S. Holston Sunday 5-28-06

[Woolly Bugger]

With the new basketball goal installed on Saturday, I took the Sunday off and headed north, yes I said north to go to the S. Holston. I don't know if its any quicker or shorter to go all the way on 421 or to go 52 N to 74 to 77 to 81 but that's what it did, the Northern route was just under three hours.

Any way I was on the water by 1:30 or 2:00 off of Big Spring Rd. there were a few empty spots along the river and I selected the one by the powerlines. There were a few sulphurs coming off and an occasional riser, but I couldn't get them to hit what i was tossing at them. Finally gave up and swithched to a CopperJohn wiht a PT dropper and picked off a few fiesty bows, broke off a few bigger fish. Towards six or seven the the hatch stared up a little heavier, no stready risers but agian I culdn't entice them to the dry fly.  Finally at about eight I caught three nice bows on the surface, the largerest one about 18 inches.

Pictures and full report in my log... (later today) http://www.kbrcomm.com/btwc/ff2006/

[9ft4wt2]

Keith:

I was there on Saturday with three friends. Fishing was ok in the am, not fast and furious but steady enough to make it interesting. In the afternoon, we went to Rockhole. Even slower -- one small bow in three plus hours.

Did get an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Was fsihing and looked downstream a and saw a guy hot footiing it in my direction. He was wearing waders but not carrying a rod.
first thought was wardenb. Second, thought was ODG3. It was ODG3 and Damselfly as an added bonus.

It was great to see the two of them, We had a short talk and then all went back to fishing.  I hope the fishing was better for them. I am guessing it was.


After a while, my two buddies left to get some food and left me fishing on my own. I worked upstream casting to risers and missed all but one of them -- a wild 8-inch bow.

But as I was fishing, I saw a huge series of splashes out of the the corner of my left eye.

It was a huge brown munching on minnoews. I switched to a a large (5-inch, dumbell eyed) streamer that was a pain to cast on my 4v wt.

Third cast was on the money  and on the second strip he beast pounced on it. The water churned like blues busting the beach.  The brown missed it ropoled and hit aain and missed. This went of for several seconds. The trout chased the fly for about 25 feet, but never actually got  the hook, despite thrashing the water. At one point the trout came out of the water and down on top of the fly. I am guessing 6 pounds and 25or 26 inches.

By now I am shaking like a leaf and praying. The fish rolled on the fly several times wiothout ever hitting the hook.

Man, I would have loved to have cautgh that fish. Guess my heart wa not pure.

9ft4wt .

[Woolly Bugger]

It's a great stream Dan, I walked up on some big browns that were nymphing, didn't get a chance to fish for them. But did get a good look at them feeding on their own.
Sure wish it wasn't so darn far away....

[badankles]

Third cast was on the money  and on the second strip he beast pounced on it. The water churned like blues busting the beach.  The brown missed it ropoled and hit aain and missed. This went of for several seconds. The trout chased the fly for about 25 feet, but never actually got  the hook, despite thrashing the water. At one point the trout came out of the water and down on top of the fly.

that's cool. 

[badankles]

read your log...dude, your camera phone is much better than mine.  :-[

[Woolly Bugger]

read your log...dude, your camera phone is much better than mine.  :-[

I couldn't use 1/2 the pictures I took, exposure problems.... big fish too!

[outdoorguy3]

Kkeith,

Did ya like that message Lauri left for ya on your windshiled?  We looked for ya on the water and could only sstream from where your car was parked.......time was short as we were heading for the water to fish some more before the surge hit where we were fishing.

Ralph

[Woolly Bugger]

Kkeith,

Did ya like that message Lauri left for ya on your windshiled?  We looked for ya on the water and could only sstream from where your car was parked.......time was short as we were heading for the water to fish some more before the surge hit where we were fishing.

Ralph

Yeah I could have been up or downstream from the pull off..... ended up down at the last pull off and fished till 8:18 when the surge hit there....

How did ya'll do on Sunday?

[outdoorguy3]

Keith,

Lauri slayed em on drys on Sunday....all day!  Her first two fish were on nymphs and then the rest of the day she fished drys.

I fished a dry for about an hour then went back to what I know ....sub surface and caught a nice brown right before the generation hit us around 7:30.

Great time and lots of fish caught....not continuious action but some kind of action all day long.

Ralph