Fishing Alone!

This weekend I got the opportunity to fish in the GSMNP and actually didn't run into any other fishermen.  I didn't even see anyone fishing on my drive along the lower parts of the river (West Prong).  It could have been the weather.  It was cloudy and cold with a mix of rain and snow, mostly rain, turning to all snow as it got later in the day.  Accumulations were supposed to range from a dusting to 4-6 inches above 2500 feet.  I didn't see any snow stick while I was out there.

The creek looked good. There was just a bit of color and it was a little high, but the banks showed where it at been much higher recently.  I took a little time to sit along the bank, drink some coffee from my green thermos, and look at the scenery. 

I saw some vibrant greens and reds in the moss and berries. 

I thought this tree was very interesting looking with all the fungus on it.

Folks might not have been out there due to the time that I went.  I headed up there late on Sunday and fished until about dark.

I only caught a couple of trout, but the solitude was priceless.  I appreciate all the folks that stayed at home today!

Thanks!

Fishing the West Prong - GSMNP

The parking area.  It's where the road to Cades Cove crosses the stream and the stream heads up into the mountains.

The fisherman's trail head.  It also seems to be a popular rest room stop for folks coming out of Cades Cove.  There was lots of TP and trash on the ground just out of sight of the road.  The fisherman's trail winds from side to side up the creek.  In some places it is well defined and in others it's not.  Following it also requires a lot of stream crossings.

A view of the bridge from stream level. 

There is an old rail road rail crossing the stream just up stream from the bridge.  I wonder how long that has been there?  I also saw several trout in the pool just behind the rail, but there isn't a good approach with the clear water to get to them and they were staying near the bottom.

Some pictures of the stream itself.  It's a beautiful area.

Some pictures of the fish I caught.  Most of 4 - 6 inches, but a couple I got out of the deeper holes were much bigger.

This trout broke my leader and stole my fly once, but I got him on the second go around and I got my fly back.  He was a fun fish to catch.

This is a pretty typical Trout from the West Prong.  I caught this one in about a 4ft run that ended in a small hole.  You do have to be stealthy with these guys.  I noticed that I got 2 to 3 casts in an area and if I didn't get a strike I didn't get anything.