Blooming Beauty and Bugs

The trail’s edges are littered with spots of color as we walk along the stream. Bluets, May apple, and fire pink are among the most common on the banks of Hesse Creek this time of year. Dwarf crested iris and trilliums also make an appearance as we make our way up the stream. As we walk the bank we look not only for the beauty of the flowers but also the other exciting aspect of an angler’s spring….rise rings. In the soft current just upstream, a rainbow trout is eagerly taking caddis flies as they hop along the water’s surface…now all we have to do is make the cast…

From the mountain streams to the float trips and tailwaters, our spring fishing opportunities have sprung to life. The trout weathered the long winter in eager anticipation of sunshine and bug life, and now it is here. We have seen many different bugs hatching over the last several weeks and anxiously await the arrival of several others. The wild fish of the Smoky Mountains are eagerly taking dry flies, and the fish on our tailwaters are starting to get excited about the caddis flies that are appearing more and more each day. It truly is an exciting time for fly fishing in east Tennessee.

May is always one of our favorite months here at the Grey Drake. The fishing is good and the destinations are plentiful. We love the spring float trip opportunities. The Holston River provides great fishing opportunities for anglers of all skill level this time of year, with fish being fooled with several techniques. This spring is especially exciting with the long awaited opening of one of our favorite local streams, Lynn Camp Prong. This beautiful stretch of water that feeds the Middle Prong of the Little River has been closed for restoration of native brook trout. The stream is now open and proving to be an excellent fishery for our true favorite fish. We love brook trout not only for their beauty and romantic story as the true native trout to our mountains, but also for their willingness to pounce on a well presented dry fly!

The fish feels secure in his spot tucked tightly under the low hanging hazel bush and hornbeam branches. The cast is makeable but risky. We cast just upstream using a wild rose bush further up the bank as a target. The fly drifts softly down. One soft mend of the line keeps the fly tightly against the bank as it starts under the low branches…and then… the take! What an exciting time to be on the water in Southern Appalachia. The fishing opportunities are countless in the foothills of the Smokies with blooming beauty and bugs….

Alex Quick
Activities Manager