This article was first published in the Spring 2001 issue of Fish & Fly magazine. It chronicles a spring of fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina . I always fish in a hurry this time of year. Our early spring hatches of Blue Quills and – with a […]
Winter Fishing in the Smokies
(Originally published in Fish & Fly Winter 2001) Winter days on the stream have a ritual completely different from spring, summer, or fall outings. The streams of Southern Appalachia have a distinct winter mood. Maple and poplar trunks appear bone white against the dark evergreen hues of rhododendron and hemlock. Boulders in the stream accentuate […]
Trout of the Tailings: Fly Fishing for Tailwater Trout in Tennessee
Originally published in the Summer 2003 Fish & Fly Ask any serioius trout fisherman to name a region of the United States with top notch fishing and most would probably start their list in the Northern Rockies. The largest part of our nation’s population resides in the Northeast so it is inevitable that New York […]
Fly Fishing The Cumberland River
Originally published in the June 2003 Fly Rod & Reel For years rumors have persisted about a great Kenucky tailwater. As a native Tennessean I grew up among fishermen that lamented the damming of the legendary Little Tennesse River while they caught large trout from the Clinch, South Holston, and Hiwassee tailwaters. These icy waters […]
Return of the Native
This was originally published in the March /April 2003 American Angler, before the entire park was open to fishing for brook trout. Cold, clean waters splash over moss covered boulders. A few beams of light filter through the thick treetops. Streamside vegetation makes casting difficult but bright brook trout often rise to meet a fly […]
Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Small Stream Success
This article first appeared in Fly Fishing & Tying Journal. The tips found in this article are especially critical to a fly fisher’s success catching trout in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. However, these methods will work on small streams anywhere. Most fly fishermen feel like there is more to fishing […]
Permanently in Paradise: Fly Fishing the Caribbean
(Originally published in the March/April 2005 issue of South Florida Sport Fishing) Waves broke over the nearby reef as the cool current glided past my ankles. The tide was moving at a steady clip now. Upwards of a hundred silver tails flashed lazily in the distance. The huge school of bonefish fed right into the […]
R&R Fly Fishing Hosted Trip to Madison River, 2006
R&R Fly Fishing Hosted Trip to Slide Inn 2006: Madison River, Montana Charity and I have been fishing the rivers in and around Yellowstone National Park for a number of years. Every year upon our return we’d hear comments like “I wish I could go with you,” and “I’d love to do that but I […]