Fly Fishing report Sycamore creek+ fly fishing question about chick dam and N chick creek
Hello I am quite new to fly fishing. I seem to have basic technique down and am capable of catching fish.
I recently was able to do a half day trip down to sycamore creek. I wanted to try out my 3 wt rod I got for fishing mountain creeks like sycamore creek( I already owned a longer 5 wt rod)
Ultimately the rod and line performed as needed and expected, so I am satisfied with my purchase.
To the report. So I finally had arrived after driving along river road which is full of many curves. I was going to park and get some pictures of bald river falls but the parking area was packed. So I continue on until I finally reached my destination. Sycamore creek. I then begin by fishing the closest area which I believed held fish; the area immediately below the water barrier(dam) near the bottom of the creek. After casting a few times my suspicions are confirmed as I hook a fish,. After a short fight I manage to get the fish to be still long enough to take a picture.
After taking the picture I cast a few more times, and get some strikes, but no hookups. Eventually the fish are spooked enough, so I decide to move upstream. Eventually I get to a place I though looked promising. After a few casts I get what I thought was a hookup. But then my line gets snagged in tiny crevice between rocks in a strong current. I pull and do everything I can to try to get it free. It is no use, so I decide to get the line out with my hands. Eventually after some tugging it is freed and I get my fly back. Except it was heavier than I last saw it. Turns out a small trout no more than 3 inches long grabbed the fly, got sucked into the current, and in less than a second managed to find a nice little hiding hole not much bigger than it was. I let the little guy free, and decide to cast a little more. This time I manage a clear hookup, and manage to land him.
After that nice rainbow, I am moving out of the water to go further upstream, and I notice something on the bank near the water.
I had previously had no idea that crawdads living in elevations this high up.
Finally I arrive at a very promising spot. I cast a few times, get hung up in what usually is my favorite plant in the mountain, "mountain laurel". It quickly becomes my least favorite fly fishing plant. I manage to catch a smaller trout, then I decide to try a different tactic. I add a dropper fly on my dry fly, and I cast in the pool nearby. After a few strikes, I finally had a take on the nymph. After setting the hook, I noticed this was a bigger fish than I had caught earlier that day. Eventually I manage to land the fish. Turns out it was a beautiful good sized brook trout, and it was the first brookie I had ever caught!
I did not expect to catch a brook trout at the location I was in on the creek.
I took a few pictures and moved to a lower pool in the area. Then I wrapped up my fishing that day by landing 2 more trout.
I concluded my trip by visiting bald river falls(which was much less crowded by this time)
And then I drive off into the sunset.(literally)
I had a good time and cannot wait till I have more time to go back and try some more. Incredible scenery, soothing creeks, and almost complete solitude.
Now to get to my question about fly fishing the chick dam and N chick creek.
What kind of flies are best suited for fly fishing the dam, streamers? If so what type and size? So far I have just fished a little in the area downstream of the railroad bridge, as it allows me to wade and get more line out without a strong risk of snagging. I have caught a bass, and a couple small panfish, but I really dont know what I am doing.
Also is there a strong morning bite that occurs, or is the bite more turned on when the dam begins to generate more?
Secondly, has anyone ever done any kind of fishing on the N chickamauga creek, specifically in the mountain gorge(blue hole area), or the area where cave springs pours into the creek?
I have scouted the blue hole area, but I have never seen any signs of fish anywhere. I havent yet tried flies, and I was just wondering if anyone has had any success or not.
My curiosity about cave springs, is that I could see it being very possible that there are holdover trout that survive the put and take stocking through the cold water coming from cave springs. Has anyone ever caught any holdover trout in the late summer, fall or winter?
thanks for any advice given, and give me some feedback about the fishing report. If it is to long, I can just summarize and post pictures instead in the future.
Hello I am quite new to fly fishing. I seem to have basic technique down and am capable of catching fish.
I recently was able to do a half day trip down to sycamore creek. I wanted to try out my 3 wt rod I got for fishing mountain creeks like sycamore creek( I already owned a longer 5 wt rod)
Ultimately the rod and line performed as needed and expected, so I am satisfied with my purchase.
To the report. So I finally had arrived after driving along river road which is full of many curves. I was going to park and get some pictures of bald river falls but the parking area was packed. So I continue on until I finally reached my destination. Sycamore creek. I then begin by fishing the closest area which I believed held fish; the area immediately below the water barrier(dam) near the bottom of the creek. After casting a few times my suspicions are confirmed as I hook a fish,. After a short fight I manage to get the fish to be still long enough to take a picture.
After taking the picture I cast a few more times, and get some strikes, but no hookups. Eventually the fish are spooked enough, so I decide to move upstream. Eventually I get to a place I though looked promising. After a few casts I get what I thought was a hookup. But then my line gets snagged in tiny crevice between rocks in a strong current. I pull and do everything I can to try to get it free. It is no use, so I decide to get the line out with my hands. Eventually after some tugging it is freed and I get my fly back. Except it was heavier than I last saw it. Turns out a small trout no more than 3 inches long grabbed the fly, got sucked into the current, and in less than a second managed to find a nice little hiding hole not much bigger than it was. I let the little guy free, and decide to cast a little more. This time I manage a clear hookup, and manage to land him.
After that nice rainbow, I am moving out of the water to go further upstream, and I notice something on the bank near the water.
I had previously had no idea that crawdads living in elevations this high up.
Finally I arrive at a very promising spot. I cast a few times, get hung up in what usually is my favorite plant in the mountain, "mountain laurel". It quickly becomes my least favorite fly fishing plant. I manage to catch a smaller trout, then I decide to try a different tactic. I add a dropper fly on my dry fly, and I cast in the pool nearby. After a few strikes, I finally had a take on the nymph. After setting the hook, I noticed this was a bigger fish than I had caught earlier that day. Eventually I manage to land the fish. Turns out it was a beautiful good sized brook trout, and it was the first brookie I had ever caught!
I did not expect to catch a brook trout at the location I was in on the creek.
I took a few pictures and moved to a lower pool in the area. Then I wrapped up my fishing that day by landing 2 more trout.
I concluded my trip by visiting bald river falls(which was much less crowded by this time)
And then I drive off into the sunset.(literally)
I had a good time and cannot wait till I have more time to go back and try some more. Incredible scenery, soothing creeks, and almost complete solitude.
Now to get to my question about fly fishing the chick dam and N chick creek.
What kind of flies are best suited for fly fishing the dam, streamers? If so what type and size? So far I have just fished a little in the area downstream of the railroad bridge, as it allows me to wade and get more line out without a strong risk of snagging. I have caught a bass, and a couple small panfish, but I really dont know what I am doing.
Also is there a strong morning bite that occurs, or is the bite more turned on when the dam begins to generate more?
Secondly, has anyone ever done any kind of fishing on the N chickamauga creek, specifically in the mountain gorge(blue hole area), or the area where cave springs pours into the creek?
I have scouted the blue hole area, but I have never seen any signs of fish anywhere. I havent yet tried flies, and I was just wondering if anyone has had any success or not.
My curiosity about cave springs, is that I could see it being very possible that there are holdover trout that survive the put and take stocking through the cold water coming from cave springs. Has anyone ever caught any holdover trout in the late summer, fall or winter?
thanks for any advice given, and give me some feedback about the fishing report. If it is to long, I can just summarize and post pictures instead in the future.
