All things fishing thread

[Jackcrevol]

Fished the Clinch this morning. Generator schedule was all jacked up, couple that with the full moon last night, no bueno.

head to Sneedville. No Dam, bueno.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Ok. First time fishing this year. Got the nod on fathers day.

Been going to same spot for 21 years. I remember not seeing anyone for hours. I could catch 10-15 dinks in a day. Then came the trot lines, floods, then, Boone died.

Last year I fished a two hour span. Caught a nice 18"+ inch fish. In that span i counted 60 hard boats and or intertubes.

I have a boat and know the honey holes. It's just nice to get out and be alone. Anyway here's the 'ripper', lol

Started before noon with topwater & 3-4 ft leader, water at 2.1 on 9 ft Legend Elite and Bauer M4, large arbor. Rare day with no up breeze). Made hauling easier. 5 wt would have been nice!

Decided to target shoals and pockets. After 10 minutes and seeing 2 fish, changed gears to small crayfish pattern on 6 ft of 1X. Nice overcast day. Clarity decent. Woulda coulda. Crowd got me.

FYI, this is first year carrying a phone. Wife is bringing me in digital age. Days if disposable kodak are gone! ill send better time permitting.

Anyway, nice to see a healthy fish back in this area. River gets slammed now.

 

[MontyPython]

One of these days I will land a yellowfin on a fly rod.

Block out the rest of your afternoon thereafter.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Block out the rest of your afternoon thereafter.

exactly.

 

[GoDucks349]

like fly fishing. clear, tanic lakes\rivers, so long as they arent cold.

The McKenzie which I've fished for 40+ years is basically 48 degrees + or - 2 degrees all year.... Winter or summer. I fish bare legged and love this river. Tend to fish mostly summers bare legged or from a drift boat or raft in colder weather....

 

[Jackcrevol]

The McKenzie which I've fished for 40+ years is basically 48 degrees + or - 2 degrees all year.... Winter or summer. I fish bare legged and love this river. Tend to fish mostly summers bare legged or from a drift boat or raft in colder weather....

Used to fish S Holston & Watauga w/o waders. Too many close calls with wonky generation schedules. Just dont enjoy trout fishing as much... cold water is an excuse.

 

[Tin Man]

And on the seventh day, G*d created trout and went fishing.

 

[bignewt]

Great morning on the Clinch

 

[Go aeiou]

Great morning on the Clinch

View attachment 289180

How big is it? Weight?

 

[TheBigOne10]

With the warmer weather and reduced flows, the stripers are starting to slow down below Chickamauga Dam. I’m thinking I’ll make a trip up to Ft Loudon or Watts Bar in the next couple weeks. Melton Hill is another great option. They tend to hang around pretty much year round further up the Tennessee River system.

Any striper guys on here? I’m curious as to what tailraces are more consistent in the summer doldrums. My goal is a 25 LBer on the fly this year. Pretty much obsessed over it.

 

[bignewt]

How big is it? Weight?

Probably 18-20 inches

 

[Jackcrevol]

Probably 18-20 inches

Brookie?

 

[bignewt]

Brookie?

Think it's a brown

 

[TheBigOne10]

Think it's a brown

It’s a brook trout

 

[TheBigOne10]

This is a brown trout. More golden with red halos. Brookies have Orange/red bellies and fins w/white tips. With worm-like markings on their bodies.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Great morning on the Clinch

View attachment 289180

I believe, technically they're Char, it is a Brookie. TWRA\USFS stock them now.

Nice fish, no matter.

 

[Jackcrevol]

This is a brown trout. More golden with red halos. Brookies have Orange/red bellies and fins w/white tips. With worm-like markings on their bodies.

Lawd!

Used to tie a bend shant 1/0 wire hook with silica silli legs, dumbell eyes, and hand cut zonker strips to top. but the dinner bell was the glad bead shaker in middle.

throw that at running browns, and it was game on! same for Holston smalls.

It looked something like this, but, upturned and bend would make it 'wiggle' if fished fast or be a headbanger if dragged on with split shot.

 

[bignewt]

I believe, technically they're Char, it is a Brookie. TWRA\USFS stock them now.

Nice fish, no matter.

Cool, I'll take it. Haven't caught a Brook since I was in AK.

 

[DancingOutlaw]

With the warmer weather and reduced flows, the stripers are starting to slow down below Chickamauga Dam. I’m thinking I’ll make a trip up to Ft Loudon or Watts Bar in the next couple weeks. Melton Hill is another great option. They tend to hang around pretty much year round further up the Tennessee River system.

Any striper guys on here? I’m curious as to what tailraces are more consistent in the summer doldrums. My goal is a 25 LBer on the fly this year. Pretty much obsessed over it.

I have seen some big ones on Hiwassee below the boat ramp at the powerhouse. They come up the river to pummel the stock trout. People think they're hooking in to "big browns" but it's most likely stripers taking their fly.

 

[TheBigOne10]

I have seen some big ones on Hiwassee below the boat ramp at the powerhouse. They come up the river to pummel the stock trout. People think they're hooking in to "big browns" but it's most likely stripers taking their fly.

Yep, they love moving into the cooler reaches of the Hiwassee and snacking on 12” rainbows the whole way. I’ve actually had 20+ LB striper try to eat a rainbow I was reeling in a couple summers back on the HI. Pretty nuts.

 

[Tin Man]

It’s one thing to have a tarpon take the speckled trout on your line in the river sound off the coast, it’s another thing altogether to have a big striper take a rainbow trout off your tippet in a fresh water impound.

 

[Carl Pickens]

The McKenzie which I've fished for 40+ years is basically 48 degrees + or - 2 degrees all year.... Winter or summer. I fish bare legged and love this river. Tend to fish mostly summers bare legged or from a drift boat or raft in colder weather....

Yikes .... the Caney Fork here in Middle/East TN is around 59 degrees and will turn your knees purple. I can’t imagine bare legging 48 degree water..... I guess you do your best to not go balls deep.... whew!

 

[DancingOutlaw]

It’s one thing to have a tarpon take the speckled trout on your line in the river sound off the coast, it’s another thing altogether to have a big striper take a rainbow trout off your tippet in a fresh water impound.

My buddy’s dad landed a brown that had completely swallowed the rainbow that took his fly. It looked like a football with eyes.

 

[Go aeiou]

Yikes .... the Caney Fork here in Middle/East TN is around 59 degrees and will turn your knees purple. I can’t imagine bare legging 48 degree water..... I guess you do your best to not go balls deep.... whew!

What part of the Caney do you fish?
For anything , trout, browns only?

 

[GoDucks349]

Yikes .... the Caney Fork here in Middle/East TN is around 59 degrees and will turn your knees purple. I can’t imagine bare legging 48 degree water..... I guess you do your best to not go balls deep.... whew!

You get use to it. And no I'm not going in deeper than above the knees for very long....LOL The McKenzie is gin clear and beautiful with a number of 3+ to 4 rapids for a little whitewater fun along the way.