# Good Weekend in the Smokies



## NCHillbilly

A good friend of mine from SC came up to spend the weekend and do some fly fishing. He puts me on bass, catfish, crappie, and deer down there; so I try to put him on some wild trout and smallmouth up here.

Friday morning was dark, foggy, and drizzly. We headed way back in the mountains to try to find some specks. Started on this little creek at about 4200' and headed up. Sorry for the pic quality, but it was dark as a dungeon up in that gorge under the fog and drizzle.



1creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

The streamside vegetation mostly consisted of these lovely head-high stinging nettles that feel like a swarm of yallerjackets hitting you when you touch one:



1nettles1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1nettles2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

The going was rough, with lots of boulder hopping and fallen logs, but specks were plentiful and came to hand from almost every hole:



1speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1speck3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr




1speck4 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1speck5 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

Not surprisingly even this high up, we caught a few of these, too:



1bow2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

This one looks like it had a run-in with the friendly neighborhood otter. Check out the tooth marks, They matched on both sides. Lucky little guy:



1bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

Needs more rhododendron:



1creek2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1creek3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


We finally arrived at the head of navigation. Just above here, the creek forked into two tiny branches that you could have soaked up with a good dry towel.



1creek4 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

The fish were starting to look like this:



1tinyspeck by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


So we turned around and made the rough climb back out. 

We still had a few hours of daylight, so after recuperating our fat selves from the climb with a cold beer or three, we traveled a few miles and hiked into the lower reaches of the same stream. Not as steep and rough, and a good bit more water; but still full of blowdowns and rock ledges at intervals. Beds of bee balm were blooming, and the hillsides were covered with flowering rosebay rhododendron:



1-2creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1beebalm by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1rosebay by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

Still plenty of good specks:



1-2speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1-2speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

Of course, these were much more plentiful on the lower reaches:



1-2bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

And we also picked up a few of these:



1-2brown1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



1-2brown2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


Fishing was good, but light was fading. So, reluctantly and tiredly, but happy, we hiked back to the truck, moving about like this guy:



1-2snail by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


Back home, we devoured some home rolled sushi, ribeyes, baked taters, and a beer or six; and slept the sleep of the righteous.

And the morning and the evening were the first day


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## Bream Pole

Thanks.  Great pics and well done post.  I enjoyed it very much especially since my 74 year old bod can't do that anymore and have to live a life of vicarious trout fishing.


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## NCHillbilly

*Day Two*

Saturday morning we headed out early to a different watershed in a different corner of the GSMNP. 



2creek1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2creek2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2creek3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


Fishing was a little slower than yesterday; but between frequent showers, we caught a pretty good selection of mixed trouts:



2bow2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2bow1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr




2speck1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2speck2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2speck3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2speck4 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2brown by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


Cool stuff seen along the way:



2butterfle by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2crawfish by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



2mushrooms by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

Finally, we were a good ways from the trailhead when the sky opened up in a Biblical manner. This is an accidental photo I took while I was trying to stuff my camera into my pack, but it conveys the situation quite well. 



2rain by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr


By the time we got back to the truck, we couldn't have gotten any wetter if we had jumped in the creek. It obviously was set in for the afternoon, so we called it an early day and retreated home to smoke some pork tenderloins and sweet taters and fry some green maters and squash and drink a beer or twelve.

And the morning and the evening were the second day.


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## NCHillbilly

*Day Three*

Sunday morning, we had a couple hours before my buddy had to head out, so we decided to hit the river behind the house and see if we could round up a smallmouth. The water was a little high, but not too discolored.


3river1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



3river2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

The fish weren't hitting like usual, but we had a few forward casts that didn't come back. I sight-casted to a huge carp a couple times, but managed to spook it. 



3smallie1 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



3smallie2 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



3smallie3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



3redbreast by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr



3hornyhead by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

After about an hour, heavy rain upstream made the river start rising fast, and it turned the color of creamed coffee. The fish stopped hitting like you had flipped a switch.



3river3 by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

Time to hike back out, and call an end to a fine weekend that didn't last nearly long enough. 



3rock by Yaller Hammer, on Flickr

_FIN._


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## Upatoi Sportsman

Looks like a great weekend. Nothing beats good fishing and fellowship with a good friend.


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## northgeorgiasportsman

That looks like a fine way to spend a weekend.  What feather did you use for that yallerhammer?


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## NCHillbilly

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> That looks like a fine way to spend a weekend.  What feather did you use for that yallerhammer?



Dyed starling, of course. Or dyed partridge one. I forget.


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## fish hawk

That is a great way to spend a weekend


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## transfixer

I'm jealous !   I've always loved the mountains of N.Ga and Tn,  spent many a weekend in my late teens through my early 30's up there,  then life kinda got in the way,  I'd up and move up there somewhere if it weren't for this little thing called "making a living"     You are living the dream up there NCHillbilly !  at least my dream anyway,,,,


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## Mexican Squealer

Bout as good as it gets in my book.


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## whitetailfreak

Looks like a good trip. We've got a Decoration on Chambers Creek Sunday so I'm gonna hit a few park streams on Sun eve/Mon.


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## Para Bellum

Man that is awesome Hillbilly!  Love that lil split cane too.  Cool rod.


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## The mtn man

I'm itching to get back over your way, that is if I could get my side kick to go.


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## NCHillbilly

The mtn man said:


> I'm itching to get back over your way, that is if I could get my side kick to go.



Any time! It's not too hard to talk me into going fishing.


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## GLS

Beautiful fishing and photography.  Love bee balm tea.  Used to make it for my son.  Monarda didyma.  Hummers love it, too.  Gil


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## Buckman18

Good stuff!


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## GLS

Before I knew it was illegal, I had rolled up a box full of YH's made from a road kill flicker.  I used the skinny side of a flight feather, stripped off, and the body was dyed green seal fur. That was over 4 decades ago and I think the  statute of limitations has run....   It worked.


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## jeardley

Thanks for the report/pics. You just lit a fire in by britches to get up there. Haven't been to the mountains fishing in 2 years now and it used to be a regular adventure for me. Love the fresh clean air.

Out of curiosity nchillbilly, have you ever ate any of those stinging nettles? They have been high on my list to try one of theses days.


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## GLS

Those aren't the same type of stinging nettle we have around here.  It's shorter plant with white flowers and different shape of leaf.  My daughter brought me a jar of stinging nettle pesto sauce and it was fine eating.  She used new growth leaves to make it.
 I learn something new every day:  "Bull nettle" is what we have:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_plant#/media/File:Cnidoscolus_urens_var._stimulosus.jpg


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## NCHillbilly

jeardley said:


> Thanks for the report/pics. You just lit a fire in by britches to get up there. Haven't been to the mountains fishing in 2 years now and it used to be a regular adventure for me. Love the fresh clean air.
> 
> Out of curiosity nchillbilly, have you ever ate any of those stinging nettles? They have been high on my list to try one of theses days.





GLS said:


> Those aren't the same type of stinging nettle we have around here.  It's shorter plant with white flowers and different shape of leaf.  My daughter brought me a jar of stinging nettle pesto sauce and it was fine eating.  She used new growth leaves to make it.
> I learn something new every day:  "Bull nettle" is what we have:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_plant#/media/File:Cnidoscolus_urens_var._stimulosus.jpg



Yes, I've eaten them. I'm not crazy about greens, but they are one of the better ones. My mom and grandma were always avid wild green gatherers, and stinging nettles are one of my mom's favorites. They are supposed to be very nutritious and high in vitamin C, and also have medicinal properties. 

They will also eat you alive. The wood nettles get up over head high sometimes, and will sting you right through your clothes. A big rank one feels like multiple bee stings. 

The one we have here back in the mountains (the one in the photos,) is wood nettle _Laportea canadensis_. Down at lower elevations you find common stinging nettle, _Urtica dioica_. They are fairly interchangeable for edible and medicinal usage.


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## blood on the ground

Looks like a great weekend. I'd be in a world of trouble trying to use a fly rod in such a tight stream!


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## NCHillbilly

blood on the ground said:


> Looks like a great weekend. I'd be in a world of trouble trying to use a fly rod in such a tight stream!



A lot of it is short roll casts, bow and arrow casts, and often just sticking the tip of the rod with a foot of tippet dangling back under the limbs. Most of us who fish those little creeks a lot actually prefer 8-9 foot rods instead of the short ones that you would think. Gives you more reach.


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## GLS

NC, did your buddy build the cane rod?  Gil


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## NCHillbilly

GLS said:


> NC, did your buddy build the cane rod?  Gil



No, he bought the blank and had a guy build it for him. It's a sweet rod-Payne 100 taper, 7.5 ft 4-wt. I keep trying to steal it from him.


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## redneck_billcollector

I always enjoy your posts and pictures.....I keep saying I am going to have to tear myself away from the salt water and get up that way every time I see one of your posts.


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## Paymaster

paddler said:


> Thanks.  Great pics and well done post.  I enjoyed it very much especially since my 74 year old bod can't do that anymore and have to live a life of vicarious trout fishing.



Same here. I am 65 Monday but feel 85. I love it when NCH and others take me with them thru their pics and commentary.

Awesome trips NCH, thanks for sharing, Brother.


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## AL trout bum

I think that's a place I have visited quite often. I sent you a PM, did you ever get it?


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## NCHillbilly

AL trout bum said:


> I think that's a place I have visited quite often. I sent you a PM, did you ever get it?



Haven't gotten one lately, try re-sending it. And I know you've been on at least one of those three creeks from some of your old TRs. We need to hit it some time.


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## deerhuntingdawg

Great photos!!! Thanks for posting them!!


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## lampern

Nice smallies. Those rivers have some nice uns.


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## AL trout bum

NC, your PM box is full. Didn't know that could happen to an admin!


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## NCHillbilly

PM box cleaned out.


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## Scotsman

Very nice! Some really great photos. Awesome trip!


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## Killer Kyle

This is how you spend a weekend right here!! Cold water and purdy fish!  We don't to get to see too many bronze backs on this forum, so that was a treat!! Great post Hillbilly!!


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## Dustin Pate

Beautiful fish!!!!


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## robert carter

Beautiful pics Sir . you folks in the mountains know how to live and seem to appreciate it too. Thats the coolest part!RC


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## Browning Slayer

Nice trip! What a way to spend a weekend!


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## tsharp

Great read for sure. I would trade a fish trip or shrimping trip with you any day. LOL.


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## Taxman

Great pics.  I started to head up last week but was afraid the water temp was too warm at about 2500' where I usually camp.  Going this week and trying out a  caenis taper 7'6 3wt.  Do I need to be above 3500 this time of year?  I hate the extra 3 miles with 45lbs to get there!!!


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## NCHillbilly

Taxman said:


> Great pics.  I started to head up last week but was afraid the water temp was too warm at about 2500' where I usually camp.  Going this week and trying out a  caenis taper 7'6 3wt.  Do I need to be above 3500 this time of year?  I hate the extra 3 miles with 45lbs to get there!!!



Yeah, higher is better right now. Most of the bigger creeks aren't fishing good at all except for a couple hours right around daylight and dark, but the smaller creeks are mostly good.


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