Happy Halloween  31 Oct 2015
My biggest scare came last weekend as I was unable to get out and fish. The weekends have been flying by with a lot of “stuff” going on around here and this weekend was looking similar. Friday stayed late at work, got home in time to mow and get the leaves up, I know you couldn’t tell by Saturday I had done any raking.
Saturday rolls around and we got a youngen under the weather so I hang out here for a good portion of the day. I decided late that I would go for just an hour or so and headed to Bluff City as it is closer, it’s late, and crowds don’t exist down here.
I pulled in and began the walk, I took a new route as the last trip brought me a lot of stickers on my shirt, well, the new route brought more….. Â I found my little spot and began to fish, it wasn’t long till I hook that first rainbow, he was a decent little feller and he had ignored the egg and hit my pheasant tail.
I continue down the river and hook another, this one felt nice upon hook set, which was very brief. The fish swam left, released the hook from it’s mouth, then jumped in the air. Now I couldn’t tell if he was laughing when he came out of the water, or if he was just waving, nonetheless, I felt as if he were mocking me in some way. Anyhow, I continued.
I ended the day landing two fish in total, hooking one, and missing just a few more. Both were caught on the pheasant tail and I had tried a zebra midge with no luck. I may get out Nov 1st which would be tomorrow if I weren’t writing this the day after the event. So maybe I will get out there today, anyway, may you all have a great week and God bless.
Weekend on the SOHO
17 & 18 Oct. 2015
This weekend would be short trips, celebrated 21 years of marriage and didn’t want to spend too much time on the river. I went out Saturday evening for just about an hour or so, I figured this would be a day of exploring, new frontiers were to be found. I walk a good distance and finally find some decent looking water. I ended up missing a couple and hooking one for a brief moment in time, but I was doing more exploring than fishing. I like finding places that the crowds are not to be found and I think I may have. I will explore again as cold creeps into upper East Tennessee.
Sunday afternoon arrived and I had all intentions of going to the Watauga River. I headed that way and as I got closer to Bluff City I decided that I didn’t want to be out for a very long period of time, so I just pulled in and fished the downtown, well, up from the bridge anyway.
The fishing started off great, I landed a couple of rainbows early, they were hitting a light pink egg. I continued on and attempted multiple patterns, I did get a few bites here and there, but eventually came back to this light pink egg. I caught another with the landing totaling 3, but missing a great number of fish. I was only at it about an hour and a half and figured I had done well. Fish caught, released, and time to head to the house.
I heard on the radio that the weekend weather is supposed to be pretty good, I also got this great report that swim baits are working well on Boone right now. Now I haven’t had the boat out much at all this year, but if things work out (they typically don’t go as planned), I may get out on Boone Friday. It won’t be early, but I may still catch a few stragglers. Saturday may be an early morning for hunting and it is the 3rd Saturday in October (happening on the 4th Saturday), that is right, it is Bama weekend and I shall watch the Vols shock everyone with a victory (I sure hope this goes as planned).
Anyway, there was nothing major happened this weekend, not many knots while casting. I didn’t trip and fall into the water or in a hole, which is not uncommon. No line breaks or police chasing anyone around me, it was a really uneventful weekend, but it was quiet and peaceful with a great time out fishing, have a great week and God bless.
Excitement at the River   10 Oct 2015
I’m limping into the weekend from a migraine, the shots give me some relief for a couple of hours, so I thought I would head to the South Holston River for about an hour. I had caught a couple last weekend and figured I would head to a closer spot and try my luck. I put on a pheasant tail with an egg about 15″ behind it.
I’m not there long and I catch a rainbow, it’s not bad, hard to tell in the pic but it was a nice one for me. I begin to move around and get another on the egg. I’ve missed a couple more but I’ve not been here long and already have two, good day. I look up a bit later and there is a young feller on a bike riding around close to the river, it was a nice day to be out.
I fish a bit of deeper water and get bit hard, big fish, I set the hook and for just a split second, I think I had a great fish, but he released. I continue on and notice that the young man had pushed the bike across the river to the side I was fishing, his legs must’ve freezing.
Anyway, I move down to find an area that I can cross, fishing my way through here and I finally get to the other side. I noticed that the young man was coming down stream on the side I just came from. Well, there is not a lot of easy walking over there and the water gets a bit deeper and there is some current. I start thinking I am going to worry to death about this young man until I see him cross this river, I just tend to be that way.
A few minutes later I look around and the blue lights are flashing and I am surrounded. I look up and they appear to be wanting to talk with the young feller. He crosses the river successfully and as the police officers begin walking toward him, I figure my work here is done, or I should just get out of the way. I strolled back to the truck, and they got him out of the river and were walking him back to the car. A few bystanders had gathered around and I figured I had seen more than enough and left.
It was a lot of excitement and I even caught a couple of nice trout. Fished a little less than an hour and came back home to watch the Vols win against Georgia. Glad that pulled out a victory there. Hope y’all have a great week and God bless.
04 Oct 2015
Saturday we had a good dose of rain and the generators did not fit my scheduling, I thought I may not get in a trip this weekend. Sunday afternoon came and all was well with low water on the South Holston. I had spent a portion of Saturday tying a few flies and decided to give them a shot.
Typically, although the South Holston is a major fishery, I tend to catch just a couple when I go except on those special days. I head up to the grates below the weir, then walk downstream. I find a little spot and begin fishing. I hear a bank anglers holler and look over, he had caught a nice one, fat and long, then about that time I get one. Nice rainbow on a pheasant tail with bright green tied into it. I get pumped and continue fishing, another nice one on the pheasant tail. I am thinking now I have the formula, a couple of nice, not big but nice ones.
It started getting crowded where I was located so I went on up and found a spot below the bridge that was empty. I put a purple midge behind the pheasant tail and caught three. I missed quite a few more but the midge is working and I am actually getting a hook set with it. I decided to switch up.
A buddy of mine had caught a nice one on another river that day using an egg, so I gave it a shot. First the red egg, I got a couple of hits on it, but did not land one. I switched to an orange egg and this one provided much better production. Landed two pretty decent rainbows and was feeling pretty good.
I had been on the river about an hour and a half, caught about 7 fish, this is a monster day for me. The wind had been blowing and I hadn’t wrapped line around my head or gotten into any knots which is shocking. Typically when the wind is blowing and I have two flies on my line, about every 5th cast or so I am untangling (I know, you wonder why I continue going). Well today is why, no knots and fish caught. To top all the great event off, on my final cast, I went to set the hook, I assume it was a fish but not really certain. The line came free and I hear that distinct whip sound when you have no fly. I say well, the luck has run out, I pull in my line and both flies are gone. I think, rats, they were working so more tying to do. I look down and somehow, both flies are on my chest pack, still tied together.
Now I don’t know how this happened, but it just put the icing on the cake and I came back home. A good day on the river, hope yours was just as good.
