By Dan Dry
Cataloochee Valley is a walk back in time, all in itself. The old barns, homesites, and cemeteries are still there. So are the fishing spots. I was out last week limbering up the ole fly rod and trying to stay out of the trees. My favorite nymphs wouldn’t draw even a nibble.
I sat on the bank to watch a few elk cross and eat a sandwich, and noticed a couple of swirls in the water. “Hmmm,” I thought, “what was that?” Putting my lunch debris back in my backpack, I saw a small fluttering moth hit the water and, in an instant, it disappeared!
I eased down the bank and saw a couple more try to make it across the stream and finally, could see it clearly… It was a small moth with brown wings. Then, another trout rolled the water… Dig in tackle box time!
Sitting there thinking about the old days when you just couldn’t run to town for bait; you had to use what the trout like that was available, on hand. Lucky for me, I had a moth looking fly that would work, but only one. Keeping in mind that the use of live bait is forbidden in Cataloochee Valley, I dug through my box and, luckily, had one that did look close to what I saw.
It got tied on and about the 5th cast I had one! A couple of hours later, before the squirrels got a good look at it, I ended up with 5 total. Every other fly I tried did nothing for them.
What did I learn on this venture? Pay attention to your surroundings at all times, including the small insects. Aside from absorbing the beauty of the valley’s wildlife; deer, turkey, elk, and bear, my fishing would have been fruitless without that one fly. Most of the trout I caught that day were native. They seem to be picky about what they bite. However, even if I hadn’t caught one thing, the beauty of the valley and the clear water was worth the trip.
There was one pesky gnat that seemed to come out of the leaves I was rustling that made me dig out my Thermocell to ward them off, I would recommend taking some type of repellent, those little devils can get nasty.
And always respect the wildlife – the bear cubs are out with very protective moms.
Enjoy your time in the valley. If you want to make a weekend of it, there are camping sites available for rent. Happy Fishing Y’all!
Dan Dry can be reached on Facebook and dandry53@gmail.com