First Trout Outing



Asher, 8, is pretty excited about the opportunity to join his brother and me for a weekend in Townsend, which will include a bit of trout fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, he had to don the waders for a moment, just to see how the felt, before I could put them in the truck last night. Then he ran inside to start packing his other stuff. He had known for a while that Nathaniel and I were headed to the mountains, but he only learned late yesterday that he was coming along.

Wild Smokies trout can be tough customers, especially for an angler who isn't used to making natural presentations in moving water and moving with stealth. Of course, I know he's going to enjoy the beautiful mountain waters and time in the creek with us whether or not the trout cooperate. (We may also spend a little time casting right in Townsend, where the freshly stocked and are a little less fussy.)

Asher has done quite a bit of pond bassing with Nathaniel and me for a couple of years now and has gotten pretty proficient casting and working baits. So far, he's only caught largemouths, bluegills and channel cats, so anything he catches this weekend is likely to be a new species for him. Beyond rainbows, browns and brook trout, some park waters and the waters flowing through Townsend also have smallmouth bass and rock bass.

We're Townsend bound so Nathaniel can play music on the Pickin' Porch at Wood-N-Strings Dulcimer Shop tomorrow evening. However, we'll fish our way there today, will spend a bit of time fishing tomorrow morning and, weather allowing, will fish our way home. Sunday looks rainy, but that's not necessarily bad. Rainy days make big browns more willing to come out and play!