Travel being the dismal exercise that it is, it’s hard to label today anything but a success.
I wasn’t cavity searched, waited in line no longer than usual (which is still a lot), didn’t avail myself of any airsickness bags, met up with Rich Margiotta — a classy guy and one of my favorite people — at the airport, lost no luggage, and even got an upgrade to a Toyota SUV at the rental counter.
I am pure gold, baby. Gold.
Still, travel bores me out of my skull. To get a sense of my day, just stare at the picture below for 5.25 hours:
Had enough? I know I have.
Tomorrow Rich Margiotta and I will get to spend at least as many hours staring at a small Brookie tributary; the fish aren’t big, but the views are stunning.
Because the temperatures could run into the upper 80s, we’ll be gaining altitude in the hot part of the day (I’m not naming names, but we’ll be somewhere around Chimneys).
Later — when it cools off — we’ll drop down to a prime stretch of the Little River, looking for rising fish.
Early, I’ll be rounding up a fishing license and buying a few goodies for Thursday’s backpacking trip. Then there are the inevitable (and agonizing) fly rod decisions.
I brought Chris Raine’s 7.5 ‘ 4wt hollowbuilt cane rod, but Rich just put the finishing touches on a 7′ 3wt Diamondglass rod that I should try.
Clearly, fly fishing’s a difficult sport, but not always for the reasons you might suspect.
Expect an honest to god fishing report soon — with pictures you actually want to look at. See you in the Smokies, Tom Chandler.
[tags]fly fishing, fishing, tennessee, smoky mountains, gsmnp[/tags]
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, bad as that is…it beats my drive home from the Smokies last week…running on little sleep, soaking wet from my unplanned bath in the Middle Prong, and then fighting pouring rain from west Alabama all the way home. I hate leaving the mountains – the only plus was dinner at Steak ‘N Shake – my equivalent of slaw dog passion.
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Best of luck Tom! I know a bail bondsman in that part of Tennesse should you require his services ;-)
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umm Tennessee ….darn fat fingers.
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Good Luck Tom. I thought about you this weekend as I was getting schooled by the trout in the Smokies myself. I live about 40 minutes from the park and on the occasions that I get shut out I just stop by the Tuck and rebuild my ego on the stockers. But I am pretty green to fly fishing, so I am sure a man of your unquestioned skill and ability will be just fine :)
Here’s hoping you don’t have to resort to any such tactic!
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Thanks guys. Off in a few minutes…
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