Fished Bullhead on Monday....

Started by Woolly Bugger, July 04, 2006, 10:01:20 AM

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Woolly Bugger

by the time I was ready to leave the house it was afternoon and I had a limited choice of streams... I could have gone to the Smith but didn't check the generation schedule and TN was too far away, so I chose to pay th $15 to the park instead of big oil. I was hoping to find some hungry browns that would rise to a hopper, ant or beetle. I spent a few moments at the casting pool and confirmend that a beetle was a good choice. I also noticed canned corn spilled on the rocks. I hope the ranger caught this guys. I moved on up to my "beat" after catching a couple of nice browns, not the big uns'. Once I got to my section I was careful and used maximum stealt tactics to approach the pools and runs. I caught a nice brown and his smaller brother before coming up to a pool which has held some very large fish in the past. I tried my beetle, switched to a hopper, then a CDC and finally through a bunny leach into the hole. Nothing! Tied the hopper back on and moved up stream caught a few more before the end of my "beat". Then I walked back down to the parking lot to "rest" my water. Went through again focusing on the big holes but still couldn't get a rise. Went to the casting pool for a few more "practice" fish and then went back to my "beat" at 7 to spend the last hour fising for those big browns. I did catch a few bigger fish and I finally got a rise in one of those holes but the big fish eluded me on this trip. I saw three bucks, one in the stream and the other two on the trail along with several does. Also saw a blue heron on the stream. Finished up the day with a yellow sally and caught a couple on that fly too! Not bad for a short day of fishing.

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ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

jamie

Nice report Keith. It has been awhile since I fished Bullhead.
"I don't much care for hatchery trout. They're better than no trout at all, but otherwise they're inferior in every way to their wild relatives" - John Gierach

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: jamie on July 04, 2006, 10:34:40 AM
Nice report Keith. It has been awhile since I fished Bullhead.

I use to go all the time when it was only $4, haven't been in quite a while.... still some crazy big fish up there....
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

troutjedi


You must have hit it late...... I fished Garden yesterday, the Bullhead parking lot was totally deserted at noon.  Dang, wish I'd known you were going, I would have vandalized your Miata  ;D ;D ;D

Garden was fishing about the same as Bullhead apparently......caught a few, lost a few, no hawgs

Devinsdad

Nice report WB.....  Dang Corn Chuckers  o-o o-o o-o

jscagline

Quote from: Devinsdad on July 04, 2006, 12:44:42 PM
Nice report WB.....  Dang Corn Chuckers  o-o o-o o-o

My friends and I refer to this corn finding as someone matching the "delmonte hatch". ;D
The truth hurts but not as much as a gas guzzling, eco wrecking SUV hitting you at 100 MPH!  Yeah baby, yeah!

badankles

glad u had a good'un.  must be nice to have cold water near by.  it was little bluegills for me with the short time i had on the 4th, tho i did got a nice tug from a 12" cat fish.   :P
when's a newbie no longer a newbie...

Fire-Fly

Ive never been to the bullhead, Can you tell me where it is?

Trout Chaser

Quote from: Fire-Fly on July 17, 2006, 19:35:39 PM
Ive never been to the bullhead, Can you tell me where it is?

It is located inside Stone Mt.  You pay the fee $15 to fish one of the 7 beats.  Once you select your section you have that reserved for you for the entire day. 

TC

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: Fire-Fly on July 17, 2006, 19:35:39 PM
Ive never been to the bullhead, Can you tell me where it is?

Bullhead is a pay to fish stream in Stone Mountain State Park NC. The fee is $15 per fisherman. You pay to fish one beat or section of the river. Section 3 runs up Rich Creek and after you hike in you can (might) catch some brookies in the tunnel of brush and trees. Sections 1, & 2 are the shortest, 4, 5, 6 are a little longer, 7 runs up through the gorge and 8 well I've never been to the end of eight. I think it end right before the parkway  ;D. The fish are fed 2 or 3 times a week and can be difficult to catch. Fish the steam slowly!!!! use stealth techniques! If you fish fast you could fish the short sections in twenty minutes. Go slow there are a lot of fish in each section.

Requirements
Barbless Hooks
Catch & Release
Fly Fishing only
Landing Net Required
No Large Hooks (forgot the size that is posted in the rules)
No Creels or Bait allowed on the stream.
Only one fisherman per beat at a time.
Sign in and out of your section....
Pay $15 & have a valid NC Trout License...

They now call it "Fish for Fun"

QuoteFish just for fun on Bullhead and Rich Mountain creeks. This section is strictly catch and release and is open for fishing year round from 8:30 a.m. until one hour before park closing. Barbless flies and nets are required. A special fishing permit is required for this area and may be purchased at the Bullhead Creek parking area. Permits are issued on a daily basis only.
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: Trout Chaser on July 17, 2006, 19:47:16 PM
Quote from: Fire-Fly on July 17, 2006, 19:35:39 PM
Ive never been to the bullhead, Can you tell me where it is?

It is located inside Stone Mt.  You pay the fee $15 to fish one of the 7 beats.  Once you select your section you have that reserved for you for the entire day. 

TC

Actually you can't leave the parking lot and then come back to "your" section....

Once your vehicle has left the parking lot the beat is "open" and anyone else can sign in.... (from what I've been told)
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

landlockednow

When fishing barbless hooks, does it mean the hook on he leader is barbless, or every hook on you and in your boxes are barbless.  I fished bullhead 3 - 4 times, caught nice brown on first cast and nothingn since, and have always mashed barbs down, before I tied the fly on.

I was then told by someone (can't remember who, but pretty credible) that you cannot have a barbed hook on you if you are fishing Bullhead.  Oops!.  Does anyone know for sure?

LLN

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: landlockednow on July 30, 2006, 17:33:06 PM
When fishing barbless hooks, does it mean the hook on he leader is barbless, or every hook on you and in your boxes are barbless.  I fished bullhead 3 - 4 times, caught nice brown on first cast and nothingn since, and have always mashed barbs down, before I tied the fly on.

I was then told by someone (can't remember who, but pretty credible) that you cannot have a barbed hook on you if you are fishing Bullhead.  Oops!.  Does anyone know for sure?

LLN

I've heard the same rule too! But it's not written that way on the sigh up board... I just make sure that I mash down the barb on the fly that I'm fishing...

ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Rod Champion

Seemed like there was plenty of water.. is that true? or was it way low?
Rod + Matt Champion
Fly Shop/ Guide Service
Located ON the S. Holston River
423-878-2822

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: Rod Champion on July 30, 2006, 20:11:57 PM
Seemed like there was plenty of water.. is that true? or was it way low?

It's low, not as low as it gets, but almost, 1 - 10 with 1 being the lowest it was a 2.... :(
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!