Comments on: Fly Fishing Tennessee: My Smoky Mountains Trip Buildup Begins

By: Fly Fishing Tennessee

Fly Fishing Tennessee — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:53:22 +0000

[...] Fly Fishing Tennessee: My Smoky Mountains Trip Buildup Begins — The Trout Underground… Links RSS The Trout Underground Fly Fishing Blog Fly Fishing the Upper Sacramento River : Tom Chandler s Fly Fishing Life : Fly Rods are the Measure of Life Fly Fishing Tennessee: My Smoky Mountains Trip Buildup Begins by Tom Chandler on April 13, 2007 It ™s human nature to complicate even the simplest of activities “ to the point that I ™ve got a closet full of fly rods, several trunks of fly tying… [...]

By: josh chambers

josh chambers — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:10:52 +0000

hey there, my name is josh and am a fly fishing guide in Arkansas. my wife and i are going to be in Cherokee and smoky mountain park area sometime in June for about three days. looking for either car camp and fish as much water as possible or looking for a stellar back country fly fishing/backpacking trip. any info or tips would be great. looking to stay away from the crowds if possible.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:50:56 +0000

The park regulations require hanging all food out of the reach of bars, and in some campsites they’ve built hanglines.

I’m not sure what part of Abrams yet — perhaps the small horseshoe. It’ll be during the week, so I don’t expect people to be much of a problem…

By: LeMoyne Mercer

LeMoyne Mercer — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:30:03 +0000

Jim Webb must be a really old visitor to the Smokies. There haven’t been any black bears begging at the side of the road in 30 years. The Park Service has done a really good job of discouraging the feeding of bears and relocating those that insist on visiting picnic areas and campgrounds. (“A fed bear is a dead bear.)
You might try Abrams Creek downstream from the falls. The Horseshoe (upstream of the falls) is well known for the trout–but also for the slippery rocks.

By: Heddon17

Heddon17 — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:06:03 +0000

Fortunately out here in the west the strip development around the National Parks has not happened, mainly because most of the National Parks in the western US are surrounded by National Forest land.

I think the same thing can be said of other National Parks like Yosemite, etc. that are close to major population centers. Most folks experience them from the confines of their automobiles.

Brian

By: Jim Webb

Jim Webb — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:36:38 +0000

Yeah, Yellowstone or Yosemite would have been my guess as well. As I said, I was surprised when the ranger told me that. Let’s see, Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Knoxville, Nashville, Louisville, Cicinnatti, Huntington, Richmond, D.C., Atlantic City, Newark, and New York are, I believe, all less than a 500 mile drive from the park. Still a great place to go fishing! Those people never get far off the roads. The black bears begging on the side of the road keep ‘em completely entertained.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:21:35 +0000

Brian: What’s criminal has been the development right outside the park boundaries — strip development at its ugliest.

I think a large number of the park’s visitors experience the park largely from within their automobiles.

Ian says the fishing’s been discovered. Every year, more folks from as far away as Michigan (Pennsylvania anglers too) fish the Smokies in February and March — when their home waters are still iced over or closed.

By: Heddon17

Heddon17 — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:47:13 +0000

That is surprising that Great Smokey Mountains National Park is the most heavily used park in the system. I would have thought that honor would have gone to Yellowstone or Yosemite.

But I can see how the park can get overrun with folks/tourists during the summer season since the park is pretty close to the eastern seaboard and within day trip or weekend trip range for a LOT of people………

Brian

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 04:17:57 +0000

The Smokies can really be overrun at certain times of the year. Two years ago I was fishing a bend pool while a unending stream of traffic went by on the road above.

At one point, five huge tour buses went by one after another, with at least a half-dozen cameras pressed against the window in each.

I can only wonder how many vacation pictures I inhabited that year.

Still, I learned something important: cameras don’t steal your soul.

If they did, I’d be working for Nestle by now.

And Craig, let me know how Abrams goes for you. I’ll be fishing Abrams Creek for the first time this year (I just posted some thoughts about planning this year’s trip — don’t miss ‘em).

By: Craig Lancaster

Craig Lancaster — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 12:24:49 +0000

Sounds like a great trip. I’m heading up to abrams creek to fish a few days this upcoming weekend. A few weeks following that, i’m heading on a backcountry trip myself up noland creek. Some great fishing ni the backcountry, you’ll enjoy yourself. May i suggest an isonychia nymph………

By: Jim Webb

Jim Webb — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 04:06:13 +0000

When I used to be a frequent visitor to Yosemite, a ranger told me that the most heavily used national park in the system was Great Smokey Mountains National Park. I was surprised, but then thought about how close it is to the entire eastern seaboard.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 03:32:59 +0000

It should prove interesting. The park’s gorgeous, and while the traffic on the main roads can be dizzying, there’s just so damned much water available…

By: David Knapp

David Knapp — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 19:33:51 +0000

You’re in for a great trip! Getting into the backcountry is the best way to really experience the park. My best memories usually happen miles from the nearest roads…

By: Jim Webb

Jim Webb — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:26:44 +0000

I hear about one of those jokes per week, or so.

By: Bamboo Addict

Bamboo Addict — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:09:17 +0000

As always I now you will have fun, and bring back some great storys, and picture’s. Just one word of caustion if you hear banjo’s run brother run.
David