smokies

I am going to be in TN on the 24-29 of April, and want to fish the smokies. Anyone been there? good streams?

thanks
why should I avoid Gatlinburg? crowds?

i am going to be in Alcoa TN and knoxvile for the first few days

KJH -
 
Don't know how far Alcoa is from North Carolina, but there's some great trout fishing in the Nantahala and Tuckaseegee Rivers in North Carolina. Both are very close to the Great Smokie Mtns. National Forest and Cherokee Nation. Was there 10 years ago and had one of my most memorable fishing trips ever.  There are also many smaller streams around Cherokee, NC that are stocked by the Cherokee Nation of Indians.

eh, nantahala and tuckaseegee are probably a bit further than you want to travel then.  i would guess they'd be a good 2 hours from knoxville.

I agree, try the little river.  Gatlinburg is certainly a "different" town, I enjoyed the visit.  However, I would not fish there.  The reason is because there are cement walls on each side of the stream about 8 foot tall.  I did see some people down in fishing, but others were standing on the wall.  It goes right through the middle of town.  Since gatlinburg is a major tourist attacraction, people are everywhere and they all watch you.  Not my type of thing I guess.  There are big stocked trout there.  You may have to pay, I did not fish it.  There is a fly shop in the center of town.  It's on the inside of the big sharp bend on the second floor.  I don't remember the name.  Plan on running into some black bears and coyotes.  The yotes are all around the camps.  The smokies are a cool place to go, and worth the trip to see, but I believe the fishing is overrated.

KJH807,
      Ok now you are in my neck of the woods.  I have to totally agree with the other posters.  Don't fish anywhere near Gatlinburg.  That whole area is a total PITA!   What exactly are you looking for?  If its the possibility of brookies.  Go way far upstream, usually past the waterfalls/rapids;  then fish from up to down stream.  Anything brown/grey in sizes 14-18 seem to work well.  A cream/ivory scud fished about 2' below a small split shot is usually very productive.  Small muddlers in grey are excellent.  If you are going dry.  An Adams or a Mosquito are good and sometimes a ginger quill.  Try a Ginger on the top with an emerger nymph on below, about three feet below the dry.  If it's rainbows you want; fish below the falls and try using sow bugs, ants, orange & white S/S and large green drakes on top.  In some of the deeper, faster water, a blac/silver wooly bugger works great.  Also, don't let the "tubers" scare you away from a stretch.  The fish are used to them and fishing can actually be beter because the fish are less people shy.  Don't forget you still need a federal parks permit to fish within the park and the appropriate license.  Call ahead for info from the Park rangers.  There is a nice creek down by Cades Cove but I don't know if it is open to fishing.  Don't be afraid to walk.  Enjoy!

indsguiz
thanks for the info. I like to catch at least one rainbow, brookie, and brown. I love catching native brookies on dries. I would love to just catch pretty fishing in a secluded pristine setting, and i def don't mind hiking.

anyone ever fish the last week in april? looking for info on weather/ haches. after a rain do the streams take awhile to clear? do they blow out easily?

KJH807,
     Ok, Brookies; drive thru the south end of the park till you pass the bridge and the waterfall.  There should be NO rainbows stocked above the falls.  Try to find a place to park.  Even though this is spring the water is COLD.  Also when it rains the streams don't necessarily come up fast (they're pretty small) but the wind and rain get COLD.  The big creek down by Cades Cove (by the mill) has brookies but I don't know if it's open to fishing.  Bows: just get on the little or the new,  drive in till you can find a parking spot by the creek.  Park and walk, and walk, and walk,  The creek sides can be darn near impassable in places so it's better to walk up and fish down.  For some big fish, try going further downstream to the deep water just inside the park in the ravines (tough walking be careful) we do a technique we call "dragging a kitten" get a large, dark, marabou zonker 3" or more Cast downstream with enough weight to keep it down and then fish it back up through the holes.  If the water is too fast cast up stream and mend line like mad.  Good luck

thanks for all the info... thought I would share some pics

I actally started at Clingmans dome and hiked in on the forney creek trail and stayed at backountry site 70. From there I worked my way up to site #68. I was out for 2 1/2 days I only saw 2 groups of people, very nice. It was very fun crawling on rocks and being forced to blend in. While i was laying on my chest on a large rock I watched a brookie move from under a rock and sit in a current feeding, no more than 2 feet from my face. I felt bad catching him (pictured above). I found myself at many times "spacing out" and forgeting to fish.

Thoses were the only brown and brookies I caught... but a ton of bows. I was really happy to pull the smokeie grand slam and get all three species

the cover was pretty tight, not too much back casting. I used a 8'4 2wt... a 7' would have been nice, jus had to be careful