Worth 1,000 Words

A picture does a way better job of depicting why I enjoy fall stream fishing than I could ever doe with words.

Fall on the Little Tennessee

The autumn scene looked like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. With the Little Tennessee River as low as I ever remember seeing it, I knew the fish would be a little finicky. That wasn't a concern though. I was there for an afternoon float on a favorite river with a longtime friend, Jerry Anselmo of Great Smokey Mountains Fish Camp. The smallmouths were a bonus. And while we didn't catch huge fish or huge numbers, we did enjoy a nice sprinkling of action from feisty bronzebacks in a short afternoon trip down the river.

Autumn Run

It was just too nice a day to stay home and continue writing fish stories, so my wife and I loaded the van with five children, a dog, a bike and a couple of strollers and stuffed animals and headed to the Shortline Trail at Tallulah Gorge State Park for a quick afternoon adventure. We failed to tote a camera, so the phone had to suffice for catching Autumn running through an Autumn afternoon.

The Muskies Won

Well, we didn't manage a muskie, but I'm not complaining. We did catch some nice pike, and I would have enjoyed spending three days on Lake Vermilion if we had not caught a single fish of any sort.

Lost For Words

Descriptions all seem trite or cliche'. Riding home from dinner tonight, by boat, I gazed at more stars than I have for seen years. I spent the day fishing with Bill Rosner, a fourth-generation fish guide. The muskies eluded us - as muskies sometimes do - but we saw bald eagles and loons, and he showed Ken Dunwoody and me some spectacular northwoods scenery. I expect we'll find a cooperative muskie or two in the next couple of days, but if we didn't I wouldn't be at all disappointed. Lake Vermilion is a pretty spectacular place.

Northwoods Gem

Upon arriving at Ludlow's Resort, you call the lodge from an old-style crank phone, and in a few minutes a classic wooden boat pulls up to shuttle you across to the island. The setting is classic Northwoods, the cabins are beautiful and quiet. The property has been owned by the Ludlow family since 1913 and has been operated as a lodge since the 1930s. We arrived just in time to go eat dinner (walleye for me) and to settle in. I can't wait to see more of the lodge and Lake Vermilion beginning tomorrow morning. And to cast for muskies!

Tracking Georgia's Fall Colors

October has arrived. Want to know how fall is progressing?

Georgia State Parks has created a really cool website, Leaf Watch 2010, that will keep you up to speed on color changes from Cloudland Canyon in the northwestern corner of the state to Okefenokee Swamp. Regular and specific updates come from park naturalists in all parts of the state, but the site doesn't stop there. It also offers information about fall activities in state parks, top parks for leaf watching, why leaves change color and more.

If you prefer something more visual, there's even a live webcam that gives you virtual placement at a scenic overlook in Black Rock Mountain State Park. See for yourself.