By Tammy Millsaps
Dedicated Swainglers braved the rain and cool temps the beginning of March to cast their lines and expand their fishing tales! The week prior to our trip, Bryson City was in a flood stage after days of continued rain. The creek and riverbanks mostly disappeared under running, muddy water. It was too dangerous to take the kids to the raging waters. We postponed until the next week, even though some of the anglers werenât happy with me, safety comes first!
A week later, the waters had dropped and we actually had a few days of sunshine! The morning of our trip, the rain decided to reappear. We braved the elements and headed to Bryson City Island Park and fished the banks of the Tuckasegee River. The river was still a little high and muddy, but we ventured on. We had forty-five minutes to fish. Soon, freshman Trevor Jones caught the first of his two catches. Shortly afterwards, Senior, Ben Franklin reeled in a nice trout. Trevor tricked his fish with a black, single hook, silver bladed Panther Martin spinner. He explains, âI found slow moving water, cast under a tree into a dang good pocket and the fish came in and grabbed it!â Ben cast and his line, which had a pearl white twister on a green leadhead, went over a tree limb in the middle of the river. The line fell into the water, the fish bit. His fish was dangling in the air while stuck on the tree limb. He worked his rod/reel and finally got the fish to shore. He said, âWho said you canât catch fish in a tree!â
A huge shout out to Swaingler members Levi Fowls, Ben Franklin, Stefan Haymond, Trevor Jones, John Nations, Austin Pyles, Seth Shuler and Wyett Hampton and parent volunteer, Charles Fowls for braving the elements! Dedication does pay off! It was a wet, cool day but a great time was had by all. Why wouldnât it be fun, we get to leave school during the middle of the day and go fishing!
Tammy Millsaps is the Leader of The Swainglers fishing club at Swain County High School in Bryson City, North Carolina. They fish once a month of the school year during club time. Contact her at tmillsaps@swainmail.org for more information or to support this popular club.