First Fly Rod Trout

We've been either without Internet access or on the run, so I've been slow in reporting, but Nathaniel spent his first day ever fly-fishing earlier this week and caught several trout from the Clinch River with guide Mike Bone. He and I both caught several fish, all on Pheasant Tail nymphs. Nathaniel's catch included one beautiful colored brook trout. All the rest were rainbows. Some looked like typical stockers. Others were bigger, fatter and more colorful, suggesting they'd been in the river a while. We also spent a couple of nights in the Clinch River House, a fabulous riverside retreat and enjoyed a morning of exploration at the Museum of Appalachia before driving to Louisville for a dulcimer festival. That's where we are now. Next stop is the Beaver Lake tailwater in Arkansas.

First Stop, Clinch River

Nathaniel and I will point the truck north tomorrow morning and will be on the road through the end of next week. Along the way we'll make a variety of fishing stops, along with visiting the Museum of Appalachia and spending the weekend at the Ohio Valley Gathering in Louisville, Kentucky. First stop, though, is the Clinch River, below Norris Dam. This fabulous fishery produced the Tennessee state record brown trout many years ago and is considered one of the South's premier tailwaters for trout fishing.

The second half of our journey will land us in Arkansas and Oklahoma, where we will fish with several friends and for a variety of fish species. It promises to be a fun and productive but very full week.

I supposed I'd better get some fish stories done and then work on loading the truck with junk!