Trout on the Elk and Caney 9-7 and 9-8

[NRG]

I went to the elk on my way to Nashville Friday afternoon, fished couple hrs, caught 12 trout on hares ear nymph, and 2 on woolly booger, the biggest of the 14 was 19" rainbow. Then I had to get on the road I had to be in Nashville at 8pm for a meeting. My wife and the rest of the family met me in Nashville after she got off work. We stayed the night in Murfreesborro and the wife and everyone else went shopping I drove over to caney to try my luck at the scud and midge hatches that have been hot for several weeks.

I stopped by Fly South http://www.flysouth.net/ in Downtown Nashville, to get the scoop on the river , that is a great shop, very helpful , not all uppity and stuff like some other shops Ive been to.

Anyway took the info the owner gave me and went to the river .. Arrived on the Caney, and instantly spotted a pod of trout slurping down ants falling out of a dead tree a pair of wood peckers where working on. I worked those trout for 1/2 hr without a more that a glance at my ant imitation. So I switched positions and got lower in the water.

Finally with the change in location, and switching to a 9ft 8x fluorocarbon tippet , the largest of the 5 trout that was in the pod, slurped in my size 22 red ant , and then I realized I had a problem ! Between me and the tout was several large logs that I hadn't noticed until I hooked that big trout. Of course that fish headed straight for the logs I tried turning the fish putting on as much pressure as I could without breaking the wispy thin tippet, just before the fish entered the log jam, it finally turned out into the main river.

I fought that fish for what seemed like and hour lol , but was only a few minutes, after falling into the river emoRedface , It measured 21" and I thanked it for the battle and slipped it back into the stream. I only caught 1 more fish in the next 2 hrs but it was a fat 16" brown trout. I will be back to this river !
emoThumbsup emoThumbsup

I wish I hadnt left the camera in the car , but Im gald I did as it would have been ruined by my fall into the river fighting that trout!

 

[harbuck handyman]

Wow . A 21 incher with 8x tippet.Amazing.I fished the Hi Sunday afternoon with dry flies and the biggest I came up with was no more than 10 inches.I have not fished either of those streams but you sure hnave got me wantig to.Excellent.

 

[NRG]

The Caney has made national news even guys from out west are coming to fish the Caney, the Caney is prob the hottest river around right now from what ive read and people Ive talked to who fish better known trophy streams. My biggest trout on a 8x was a 30" brown in a limestone stream in Central PA back in the mid eighties I chased that fished 1/4 mile before getting it in, and had to lay on the ground for 20 mins before I could retie again, my hands where shaking so bad , from the excitement.

I quit trout fishing after moving from WV to here back in 1989 the only trout I could find was little ones, in WV they stock trout in the 18 - 25 inch range several times a year. After hearing all the great reports from Caney, and other local rivers Ive started back again.

 

[flip1up]

http://www.crctu.com/The_Clinch/Clinch.html </p>

If you get a chance try the Clinch. There are some big ones in those waters.</p>

 

[Breeze]

emoCool now thats what iam talkin about.think i will start fly fishin again.sell my boat and all my stuff ans just do it. i miss the fly fishing i used to do in colorado.all it took was a story like that one.wanna buy my boat and all my stuff.well my wife is halleron at me .hmmm sounds like a john prine song

 

[churly]

I caught my first fish from the Caney. Its an awsome place to fish! Many big browns come from there annually. If you wanna catch the big boys, float the river with a large streamer durring periods of generation. I normally use spinning tackle and jerkbaits, but have seen a few magnum browns landed on fly-tackle.

My #2 choice for trophy trout would definitely be the Clinch below Norris Dam! Fly fisherman would probably do better there than Caney, due to the fact that there is alot more insects and terrestrial critters. I have opened the bellies of several large trout from both rivers over the years. All of the big trout (both browns and rainbows) have one of two things in their bellies: scuds and shad.

Thanks for the report!

 

[fisherpal2k]

Good job NRG.. Sounds like you had a really good time out there. I have read some about that area but never been there to fish. Sounds good. Thanks for the report.. By the way, getting wet is just part of fly fishing.

 But taking a dunk is even better!