different colors of body hair with light yellow being my favorite. I think part of the success of this fly was the tapered body which was trimmed in a v- shape with a razor blade.body was spun and compacted tightly so when trimmed it would have a nice smooth body.this fly needed little or no floatation because of the deer hair body. This old mountain pattern was one of the Cherokee indians favorite dry patterns and still is today. Tie you some of these flies and try them think you will enjoy Roger
40 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Just a 3-hour drive from Atlanta! Destinations
include high elevation mountain streams, scenic tailwaters, and intense summer-time smallmouth bass trips. We take several backcountry trips a year to the remote and scenic Hazel Creek in GSMNP, which is an experience every Southern fly fisher should try at least once. Brookings’ also hosts some incredible destination trips to places like Argentina’s Patagonia, Belize and Montana. We are simply eaten up with fishing and will go anywhere to find the best for our clients.
Brooking’s is licensed to guide in Nantahala and Pigsah National Forests, Panthertown Valley, as well as Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
We carry brands such as Orvis, Simms, Scott, Sage, Columbia, Smith Optical, Hardy, True Flies and many more!
Guides for first-time to experienced anglers and everyone in between.
Lodging | Fly Fishing Guide Trips |Angling Equipment Fly Tying Supplies and Lessons |Cigars | Apparel | Books | DVDs
828-743-3768 | info@brookingsonline.com BrookingsOnline.com
loose loops and wind knots
Hard to be Humorous!
I
was having lunch with my friend Bill and lamenting the fact that Olive K. Nynne, acting editor of Southern Trout, had sent an e-mail reminding me of the deadline for the Tight Lines and Loose Loops column. Usually it is Don Kirk, the normal
editor, who reminds me of deadlines, but he is serving a three week suspension for comments he shared in the Southern Trout newsletter. Now that I think about it, mentioning Don Kirk and normal in the same sentence just does not sound correct.
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by Craig Haney
I can’t decide whether the sentence is an oxymoron or I am a moron for thinking of Don as normal “anything” since I have known him for over thirty years. Regardless, I e-mailed Olive that the column was in the works and would be on time. I lied.
loose loops and wind knots Unfortunately, I didn’t have a humorous idea to develop and was trying to think of something…anything. The column did not start out to be humorous and maybe it still isn’t, but the few comments I have received about it indicate the reader, at least, thinks of it that way. Anyway, Bill tried to help by suggesting I write on “how to be humorous.” I explained to Bill that when I try to be funny, I’m not. However, oftentimes in a conversation I hear something that triggers the strange wiring in my brain, my mouth opens and something is said, without any thought, that turns out to be funny. It just happens. Bill further tried to help by suggesting I write about one of the impromptu times something comes out of my mouth unexpectedly and turns out funny and then I should analyze why and how it happened and write about it. That sounds good but intelligent analysis has never been a strong suit of mine but I figured what the heck, I would give it a try. After all, you never know! After lunch, I headed home and went to work on the column. When I tried to think of something, nothing readily came to mind which didn’t really surprise me. Thinking my brain probably needed
a kick-start, I headed down the mountain to the nearest fancy-schmancy coffee shop where I ordered a tripledipple, super-dooper overpriced giant cup of coffee. The caffeine kicked in, my heart was racing, my hands developed a slight tremor and my brain kicked into gear. I hurried home hoping a host of funny experiences would flood my brain but there was no flood and still no column. Just before I was going to give up on being creative, there was a trickle down of a experience that happened some time ago. My wife, Lynn, and I were in Sunday school along with maybe 30 others on a fine spring morning. One of the ministers from our church had been leading a series on social issues for several Sundays and this week’s topic was in-vitro fertilization, freezing sperm for future use and related topics. All of a sudden, the strange wiring in my head went straight to my mouth without letting my brain think about what I was about to say.
happened instantaneously. First, the entire class burst out laughing as did Russell and secondly, at the same time, Lynn gave me an elbow to the ribs that would have toppled an NFL linebacker. Because of the newly bruised ribs, I don’t remember much else of the class but Lynn was certainly not happy with me for “saying such a thing” in Sunday school. She was so embarrassed that we skipped church. Maybe she thought her heathen husband was going to be stoned after the morning offering was taken, I don’t know because she didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day.
I rapidly raised my hand.
Like Bill suggested, I tried analyzing the story but I am not much at analyzing things. I guess what triggered my comments was the mental picture I had of someone pulling up to a drive-thru window at the sperm bank and wanting to make a deposit. Obviously, since I have never been to a sperm bank, I had to ask Russell about the drive-thru window. The Sunday school lesson had obviously stimulated my brain and I was just trying to learn.
Russell said “Craig, do you have a question?” I quickly asked, “Russell, do sperm banks have a drivethru window?” Two things
Whether Bill’s idea for a column was a good one or not, I don’t know because I still have trouble analyzing things.
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the most diverse fishing habitats in the world with four rivers, dozens of mountain streams throughout the Smoky Mountains, and the deep, cold waters of Fontana and Cheoah lakes.
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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 the Linville River. Call Today for Reservations
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the bug man
Tying the Adult Sulphur Imitations Matthew Green
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the bug man
Sulfur “F” Fly
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the bug man Sulphur “F” Fly Dun Hook: Thread: Body: Wing:
Size #16 TMC 100 Uni Yellow 8/0 Yellowish Tan Turkey Biot (Rib Up) Hareline Dubbin TBQ388 Waspi CDC Tan 041
1. Tightly tie thread on clockwise to ¾ of the hook shank length to form a thin base layer. 2. Select pair of ‘married” long turkey tears or creases. Tears are weak point in the fiber that could break or come apart later. Suitable biots are long enough to palmer the entire hook shank. There is no exact length in mind that constitutes a proper biot length. But there is no such thing as a biot that is too long. There are only biots that are too short for a given hook shank length. 3. Using a pinch wrap secure the biots “rib up” to the hook shank. Hold the turkey biot to a light source to observe its morphology. The biot begins with a point and widens to a 4-5 mm fiber. Biot have solid white strips and are clearer (sometimes light gray) at their terminal. The solid white strip should have a slight ridge or “rib”. Tie rib side requires securing opposite the hook point. 4. Once the biot is tied in, bring the thread towards the eye. Using hackle pliers, palmer the biot along the hook shank with 2-to-3 mm wide rib spacing. When you are approximately 3-5 mm away from the eye of the hook, secure the biot to the hook shank by making 3-4 very tight thread wraps. 5. Next select two CDC feathers of equal lengths, widths, and tip angles (or curves). Feathers of different widths, lengths, and tip curves are difficult to marry and will cause the wing to be uneven, float awkwardly, and not fish as well. Stroke the married pair so that the tips are curving into each other and the CDC fibers form a nice triangle. Tie in the married feathers with a pinch wrap while pulling down on the thread to make the feathers flare. Clip off the excess CDC near the hook eye and secure the CDC with 3-4 thread wraps. 6. After securing the CDC wing with a few thread wraps, whip finish off the head with 3-5 wraps and cap with CA+ glue (Zap-a-gap) using a fine needle. 50 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
the bug man
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the bug man Sulphur Spinner (Female) Hook: Thread: Body: Wing: Tail:
Size #14 Tiemco 100 Uni Orange 6/0 Yellowish Tan Turkey Biot (Rib Down) Hareline Dubbin TBQ388 Gray Sparkle Emerger Yarn with 3-4 strands of Pearl Flashabou in center (George Harvey Spinner Style) Dun Microfibbets
1. Tightly tie thread on clockwise to ž of the hook shank length to form a thin base layer. 2. Next, tie in the dun tails with a pinch wrap. Pull back on the fibers until the desired tail length is achieved. Dun tails should be approximately 1.25X the length of the hook shank. Some tiers prefer spinner imitations that closely resemble the actual morphology of mayflies, and in doing so add three tails to their patterns which I regard as pointless. Without a semi-dense tail base, the imitation will not float very well. Build the tail of this fly using more microfibbets than you might normally use, but not too many as to cause the imitation to drag heavily on the surface. Tightly tie microfibberts tail to the top of the hook shank. When pulling the tail fibers back, be sure to pull all the fibers at once to prevent unevenness in fiber lengths that will make the tail less dense.
Emerging Sulphur Nymph
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the bug man 3. Next tie in, and palmer a turkey biot as discussed in steps 2-4 of the Sulphur “F” Fly Dun. 4. Next tie in the wing. Cut a 2 inch long piece of gray sparkle emerger yarn and 3-4 strands of pearl flashabou to size. Place the strips of flashabou in the sparkle yarn and move the yarn back and forth between your thumb and index finger to evenly mix the yarn and flashabou. Position the flashabou to the center of the yarn before securing the wing. Using figure eight wraps, tie the mixture to wing approximately 5 mm behind the hook eye. Allow space to tie off the thread in front of the wing. Use loose clockwise and counter clockwise pinch wrap to prevent the wing from drifting off the top of the shank and twisting or spinning onto the sides of the hook shank. Next apply enough figure eight wraps to cover the thread gaps on the top of shank created by the rise in thread from the wing. If you want, you can tie in the spinner wings ala Vince Marinaro by tying one or both wings inverted at a 45degree angle above the shook shank. Evenly trim the wings if you think they are too long. Generally, I like my wings to be ¾ in long. 5. Eventually, work the thread back towards the eye of the hook, whip finish off with 3-5 wraps, and cap with CA+ glue (Zap-a-gap) using a fine needle.
Sulphur Spinner
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new product review
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new product review
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new product review
spot
GLOBAL PHONE Anywhere Anytime Phone Service
M
y favorite thing about cell phones is that when I am on the water or in some remote location, the warden, (i.e. Mrs. Kirk) is unable to track or monitor my activities. Unfortunately, when on the water or in some remote location, I can neither receive important messages, or tell anyone where I had my most recent accident. Until recently I ignored the problem, assuming that I was in some sort of comminications “twilight zone.” That’s changed with my introduction to the SPOT Global Phone, a satellite phone that is cell phone size and is also surprisingly affordable.
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new product review Around since the 1990s, satellite phones (or satphones) connect to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites. They provide similar functionality to terrestrial mobile telephones; voice, short messaging service and low-bandwidth internet access. Early satellite phone handsets were about the size/weight of 1980s cell phone, but now are almost distinguishable from an ordinary cell phone. Manufactured by Globalstar, the SPOT Global Phone is a gadget perfect for southern trout fishermen for those times when you can't, or don't what to be, away from it. This phone does not snap photos; won't run apps, and it doesn't play music, but it will let you stay in touch when you're outside cellular range by connecting to satellites spinning around Earth. Globalstar recently finished launching their second generation satellites for full commercial service, completing the world’s most modern satellite communications network. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 57
new product review Style is not the strong point, of the SPOT Global Phone, although it would not be fair to say it has a big, bulky frame. The interface is easy to use and the simple keypad and controls are well-designed. Backlit color display with 4-line, 12-character LCD is easy to read; illuminated keypad makes the phone easy to operate in the dark. Most importantly it lets you go off the grid at places like the “Horseshoe” on Abrams Creek and still stay in contact with people such as the Warden.
and easy access to voice mail and inbound SMS messages. What’s more, that person also can't be fazed by the Spot Global's high cost. From April 1st through September 14th, 2015, customers who activate on select airtime plans will receive a Free Light and compact, SPOT Global Phone. the SPOT Global Phone For more information weighs only 7 ounces. on this promotion, visit It long-life lithium ion FindMeSPOT.com. Though rechargeable battery it's far cheaper than the offers up to 4 hrs. of $1,600 Terrestar Genus talk time and 36 hrs. in that I reviewed two years standby mode; (included ago, it will run you a is an AC adapter that healthy $499. Sure, that's recharges the battery less than an unlocked from a wall outlet). The iPhone 5 (and you really SPOT Global phone can't put a price on all-time comes with a standard accessibility if you're lost in U.S. phone number the woods), but you'll have (254 area code)—no to afford the hefty service additional charges for plans, as well. And even calls between the United though it's designed to States, Canada and the work in the wild, call quality Caribbean. It features and reception are all over simple emergency calling, the map (pun intended).
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The Watauga River: Dixie’s Best Kept Secret
BEADMASTERTM A Better Mousetrap…
T
his February at The Fly Fishing Show in Winston-Salem our booth neighbor was On The Fly Products. It was the first fly fishing show for the W-S based startup company founded by Tim Harshbarger. If you are a fly tier, this is where you want to start paying close attention. On the Fly Products as started to manufacture and sell the BeadMasterTM. At this point fly tiers are asking themselves, what is a BeadMasterTM. Modern trout fishing in the south has become dominated by the use of beadhead nymphs. Name the pattern, and there is a beadhead version of it. For tiers that means putting a lot of beads on a lot of hooks when tying these patterns. The BeadMasterTM is a simple to use gadget that designed to make it faster and easier to get a bead on a hook without sticking your finger or flinging a bead across the room. It makes one the most tedious steps of tying a beadhead fly almost enjoyable.
The BeadMasterTM ’s innovative offset mounting foot with six flexible gripping sockets allow for enhanced visibility and easy access to even the smallest bead. Each mounting socket has a hook channel that facilitates easy removal of the hook and bead. Both the mounting foot and tip cap are molded from industrial polyurethane to ensure strength, durability and a professional finish. The machine polished stainless steel handle gives the tool a sleek look and a solid comfortable feel and balance. The tip opposite the mounting foot houses a magnet that can be used retrieve and secure hooks for easy access while tying. The tool works with the six most popular bead sizes and comes with an attractive pad to use as a convenient work surface. “I have been working on the BeadMasterTM for over eight years and
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it looks nothing like the original prototype,” says Harshbarger. “My original concept was a tool that looked more like a ballpoint pen. However, it was very difficult to correctly orient the bead and hold it in place while you threaded the hook through the bead. During the design process I noticed that when you poured the beads out of the package probably 80% of the beads came to rest with the big hole up, which is the perfect orientation.” “ From there is was only a matter of designing a device that could pick up the beads while maintaining that orientation and then providing a way to thread the hook through the bead and remove the hook
guys where he lives in Winston-Salem who were not only fly fisherman, but also experts in CAD, injection molding and fast prototyping. Additionally he says that the BeadMasterTM would not be here today without their help and guidance.
does the BeadMasterTM give tiers? Simply stated, the BeadMasterTM is a revolutionary alternative to tweezers, needles, and fingers. Flexible mounting sockets hold beads in place with no moving parts or mechanical locks. No more beads springing across the
“...the BeadMasterTM is a revolutionary alternative to tweezers, needles, and fingers.” from the device,” continues Harshbarger. “If the bead doesn’t come to rest in proper orientation then all you have to do is use your finger to roll the bead over. The BeadMasterTM does the rest.” Two years ago Harshbarger was introduced to some
Martin Bawden at Flymen Fishing Company, Blaine Chocklett of New Angle Fishing, Brian Flechsig at Mad River Outfitters, Lyle at Ritebobbins and David Thompson and his team at BrickHouse Creative have all been a source of support and inspiration. So what advantages
room and no more stuck fingers. It innovative offset design of mounting foot and gripping sockets make mounting beads a breeze. Hook channel facilitates easy removal of hook and bead. Simply place your beads on any surface with the counter drilled
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hole facing up, push the corresponding size mounting socket down on the bead, lift, thread the hook through the hole from the bottom of the mounting socket and pull away from the mounting foot. The BeadMasterTM’s stainless steel handle provides a solid, comfortable feel and accommodates both right and left-handed tyers. It is easy to use and it six mounting sockets are sized to accommodate the six standard bead sizes from 1/16” to 5/32”. It picks up beads and holds them in the correct position, with little or no manual manipulation of the bead. Once the bead is in the mounting socket, it stays there until it is mounted on a hook. The BeadMasterTM enables faster tying and enhanced productivity at the vise. Its magnetic tip enables tiers to remove hooks from packaging and keeps them literally at your fingertips for quicker access. Not only does it really work, it looks great too. Sleek professional design combined with the highest quality materials result in a cool looking tool. The mounting foot is injection molded as
a single component from industrial grade polyurethane resulting in a tool that is strong, flexible and will last a long, long time. All the components are made here in the USA and assembled in WinstonSalem, NC. The mounting foot comes with a lifetime warranty. If you need a new foot for any reason, just send us the old one and we will send you a new one at no cost. “Really everyone we’ve talked with really likes the BeadMasterTM,” says Harshbarger. “We’ve had a lot of great feedback from tiers who have trouble seeing and/or holding a small bead and a small hook. We’ve heard from a number of ladies who like using the product as well and first time tiers like it because it is intuitive and easy to use. But really anyone who ties flies that
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involve putting a bead on a hook can benefit from the BeadMasterTM. “Right now the BeadMasterTM is only available via our website at www.ontheflyproducts.com, but we are talking with one of the largest distributors of fly tying tools, materials and accessories who is interested in adding it to their catalog and marketing it to fly shops. We are really just beginning our marketing efforts.” “We are working on a couple new products but they are super top secret and we aren’t ready to share yet,” confides Harshebarger. “However, I can tell you that our goal to is to make high quality, innovative tools that make tying flies easier and more enjoyable.” For more info visit www.ontheflyproducts.com
TM
A simple and effective system to get your bead on.
www.ontheflyproducts.com
made in the u.s.a.
Click HERE to watch the BEADMASTERTM in action!
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Ken Moody Hunting Enterprises presents...
Why Should You Attend the Great Smoky Mountains Outdoor Expo? In addition to attending a great outdoors show where you’ll meet and speak with some of the nations top outdoor exhibitors showcasing such goods and services as; big game hunting, sport fishing, camping, hiking, white water rafting, archery and firearms equipment, etc., you’ll also find yourself in the heart of one of the country’s top vacation spots. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the Smoky Mountains offer the entire family a complete vacation destination. Whether you’re into fly fishing, hiking, nature watching or just fine eating and shopping, the Smokies has what you’re looking for. Come to our trade show and also enjoy all that the surrounding area has to offer. Look forward to seeing you there!
Visit our website www.greatsmokymountainsoutd
May 15-17, 2015 Gatlinburg Convention Center Gatlinburg, Tennessee Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Travel, Outdoor Adventures • All attendees may register for a free hunt giveaway! • Over 100 vendors – big game hunts, wood carvings, outdoor products, etc. • Byron Ferguson – World’s Greatest Archer – Daily exhibitions! • Daily seminars by Don Kirk, Brenda Valentine, John Sloan, and others. • 3D Archery Pop-Up Tournament provided by the good people at Bow Life®. • Special “Show Rates” for all attendees at the Edgewater Hotel.
We’ll See You There!
doorexpo.com or call 800-585-4868 to learn more.
Headquarters for
May 15th and 16th, 2015
Edwater Hotel 402 River Road Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738 (865) 436-4151
featured artist
Michael M. Roger BY Mike
Kesselring
Art is everywhere. It is in everything. We see it every day. But, being an artist isn’t for everyone.
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rs
featured artist
There are many forms of art. There are many ways to be creative. Most creative people are great at one or two. A few talented artists can master a handful. Then there is the occasional master of all.
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featured artist
M
ichael M. Rogers of Franklin, North Carolina, is an artist extraordinaire. Known mostly for being a watercolorist, he is also a photographer, writer, book publisher, musician, teacher, and public speaker. In addition, Michael is a web builder, graphic designer, videographer, movie producer, and an audio cd and DVD movie producer. The list goes on and he has mastered them all. Let his own words try to explain it. "I am often asked 'When did I decide to become an artist?' That's an odd question I don't quite understand. There was no decision to be made. I was given a divine gift. I was born an artist. I believe we all have been given a gift.....The tragedy is in not recognizing what it is and putting it to use.....As with all gifts, you can either hide them away or try to develop them." Pursuing his gift of creativity for over 50 years, his biggest desire has been to show others what he has found and to share the beauty.
Michael has been drawing While growing up, he often since he was 5 and started received paint-by-number painting when he was 12. sets as birthday and 72 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com 70 | Southern Trout | December 2014 | www.southerntrout.com
featured artist
Christmas presents. When he ran out, he thought, why not make his own. He
drew trees, mountains and paints and painted his own sky, then added his own creations. numbers, mixed his own www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 73 www.southerntrout.com | January 2015 | Southern Trout | 71
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featured artist From there his talents developed into many subjects and styles, and were expressed in a wide variety of meduims. For many years he had a gallery located in Franklin, NC in two different locations. But, galleries were too limiting for Michael. All that changed recently. Currently his new home for his art is at NC Mountain Made on Main Street, downtown Franklin. His art studio is back at his home where it belongs. So, he decided to share his artistic offering to a wider audience by increasing his internet footprint with a mouse hungry website. His new website is as creative and beautiful as any of his artwork. Sharing the Beauty, (which is also the name of his company), of his fine art paintings and photography is being pursued in a whole new way that most artists rarely attempt. Not only is his large catalog of images available online now, so are all his other creations. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 75
featured artist Michael's online catalog includes his inspiring Positive Thinking wall art with quotes and poems of his own, such as: "I no longer desire to build and live in a castle, for I have walked through the grandest cathedral of all - these precious mountains are my home." Several audio CDs of digital music he wrote and created are perfect for a relaxing ambience in nearly any setting. A series of DVD movies of his still photos and videography accompanied by his own music takes you on hikes along paths and to waterfalls across five southeastern states. Michael has dedicated his work to the artistic encouragement of others, and the education, promotion, and preservation of our national forests, natural resources and regional history. One of his proudest accomplishments was designing the very first "Friends of the Smokies" license plates for North Carolina which raised over 1.5 million dollars.
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featured artist Summing up what Michael Rogers is all about can be done in a comment of his own. "I want to see what I am capable of and in the process, maybe you too will be influenced to use your own gifts." There is so much more to tell about Michael's talents and the best way to do that is to continue this article on his own website, YouTube or Facebook page. Website: www.michaelmrogersfineart.com Or go directly to his eBook Biography: http://michaelmrogersfineart.com/pages/issuu YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/MichaelMRogers Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Share-the-Beauty-Michael-M-Rogers-FineArt/373587190107
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Ample amounts of fishing Unless you’re the fish.
Love to fish? Enjoy 30 miles of privately stocked streams. Love to compete? Try our tournaments with big cash prizes. For details on permits, licenses, and registration, drop by VisitCherokeeNC.com or call 828.554.6110.
fun.
featured book review
featured book review
Flyfishing’s Guide to Eastern Trophy Tailwaters by Tom Gilmore (Wilderness Adventure Press, 2014) is an outstanding resource for learning about the tailwater rivers of the eastern US. Author Tom Gilmore covers forty great tailwater trout rivers from Maine to Georgia. Of particular interest to Southern Trout Magazine readers, his offering in the southeast is Jackson and Smith Rivers in Virginia; the South Holston, Watauga, Clinch and Hiwassee Rivers in Tennessee; the Nantahala and Tuckasegee Rivers in North Carolina; and the Toccoa and Chattahoocee Rivers in Georgia. Lavishly illustrated with spectacular full-color photography, each river chapters provide complete directions and accurate maps with GPS guide you to public access for these waters. Each chapter also has details on hatches and fly patterns, plus where, when, and how to fish each of these trophy trout tailwaters. A well-respected fly fishing writer, Gilmore does an outstanding job of providing up-to-date information about the fish and fly fishing these rivers, plus provide travel and support services to help you enjoy excursions to new waters. The perfect bound book is 242 pages, well-indexed and is a great resource for exploring new waters. The jacket price is $29.95. Author autographed copies of Flyfishing’s Guide to Eastern Trophy Tailwaters are available from Tom Gilmore by contacting him at tom. gilmore2@njaudubon.org
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southern trout history
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southern trout history by Don Kirk
Has Another One Got Away? It’s no secret that I am quite fascinated by the fly and trout fishing history in the South
N
ow and then my ferretting around results in a neat find or two. Case in point is a handful of old flies on a card, and some spinners that set upon the top of my desk before me. The top of the card over each says “Smoky Mountain Lures.” Under this it says “Smoky Mts. Tackle Co, Box 1111, Oak Ridge, Tenn.” There is no zip code, which means the company existed prior to 1963. My guess is they date back to the 1950s, but that is just a guess.
the Lucky Lady was offered Six of the 1½ -inch by as a wet fly. 2-inch cardboards contain After the most flies named the “Lucky thorough search I could Lady’ (size 2) and are make, I found nothing on cellophane that is sealed the Lucky Lady pattern or on one end, and has a flapthe Smoky Mts. Tackle Co. closure on the other end. I dissected one of the flies to There’s nothing remotely like it in Favorite Flies & unwrap its mystery, so I am Their Histories by Mary guessing at its construction Orvis Marbury (1892) or materials. The collar and in Old Flyrod Lures by tail appear to be red-dyed hen saddle hackle, while the John Muma (1991). Weber body appears to be tightly made a series of flies in the 1940’s and 1950’s palmered grizzly saddle called the Whiskerake, and hackle. It’s well constructed I know that Kirk Jenkins and while it was probably of Newport, Tennessee fished the way we fish streamers, my guess is that tied these for the Weber www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 83
southern trout history
wet flies and streamers in those days. The were often fished using a Lucky Lady most closely resembles this pattern, but fly rod with such spinners. they are quite different. My About all you could do was roll cast them, especially efforts to draw any sort of with fly rods of those days. conclusive connection is Cumbersome as it was, mere conjecture. Smoky Mts. it was still considerably more efficient than trying Tackle Co. also made to accomplish using a Hilderbrant-style a levelwind baitcaster spinner, the ones I have spooled with Dacron being noted as the “B.B. braided line that were Short.” They are quite widely used in then. Tackle well made. Prior to the has come a long way since widespread availability those days. of ultralight spin fishing If anyone knows tackle and 2-to-4 pound anything about the Lucky test monofilament in the Lady or the Smoky Mts. mid-1960s made casting super lightweight lures, Tackle Co of Oak Ridge, 84 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Tennessee, I would love to hear from you. The Museum of Southern Appalachian Fly Fishing that is scheduled to open In Cherokee, North Carolina will get these flies. We’ve let too much of our rich fly fishing history slip away. If you know of any old tiers or great trout fishermen of yesteryear, contact me at don@southerntrout.com
southern trout history
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close look - virginia
Graves’ Mou
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featured lodge
untain Lodge
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close look - virginia What makes Graves Mountain Lodge the most unique “fly fishing” hub in the Blue Ridge Mountains? Graves’ Mountain Lodge provides both lodging and meals - we’ll even send fishers off with a boxed lunch. We have accommodated large groups like Casting for Recovery or the Trout Unlimited Youth Camp as well as individuals. Our accommodations range from nice to rustic, and some allow pets. And, of course, we are located near one of the best trout-fishing watersheds in the country (including the Rapidan River).
What does Graves’ Mountain Lodge do to help promote fly fishing for trout in local waters?
Every year we throw a large festival to get kids involved in trout fishing, called Heritage Day. This year’s celebration is on April 5, 2015. We rope off the Rose River for kids to fish by age groups and offer fly tying instruction, nature exhibits, and other activities. We work closely with the public school system, the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Culpeper Soil & Water Conservation District. They do various educational programs and release classroomraised fish into the river. In addition, we have our own Aquatic Program for school and community groups. For individuals, we run overnight lodging specials geared toward fisher-folk in the Spring and Fall of each year. These specials can be found on our Facebook page. We also keep the Syria Mercantile store wellstocked with quality fishing equipment. Guests and visitors can purchase their fishing licenses and trout stamps there.
What are some of the streams and/or fly fishing opportunities found near the lodge that you recommend to guests?
The Rapidan River is one of the best on the East Coast for brook trout. The Rose River and Conway River have lots of brook trout as well as brown trout. Additional 88 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Rose River Cottage convenient to the Rose River
featured lodge
great trout fishing streams are Cedar Run, White Oak, Hazel, and Hughes. All these options can be reached within a 10-30 minute drive. The Rose River runs right along the front of Graves’ Mountain Lodge property, and has several turnoff spots on the main road (Route 670). One of the best day-long fishing trips you can do in the area is to start at the headwaters of the Rose River and fish your way down. Graves’ Mountain Lodge staff can drop you off at the Dark Hollow Falls trailhead on Skyline Drive, and you can hike and fish all the way to your parked car at the end of Route 670, 3 miles from the Lodge. The VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries stocks the Rose, Robinson, and Hughes Rivers from October through May every year. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 89
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Do you have resident fly fishing guides, or to you set your quests up with qualified local guides?
We usually direct guests to Harry Murray he’s the best fly fishing guide in the area, and he knows these waters well. Harry uses the Lodge for some of his lectures and workshops as well.
What are some of the lodging options at Graves Mountain Lodge? Graves’ Mountain Lodge offers 55 motel rooms and 16 cabins. You can see all of them at www.gravesmountain.com. For individuals, the Poplar Motel is nice: the rooms have one king bed (or two twins) and a full bath, and are tucked back in the woods near the Rose River. Other great options for individuals are rooms in the Old Farm House (pet friendly) or the Ridgecrest Motel. For family fishing trips or groups of friends, the Rose River Cottage, Wild Wind Cottage, and Upper Cabin are all right next to the river. They are pet-friendly and have kitchens, so you can choose to cook or to join our meal plan.
What are the dining options at your lodge?
Three country-style, all-you-can-eat meals are served each day. Breakfast is from 8:30 - 9:30 am, lunch from 12:00 - 1:30 pm, and dinner from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Most of our guests choose to rent their rooms or cabins at a per-person rate with all meals included. Meals can also be purchased separately if you’re staying in a cabin with a kitchen. Those looking for a snack can find plenty of options at the Syria Mercantile Store, from crackers and cheese to deli sandwiches. 90 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
View from hilltop
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Fishing gear at the Syria Mercantile Store www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 91
close look - virginia What special events are coming up at Graves Mountain Lodge?
Heritage Day is a free kid’s fishing festival on April 5, 2015. We always have a big Fried Chicken & Country Ham buffet on Easter, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day each year. Other dates of note are: May 28 - 30: Festival of Music, with a fantastic lineup of bluegrass bands. Call 540-923-4231 for tickets. July 4: Independence Day, a free community festival with fireworks, live music, pony rides, and good old-fashioned fun July 25: Peach Day, a free festival celebrating the peach harvest. We’ll have a big breakfast buffet at the Lodge restaurant (paid), arts & craft vendors, live music, Heritage Day photos kid’s activities, and peaches galore. September 10: Red Hat Society Luncheon. Includes an open mike social hour at 11:30, Fried Chicken Lunch at 12:30, and silent auction at 1:30. October 3 & 4, October 10 & 11, and October 17 & 18: Apple Harvest Festival, a free community event with pony rides, arts & craft vendors, lots of apples and pumpkins, children’s activities, and live music 92 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
featured lodge
Editor’s Note:
The Graves Mountain Lodge is the perfect place for basing a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains that involves everything from gaming to fishing to family fun. Graves’ Mountain Lodge offers meals-included lodging packages and several pet-friendly accommodations. The setting is relaxing, the service is excellent, and the food is delicious. Graves’ Mountain Lodge is located within a 15-minute drive of three major hiking trails in the Shenandoah National Park, four wineries, and numerous superb fishing spots. On their own property they have horseback trails (with guided rides), catch-andrelease ponds, a catch-and-pay trout pond, a working educational farm that the kids will love, and a pick-your-own apple orchard. Easy day trips can be made to Monticello, Montpelier, Luray Caverns, Skyline Drive, and President Hoover’s Rapidan Fishing Retreat. Graves’ Mountain Lodge will feel like your home away from home, whatever are your plans.
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Spencer-Devo
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southern spirits
on Brewing W
hen General Burnside’s marauding Yankee army attacked Frederickburg, their reward was an old fashion ass whipping “Robert E. Lee” style. When you are in this historic southern city, the best place to celebrate the Confederate victory is newly opened Spencer Devon Brewing where southern trout fishermen are received with open arms. The micro-brewery is one of the newest additions to the amazing craft beer culture that has blossomed in Virginia.
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close look - virginia an opportunity of a life time to join an amazing craft beer culture in Virginia and build something that the City of Fredericksburg VA would be proud to call their own.
Spencer Devon Brewing the brainchild of Shawn Phillips, who after his retirement from the Marine Corps opted to brew suds rather pursue a civilian DOD career as is often the case for those concluding their tenure of active military service. Phillipa says that he had been exposed to enough cubes and power point meetings to last a life time, so he opted to do something a little different. Having been exposed to the craft beer world through working with Blue and Gray Brewing, Phillips knew it was a community and a culture he could relate to. Add to that the void the City of Fredericksburg had in terms of breweries, he saw 96 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
“Lisa, my wife, has always inspired me and was instrumental in launching the brewery,” says Phillips. “When we were facing retirement, she crunched the numbers and said that if I could break even with the brewery, my retirement pay could handle our day to day bills. Essentially, she gave me permission to follow my dream. However, the true “inspiration” for launching the brewery was the Virginia Craft Beer Community as a whole. We did festival events for Blue and Gray and met a lot of people on both sides of the table throughout the years. The passion the brewers display in their craft and the appreciation the consumers show makes it a very enticing community to be part of. Now, my only job is to make both of them proud to call me one of their own.”
southern spirits Phillips notes that the Virginia Craft Brewing Industry is made up of an amazing group of people and solid breweries that make award winning beers for amazing communities around the entire state and beyond. Unlike many industries, the craft beer community in Virginia is not focused on competition amongst themselves, rather we focus our efforts towards improving the overall experience for all craft beer enthusiasts as well as the casual beer drinker. Through collaboration, we develop new recipes across markets and share
our micro communities. More importantly, each brewery that I have had the pleasure to get to know has been very supportive in terms of mentoring and offering guidance and support through my build out process.
to contribute positively to the identity of the community. He notes that Fredericksburg is a beautiful and amazing community that supports their local entrepreneurs; making them an ideal fit for a brewery.
The mission statement of Spencer Devon Brewing is to produce quality craft beer and food derived from local ingredients whenever possible for our customers at a reasonable price. Phillips. adheres to the philosophy that breweries belong in communities; that is where they thrive and, in return, they help
From its inception the brewery has fostered a positive relationship with fly fishing community. River Rock Outfitters is located just down the road. When looking to do an event for Project Healing Waters with Beau Beasley and Jim Bensinger, they asked Phillips to support the event with our beer.
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southern spirits Not a fly fisherman, he felt honored that they’d invited them into their world. Devon Spencer Brewing starting with six offerings. Rappahannock River Water Brown Ale is named after the mighty river that flows Fredericksburg. It is a mellow, brown ale that is less turbid than the name might suggest. It is crafted to be flavorful, easy drinking, light bodied of low alcohol content, with notes of nuts and toffee, and hints of earthy hops. Every brewery has a beer named after a dog, and at Devon Spencer Brewing it’s Rocko’s Milk Stout. This stout is as black as Rocko was, and just as sweet. Dark roasted malts and sugar additions create a creamy, chocolaty profile with hints of coffee. This milk stout is a perfect companion for sitting around with friends, just as a good dog should be. The 3-4-5 Pilsner is a no-frills, clean, crisp and refreshing beer with just enough Czech Noble Hops to lend a refreshing hoppiness, with subtle notes of cracked pepper. Pilsners require exacting
precision, which as any carpenter knows is as “simple” as following the rule of 3-4-5. The brewery’s Bittersweet IPA is an India Pale Ale describes a sentiment more than a flavor profile. The transition from being a Marine to opening a brewery was difficult but exciting for Shawn and Lisa. Their IPA was created as a celebration of past and future successes. They use all English hops to create an assertive fruity, earthy hop for a hefty crystal malt profile that is balanced by a solid bitterness. We. ABV: 6.8% IBU: 76 Seasonal offerings include the Fall Line Pale Ale that is crafted after the hopcrazy west-coast style IPAs that have grown so popular. Unlike those IPAs, however, at Spencer Devon Brewing they keep the alcohol low enough to be able to enjoy several of these hoppy monsters. Fall Line boasts massive quantities of Columbus, Ahtanum and Cluster hops, which give it the flavors of citrus fruit, dank pine and subtle tropical fruit notes. Olde Towne Ale is a complex ale that boasts the
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close look - virginia flavors of raisin, plums and figs, layered over warming brown sugar, toasted malts and just enough alcohol to keep things interesting. A sipping that what improves with aging, Olde Towne gets better with time. The restaurant is situated surrounding the brewery to give the patrons a view of the brewery all the time. A tasting bar is on the right of the brewery where you can sample the beers on tap. Spencer Devon Brewery has is a family friendly environment. It has high ceilings and a lot of natural light that gives it a warm and inviting atmosphere. “We believe in giving back to the community and the environment,” says Phillips. “Our brew waste is recycled into farms and we are working with Good Turn Earth Company to collect our restaurant waste to turn into living soil. What steps we can take to make a positive impact on the environment we do. There is nothing more satisfying than creating something of value and seeing the community you love enjoying it. More importantly, we are proud to provide something that can give back to Fredericksburg. An honest day’s work AND pleasing our community…there is nothing better.” Spencer Devon Brewery is located 106 George Street in Fredericksburg, Virginia. For
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“PERHAPS THE BEST TROUT FISHING IN THE EAST...” — Lefty Kreh
All-inclusive Flyfishing packages 5,000-6,000 trout per mile Wild brown & rainbow trout Year round fishing Luxury riverside accommodations Outstanding local cuisine World class guides 1509 Bullock Hollow Rd. Bristol, TN 37620
877.767.7875
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irginia has so many outstanding fly fishing guides that it is tough name the best, but we did it. When we asked around, Bob Cramer of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing got more votes than anyone else. Cramer’s mission is to provide a relaxing, enjoyable day on the water pursuing fish, providing advice, instruction on reading the water, fly selection, casting, answering questions and explaining why “we’re doing what we are doing.”
guide profile “One of the most important aspects of fishing with my mentor, was he didn’t cast,” explains Cramer. “He would sneak into position, using whatever cover was there, swing the worm into the current above the trout and let it drift down to the fish. It was deadly. I learned how to get close to fish and how to figure out where they were in the stream. I knew from reading his Outdoor Life Magazines that you could cast a fly rod but it didn’t work with worms.
One day while on the way home from fishing the guy that owned the local gas station/grocery store ask me if I was fly fishing. I told him I didn’t have any flies. Two weeks later, I walked into the store and there they were. Two dozen Herter’s Royal Coachman dry flies. My life was forever changed.” His guide career started in 1982 when he opened a Mossy Creek Outfitters in Bridgewater Va. Then
Cramer started fly fishing at ten years old. His dad had allowed a retired gentleman put a mobile home on the upper end of their property. The fellow used a fly rod to dead drift worms for trout. Cramer says that he quickly latched on to someone that fished 3 or 4 days a week and in short order had a fiberglass fly rod and was trailing along with him. He had the good fortune of having a quality trout stream that came out of the mountains of the national forest beside his property that was stocked and held a great population of wild brookies.”
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Cramer had a full time job where he worked four days a week, while running the fly shop the other three days. It only took a couple months for Cramer to realize that he didn’t like ‘shop sitting.’ One morning when a couple fisherman stopped at the shop after lunch and Cramer that hadn’t even seen a fish, much less catch one. He explained to them that it was a spring creek that fished differently than a freestone stream. The fish were in different places and acted differently. “One of them said, ‘come on take us fishing--we’ll pay you,” says Cramer. “I closed the shop, took
them fishing that afternoon where they caught a dozen trout. When we got back to the shop, each one of them gave me a one hundred dollar bill. My house payment at the time was $275 a month. In a few hours I made $200.00. I sold the shop, started guiding and never looked back. “We have an amazing diversity of water and species of fish in the Shenandoah Valley,” explains Cramer. “Wild brook trout streams are everywhere. The Shenandoah National Park with over 40 wild brookie streams. Nearby
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the George Washington National Forest has hundreds of miles of pristine Appalachian strain brook trout streams. I find the streams in the GWNF to be equal quality and a lot closer than those in the national park.” “In the valley we have spring creeks. Mossy Creek is renowned for its awesome year round fishing for large browns and rainbows. A ‘pure spring creek’ it rises from springs along its eight 8 mile length. No feeder streams flow into it. Mossy Creek is technical fishing but it is perfect for anglers who wants to up
guide profile
their game and catch big fish,” says Cramer. “We (Mossy Creek Fly Fishing) have numerous sections of private water on the streams that we guide that provide a quality, uncrowded experience.” Additionally Cramer guide on several streams here that are spring creek/ freestone mixes that hold fish year round. Also
on his list of offerings is hook these apex predators float and wade trips on the while ‘figure eighting’ a fly Shenandoah and James two feet from the end of rivers where there is quality the rod, but be forewarned, angling for smallmouth and it’s not for everyone,” says largemouth bass. Both Cramer. “Known as the fish rivers offer great fishing for of 10,000 cast, musky are musky. Floats last 8 to 9 not for the guy who has to hours and cover from 6 to catch a fish ever time he 9 river miles whitewater raft go’s fishing and casting a set up as a drift boat that is 12 inch fly on an 11 wt rod very comfortable and safe. is not easy.” “Nothing beats setting the www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 105
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Cramer supplies clients with top quality equipment during their trips with him. All you need to bring is a rain coat, sunglasses and hat. Waders are recommended from spring through midMay when wet wading and wading shoes are the preferred by most. Clients to provide their own transportation. Cramer queries his clients about their fishing experience and what they want to accomplish during the day. Most reply they want to learn to cast and read the water better as well learn more about fly selection and particular style of fishing. He sees his job as trying to make them better fly fishermen. “For the beginner, working with a good guide/instructor is a shortcut to the learning process. I am personally comfortable
with working with anglers of any skill level,” notes Cramer. “After 33 years of guiding, I have guided everything from eight year old kids to some of the world’s most skilled fly fisherman, and political leaders to grandmothers. One dramatic area of growth are the number of women fly fishing. We currently have a lady that took a beginners class several years ago that fishes with us at least once a month, sometimes more. “At Mossy Creek Fly Fishing we enjoy sharing what we have with our clients and have a broad spectrum of fishing available for our clients,” says Cramer. “For more info visit www. mossycreekflyfishing.com or call us at 540-434-2444.”
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guide profile Join Us For The 5th Annual
Limited to 50 Teams
Guided & NonGuided Competitions
April 30 - May 2, 2015 for Men & Women of All Skill Levels More than 2,200 Miles of Public Water Available to Fish During the Tournament Teams will fish one native, one hatchery supported and one delayed-harvest stream
Just $500 Per 2-Person Team Early-Bird Registration just $450 if received by March 1
This fun weekend for the whole family includes Lunch Both Days, Opening Night Reception, Closing Night Winners’ Dinner With Food, Prizes and a Fishing Goody Bag
Charter Sponsors:
Funding for the Three River Tournament is due in part to an Advertising Partnership with the Highlands Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center. Entry Fees Payable to the Town of Highlands Scholarship Fund are 100% Tax-Deductible www.HighlandsThreeRiver.com or 828-526-8673
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Collins House Inn The
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featured bed and breakfast
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W
hen you enter The Collins House Inn Bed & Breakfast, our guests’ first impressions are: warm, cozy and elegant. Situated in the heart of great fly fishing in southwest Virginia, Susan and Mike Edward’s B&B is a wonderful alternative to typical hotel lodging. Their mission statement posted on the parlor wall reads: May all who enter as guests, leave as friends.” If you are looking for a cut above on your next fly fishing excursion, this is your ticket. The Collins House was built by George Collins in 1926 when he and his brother moved to Marion to open a department store. The Edwards purchased the Inn in 2013. The Inn’s original wood floors, beautiful grained
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doors with glass door knobs, the frosted windows and lintels above three of doors are stunning. Upon entering the Inn is a foyer that opens to a parlor on the right and a living room on the left. The latter has a gas fireplace, a perfect setting to enjoy a coffee. The main dining room seats 8-to-10 guests, and has a small refrigerator containing water and sodas. A Keurig coffee maker is
featured bed and breakfast Cave Room”-- a room that sometimes serves as a dining room and as a work/project room where guests can gather and play games. “We purchased with the goal to establish The Collins House as a premium home away from home B&B,” says Susan. “Prior to moving to Marion, we lived in Florida for 15 years although we are originally from Minnesota. We left Florida and the ocean to move to the mountains. Not quite ready for retirement, we began our search for B&B’s located in the mountains and discovered this jewel located in Marion.”
also available for guest use. A formal dining room is located behind the living room and between the main dining room and the side porch room. The side porch is divided into 2 rooms. The room adjacent to the formal dining room is the “ Inn www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 111
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The Collins House has five guestrooms, each with its own bath. There is one guestroom on the main floor and the rest are on the second floor that is reached by a staircase also original to the Inn. Except for the Nettie, guestrooms are named after Collins family members. The headboards to the beds in The Mary, The L.P., & The Nettie were made from doors found in the basement. Wi-Fi and Internet are throughout the house. Breakfast at The Collins House Inn is always
special. Guests may be treated to homemade blueberry pancakes, quiches, a variety of French toast, or scrambled eggs accompanied with fresh fruit and meat. Their #1 signature breakfast is The Collins House Belgian Waffle that comes with a slather of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Once a month, The Collins House Inn offers catered dinners that in the past have featured steak and lobster; stuffed pork tenderloin, and authentic Irish fare.
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“Marion is located in the heart of the best fly-fishing in Southwest Virginia,” says Susan. “Since moving here we been bitten by the flyfishing “bug.” We have developed relationships with local fly fishing experts, Trout Unlimited, and the Wayne Henderson School where they use our Inn to promote fly-fishing. We are highlighting weekend fishing experiences with a number of fly fishing workshops that include fly tying, fly casting and cleanup programs on area waters. We have great contacts for guest seeking a guide as well as maps
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noting local waters. We really promote women in fly-fishing. Because I am a “newbie” to the sport, I want to be the poster woman to promote women in fly-fishing. “Southwest Virginia has lots of great fly fishing for trout,” says Susan. “We’re minutes from such well known waters as the New River, Whitetop Laurel, and the North or South Fork Holston Rivers. Also nearby is Grayson Highlands State Park, Beartree Lake, Hungry Mother State Park, and Fox Creek to name a
few that are but a stone’s throw from The Collins House Inn.” The Collins House Inn is located on Marion’s Main Street where it is surrounded by great dining and shopping. It is within a short walk of the Appalachian Art Gallery, the Past Time Antique Emporium, and the Lincoln Theatre, home to Song of the Mountain. “We have been awarded the Virginia Green Travel Star Award as a Green Travel Leader,” says Susan. “We are continuing
to work to become an even ‘greener’ inn. This year, we are installing solar panels. We are members of BBAV (Bed & Breakfast Association of Virginia). We are an AAA Diamond Certified Inn and a Bed and Breakfast Diamond Collection awarded inn. For more info visit www. collinshouseinn.com, or contact Susan and Mike Edwards at 276-7810250. or by email at stay@ collinshouseinn.com. www.collinshouseinn.com
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IT COSTS NO MORE T O G O F I R S T C L A S S ... America’s #1 Trout Fishing Resort is Gaston’s. Our White River float trips for lunker trout are legendary from coast to coast. We do the work. All you do is fish – in style and comfort. Then there are the extras that make “resort” our last name. First-class lodging. One of the South’s finest restaurants, featuring a spectacular view. A private club. Tennis and a pool. A nature trail. A conference lodge for your group meetings or parties. Even a private landing strip for fly-in guests.
1777 River Road • Lakeview, Arkansas 72642 (870) 431-5202 • E-Mail gastons@gastons.com Lat 36 20' 55" N Long 92 33' 25" W
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NOW OPEN Bryson City, NC’s only full service fly shop.
You’re headquarters for local fly patterns and fly-fishing advice. 3 Depot St., Bryson City, NC (828) 488-3333 www.tuckflyshop.com
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featured fly tyer
Harry Murray
Godfather of Virginia Fly Fishing
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he name Harry Murray and fly fishing are pretty much synonymous in the angling world of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. He has been a virtual institution in the sport who owns and runs the oldest fly shop in the state, has written more books and articles on fly fishing in the state, and has personally designed more than four dozen proven fly patterns for taking smallmouth bass and trout. Harry Murray lives in Edinburg, Virginia where he grew up and now owns Murray’s Fly Shop that is connected to this pharmacy. He grew up fishing for brook trout in the mountains of Virginia in an era when fly fishing in the South was
largely unknown to anglers outside of the region. Some people like President Hoover knew about these great fishing there, but like the rest of trout fishing in the South, northern Virginia’s great fly fishing for these cold water game fish. “While I cut my teeth fly fishing at mostly local waters, at a young age I came into contact with some pretty impressive mentors,” says Murray. “Some were the best nationally known fly fishermen of the era such
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as Jack Sperry, Charlie Waterman and Joe Brooks who all helped me greatly. Introduced to fly fishing by friend in Edinburg while I was still young, I suppose it fair to say that I have you always fly fished.” Murray says that his interest in tying his own flies first develop in 1962. Like virtually every southern fly tier in those days, he is self-taught. Ironically, he has become Virginia’s best known fly tying mentor for hundreds of tiers. He’s a nuts-andbolts sort of tier who has
featured fly tyer never won any fly tying awards or competitions. When Murray first began tying trout flies, some of the patterns he tied most often then included many he developed early on. These patterns included Murray’s Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly, Murray’s Sulphur Dry Fly, Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly Dry. They all had one thing in common. They were “ When fishing the local streams of Virginia, the five flies I consider essential to carry are Murray’s Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly, Murray’s Sulphur Dry Fly, Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly dry, Murray’s Flying Beetle, and Murray’s Housefly,” says Murray. “Some of the older, traditional patterns you like to fish and tie include the Royal Coachman Trude and Elk Hair Caddis. Examples of newer patterns that I have come to rely on a lot in recent years include Murray’s Horsefly, Murray’s Moth, Murray’s Inchworm, and Murray’s Yellow Drake.” “I do not you tie commercially, but I do you teach others how to tie flies. I conduct 20 classes each year,” says
Murray. When it comes to tying materials, Murray does not regard himself as one of those self-sufficient tier who gathers many of the materials used in his tying efforts. “I use the materials that sell in my fly shop,” he says. Tying materials that he finds to be the most difficult for you to obtain these days is high quality grizzly dry hackle. Some of the newer tying materials that he really likes include Estaz and Fly Rite dubbing. His advice to would-be fly tiers is to use your imagination and match the natural foods the trout feed upon. “Our website lists about 50 flies I have designed with comments on these patterns,” says Murray. “It also lists the five books I have written on fly tying and my books, Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia Blue Ribbon Streams, Trout Stream Fly Fishing and my DVD Fly Fishing for Trout.” For more info visit www. murraysflyshop.com.
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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
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Trout Fishing
in the Shenandoah National Park by Harry Murray
The beautiful streams in the Shenandoah National Park provide some of the finest fishing for wild brook trout that one can want. I wrote the book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park and did a major revision in 2010 listing 28 separate streams. However, as strange as it seems many of these wonderful streams are seldom fished. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 123
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Good fishing can begin in mid-March in the Park because when the water temperature holds at 40 degrees for several days the brook trout start feeding well if there is a normal water level. The Epeorus pleuralis mayfly
(Quill Gordon) is the first heavy hatch (midMarch until mid-April). It is one of the hatches I developed the Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly (size 14) to match. Art Flick was a great help in identifying our insects when I
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undertook this project in the seventies. Next comes Paraleptophlebia adaptive (March through late April) which is matched with the Blue Quill Dry Fly (size 16). This delicate little mayfly
is very heavy on many Park streams. Cold water and cool air can slow down the getaway of the duns from the nymph shuck. When this occurs I’ve seen dozens of them floating around and around in the back eddies with several large brook trout sipping them in. The large Stenonema vicarium hatch starts in mid-April and lasting into May. Match it with the March Brown Dry Fly and the Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly (size 14). The Stenonema fuscum (Gray Fox) and Stenonema canadense (Light Cahill) follow next and last through May but these hatches are not nearly as heavy. The Ephemerella dorothea (Sulphur) hatch occurs in mid-May through June can be heavy. One evening when my son and I were camped in the upper reaches of a Park stream that a long narrow pool just above our tent had eleven brook trout feeding on sulphur spinners that
I match with Murray’s Sulphur Dry Fly (size 16). One specific stonefly hatch, the Isoperla bilineata, holds its own in density with our best mayfly hatches and surpasses them all in longevity. These delicate little yellow beauties hatch from April until July. Matched these with Murray’s Little Yellow Dry Stonefly (size 16). My basic Park fly selection includes the Mr. Rapidan Dry (sizes 14, 16, & 18), Quill Gordon Dry (size 14), Blue Quill Dry (size 16), Gray Fox Dry (size 14), Light Cahill Dry (size 14), Murray’s Sulphur Dry (size 16), March Brown Dry (size 14), Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly Dry (size 16), Shenk’s Cricket (size 16), Mr. Rapidan Dry Ant (sizes 14 to 20), Olive Elk Hair Caddis (size 16), Murray’s Flying Beetle (sizes 14 to 18), Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph (sizes 12 & 14), March Brown Nymph (size 14), and Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle, Olive (sizes 14 & 16).
Waters
By no means a complete list of Park waters, the following are some I recommend. For a complete listing of streams and more, I recommend my book that is noted at the end of the article. Big Run Many anglers believe Big Run is the finest stream in the Park. The easiest access is to park at Doyles River Parking on the east side of the Skyline Drive just south of Milepost 81. From the Big Run Overlook take the Big Run Loop Trail, which connects with the Big Run Portal Trail 2.2 miles down the mountain. The stream is quite small here so you will probably want to hike down this trail toward Rocky Mountain Run. The second access point is from Brown Mountain Overlook at Milepost 77. Take the Brown Mountain Trail down 0.7 miles to the Rocky Mountain Run Trail, and follow this 2.7 miles down to Big Run. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 125
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This stream flows in and out of the Park, but since the state portion is managed the same as the Park’s streams, I’m including it here. Route 667 through Fletcher is the main access. Do not park in the two parking lots but park along the edge of Route 667 out of way of private land owners. The alternate way into the Conway is by Route 662 and 615 across a sometimes very rough road. Going in is not too bad, but one wet spring day I was very concerned about getting back up that mountain road. This road hits the stream only a short distance above where you can reach via 667 so you really don’t gain much.
Hughes River
The top of this stream can be reached from two different trails from the Skyline Drive. The Corbin Cabin Cutoff Trail provides good access if you park at the Shaver Hollow parking area just north of Milepost 38. This trail meets the Nicholson Hollow Trail 1.4 miles down the mountain. The latter trail parallels the stream to the lower park boundary. You can also park at Stony Man Overlook between Milepost 38 and 39. About one hundred yards north is the head of the Nicholson Hollow Trail. Follow this 1.8 miles down to the stream. There is also access at the lower Park boundary. Take Route 600 from Nethers to the bus parking lot for Old Rag Mountain. About a half mile on the right take the Nicholson Hollow Trail up into the Park.
Jeremy’s Run
Access to this stream is from the Skyline Drive at the lower side of the Elkwallow Picnic area at Milepost 24. Park in the second parking area, and take the connecting trail for less than one hundred yards to the Appalachian Trail. This trail meets the Jeremy’s Run Trail in a short distance, where the former makes a sharp turn to the left. The Jeremy’s Run Trail follows the stream its full length.
North Fork Moormans River This stream is managed as a “Catch and Release” stream. Access to the lower Park boundary is available from Route 614, a.k.a. The Sugar Hollow Road. Park at the upper end of the reservoir and follow this road along the stream through the Park gate. The top of the stream is accessed by parking at the Blackrock Gap parking lot just south of Milepost 87. Walk across the Skyline Drive and hike down the North Fork Moormans River Road
Piney River
This stream is accessible from the top by parking at the Piney River Ranger Station on the Skyline Drive just south of Milepost 22. Hike down the Range View Cabin Road to where the Piney Branch Trail leads off to the left. This last trail follows the stream to the bottom of the mountain. There is also bottom access from Route 600. Parking is a problem here; there is room along Route 600 just east of 653 for one or two cars. Please do not block any of the private roads in this area. There is no Park land in this immediate area. Hike up the trail to the Park boundary before you start fishing.
Pocosin River
I’ve always felt it is one of the prettiest in the Park.This stream is accessible from the Skyline Drive by parking in the area for the Pocosin Cabin, halfway between Milepost 59 and 60. Hike down the Pocosin Fire Road until you come to the Pocosin Hollow Trail, take this to your left, and it leads you to the stream. You can also access this stream at the bottom of the mountain by taking Route 667 from Route 230 through Kinderhook. Park in the wide grassy spot where Pocosin River runs into the Conway River. Hike up the trail until you reach the Park land--the lower part is on private land.
Rapidan River
This is a “fish for fun” (no kill stream). The lower section of this stream holds the largest trout and produces the best hatches. This section is accessible by Route 662 through Wolftown and Graves Mill. Park at the end of this road. There is a good trail all along this section of the stream. The central part of the stream is accessible from Criglersville by Route 649/670. There is a good parking spot where this road meets the stream and you can easily walk downstream to the section holding the large trout or you can fish upstream from here. The road upstream from here can be very rough.
close look - virginia Rose River
Top access is available by parking at the Fishers Gap parking area just south of Milepost 49 and hiking down the Rose River Fire Road, which follows the lower two-thirds of the stream to the lower Park boundary. An alternate trail to the uppermost part of the river is available by parking at the above area, but shortly after starting down the mountain on the Rose River Fire Road take the Rose River Loop Trail to your left. One half mile down the trail take a blue blazed trail to your right for another 0.5 mile to the stream. Top access can also be gained by parking at the Dark Hollow Falls parking area and following the Dark Hollow Falls Trail down to the Rose River Fire Road and then following the fire road down to the river. There is bottom access from Route 670 west of Syria.
White Oak Canyon Run
The many beautiful waterfalls, the inspiring scenery and the good trout fishing, all make this a stream worth visiting. The top access is by parking at Limberlost, just east of the Skyline Drive at Milepost 43. Hike 0.1 mile down Old Rag Fire Road to White Oak Canyon Trail. Follow this trail to the right, and it takes you down to the stream, providing good stream access all the way to the bottom of the mountain. Route 600 west of Syria provides good access to the lower part of the stream. Follow White Oak Canyon Trail up along the stream.
Staunton River
This is the feeder to the Rapidan River Catch and Release only. It can be reached by Route 662 from Graves Mill. Park at the parking lot at the end of the road and follow Graves Mill Trail to the Staunton River Trail. Thornton River, North Fork Route 612 provides access to the lower portion of this stream. Do not block the road. Park east of the houses and walk in. Hike up the Thornton Hollow Trail into the Park. There is access into the head of this stream via the Thornton Hollow Trail, which leaves the Skyline Drive halfway between Mileposts 25 and 26. The stream is small here, but hiking down the mountain will get you into more water.
For maps for the Shenandoah National Park and the book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park by Harry W. Murray; contact Shenandoah Publishing Co., 121 S Main St./ PO Box 156; Edinburg VA 22824 (phone 540-984-4212); email: info@murraysflyshop.com
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RIVER ROCK OUTFITTER Background: River Rock Outfitter is a veteran, family owned independent retailer located in Downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. We carry a wide selection of equipment and apparel to outfit any outdoor pursuit. We have experienced sales associates, including certified ACA instructors, providing technical advice and support in hiking and camping, trail running, recreation and white water paddling, kayak angling and fly fishing, rock climbing, and yoga. We know our products and use what we carry; we do not sell anything that we personally do not use for our own outdoor adventures. Facts: Owners: Keith and April Peterson Technical Manager: Connor Peterson Location: 915 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg, VA Opening: November 7, 2014 Focus: Kayaks, Stand-Up Paddle Boards, Climbing, Trail Running, Hiking, Camping, Fly Fishing, and Yoga Slogan: Gear Up and Get Active Media: www.riverrockoutfitter.com; facebook.com/riverrockoutfitter; @RROutfitter Phone: 540-372-8708 130 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
featured fly shop What makes your part of Virginia a special destination for fly fishermen? Fredericksburg, Virginia is a true destination spot, ideal for fishing trips and get-aways. Fredericksburg sits on the falls of the Rappahannock River and has long served as a favorite fishing and hunting ground for outdoor enthusiasts. Fisherman enjoy our picturesque, pristine Rappahannock River for its diverse fish, bird, and fauna populations. There are over 96 different fish species identified in the Rappahannock from bass and catfish, to shad, and even brook, brown, and rainbow trout. Fredericksburg is a mix of modern life and small town charm with a variety of chef-owned restaurants, art galleries, museums, bed-and-breakfasts, and soon to come our own micro-brewery opening this spring.
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How has trout fishing interest and business grown in Virginia over the last two decades? Local clubs like the Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers are expanding their reach to younger fishermen in the region. They understand the need to encourage young people to appreciate the sport and art of fly fishing. Fly fishing is so much more than just rods and reels. In our community, fly fisherman are actively involved in conservation projects that affect our waterways. Encouraging all generations to enjoy the outdoors is a meaningful platform for River Rock Outfitter. Whether it is enjoying fishing, kayaking, climbing, or hiking, River Rock Outfitter provides opportunities for our community to engage in outdoor sports. We believe that if you enjoy the outdoors, take advantage of our beautiful resources, then you are more likely to work to preserve and protect them. Maintaining clean water for future generations to enjoy is important to us. We are not alone in this belief and are encouraged to see fly shops in the area continuing to expand their reach in the community. We hope to see new generations of fishermen enjoying the Rappahannock and our amazing city – River Rock Outfitter will work hard to make this happen. 132 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
featured fly shop How long has the shop been in business and how did it come to be? On November 7, 2014, we opened our doors in Downtown Fredericksburg. We are a Marine Corps family, Keith served for 12 years on active duty and continues to serve as a Reservist, while April worked for the Wounded Warrior Regiment for nearly 7 years. After three tours to Iraq, we decided to put down roots in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We fell in love with the small-town charm and history. We immediately recognized that the Downtown did not have an Outfitter, we are passionate about the outdoors, and with our business experience and education, we knew that we could build a business. Pulling from the experiences we gained through the military and responsible financial planning, we established River Rock Outfitter. Who are the driving forces behind the focus of the shop? Our family has always been interested in paddling, climbing, and camping. We knew this would be our primary focus and set out to make sure we had the most compatible vendors to excel within this market. We established our Facebook page and our very first post was from a local resident telling us that “you better be selling fly fishing gear�. Several posts just like this followed and we immediately understood the interest in fly fishing and its importance to our local community. We set out researching who would be the best mentors to help us establish a fly fishing section in our shop. We aligned ourselves with experts from our local Friends of the Rappahannock, Falmouth Flats Fly Fishers, and the renowned Mr. Beau Beasley. These mentors led us to important vendors in the sport, provided expertise for our initial in-house workshops, and even helped to stock our shelves with fly tying gear to get us started. We learned very quickly that fly fishermen are the most generous, down-to-earth people who support each other and support local businesses. How do you rate the overall interest in fly fishing in Virginia? Virginia offers great destination spots and activities for fly fisherman. With the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival, and other regional events and expos, the population of fishermen continue to grow. We recognized early that Fredericksburg and the surrounding areas were looking for a local fly shop to help support their growing interest in the sport. We exceeded our cap for our very first fly-tying session and have doubled our number for our second. We have a waiting lists for future classes. We have customers asking for casting lessons, guided trips, beginning to advanced fly tying workshops, and even rod building. I hope that this is an indication of growing interest all over the state and look forward to working with the next generation of fly fisherman to ensure the solvency of the sport in Fredericksburg and along the Rappahannock River. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 133
close look - virginia How important is it to be a full service shop in a market such as your region in Virginia? During the course of a couple of months, how many novice fly fishermen frequent your shop? Our market is comprised of mostly novice fly fishermen. They are interested in the sport, have always wanted to try it, but were not sure how to get started. We expect that our customers will be mostly new folks experimenting with fishing. For this reason we will focus on a small supply of fly fishing merchandise and gear and will concentrate on classes and workshops to teach the basic skills necessary to enjoy the sport. Our first two fly tying sessions were comprised 100% of first-time fly tiers and novice fishermen. We are proud to sell TFO rods and reels since they have great price points on exceptional gear. Ensuring our customers can afford to get started is important for us – we do not want to price our customers out of the experience of fly fishing. Access is always a challenge so working with our customers to identify the best access points for the type of fishing they are interested in will be key. We will continue to grow our fly fishing businesses as our customers grow with the sport. What do you offer would-be fly fishermen in terms of advice, support and instruction? We feel responsible for ensuring we are a full-service outfitter, meaning, that we sell gear, offer advice, help plan trips, and connect our customers to local resources. Our connections with experts in the community is key. We bring in fly tying experts for our tying classes who not only teach techniques but will discuss river 134 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
featured fly shop access, appropriate licensing for the region, and best fishing spots. We have water proof maps of the river and will break them out and pin-point key locations – if you purchase the maps then 80% of the proceeds go back to Friends of the Rappahannock who work to protect our river. We offer casting lessons, one-on-one instruction, and rod building. In addition, we support Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing groups through fundraising activities to provide community veterans and wounded warriors with access to the sport. Fly fishermen are keenly aware of the healing power of the sport and with our connection to the military it is important that we support nonprofits that provided warriors with access to fly fishing opportunities. How important is the fly tying aspect of your retail operation? Fly tying was our introduction to the sport! It provided an opportunity to introduce our customers to fly fishing and our outfitter. Fly tying can be communal and represents a great way to meet others, understand the mechanics of how a fly works, and spark an interest in learning more. Our customers are excited to put their flies to work and we look forward to getting them on the river to catch their first fish! How do you offer venues for customers to become fly tiers? We provide fly tying classes in our shop in Downtown Fredericksburg; however, we also market other fly tying opportunities and venues. We want our customers exposed to as many experts as possible and have every opportunity to meet others, ask questions, and discover a love for the sport. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 135
close look - virginia What are some of the product lines you carry that makes your shop unique? We are proud to work with TFO, Wapsi, Float Master, Holly Flies, Fishpond, and others. However, we are excited to carry local flies, tied by local fishermen who have the experience and knowledge to tie the most effective flies for the various species of fish within the Rappahannock and neighboring waterways. We always look for ways to highlight locally owned and manufactured products and are proud to support other small business owners. What is the mission of your retail efforts in terms of attracting and keeping customers? We are not the only outdoor business and there is great competition both from other brick and mortar stores and with on-line retailers. However, we recognize the importance of small businesses to the local economy and work to find ways to encourage the shop local movement. To get and keep customers we have to provide personalized, knowledgeable support to everyone who walks through our door. We train our staff to do more than welcome people as they walk in – our staff stands-up, greets people at the door, and inquires about what they need. People come to the store for a reason, we seek to understand the reason and connect the customer to the resource. If we don’t know, we will research it. If we don’t have it, we will find it. If we can’t fix it, then we will find the resource that can. You cannot get that level of customer service from an on-line retailer or a large national chain. Our mission is to gear our customers up so that they can get, and stay active.
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featured fly shop Do you see any trends in fly fishing that are evident in the Virginia market? There is a younger community of fly fishermen interested in pursuing the sport. Families are fishing together rather than it being simply a “man’s sport”. Light and through hikers are looking for ways to incorporate fly fishing into their adventures and have found tenkara as an option. What would you like to convey to readers on a personal level regarding your shop. We are a veteran, independently owned business proudly located in Downtown Fredericksburg. We are building a business that we hope will serve as a community gathering spot where customers can stop in and plan their next adventure. Our staff is seasoned and includes ACA certified paddlers, a female through hiker who completed the Appalachian Trail in 5 months, and a yoga instructor. We are passionate about our sports, are always up for learning more, and want to help our community get active. We are engaged in local conservation projects to keep our river clean for fishermen, boaters, and spectators can enjoy. We value our community partners and recognize that we would not be successful without their support. We look forward to continuing to work to keep Downtown Fredericksburg a beautiful, vibrant city.
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608 Emmett Rd. Bristol, Tennessee 37620
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close look - virginia
Rappahannock River
Discover Virginia’s A Article and photos by Beau Beasley
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discovery
Alternative Trout The take on the end of my fly line was as unexpected as it was sudden. I’d been drifting a Tommy’s Torpedo across the middle of Virginia’s Rappahannock River when the vicious strike came. I felt the jolt immediately, and I instinctively set the hook. The rod bowed, and then all at once I could see the silvery body of a spring-run hickory shad as it rocketed skyward in a desperate bid for freedom. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 141
close look - virginia I began taking in line, but shad are pugnacious creatures and this guy wasn’t about to give up without a fight. He leapt skyward again and tried in vain to jettison the hook firmly planted in his jaw. After a few more minutes of a good back-andforth tussle, my personal tug-ofwar with the hickory shad came to a close. Having landed my quarry I gently removed the Tommy’s Torpedo from his small mouth. He slid easily from my hand, and with a quick splash of his tail swam quickly back into the depths of the Rappahannock. While it’s true that to most fly anglers springtime in Virginia means trout fishing, this is when shad surge up its waterways. The Rappahannock River has a tremendous shad fishery on the doorstep of Frederickburg. Shad have a long and colorful history in this country that predates the founding of the country itself. Captain John Smith, who in 1607 discovered the granddaddy of Virginia rivers, the venerable James—and shrewdly named it after his king—claimed that there were so many stripers and shad in the river that they could be scooped out of the water with a frying pan. Records of early Virginia colonists indicate that they had to move cattle and horses from their riverside pens in the spring because the shad migration was so large that the teeming schools of fish would actually frighten the livestock and cause them to tear down their fences. April 20152015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com 142 l l February l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
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close look - virginia The Rappahannock is Algonquian Indian for “rapidly rising and falling water.� This warm water begins in Rappahannock County near Chester Gap and zigzags for over 180 miles before it reaches the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia has designated the pristine 60 miles of the Rappahannock from its headwaters to Mayfield Bridge in Fredericksburg as a State Scenic River. This stretch has a rock bottom and gains flow from the Rapidan and the Hazel (both excellent trout streams), which become warm water tributaries where they meet the Rappahannock. The river winds its way back and forth as it searches for lower ground and is broken up only occasionally by rock ledges and small-tomedium stair-step falls, which generate pretty good pocket water in some places.
Anglers from all over Virginia hook up with shad in April. 144 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
discovery As the Rappahannock reaches Fredericksburg, the river takes on a decidedly different tone. Gone are the still, lazy waters and deep pools, and in their place one finds swift water and significant undercurrent where the river hits what is commonly referred to as the “fall line.” As the river reaches the Route 1 Bridge, rocks still jut up out of the water, but much of the river’s bottom is quite sandy and seems to shift almost continually. Pools that make for good fishing and easy wading one year are long gone the following year after a traditional Virginia thunderstorm or two. Large tree branches get caught in the jutting rocks, trap sand and other detritus, and become small islands—and are eventually swept away just as easily as they are created.
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The tidal effect of the Chesapeake Bay plays a significant part in the Rappahannock fishery: The water rises and falls several feet as you get closer and closer to the mouth of the river. Rappahannock anglers learn quickly to wade very carefully here because after a few hours of fishing,
the oblivious wader may discover that the rocks he walked out on are completely covered with water. Ignore the tides, and you’ll be left neither high nor dry. Ask me how I know this. From late March to early May, shad anglers dominate the Rapp.
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Anglers casting small, bright patterns like Tommy’s Torpedoes at the shad as these fish swim upstream by the tens of thousands. Shad don’t eat as they migrate upstream to spawn, but they do become irate when anything stands between them and their impending procreation. Shad strike out
discovery
in an attempt to clear the way and move upstream, and once hooked, they fight like crazy. Shad patterns share three characteristics: They are small, brightly colored, and fished subsurface. Fly anglers can score with small and brightly-colored Clouser-style patterns
as well. Anglers will find excellent springtime shad flies in nearly every fly shop near a river that supports a shad migration. I’ve found that patterns like Dover’s Peach Fly and Chuck Kraft’s Kreelex can also be used for trout. My personal all-time favorite shad flies, however, are Tommy’s Torpedoes,
designed by Virginia fly tier Tommy Mattioli. In spring here in Virginia, Tommy’s Torpedoes are gobbled up like candy. Anglers can find these flies at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg and River Rock Outfitter in Fredericksburg.
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123 West Broad St. Statesville, NC (704) 871-1444 Simms, Sage, Winston, TFO, Kelty, North Face, Patagonia, and many other great brands. Fly fishing classes clinics, and guided trips available. Friendly, personalized service.
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148 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
NEW FROM JIMMY JACOBS YOU KNOW HIM AS THE AUTHOR OF GUIDEBOOKS TO TROUT FISHING IN THE SOUTHEAST. NOW EXPERIENCE THE OTHER SIDE OF JIMMY JACOBS’ WRITING. THE CERDO GRANDE CONSPIRACY IS A NOVEL THAT TAKES YOU ON A WILD RIDE FROM ATLANTA TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA. The Cerdo Grande Conspiracy was born in a tale related to me by a reserve officer with the Monroe County Police Department that serves the Florida Keys. It revolved around an escaped pig on Stock Island that becomes amorous with a motorcycle in a convenience store parking lot. The owner of the bike and the pig's owner ended up in a fight as the biker attacked the pig. While it sounds surreal, locals have good reason to call the city at the south end of U.S. Highway 1 "Key Weird." Anything is plausible in this slice of paradise. And if it hasn't already happened, it likely will. Admittedly, some liberties have been taken with the original tale, but that's what fiction is all about. From that incident the story of the conspiracy to save the porker took root. Hopefully, you'll find that it grew into an entertaining romp along the southeast coast down to the American tropics. And, should you ever visit there, you just might recognize some of the locales in the tale. Jimmy Jacobs Kindle Edition $4.99 Paperback $9.99 AVAILABLE AT WWW.AMAZON.COM/AUTHOR/JIMMYJACOBS www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 149
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Jerry N
Rose River F 150 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
featured rod builder
Nonnemacher
Farm
S
outhern fly fishermen know there is nothing quite like the feel of a handcrafted bamboo fly rod. It is a true mystery how something that is seemingly so simple as split cane embody so much in the way of feel, character and beauty. No modern bamboo rods available today are more cherished or sought after than those made by master rod builder, Jerry Nonnemacher. These Rose River Fly Rods are sweeter than honey.
Douglas Dear, Jerry Nonnemacher, owners of Rose River Rod Company
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close look - virginia “I’ve been fly fishing most of my life,” says Nonnemacher, “starting when I was about eight, so about fifty five years ago.”
Nonnemacher grew up in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania where he had access to wellknown classic streams such as the Broadheads, Big Bushkill, McMichaels as well as the great wild brookie streams, Devils Hole and Saw Creek. He went to college in the central PA where he was able to fish Spruce Creek and Spring Creek. Today though, Nonnemacher splits his time between Tulpehocken Creek in Pennsylvania and the Rose River in Virginia. “My father taught me to love the outdoors, but he was not an avid fly fisherman,” says Nonnemacher. “While he did introduce my brother and me to salmon fishing on Canada’s fabled Miramichi River, the man who taught me the most about fly fishing was a co-worker of my father, Tom Sands. He introduced me to the sport and got me hooked on tying my own flies. Years later, I meet and got casting lessons from Lefty Kreh. We became friends. I also learn much from Charlie Meck. George Maurer taught me to build bamboo fly rods, A great teacher, sadly Maurer passed away several years ago.” 152 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
featured rod builder
Nonnemacher dates his rod crafting efforts to when I was fourteen. “Not having a lot of money to spend on equipment, I was fortunate to have a company in Allentown that provided rod blanks and all the component parts,” he says. “A little later, I repaired bamboo rods for friends.” . “Up until a year ago almost all the rods I built were bamboo with the occasional graphite blank built out at the request of a few friends and last year had the opportunity to get back in the game of building fiberglass rods. In May of 2014, Douglas Dear and I started to develop a line of fiberglass rods beginning with input on the tapers as well as developing
the color and finish on the blanks. We created the Rose River Rod Company in late 2014 and launched four models, 8’ 3 wt, 8’ 4 wt, 8 1/2’ 5 wt and a 9 ‘ 6 wt. all 3 pc. And all with 2 tips and same hardware as used on my bamboo fly rods that are all available through Rose River Rod Company.” Rose River Rod Company bamboo rods start with a culm of the finest Tonkin cane which is flamed and hand split into strips. These are run through a strip saw for final size and rougher mill and tapering mill to put the correct 60 degree angle on each strip. Then each strip is hand planed on a planing form to a
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close look - virginia specific taper for the rod being built. Once the correct taper is confirmed, the strips are glued up and allowed to cure. Next the sections of the rod are cut to the proper length and ferrules, reel seat, cork grip, guides and tip tops are installed. The rod is then finished with several coats of spar urethane varnish. This entire process takes 25 to 40 hours depending on what model Nonnemacher is building. “The toughest component to find believe it or not is good quality cork,” he says. “We buy cork direct from two companies in Portugal. Over the years we have developed good relationships with a number of suppliers who make great components for us. Our reels seats are made by both Bellinger and SnakeBrand. Our Agate stripping guides by Joe Arguello and our guides are all made by SnakeBrand.” Nonnemacher advises potential clients to try to cast rods made by the maker. “We work very closely with a potential clients as to what action they are looking for, how the rod will be used, will they travel with the rod to help determine how many pieces. We provide a buildout sheet for both bamboo and fiber glass and I’m always available for questions with any client.”
“We allow our clients a wide number of options on both our bamboo and fiberglass fly rods,” says Nonnemacher. “You can pick from various woods on the reel seat, style of grip, blued ferrules and hardware on our bamboo line, color of silk, bright finish or black on guides. You can have your name
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featured rod builder
laser engraved on your rod tubes. We make one, two, three and four piece bamboo fly rods and three piece fiber glass fly rods. Both bamboo and fiberglass rods have two tips and all have a lifetime warranty against defects and workmanship. Our rods are available from our
company’ Rose River Rod Company. I can be reached via email at canerodbuilder@aol.com.�
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Published six times a year, Southern Trout is the only magazine devoted exclusively to fly fishing for trout in the South. You will also receive the information backed weekly ST Newsletter. The winner of the 2-day stay (weekdays-only), fly fishing for two at the Rose River Farm’s private waters will be announced May 20th, 2015. The email addresses of subscribers will only be used to send out Southern Unlimted magazines (Southern Trout & Southern Kayak Fishing, & their respective newsletters). Under no circumstances are subscriber email address used otherwise or made available to any third party.
Return of the Meramec River Brown Trout 158 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
A
vid St. James, Missouri angler Lyle Staab began my love affair with brown trout over 40 years ago. In the mid1970’s Staab’s photograph appeared on the front cover of an outdoor magazine. He held a brown trout that weighed almost 15 pounds. Staab caught the behemoth brown from the Meramec River in the Missouri Ozarks.
Regulations allowed for the use of live bait for those early browns. Most disappeared quickly because the fish swallowed live baits causing release mortality to be high. As evidenced by Staab’s colossal catch in the mid1970’s,, a few browns from the original stocking did survive to a ripe old age.
The Missouri Department of Conservation instituted I have been searching the a Red Ribbon Trout Area cold, free-flowing Meramec on the Meramec River for a brown trout of those in the 1980’s, with more proportions ever since. I’m restrictive regulations. Only still searching. lures and artificial flies could be used, increasing The Meramec River the number of fish which became Missouri’s first survived after being caught Trophy Trout area in 1974, and released. shortly after I became The Missouri Department superintendent of Maramec of Conservation continued Spring Park. Maramec releasing brown trout from (note spelling) Spring is 8-to-12-inches once a the first major tributary year in the fall. Most fly to flow into the Meramec fishermen regarded the River, doubling its size and browns as being rather lowering the temperature finicky. Regardless, anglers by several degrees. The who are knowledgeable brown trout fishery was about brown trout a new and exciting idea. continued to catch them However, Missouri fisheries over the years. But, none biologiosts still had much the size of Staab’s 1970’s to be learn about managing catch were ever reported. brown trout.
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During the summer of 2014, brown trout fishing in the Meramec River took a turn for the better. A onetime supply of browns up to 15 inches were stocked in the river as a result on an experimental program at Maramec Spring Hatchery. Brown trout were used to help control parasitic crustaceans called copepods, which attached themselves to rainbow trout. Brown trout were placed at the heads of raceways and acted as bio-filters. The copepods attached themselves to the brown trout, but could not complete their life cycle on brown trout, like they did on rainbows. The result was fewer parasites to attack the rainbows.
“The experiments were a success,” said biologist Jen Girondo. “Now, with Maramec Spring Hatchery supplying a limited number of brown trout, fish will be stocked in smaller increments, but at multiple times in the fall. This will be done to maintain the appropriate number of brown trout needed in the hatchery raceways to keep parasites in check.” Upon learning about the releases of browns into the Meramec River, I began my in-the-field research, with my fly rod in hand. I knew browns do not like intense light, so I picked a dark, blustery day to fish in late November. The results were astounding.
I located a long deep hole and cast a weighted sculpin The brown trout were pattern on a sinking line held in the pools longer into the cold, clear waters. than normal and as a A jolt reverberated up my result grew larger than the normal 8-to-12-inches used rod on my very first cast. A broad fish rolled to the for stocking. They were surface and the sound subsequently stocked in of my 5X tapered tippet the Meramec River in the snapping echoed down summer of 2014. the gravel bar. I was on to something.
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With a very good feeling, which only a lone angler on a stream full of feeding browns can feel, I tied on a heavier tippet and methodically began catching one brown trout after another. The fish were on a feeding spree and it didn’t seem to matter what pattern I used as long as it presented a big profile I could get down deep. Sculpins, crayfish, mohair leeches and big streamers accounted for the majority of the browns I caught from two deep holes over a three hour period. On more than one occasion a second brown trailed the first, attempting to rob it of its prized meal. I landed well over three dozen browns before the feeding frenzy waned. Too, I enjoyed another dozen or so hookups and three more break-offs. The fish struck with a vengeance as if they were ravenously hungry. The brightly colored fish averaged about 15-inches, with only two falling under 14-inches. Several broad, fat 17-inch males fell to my offerings and I am confident the breakoffs involved larger fish. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 161
Obviously, a few browns larger than 15 inches had been released. Perhaps a few of them will survive to the double digits weight class. I will keep hunting. The Red Ribbon Trout Area on the Meramec River extends for 9 miles from the Highway 8 MDC Access, south of St. James, to the Scott’s Ford MDC Access, off of Hwy 8, just west of Steelville. The 9-mile stretch contains a variety of aquatic habitats, with long pools, riffles, drops, turns, jams, rock rubble and deep pools. Most of the bank side is in heavy vegetation with an abundance of logs and undercut banks. The Meramec River may also be accessed through the James Foundation’s Maramec Spring Park, when it is open. Anglers need to be aware of the separate regulations for fishing in the park and on the Meramec River. For further information about fishing the Red Ribbon Trout Area of the Meramec River log on to:
www.mdc.mo.gov .
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Chota Hippies Adjustable Hip Waders
www.chotaoutdoorgear.com 877-462-4682
Situational Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mounta Ron Gaddy
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ains
Casting is by no means a perfect science. It is a very awkward way to get a gaudy, cumbersome, rigging of fly rod, reel, leader and tippet with a series of 3 or 4 different complex knot connections put together in a manner that you can deliver your fly to that perfect little spot on yon side of the creek. The truth is you can take a can of worms and a $20 casting rod and catch a lot more fish with much less hassle. So why do we spend thousands of dollars on fly fishing rigs when the $20 dollar rig is more effective and much less costly ? Since there is really not a good answer to this question and many of us would as soon not explore this any further, let’s talk a little about
“The Basics of Fly Casting.” .
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The Grip
The grip should be like a loose hand shake with your palm turned in toward the body enough that puts your thumb on top of the fly rod handle. This position will allow the fly reel to turn inward toward the body to accommodate feeding line into your cast. Use your middle finger to control the line. As you pull line in use your middle finger as a stop gap. This stop gap will prove beneficial in setting the hook and letting line out in a controlled manner after the hook has been set.
Loading the Rod
Before casting can happen there has to be a way to store up some energy so that energy can be released in a manner as to roll out the fly line. Some call that process “loading the rod�. To accumulate this storage of energy the fly rod has to be pushed and pulled aggressively enough to bend the rod. With the proper load on the rod and the right timing of release you should be able to roll out (or cast) just the right amount of line, leader and tippet to hit the target almost every time. With a little practice of course. 168 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
Transfer of Energy
Once you have stored up enough energy in the fly rod to unroll the fly line then you have to transfer that energy from the fly rod to the fly line to ensure your cast doesn’t run out of energy before it unrolls completely. This seems to be the hardest part of teaching fly casting. After enough false casting to attain the length you need to hit your target, it takes a sudden stop at the end of the cast to transfer that energy from the fly rod to the fly line. To follow through on a cast without the sudden stop, like with a casting rod where you are using heavy spinners or weights, this transfer will not happen effectively and your leader and tippet may end up in a so called “dog pile”. Remember you are not casting the fly, you are casting or unrolling the fly line.
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Cast With Your Forearm
Your cast should be made using your forearm with your fly rod acting as an extension of your forearm maintaining a straight line from your elbow through the fly rod with only a slight bending of the wrist. Moving your fly rod back and forth in this manner to make a cast will keep your fly line close to your rod tip which will produce tight loops. It’s very important to wait until your fly line has unrolled completely before resuming the cast in the opposite direction.
Situational Fly Casting
Fly Casting in the streams and rivers in the Great Smoky Mountains will be dynamic and very challenging. The mechanics of the basic cast will all be pretty much the same. Distance, casting angle, wind, obstructions and many other factors will require you to make adjustments to your load and release requirements. Over time these adjustments will be second nature, like driving a car. Just remember, it’s not a perfect science, but making it look that way is a beautiful thing. Fish Responsibly.
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close look - ozarks tennessee
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discovery
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Trout, Moonshine and Legends Jimmy Jacobs When you look at the masthead of this magazine, you see me listed as the Georgia editor. True to that title most of the words I write have to do with trout fishing in the Peach State. But there are occasions when karma steps in, sending the creative juices in a variant direction. Scrolling through the February - March edition of Southern Trout I noticed an ad on pages 90 and 91 for Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee’s Original Rebel Spirit. That discovery was the catalyst for this story roaming a bit far afield. They say trout don’t live in ugly places: a good addendum to the adage would be that the fish do live around some interesting people and places. Just shy of a decade ago, I was invited on a junket to explore the fishing in Haywood County, North Carolina and specifically around Maggie Valley. The known bonus for me was the opportunity to visit Cataloochee Ranch and spend some time on the water with one of the sages of the Smoky Mountain region, Jim Casada.
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Popcorn Sutton with his moonshine still truck in Maggie Valley. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs
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The author and Popcorn Sutton holding court. Photo by Polly Dean The ranch has been welcoming visitors to the area for more than 75 years. Its present incarnation is on the slopes of Hemphill Bald overlooking Maggie Valley, but the ski resort and ranch was first situated at the three forks of Cataloochee Creek, deep in what would become the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Jim Casada was born a mountain boy in Bryson City and spent time roaming and fishing what he terms “back of beyond” in the Cataloochee Valley. More recently he has become one of the most popular writers about and voices for this region. One might ask what all this has to do with an advertisement for moonshine. That’s where the unexpected bonus of the venture came in. While the Cataloochee Valley had its share of illegal distilleries over the years, the real connection came during a chance encounter in Maggie Valley. During my visit to the town, a tourism official arranged breakfast with someone she described as a bit of a local celebrity. Upon arrival at the eatery, I discovered it was Popcorn Sutton. The man described himself as the last real moonshiner in Haywood County, and looked every bit the part. Slouch hat, overalls and an antique truck fitted with a replica still on the back reinforced his description of himself. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 177
During the meal, Popcorn bemoaned his fate of having the revenuers put him out of business. “So what do you do now?” I asked. “Just go around to festivals and talk about how to make likker,” was the reply. “You make a living at that?” “I sell some cherries too,” Popcorn explained. “How much are those,” I inquired. “Twelve dollars a pint.” Naturally, I had to purchase a few jars to support this Southern Appalachian legend. I believe the juice the cherries came in was somewhere around 180 proof! “Jesus turned the water into wine. I turned it into likker.”- Popcorn Sutton Popcorn eventually was featured in a documentary on the History Channel, released videos and appeared in the Discovery Channel series Moonshiners. He also was mentioned in Hank Williams, Jr. song Moonshiner’s Life . Unfortunately, in March of 2009, Popcorn committed suicide rather than face a third stint in federal prison for moonshining.
After that encounter the trip took a more traditional direction. We first tried our hand at catching some stocked rainbows and browns from Jonathan Creek that flows through downtown Maggie Valley. Next Jim, outdoor writer Polly Dean and I headed to Cataloochee Valley to do some more fishing.
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Above: Cataloochee Valley. Photo by Jimmy Jaocbs Right: An elk at the Messer Barn in Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Photo by Polly Dean www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 179
Jim Casada picking his way up the shoals on Cataloochee Creek. Photo by Polly Dean 180 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
On the main stem of Cataloochee Creek, Mr. Casada proved why he is worth listening to with regard to fishing Smoky Mountain streams. Dressed in full camouflage he crept up the creek, picking wild rainbows from bits of pocket water that most anglers would have passed over.
Above: The Hominy Mountain Boys playing for the Cataloochee Ranch square dance. Below: Jim Casada tearing up the dance floor at Cataloochee Ranch. Photos by Jimmy Jacobs.
As a final taste of the region, later that evening we joined the other guests at the ranch in the weekly square dance. This time Jim Casada exhibited talent unrelated to fishing, but quite impressive on the dance floor. As I said, trout live in interesting places populated with a cast of memorable characters. On this occasion the presence of Cataloochee Creek, Cataloochee Ranch, Popcorn Sutton and Jim Casada put me squarely at the intersection where four legends of the Southern Appalachian region converged. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 181
Line Up Righ From the Get You just bought a new fishing reel or you are new to fly fishing and you want to load your fishing reel with your fly line and go fishing. You could start by taking the end of the fly line marked this end to reel and tie it to your reel arbor and load your fishing reel with your fly line. There are a couple of issues by choosing this route. First, your fishing line will be wound too tight to your arbor and will look like a slinky when it comes off your reel. The other could be you don’t have enough line on your reel when you hook onto a big fish. The answer to these issues is to add backing to your reel. How much backing you ask? This is a good question, too little and you have the same issues as before and if you add too much, you will either not be able to get all your line onto your reel or you will have too much backing and line on your reel and it will not work properly.
M
anufactured by L&R Solutions, The Reel Winder is a new solution to the old lining dilemma. This nifty gadget enables you quickly and correctly spool up a fly reel. This is how The Reel Winder works.
First you take the end of the fly line marked this end to reel and tie it to your fishing reel arbor (not too tight, you will be removing soon). Place the spool of the fly line onto the suction cup winder and reel the fly line onto your fishing reel. 182 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
ht t Go
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Place the backing spool onto the suction cup winder and tie the backing to your fly line (not too tight, you will be removing soon). Reel the backing onto your fishing reel until it is about a quarter to an eighth of an inch from the edge of your fishing reel. Do not completely fill your fishing reel. Now you need to reverse the order of how the backing and fly line are on your fishing reel.
Clip The Reel Winder to your rod handle and take the end of the backing and wrap it around the spool of The Reel Winder and feed the backing through the hole on the side of the winder spool. Reel the backing onto the winder spool until you come to the knot with the fly line. Cut the backing from the fly line. Next replace The Reel Winder spool with the backing on it, with an
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empty spool and repeat the process with the fly line. Switch the spool with the fly line on The Reel Winder with the spool that has the backing on it and tie the backing to your fishing reel arbor and reel the backing onto it. Then tie the fly line to the backing and add the spool with the fly line on it to The Reel Winder and reel the fly line onto your fishing reel. Now your reel has the proper amount of backing and fly line. It couldn’t be simpler. The Reel Winder is the brainchild of David Humphries and Steve Lepley. Humphries refers to himself as your typical late40’s guy married for over 20 years with three kids approaching the college ages. He’s an engineer who for over 16 years who oversaw the making of automotive plastic interior projects in his home state of Michigan. A passionate fly fisherman, 12 years ago he launched an online fly fishing business called River Traditions. Steve grew up in a small town outside of Muskegon, Michigan. His 30 year career designing numerous plastic components and products is also an avid fly fisherman.
“My best friend and co-owner Steve and I partnered in the fall of 2014 to design and engineer The Reel Winder,” says David. “What got the momentum going to bring to market The Reel Winder was a collision of a couple great things. The first was partnering up in the fall with my best friend Steve. We’re able to motivate each other to work through the difficult times. The second was a fishing trip with Heinz, in the fall of 2014. Heinz (how is in his late 80’s) came up with the concept of the original winder and flat out told me it was time to make “The Reel Winder” a priority. Lastly we (Steve and I) how using Kickstarter can validate a concept before a huge capital outlay needs to be made.” “In 2012 my father in-law John (83) was in a battle with cancer.” Says Humphries. “During his fight, John’s lifelong friend Heinz (also 83) visited him. During this visit, Heinz and I shared our passion for fly fishing. He told about a fly line winder he had tooled years ago but was unable to market. Later when we fished the Pere Marquette River, Heinz
brought a sample winder. He had conceived and tooled the winder in 2003, but unfortunately the idea faded and time moved on.” The float down the Pere Marquette River sparked the plastics engineer’s in gear cooking up all kinds of changes, adjustments and revisions. Heinz provided lots of back feedback he had thought about during the preceding 10 or so years. In the fall of 2014, he partnered with my best friend Steve Lepley to form L&R Solutions. By mid-November we had our first rapid prototype of the The Reel Winder made at Widget Farm’s LLC. The Reel Winder has several advantages over Heinz’s Original Winder. Steve and Davis I were not able to take possession of the tooling for the original winder. This became a big plus though, as they considered it important to make this product in the USA, and preferably in Michigan where they reside. They discovered that being unable to get the tooling it opened up opportunities to refine the design and simplify the function. Examples are the clipping onto the rod handle, integrating
a slight drag on the spool and reducing the number of components. “So with the first prototype, and our list of brainstormed improvements we developed into a ‘master section’ that allowed to debugging the design and develop die draw directions for the different parts” says Humphries. “For example the molded inserts and thumbscrew had to be drawn and added to the design. With good confidence in the master section. I cut it out with a laser etcher/cutter that allowed us to physically hold something to check things like finger clearance and line capacity. With those bugs worked out the ‘real’ design work began.” Steve invested the time to create a CAD model to start working through the details of each part. Adding radius, gussets, double checking die draw and draft so the components could be manufactured. It took Steve 30 hours of evening hours at home to get this done. Every three or four days Steve would send a section to David for review and adjustments. For more info on The Reel Winder, visit
thereelwinder.com
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Grand Openin
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o use an old, but applicable cliche, “The moment we’ve all been waiting for....” is finally here. To put it more accurately, it’s just around the proverbial corner. The Grand Opening of the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians is set for Saturday, June 6. The celebration will start at 10:00 am and wrap up at 4:00 pm. Located at 316 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, NC, it sits between the Cherokee Historical Association headquaters and the Cherokee Visitor Centers. A full day’s slate of events will begin at 10:00 am with a gathering of museum friends, supporters, sponsors, volunteers, staff and board members. Alen Baker and Forrest Parker, the Museum’s founders, will address the audience with a brief history of how this brainchild came about. Representatives from the surrounding communities and several flyfishing organizations will also be on hand to offer their thoughts in support of the museum. Have your camera ready for the ceremonial ribbon cutting following all the speeches.
by Mike Kesselring
Following the ceremonies, lunch will be available with food and drinks starting at noon
ng, June 6
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But, that’s not the end of the celebration. Starting at 1:00 o’clock and running until 4:00 pm, a free casting clinic is being offered to the public. A pool of five professional fly fishing guides and instructors have volunteered their time. They will be on hand to help grand opening attendees improve their casting skills. One on one, hands on coaching and group instruction will be the highlight of the clinic. The pool of guides are masters at their craft. Some have written books and produced videos. Some have competed internationally and have lead champion teams. And some have guided around the world in some very exotic waters and have. All of them have a range of knowledge and experience too vast to include here and each would need an article all their own to give them justice. Be assured, they are some of the best. Participants will learn something about casting or improve their skills whether they are a beginner or someone who thinks they already know it all. The list of volunteer casting instructors are: 1. Mac Brown, Bryson City, NC - McLeods Highland Fly Fishing 2. Eugene Shuler, Cherokee, NC - Flyfishing the Smokies 3. Paul Bourcq, Franklin, NC - In The Loop Fly Fishing 4. David Wells, Maggie Valley, NC - Pigeon River Guiding 5. J.E.B. Hall, Brevard, NC - Davidson River Guiding In addition to the casting clinic, members of Casting for Hope, a women’s recovery organization for survivors of ovarian cancer based in Asheville, will be registering participants for it’s fund-raising tournament being held in Cherokee the following day on Sunday, June 7. If anyone is interested in participating in the Museum’s casting clinic bring your own flyrod and wading gear just in case you end up in the river. Please let us know if you are attending, so we can be prepared for the big crowd we are expecting, by contacting Museum Program Director Mike Kesselring at 828-736-6929 or mikessel59@gmail.com. 190 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
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“The mission statement of the newly opened Popcorn Sutton distillery in Newport, Tennessee is to distill Popcorn Sutton likker in accordance with the mountaineer’s original recipe and process, that was passed down through three generations over the last 100 years,” explains Travis Hixon, Distillery Manager. “Before his death we had agreed with Popcorn to open a distillery and help him go legal. Since then we have tried to honor that vision.” What makes Newport in Cocke County, Tennessee the logical place for
establishing this local moonshine distillery? Location, location and location, but also historical precedent. “Our new distillery is located only a few miles from Popcorn Sutton’s home and the backwoods where this legend ran off some of his finest likker,” says Hixon. “We believe that Popcorn would have wanted it this way---close by…with the success of the distillery benefiting the people of Cocke County. At the time of Popcorn’s passing, commercial distilling was not yet legal here,” says Hixon. “ So we opened
our first distilling facility in Nashville, Tennessee. But when local laws permitting commercial distilling changed, we naturally looked back to Cocke County”. A few people claim that Popcorn Sutton was an avid mountain trout fisherman. This may or may not be true, but what we do know is Popcorn was fond of pure, cool mountain streams that were key to his likker making efforts. The distillery’s flagship product is Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee White Whiskey. Crystal clear, with subtle notes of
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The Elk River Monterville, W by Clay Snowden
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r WV
F
rom deep pools to shallow waters this stream has exactly what each angler desires, beautiful scenery and gorgeous trout. Countless native browns, rainbows, and even brookies will catch your attention and even your fly. Each inch of the river looks like something from a magazine. Wading from side to side was easy with plenty of spots to take a break. There is no shortage of cover and cool moving water to provide the perfect habitat for large trout. This river provides great fishing for anglers of all experience levels. www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l May 2015 l 195
In late August my friends and I embarked on a trip from Lexington, KY to the Elk for one last fishing trip before school started back up. After the long drive through the mountains, and a couple of wrong turns, we arrived at Elk Springs Resort and Fly Shop. Upon arrival, we were speechless. This beautiful resort and fly shop offered everything you could need for a perfect weekend getaway. The trout hatchery surrounding the shop
housed countless 25 plus inch trout waiting to be released into the stream. The resort had a great restaurant where various fishermen would gather in the mornings to talk about patterns that would be used, and gather for dinner to tell their fish stories. The shop had everything from size 32 zebra midges to victory cigars to complete the day. The guides were knowledgeable and willing to do whatever it takes to get a 20 plus inch trout on
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the end of your line. After talking with the locals in the fly shop we were anxious to wade out and see what we could catch. At first glance all you can see are numerous rainbows and the occasional brown surrounding you. Needless to say we could not wait to get our fly in the water. After a short few minutes of fishing my line tightened as my 22 size zebra nymph was swallowed by a 16 inch rainbow. As I landed the
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fish I was taken away by the beauty of the bright natural colors or the trout. This was the start to a great day. Shortly after, my friend caught a monster trout. As the rainbow came near the end of his fight we caught a glimpse of this 22 inch monster. This was the biggest rainbow we caught, but we know there are bigger ones there. As we continued down the river we noticed deep pools turn to shallow water breaking through rocks. Small flies imitated by the classic Adams dry fly flew in clouds just inches above the water. The occasional drop to the water kept the trout interested. Trout shined as the sun came through the trees and hit the water and would catch your eye. Drifting small midges and Adams dry flies as they bounced around the rocks provided a picture perfect opportunity for catching the perfect trout. The rainbows would come out from the rocks to hit the Adams and tighten your line. The trout were numerous and fed off of many different dry flys, nymphs, and midges as small as size 32! It was important to stay low and 198 l April 2015 l Southern Trout l www.SouthernTrout.com
keep a low profile. Not allowing much slack in your line allowed you to react quickly on trout sipping your dry fly. The change in depths, water flows, and structure allowed for many different types of fishing along with various challenges that would keep any angler interested. The fact that this stream can offer countless different challenges and styles of fishing is what makes it a must for any type of angler.
As the day went on the bites slowed, but not our interest. As the sun was about to go down my line tightened and a brown was on the other end. After netting the 17 inch brown I removed the soft hackle and let the beautiful fish go. As the day came to an end so did our trip. As we reminisced about or trip over bourbon, cigars, and a campfire we decided to make this an annual trip. I would recommend taking
the weekend trip to this stream and experience some of the best trout fishing in West Virginia. This stream has more to offer then you could ever envision. This river is second to none and provided some great fish, and even better memories.
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Texas-www. texaskayakfi com
. fisherman.
CONTRIBU 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.
Ed Mashburn, Editor of Southern Kayak Magazine, 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
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.
TORS 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.
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.
Harry Murray was born in Edinburg Virginia in 1939. He did his pre-pharmacy at Virginia Tech and his pharmacy degree at the Medical College of Virginia. He started Murray’s Fly Shop in Edinburg Virginia in 1962 and started conducting fly tying and fly fishing schools and guided trips shortly thereafter. He has written 15 books and produced 2 DVD’s on fly fishing for trout and smallmouth bass. He has developed over 50 flies for both trout and smallmouth bass. Today Harry conducts about 30 schools on fly fishing and fly tying and employs 5 guides for fly fishing trips. Harry lives in Edinburg Virginia where he has his fly shop.
CONTRIBU 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.
TORS 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 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.
TORS Jim Mauries is the owner/ operator of Fly South, a full-service fly shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Jim was born and raised in Colorado, and it was there his flyfishing addiction took root. Jim started tying flies pro- fessionally during his college years to support his fish- ing habit. That was the steppingstone into working for a fly shop, which in turn led to guiding and instructing fly tiers and fly fishers. Jim has guided and taught fly fishers in Tennessee for more than 20 years. Jim pioneered fly fishing for many different species in the Middle Tennessee area, but trout remain his first love.
Joel DeJong Ernerst Hemingway once wrote “Write what you know.� Artist Joel DeJong took that advice to heart when it came to his paintings. When he is not sketching out fly patterns or working on a custom watercolors of trophy fish you can find him fishing remote Carolina streams, fishing hexagenia flies in Michigan, or tracking big brown through Montana. There is no doubt that Joel DeJong knows his subjects and it shows in his artwork and his love for all types of fish.
Bob Mallard has fly fished for over 35 years. He is a blogger, writer and author; and has owned and operated Kennebec River Outfitters in Madison, Maine since 2001. His writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines at the local, regional and national levels. He has appeared on radio and television. Look for his books from Stonefly Press, 50 Best Places Fly Fishing the Northeast (Now Available), 25 Best Towns Fly Fishing for Trout (Spring 2015) and 50 Best Places Fly Fishing for Brook Trout (Fall 2015). Bob is also a staff fly designer for Catch Fly Fishing. He is also the northeast sales rep for both Stonefly Press and Catch Fly Fishing. Bob can be reached at www.kennebecriveroutfitters. com, www.bobmallard.com, info@bobmallard.com or 207474-2500.