# Time in the mountains....



## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

Time in the mountains is one of the few things that allows me to truly reset and relax. There's been a lot going on lately, some good and some not so good. Sometimes the only cure is to get away, and unplug from the world. Somewhere that I can focus only on getting the right drift, or which stream to fish. So a good buddy and myself headed to the mountains last week. As soon as we arrived I wanted to hit a small stream that I don't fish very often, because it's so small, but it's been a few years since I last fished it, so it was time. 

A brief walk through this....










And you find yourself here...










This place is like a hidden gem. It's very difficult to fish due to all the overgrown rhodo. But because of that, you'll rarely encounter another fisherman. 



















However, with some stealthiness, technical casting and covering enough ground, you can fool one of the smoky's greatest treasures. 










Truth be known, the scenery alone is worth the effort. 



















Almost every other visit to this stream, I am rewarded with a larger than average specimen for this small flow. I'm glad this was one of those trips!










After that, we rode around and did the touristy thing for a while. 




























Then it was time to set up camp and enjoy some adult beverages before time to cook dinner. 














































My buddy must have thought we were in grizzly country. Spray and pray...










The next morning we woke up before daylight to ensure that we would be the first ones on the stream of probably my favorite brook trout stream in the park. Unfortunately more people fish it now than a few years ago. I fear it will only get worse. But I digress....

The stream was just as beautiful as I remembered. 










If the increase in fisherman weren't problem enough, the cockroaches have moved up farther than usual...










However, once climbing a few high waterfalls, I found what I came for.










Then another.


















Almost every pool I cast a fly in held a beautiful brook trout.


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## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

It probably helped that these guys were hatching all over the place...



















There was also some other trout food buzzing around...










This will give you an idea of how much elevation change you will encounter on this stream...










I found a fly buried deep in a rhodo branch. Since I donated several myself, I thought it was ok to take this one. 










I came to this hole that didn't look exceptional, and with that fallen limb there presented quite the casting obstacle. I surprised myself and put the fly exactly where I wanted to and saw the fish slowly rise and take the fly from about 4ft away. This might be a new personal best brookie for me and by far one of the most colorful. 









































































What a rush. I am amazed at how colorful these fish can be. After a short photo session, I sent him back on his way...



















After that, we pressed on upstream. This stream is notorious for some pretty serious obstacles in the stream that you have to get around. This was a lot more substantial than it may look. 










A view from the top...










Came across a salamander, although I'm not sure what kind. 










This stream really has some nice views. 










One last major obstacle to climb...



















We came to the next bridge crossing around lunchtime, so I sat on a big boulder and had a streamside MRE. 










I thought about fishing up to the next bridge crossing, but I was whooped. So we hopped out and booked it down the trail. Along the way, we ran into these two. First spin fisherman I've ever seen on this water. 










Stopped at some scenic overlooks on the way back to the camp. 



















With my two favorite brook trout streams out of the way, I wanted to spend the rest of the trip on exploratory water. Try some water that I've never fished before. Once we got back to camp, I did some stream scouting and also noticed it may be time for a new pair of wading boots soon. 



















After taking a nap, we loaded up the rental car and headed to a stream I had never even seen before. 



















It was a beautiful stream, but we didn't have much time to fish it before we needed to get back and start a fire for dinner. 



















The next morning we didn't have to jump up and be anywhere early. So I finally got to sleep in a little and took my time making some coffee to enjoy. 



















After morning coffee, I set out for another new to me stream. The fishing was less than stellar, but I did find a crayfish that wanted to play. 



















After coming back to camp for a quick lunch, we decided to end the trip on a pretty long hike to a brook trout stream I wanted to try. We set out for the 4 mile hike and stopped and fished some along the way. 



















I finally caught my first wild brown in the park. 



















Of course, the cockroaches were present too.










After catching several more fish, it was time to keep hiking. The further up, the more enticing the water looked, but I had another stream in mind. 




























I wish I had brought my map on the hike, because I wasn't exactly sure where the stream hit the trail. We basically hiked over 4 miles and just decided to turn around and come back. We hiked 8.4 miles in wet wading boots. Once we got back to camp, I looked at the map and saw we did find the stream, but I didn't know it at the time. Oh well, I'll try again someday.

Enjoyed the last night by a fire and headed back yesterday. Until my next time in the mountains...


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## Hobart (Nov 27, 2012)

Awesome report and trip! Beautiful pictures. I moved to the panhandle about 14 years ago from the North Ga Mountains. I really didn't appreciate the beauty of the mountains growing up there my entire life until I moved away. I love living here in the panhandle but seeing your pictures makes me really miss it.


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## GatorBane (Jan 11, 2010)

Great report! I assume those were the North Georgia Mountains? I've never been. Definitely on the list now.


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## bhudson (Apr 22, 2015)

GatorBane said:


> Great report! I assume those were the North Georgia Mountains? I've never been. Definitely on the list now.


Nope. My guess is gonna be TN


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## daylate (Feb 22, 2012)

Very nice. Thanks for sharing.


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## Jaw Jacker (Jul 29, 2009)

best post I've ever seen. Thanks


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## Hobart (Nov 27, 2012)

No my guess is tennesse also just reminds me of North Ga


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## TNtroutbum (Jan 20, 2016)

I say NC side of the Smokies. He showed pictures of elk. The only place they have released elk in the Smokies is Cataloochee.


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## Achim2 (Apr 25, 2011)

What a post! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!


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## Hobart (Nov 27, 2012)

Good observation on the elk maybe be he will chime in and tell us where


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

TNtroutbum said:


> I say NC side of the Smokies. He showed pictures of elk. The only place they have released elk in the Smokies is Cataloochee.


x2...


I am headed up to Bryson City at the beginning of July.....can't wait to start catching some trout and putting them on the egg!!!!


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

great report and pictures... I'm already itching to get back to the mountains again


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## wallace1 (Dec 8, 2010)

Enjoyed the report. It looks quite a bit tighter as far as casting room goes compared to the brook trout waters we've been to so far. The smokies are on our short list of places to get to in the next year or so.


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## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

TNtroutbum said:


> I say NC side of the Smokies. He showed pictures of elk. The only place they have released elk in the Smokies is Cataloochee.


Ding ding! We have a winner! Thanks for all the kind words.


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## TNtroutbum (Jan 20, 2016)

A word of advice to anyone looking to fish the Smoky Mountain National Park. TN and NC fishing licenses are valid WITHIN national park boundaries regardless of the state you are in. NC non-resident fishing licenses are much more affordable than TN and you can purchase them online. So, if you are looking to fish within national park boundaries in TN you can use an NC fishing license.


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## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

TNtroutbum said:


> A word of advice to anyone looking to fish the Smoky Mountain National Park. TN and NC fishing licenses are valid WITHIN national park boundaries regardless of the state you are in. NC non-resident fishing licenses are much more affordable than TN and you can purchase them online. So, if you are looking to fish within national park boundaries in TN you can use an NC fishing license.


Good advice. The price difference is considerable. Honestly, I prefer the NC side of the park and NC waters anyways. There's miles of streams just like the ones in the park that are way up high in the hills all over NC.


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## TNtroutbum (Jan 20, 2016)

mrl0004 said:


> Good advice. The price difference is considerable. Honestly, I prefer the NC side of the park and NC waters anyways. There's miles of streams just like the ones in the park that are way up high in the hills all over NC.


I agree completely. I'm from Knoxville, TN but I spent a year and a half in Burnsville NC during my Co-op. I love western NC and the thousands of miles of trout streams.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

I was born and raised in WNC, been in the Pensacola area since '89, and your post just made me miss my mountains more than I have in a long time. Absolutely incredible post and pictures. I have a trip planned to be there when the leaves turn this fall, and I plan to get in as much fishing as I can on an anniversary trip. Thanks for the post, I will come back to it for relief between now and October.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

TNtroutbum said:


> A word of advice to anyone looking to fish the Smoky Mountain National Park. TN and NC fishing licenses are valid WITHIN national park boundaries regardless of the state you are in. NC non-resident fishing licenses are much more affordable than TN and you can purchase them online. So, if you are looking to fish within national park boundaries in TN you can use an NC fishing license.


You forgot Cherokee....you gotta buy a daily permit there which is different then the state license.:thumbsup:


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## TNtroutbum (Jan 20, 2016)

Jason said:


> TNtroutbum said:
> 
> 
> > A word of advice to anyone looking to fish the Smoky Mountain National Park. TN and NC fishing licenses are valid WITHIN national park boundaries regardless of the state you are in. NC non-resident fishing licenses are much more affordable than TN and you can purchase them online. So, if you are looking to fish within national park boundaries in TN you can use an NC fishing license.
> ...


Good point. You need an additional license for Gatlinburg too, but neither of them are part of the national park.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Awesome trip and report!


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## Don White (Oct 8, 2007)

Just stumbled on this thread. Looks like the Balsams to me. The largest "Spec" you caught is a true trophy fish. (Think 100lb Cobia or 30lb Red Snapper) Lived in Franklin for 12 years & Asheville for 15 years. Specs or Brookies are the only native species in WNC. They are actually Artic Char. They require high elevation, cold, pristine stream water. Most of these fish are 3-4" with 5 being large and 7" being a giant. Loved living up there but hated having to visit the Emerald Coast so we moved down here and now visit WNC. Looks like a awesome trip & pretty work on the fish! Congrats.


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## 38ICO (Aug 18, 2016)

Great photos mrl0004.
I love fishing the mountains in Tennessee/Georgia.
I just broke in a new 4wt Superfine Glass in the GSMNP.


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