The Ultimate Fly-Fishing Guide to the Smoky Mountains. Greg Ward
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The Ultimate Fly-Fishing Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains
Copyright © 2011 by Don Kirk and Greg Ward
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Published by Menasha Ridge Press
Distributed by Publishers Group West
First edition, first printing
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kirk, Don, 1952—
The ultimate fly-fishing guide to the smoky mountains/Don Kirk, Greg Ward.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-89732-691-9 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 0-89732-691-1 ()
1. Fly fishing—Great Smoky Mountains National Park (N.C. and Tenn.)
I. Ward, Greg. II. Title.
SH456.K45 2011
799.1’10976889--dc22
2011007749
Menasha Ridge Press
P.O. Box 43673
Birmingham, Alabama 35243
Cover painting: Jim Gray. The image is available in three sizes as a limited edition giclee print on canvas from Jim Gray Gallery in the Arts and Crafts Community in Gatlinburg or online at www.JimGrayGallery.com.
Cover design: Scott McGrew
Text design: Annie Long
Photo credits:
Ben East of Outdoor Life and Cherokee Chief Carl Standing Deer courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives
Adult mayfly, Dreamstime
All other photos courtesy of the authors
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 | Smoky Mountains Trout and Bass | |
CHAPTER 2 | Smoky Mountains Angling: A Historical Overview | |
CHAPTER 3 | About Those Creeks | |
CHAPTER 4 | Where to Find Fish and Why | |
CHAPTER 5 | Casting Tactics and Gear Tips | |
CHAPTER 6 | Weather, Seasons, and Other Factors | |
CHAPTER 7 | Stream Insects and Feathery Deceivers | |
CHAPTER 8 | Pondering Caddis Flies | |
CHAPTER 9 | Terrestrials: Too Important to Overlook | |
CHAPTER 10 | Greg’s Deadly Dozen and How to Use Them | |
CHAPTER 11 | Ben Craig: Master Fly Tyer of the Smokies | |
CHAPTER 12 | Ray Ball: The Last Mountain Man | |
CHAPTER 13 | Bases of Operations, Guides, and Fly Shops | |
CHAPTER 14 | Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River System | |
CHAPTER 15 | West Prong of the Little Pigeon River System | |
CHAPTER 16 | Little River System | |
CHAPTER 17 | Abrams Creek System | |
CHAPTER 18 | Twentymile Creek System | |
CHAPTER 19 | Eagle Creek System | |
CHAPTER 20 | Hazel Creek System | |
CHAPTER 21 | Forney Creek System | |
CHAPTER 22 | Noland Creek System | |
CHAPTER 23 | Deep Creek System | |
CHAPTER 24 | Oconaluftee River System | |
CHAPTER 25 | Cataloochee Creek System | |
CHAPTER 26 | Big Creek System | |
CHAPTER 27 | Minor Streams of the Smokies | |
CHAPTER 28 | Fontana and the Finger Lakes | |
CHAPTER 29 | Fly-Fishing Gatlinburg According to Ward | |
CHAPTER 30 | Pigeon Forge/Sevierville: Fly-Fishing for World-Class Stream Smallmouth | |
CHAPTER 31 | Cherokee Indian Reservation Public Trout Fishing |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Acknowledgments
WHERE TO START?
BORN A MILITARY BRAT, I would like to acknowledge the good sense of my father, Don Ward, for moving us home to my mother’s native east Tennessee; thanks to my mother, Joan, for letting me spend so much time in the mountains and for taking me there whenever I wanted before I learned to drive. Thanks and much appreciation to my loving wife, Diane, who had no problem with me leaving perfectly gainful employment with the state of Tennessee to pursue my dreams of opening a fly shop and starting a guide service. Thank the good Lord for giving me the ability to