Trophy Fishing TN Forum - Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide
Warm Water Fishing Reports => East TN Lakes and Rivers => Topic started by: TWiles on July 20, 2008, 05:13:04 PM
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Well, Friday seemed like a good day to be on the water, so when I got the call from my good friend John at 10:00 the night before, I was up and ready at the crack of dawn…(almost) :-\
After a late start, I could sense John’s doubt in the choice of float that I had talked him into--- but he hesitantly slid the boat into the river dreading what he thought would be a mediocre day. He was wrong.
After a few missed smallies, and several spooked carp...John landed the first catch of the day…which began the string of nicknames that he earned throughout the drift.
“Johnny Turtle-Snagger”
If he would have landed a muskrat and a blue heron, he would have had a creature grand slam.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1513.jpg)
We wound up picking up a hitch hike-floater about halfway down the river. We figured as a wedding present, we’d let Racer X catch a few. Poor guy hadn’t cast a line in 6 days….that’s a new record.
A couple of smallies later, we noticed a few gar lurking around. After a hearbreaking loss of a 3-4 footer with a twisted air-borne somersault, John finally landed a smaller one. Too bad, his wife wouldn’t let him get it mounted.
“Johnny Garr-O!” This nickname seemed to stick.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1517.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1520.jpg)
Several follows and missed snaps by these gator fish, we finally gave up…ready to return with rope flies next time.
Meandering out of islands and into the channel, we switched our big water game on, and lucked into some great fun.
Rusty’s Wedding Gift—
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1538.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1545.jpg)
Then a Bigger Surprise on John’s fly!
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1532.jpg)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1533.jpg)
“Johnny Striper-Slayer" --but I think Johnny Garr-O is better
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/IMGP1537.jpg)
It was a great day on the water. Even though, I got the goose egg on the stripers :'(, I’m not too bitter about it >:(….I got several slashes by gar, I lost a BIG smallie after a good fight and shallow water take, and I had a goliath fish pull me into the timber and break 20lb fluoro tippet :o.
Good times
Travis
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Good day out for you guys. Heck of a striper!
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Hey Travis, Awesome pics. and report. I guess next time you pick up a hitchhiker, you will make him row the rest of the day ;D
Jarrod
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T Wiles, I knocked out 4 rope flies this evening for next time. We'll see how they work. Those gar were awesome.
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Johnny Garr-O ;D
Yep, Melody said go fishin' and I said okay! Fishing was good from the start with a few smallies and bites from gar. Too lazy to change out to a good gar type fly. No matter, I was hitching that ride for the big city. ;) You never know where those stripes are going to be and instead of going left, Travis went right. Good call. The first cast into the shoal we were eyeballing brought a quick and abrupt BREAK OFF! Made the drop, saw a few busts, and decided to stick around for a while. ;)
Good times as always, fellars!
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sounds like a blast, thanks for sharing...
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How the heck I am going to get any work done with you posting Striper pics. My Striper buddy is out for the season with a gimp leg. :'(
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very nice guys...
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Nice pics & report. I saw this link yesterday a gar fly that was hookless.
http://www.itinerantangler.com/photoblog/index.php?showimage=1115
Is that what the rope flies you refer to are? No hook?!? The fly material just gets tangled up in the teeth I guess...
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Kickass!! I wanna go next time!