Saw a report that smallmouth fishing has been really good on Pickwick Lake in northern Alabama this week. Reminded me of the great time had in Virginia with a good friend. Check out the video.
Copyright 2012, 2013 by icastinayak.com. All rights reserved
Through the years, I’ve had the opportunity to fish some amazing locations. A friend of mine, Jameson Redding, has developed a website where all of us can share our fishing experiences, locations, and pictures of these trips.
I am excited to share with you to start with, 14 of my favorite locations to fish in the United States. Some are well known destinations, and some are hidden gems. I will be using this tool in the future to share more areas that I’ve visited in the past as well as new found favorites of the future, so check back often. You don’t have to register to view the spots, but I hope you will so that I can learn from your experiences of fishing and expand our boundaries of opportunities! So, begin by clicking the link below and enjoy my stories, tips, as well as learning from others previously posted on the map. You can find mine that are posted by “icastinayak”.
http://www.anglershare.com/map
Copyright 2012 by icastinayak.com. All rights reserved
Sometimes beauty can’t be expressed into words. Last week I fished a headwater tributary of the Little River watershed in the Smoky Mountain National Park. My father fished with me and we have a long history of going on outdoor adventures together. The hike alone reminded me of times when we spent days searching for hunting spots in the high bluffs of upper Michigan. We were in search of a restored Brook Trout stream recommended by Chris of the local Orvis fly fishing shop. I estimated the hike was about a mile from the trailhead we started on. The water we passed on the way was tempting to stop and fish in, but the objective for the day was to fish pocket water for native Brookies. The stream and trail veered away from one another for a short distance before we reached what we thought was our destination.
The headwater tributary of the Little River watershed we fished
We fished the pools below water plunging from boulders, and by 9:30AM there was evidence of mayfly activity, leading into sightings of grasshoppers on the high banks. Fishing this stream was more about staying upright, sneaking up on fishy looking pockets of water, and taking in the sights. I did manage to hook and land one trout during the morning. We were seeking Brook Trout, but a Rainbow Trout came to hand. I was surprised to see a rainbow as I was expecting a brookie, so this began to make me wonder if we actually found the correct stream. I caught the rainbow with a number 14 beadhead Hare’s Ear nymph dropper. Once home, I explored maps and a couple resources on the trail and it does seem we might have hiked twice as far as where the Brook Trout stream branched off from the mainstream of the tributary. We were likely one half mile upstream of where we had intended to fish.
Underwater shot of the 8″ Rainbow Trout caught with a Hare’s Ear Nymph in the Smoky Mountain National Park. The average size of a rainbow trout in the park is 6-10 inches.
There’s always something that draws a fisherman back to a stream. This time for me, it’s an opportunity to actually find that Brook Trout stream and enjoy the canopy of green with a special fishing partner.
My dad, Paul Rubel, casting among boulders, Rhododendron, and trout waters
Copyright 2012 by icastinayak.com. All rights reserved
Photograph by: Jameson Redding, Anger: Aaron Rubel
My roots in fly fishing go back to days wading within well-structured banks swept with cool flowing water. I have no idea why rivers energize me, but even after a week of only 20 hours of sleep, a day on a mountain river in Virginia expunged every bit of stress in my body.
I have learned that some of the very best days of fishing on a river nearly always occur on cloudy days. I have also learned that there is something about friendships introduced around water and fish. The morning started early as Jameson and I met at 5:30AM for a day of fishing. When we arrived at the river, there were fish actively feeding, and the sunrise combined with just the right amount of fog reminded me of why the Blue Ridge Mountains are so appropriately named.
If there’s one thing that is the same about every fishing trip, there’s always a surprise that ends up making the day memorable. After casting from a bolder into a promising corner structure, we decided to move on after only catching one small spotted bass. Moving on gracefully in a kayak sometimes turns into begging for some mercy. After placing my fly rod in the kayak, I leaned over to sit on the water craft, but my foot was not firmly planted as moss was growing on the aggressively angled rock ledge. In certain circumstances, there comes a point when time stands still and you know there’s no going back. A choice must be made and made in that moment with no hesitation. I only had one option to keep from swimming, and that was to lunge for my kayak as it slid away from the bank. When I lunged off the ledge, I was certain the kayak would capsize and my fly rods would be at the bottom of the river (seven feet deep at this point). Well, thank the Lord I didn’t lose a single piece of gear, wasn’t impaled by a hook, and I stayed on top of the kayak albeit refreshingly wet!
The fishing picked up around 9:00AM, maybe not so coincidently in sync with clouds that moved in. I’ve learned that smallmouth like top water flies, and big ones. This knowledge is thanks to a guide I’ve spent some time on the water with in Michigan named Jon Ray as well as reading the book, “Smallmouth Fly Fishing”, written by well-known author Tim Holschlag. I came armed with an 8wt and 10wt rod. The ten weight might seem overkill, but I subscribe to selecting a rod for the day that efficiently casts the size of flies I intend to throw rather than choosing a rod solely for the size of fish I am targeting. Anyway, smallmouth fight hard which raises the bar compared to any other freshwater fish of the same size.
Smallmouth bass flies of choice for the day
On our way upstream earlier in the morning, I noticed a deep trough on the inside of the river that spanned thirty yards across by one hundred yards long. My Maui Jim Ho’okipa’s with rose lenses enabled me to see detail that consisted of a deep and relatively narrow finger within the width of the river and adjacent shallows on all sides. On my second or third cast into the head of the pool as I drifted downstream, a smallmouth rolled my fly but the hook set wasn’t successful. I didn’t have to wait long for another chance as about ten casts later, another smallmouth rolled on the black and red popper fly and this time my rod bowed and it was game on! During the fight, the three plus pound smallmouth leaped out of the water, exposing just how fat he was and made some strong runs. I knew I needed to get downstream of him if I had a chance to land him. Well, as soon as I successfully negotiated getting downstream to gain leverage, the bronzeback ran under a rock ledge and anchored in with current pushing between him and the underside of the large rock structure. I was able to reel down to where the leader and fly line met my rod, and Jameson came over to lend assistance by sliding his hand down the leader and bringing to hand the 18 inch Virginia smallmouth bass.
Aaron Rubel with an 18 inch Virginia smallmouth bass
Photography: Jameson Redding of http://www.anglershare.com/
I so enjoyed the day, both fishing in the river and at a pond that was literally on top of a mountain. In addition to the smallmouth we caught on the river, we landed ridiculously large bluegill that afternoon on the pond and some largemouth bass too. In all, we caught and released four species of fish and I look forward to hosting Jameson to some coastal Alabama fishing in the future.
Smallmouth being released, Photography: Jameson Redding
Copyright 2012 by icastinayak.com. All rights reserved