Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide

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Author Topic: Elkmont May 16-21  (Read 4317 times)

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JoelO

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Elkmont May 16-21
« on: May 24, 2017, 04:39:30 PM »
Brother and I made our semi-annual trip up to the park last week.  We had a great time as usual.  Temperatures were a little warm during the day but they cooled off enough in the evening to where we could sleep comfortably.

Fishing was steady but not spectacular.  We can usually figure out the right dry/dropper combination early but we struggled to find a dry they would take consistently.  There were some yellow mayflies (sulphurs?) and yellow sallies that came off in the evening but not in significant numbers.  Yellow caddis and yellow stimulators did not generate a ton of strikes.  We probably caught more fish with the dropper (generally a bh prince for me).  A parachute Adams or March Brown took some fish - 100% of the fish up on Walker Camp Prong since that's all we fish up there. 

I lost my biggest fish the first afternoon we were up there.  We were fishing close to camp in a place where we've had some luck catching browns on a dry.  I threw a #16 para March Brown and was in the process of picking up the line for my next cast when a good fish hit.  I fought it for a bit and then it when down a slight waterfall into a deeper run below me.  I edged closer to the drop off and watched as it jumped about 3 feet into the air...spectacular fish...mid teens in length.  It continued to head downstream stripping 25-30 feet of line from my 4 wt before I could turn it.  I could not chase it without taking a splash in the deeper run so I tried to coax it back up to me.  Everything was going well until it wasn't.  I was applying steady pressure (nothing excessive) but the line went limp when he was still 20-25 feet away from me.  No line break...the fly was still there...guess he wasn't hooked that well.  Bummer.

We'll be heading back up this fall...can't wait.  Brother said we need to make this trip 1 or 2 more times a year...I told him I'd love that though I don't think I can sale that to the home front. :)

grumpy

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2017, 09:27:15 PM »
You can do it!

It'll cost you though.

MikeA

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2017, 09:53:39 AM »
Love the story! Most people who haven't done it don't understand the lure of these remote places and small Trout. It's not something you can really put into words that will make anyone understand it either. You just have to be there. I really, really, miss those Mountains...
There is not much collective security in a flock of sheep on the way to the butcher.

Steve H

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2017, 10:21:16 AM »
Great TR!! Sounds like you lost a good fish.
Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum

JoelO

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2017, 11:40:26 AM »
Thanks guys.  It would have been a fish of a lifetime from the park (for me).  There's some 20"+ trout in those streams from what I hear from the locals but that was the biggest one I've ever hooked up there. 

Mike, you're right about the mountains...it's not the size of the fish that matters...its just a special place to go...I love the rock hopping!


bee

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2017, 02:00:36 PM »
Pretty sure there are some trout closer to 30 inches than 20 inches in "some of those streams".  Was lucky enough to have lived several summers in one of those just demolished Elkmont cabins above the campground.  If you spent enough time carefully parting the bushes to peek with good polaroids in to the nooks and crannies of the deep holes of Little River you could see trout that would take your breath away from their sheer size.  And many of those holes still have those sized fish in them today.  It takes a lot of stars to align to catch those fish but they are there. 

MikeA

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2017, 12:48:37 AM »
I'm sure they are there and if I lived closer I'd probably go after them. There's just too many better big Trout places which are much easier to fish. Those streams offer so much more than just looking for a big fish.  Thoses places feel more about looking for yourself.
There is not much collective security in a flock of sheep on the way to the butcher.

JoelO

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Re: Elkmont May 16-21
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2017, 11:40:14 AM »
I'm glad I read about the cabins before we went up there or I would have been shocked.  The changed are dramatic along Jakes Creek and Millionaires' Row...just stone fireplaces remain.  At least they're keeping a retaining a decent number...so much history there.

I knew there were some large fish downstream in the deeper holes but I was surprised to hear that there were some quality fish higher up.  I happily accept that most of the fish I catch on a dry will generally be (a lot) smaller than using nymph/streamer techniques to target the bigger fish.