Post by flyfishingpastor on Mar 19, 2009 21:34:11 GMT -5
Hello to all;
Just got in tonight (Thursday) from a week long mission trip with our Young Adult Mission Trip to Bristol, TN. We did painting and clean up on a Women's Shelter and on an adventure center that works with children and youth with physical/emotional challenges. It was a great week for us, though a bit tiring.
An added benefit, when we were working to get the trip set up a couple of months ago, the adventure camp director suggested that if any of us fished, we should bring some fly gear along as they were on the South Holston River. I'd never heard of it, but did some research, liked what I saw and luckily we had room so I took my gear along - and boy, was I glad I did. Every evening, after working on some of the sites we were on, I'd throw on my waders and fish.
First night (last Saturday), beautiful water, raining pretty hard - didn't move a fish; just felt good to be out of the vehicle (about a 9 hour drive). Went to church on Sunday, finished getting organized for the week and hit the water after dinner - going on dusk. What a different river! I walked right into a BWO hatch (drizzly, overcast evening) and the water was literally BOILING with fish! Caught several in a couple of hours, including a couple nice ones (14"-16" er's), mostly brownie's but a couple rainbows.
This pattern was duplicated every evening while we were there. BWO's/Midges (22's & 24's) would come off and the water would go from clear and flat to fish literally throwing themselves out of the water after the little stuff in a matter of a few minutes! It would go on like that for about an hour and then die off - for awhile and then start over. I've never seen anything like it! Caught a new PB (personal best) brownie one evening there, a real nice fish and a rainbow another evening that was pretty close.
The work on the trip was deeply rewarding, the evening recreation (fly fishing for me, hiking, etc. for others) was so good that I had to stop fishing sometimes to just stand there gaping like an idiot, watching the evenings unfold. What an amazing week. We made some great friends and some good contacts - for next year. Oh yeah. We're going back next year. ;D
Pat
P.S. The camp we stayed at (River's Way) is hosting a weekend long fly fishing experience in July of this year that should be a blast. He has 40 different experts giving everything from fly-tying demo's to a ladies novice casting seminar to fishing outings and Bill Oyster (well-known bamboo rod maker) will be there - and, of course, the river is about 8' from the lodge.
He's going to send me some brochures when he gets them - I promised I'd share 'em with you.
Did I say I'm going back?
Shoot, I hated to leave!
Just got in tonight (Thursday) from a week long mission trip with our Young Adult Mission Trip to Bristol, TN. We did painting and clean up on a Women's Shelter and on an adventure center that works with children and youth with physical/emotional challenges. It was a great week for us, though a bit tiring.
An added benefit, when we were working to get the trip set up a couple of months ago, the adventure camp director suggested that if any of us fished, we should bring some fly gear along as they were on the South Holston River. I'd never heard of it, but did some research, liked what I saw and luckily we had room so I took my gear along - and boy, was I glad I did. Every evening, after working on some of the sites we were on, I'd throw on my waders and fish.
First night (last Saturday), beautiful water, raining pretty hard - didn't move a fish; just felt good to be out of the vehicle (about a 9 hour drive). Went to church on Sunday, finished getting organized for the week and hit the water after dinner - going on dusk. What a different river! I walked right into a BWO hatch (drizzly, overcast evening) and the water was literally BOILING with fish! Caught several in a couple of hours, including a couple nice ones (14"-16" er's), mostly brownie's but a couple rainbows.
This pattern was duplicated every evening while we were there. BWO's/Midges (22's & 24's) would come off and the water would go from clear and flat to fish literally throwing themselves out of the water after the little stuff in a matter of a few minutes! It would go on like that for about an hour and then die off - for awhile and then start over. I've never seen anything like it! Caught a new PB (personal best) brownie one evening there, a real nice fish and a rainbow another evening that was pretty close.
The work on the trip was deeply rewarding, the evening recreation (fly fishing for me, hiking, etc. for others) was so good that I had to stop fishing sometimes to just stand there gaping like an idiot, watching the evenings unfold. What an amazing week. We made some great friends and some good contacts - for next year. Oh yeah. We're going back next year. ;D
Pat
P.S. The camp we stayed at (River's Way) is hosting a weekend long fly fishing experience in July of this year that should be a blast. He has 40 different experts giving everything from fly-tying demo's to a ladies novice casting seminar to fishing outings and Bill Oyster (well-known bamboo rod maker) will be there - and, of course, the river is about 8' from the lodge.
He's going to send me some brochures when he gets them - I promised I'd share 'em with you.
Did I say I'm going back?
Shoot, I hated to leave!
)and I provide comedy relief. ;D