So Ho - Watauga double...

[Woolly Bugger]

The plans for the Jackson River Tent Revival had to be postponed due to all of the rain and the dam being opened up to 1010 CFS!  I still had to drop my son and three of his friends off on the Appalachian Trail. That left me an hour and a half from the South Holston so I headed on down I-81. I pulled in to one of my favorite spots at 11:30 and was surprised to find the river void of fishermen.




I rigged up with a BWO and Jujubee and began working the riffles and runs.  Soon enough the bamboo was bent and the reel was singing.  I felt some time pressure as the 11 o'clock dam release would blow me off the river all too soon.
























I caught 4 or 5 worthy brown and lost at least as many before the water came up and I headed over to the Watauga to finish up the day. There was no water release information available for the Watauga so I assumed that meant no generation. There were a couple of fishermen down in my spot but I had my favorite run to myself.  I fished the same rig and had a hook-up on my second cast. Four or five more came in quick succession and then it really slacked off and I began to change flies and weight.  I went fishless for quite a while before hooking up with a spirited rainbow that danced on the water.





The other fly fisherman came hiking up past me and we spoke for a while. I thought there was about an hour or more daylight left so I continued to fish for a while. Nothing else came to the net so I began working my way upstream. There were risers everywhere on the slick water, going nuts over midges. What the heck I said and proceeded to tie on a Greased Lightning emerger.  Picked out my target and cast away. Watched it rise and take the fly. Hey, this is going to be easy! NOT! Quickly went down the road called frustration. The homebrew was calling and I hit the trail.



Just after I poured myself a Smoked Porter, the alarm on the dam went off.



Whoop, Whoop, Whoop.  Fishermen can off the river after about five minutes the flood gates opened! Damn glad I got out from down below!

[Rhody]

great quality pics-you suck

what type of bwo were you using-dry or emerger
i just tied up some jujus and trying to figure out the best strategy-behind emerger bwos or drys?

thanks
rhody

[DarkstarCrashes]

Very nice. Those rivers sure do produce some good looking fish.

Aint no browns that big in the Jackson.  I just got permission for another spot up there, I'll be up next weekend as long as it's under 300 cfs.

[troutphisher]

Mooooooch-o   Suckatash suckage........

[rjs123]

Sure are some nice fish Wooly!

[jwgnc]

Thanks for sharing.  I'll have to ageree with the majority on the vacuum you have created.

[5xTippett]

Good job, Wooley! :)

[Gofisher]

Nice job WB.

[Rod Champion]

That is a hefty brown there bugger.

[cmiller51h]

I have to go along with Karl and the others...YOU SUCK! I'm going to be tortued for the next year looking at pictures like that! Good fishin guys!