A fish story, step by step...

We didn't leave Athens, TN until about 8:00 in the morning. I packed 2 fly rods, my 5 wt 8' 6" and my Sage 6 wt 9' and all the other necessary gear and headed northeast to Cherokee, NC. The Tellico and Snowbird Creek were at their usual low levels. As always in the Summer tourist season, when we arrived in town, the crowds had already beat us to it. I bought a $7 day permit along with a $20 annual catch & release permit. The Catch & Release water is a prime part of the Oconaluftee River fishery. It has some uncomfortably large fish (mostly rainbows) that take refuge in large deep runs, pools and beneath the many shadows that lay across the edges of the river. I fished the C&R portion from about 2:45 until about 6:30 in the evening. I left the car behind and hiked about a 1/4 of a mile downstream to a deep run that always seems to hold a few good fish. This particular run at the deepest spot is about 7-9 ft deep. The unbearable heat is driving the trout down to the deeper pools shielded by overhanging brush and trees. I tied on a Green Weenie and added enough split shot to get down to the bottom quick enough. I tossed the fly about 12-14 ft above the most likely holding spot for a fish; a seam, and just before I was about to pick up my line and make another cast, I felt a faint hit. I set the hook and the battle was on. The rainbow I enticed to grab my fly, raced downstream. I ran (more stumbled) towards the fish to keep the fight under control. I pulled him in as far as I could, as my Double Surgeon's knot that joined the tippet material was keeping me from reeling in anymore line. I sat on a nearby boulder in the river, wet my hands, took the fly out of the 15 inch rainbow's mouth and gently held the stunned trout head first into the current. I gave him a gentle push after about 10 seconds out of the water and he took off in a cloud of river silt. Man, was it a great day on the water yesterday...

More fish stories are bound to be posted...Stay tuned!!