Nantahala River - Great Smoky Mountain N.P>

[Jason Baker]

I just enjoyed an incredible weekend of fishing in the GSMNP! It is just beautiful with mainly deciduous trees highlighted by HUGE hemlocks. The water is of moderate size with waterfalls ranging form hundreds of feet to just a few. The smaller create excellent plunge pool fishing that flatten out into nice riffles. The hatches were off the hook. This is really the first time I've been in a great hatch since moving out here. It started with BWO in the AM, but by mid-day the Caddis were so thick they were in your mouth. After a great morning fishing BWO nymphs and emergers, we switched to size 14 and 16 peacock caddis dries. They produced take after take after take. By the late afternoon, some huge March browns were coming off the water. What a day!

I hooked around 40 fish and landed 35 or so, while Lance my mate for the day did even better. I guess that's what you call the home field advantage!

If you ever get a chane, get out the the Nantahala. You will not regret it!

[Richard Olmstead]

Very very nice! What a beautiful area that is. I spent a summer working at the Oak Ridge labs in the 1970's and did a lot of white water canoeing on the rivers in that area, including the Nantahala, which was my favorite. I wasn't into fly fishing then, but I remember the stream well (of course the white water boaters would time their runs with the releases from the dam, so the water was much higher at the time I was on the river).
Thanks for the pics.
Dick

[TomB]

native brookies in the appalachians....doesn't get much better...nice job!

[John Hicks]

Dork! Jason you didn't catch those fish. And if you did you used a big ol' worm

[John Hicks]

just kidding Those are some damn fine fish. I can't wait for next month and some sulpher action.

[yuhina]

Nice fish and report! Great Smoky Mountain NP is great indeed!

[Coach Duff]

Fine work Mr. Baker, fine work. Coach