Windstorm in GSMNP = New Trout Habitat?

Earlier this year, a strong windstorm hit The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ian Rutter — who lives at the edge of the park – woke up the next morning to discover his drift boat and trailer (both wheels chocked front and rear) had been blown the length of his driveway and over the edge of the ridge.

According to Flyfishmagazine, another windstorm hit last night:

Anglers preparing for a trip to fish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park should be advised that last night’s windstorm brought down large numbers of trees around the park. According to this Charlotte.com article highway 441 which runs over the mountain between the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the Cherokee Indian Reservation, is blocked with over 200 trees down.

I won’t be there for a couple weeks, so the Newfound Gap road — a pretty drive and my route to a fun brookie stream — will certainly be open.

Yet it’s intriguing to wonder how many formerly upright trees are now face down in the park’s rivers and streams — providing choice new habitat for both bugs and trout.

In fact, one of my best “big fish” stretches of the Upper Sacramento River contains several downed trees.

Just by looking, you can tell there are big fish in there, but few fly fishers bother with it.

Risk & Reward

It’s difficult to nymph the fallen tree in question, but it’s one of the first places I go when big bugs are on the water — and big trout are looking up for them.

You can drift a big dry way, way back into the wood (though floating a dry fly in doesn’t mean you can get a big fish out), and it’s one of the most nerve-wracking forms of trout fishing I know.

In the back of your mind, you’re aware that the closer that fly drifts to the wood, the lower the chances you’ll actually land any fish that takes the fly.

Pulling the dry under the surface at the last second (to lengthen the drift a couple inches) is a neat trick (and it does work at times), but now we’re talking about reducing the chances even further.

Naturally, an accurate cast and heavy tippet are handy, and the bugs must be large — the big fish typically won’t come out of their wooden strongholds for little bugs.

Meanwhile, Back At the Upper Sac

It’s been windy the last couple days, and we’re in the part of spring where the temperatures are literally freezing at night, but can rise into the low 70s during the days.

Overall it’s been a little colder than that, so the river flows have fallen to very, very low levels.

Sure, I should be out fishing, but I’m trying to get a lot of copy written for several long-suffering clients.

In essence, The Mad Rush to Finish Everything Before Going Out of Town is just beginning.

Don’t expect a sane blogger by the end of it.

See you at the looney bin, Tom Chandler.

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