Grandpa Joe was as full of tricks as a pet ‘coon.

As regular readers of this newsletter know, my paternal grandfather was in many senses a boy trapped inside an old man’s body. He only had two or three short years (six months or so each year) of formal schooling, and although literate, he barely merited the description.
Yet Grandpa Joe was as full of tricks as a pet ‘coon, so fiercely independent he would never work for another man (or listen to much advice from anyone), and an abiding source of intriguing information which an adoring grandson absorbed in sponge-like fashion.
Although I don’t know for certain, I doubt if Grandpa ever ventured as far as 200 miles from the place he was born. I do know for a fact that he figured the high country of the Smokies was about as close to an earthly heaven as anyone could imagine. On that score I happen to think he was exactly right.
Grandpa didn’t particularly care for February. He always maintained that it was the shortest month of the year because it invariably featured nasty, depressing weather. Also, it was a time of the year when Grandpa Joe was likely to be seized by what he described as “the miseries.” This was a catch-all term to describe his suffering from arthritis, general aches and pains associated with old age, and the sort of depression normally characterized as cabin fever. Mind you, Grandpa was too much of an optimist to let some pain leave him down in the dumps for long. Read more about Grandpa at Troutu.com.

Linville Gorge Not for Me!

This is the time of year that I fondly recall my trip down the Linville Gorge to do some winter trout fishing. We arrived at the trail head early in the morning with the frost still on the grass. As we started down the trail, I soon discovered that I was in "over my head" so to speak. There were ledges that were about five feet high, with no way around them, but straight down. I scraped my middle section (tummy) as I shimmied down the largest ledges. Then, I realized that, as I descended, it was so steep that my toes were constantly jammed against my boots. As a result, my toes were in great pain by the time I began to fish. At that point, I forgot about fishing, and began to concentrate on survival; and I promised the Lord that I would never return if he would graciously allow me to somehow survive.

After I reached the top, I surveyed the damage to my large toes and they were pitch black, darker that a hundred midnights in a cypress swamp. Needless to say, my toe nails did not survive, but later came off as I grew new ones. Now, to this day, whenever I go wear those trout fishing boots my toe nails turn black. What a reason to remember my trip to Linville Gorge! Later, I learned that there is a trail somewhat less severe, however, I do remember my covenant with the Lord as I sit by the fireplace.

Rhododendron are great for Trout

We took a little trip to Pigeon Forge, Tenn. this last weekend. primarily for the ladies to do some shopping, and we took our poles along as well. We fished the Little River on the Tennessee side of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. (I don't know why there is so much duplication in the spelling of Tennessee; I could eliminate 3 letters)

Winter fishing is not my best talent, however, we were not blanked. Of course, I could not help but notice the rhododendrons. God made rhododendrons and placed them near mountain streams to preserve the trout population. I discovered that the branches are just the right size to entrap the hooks, and the leaves are just strong enough to hold the hook from tearing out!

C'MON COUCH POTATO BOOMERS

C'mon you baby boomers retired or about to retire! Get up off that couch and take up a wholesome, outdoor, sport like trout fishing. When IBM did a study about their retired employees, they found that the average person only collected 18 monthly checks after retirement; and it was due to inactivity. See how

The North Mills River

The North Mills River is located in Henderson County NC, and is a delayed harvest river. This is a river often overlooked by fishermen, but it offers opportunities to fish different types of water; and if offers some of the best scenery.
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BAIT FAVORED BY LARGE TROUT

The Dobson fly is a large insect that can get as large as 1” in length. Dobson flies spend most of their lives, up to 4 years, in the larval stage. While in this stage, they are called HELLGRAMMITES. The hellgrammites live under rocks in swift streams or rivers, and indeed, are the bait that is preferred by large trout. For more information on locating, collecting and handling these Hellgrammites, please click on Class 103 Bait & Lures .

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WEB SITE CREATION

We at TROUTU have started a web site for the purpose of promoting catch and release trout fishing as a family sport. It will be an on-line university offering a series of relatively short classes that will take individuals from freshmen level, through senior level, and even Graduate level, dealing with aquatic insects, world wide fishing locations, and advanced techniques, etc. It will take a good deal of time to complete the construction of the site, so please check back frequently, making suggestions, and attending any of the classes as they become available.

STONE MOUNTAIN NORTH CAROLINA

Probably you have heard of Stone Mountain, Ga, but did you know that there is a Stone Mountain North Carolina. located in Wilkes and Alleghany counties, seven miles southwest of Roaring Gap. Park Info In addition to the magnificant views, there are 20 miles of streams within the park. These include Big Sandy Creek, Stone Mountain Creek, Widows Creek, and Garden Creek, which are designated wild trout waters and can be fished all year. The East Prong Roaring River is delayed harvest from the first day of October through the first Friday in June. No trout may be harvested or possessed during this time. HOWEVER, this is an excellent time for catch and release of the stocked trout. Stocking Schedule The park also supports fish for fun on Bullhead and Rich Mountain creeks. Where for a fee, a portion of the stream is designated exclusively for you to fish for the day. Before you go, check out the fishing regs and rules.

Park Rules On our recent trip we used dry flies and spinners and hiked up the Big Sandy to the falls approximately 4 miles upstream to the waterfalls. Along the way, we caught and relesed several trout in the 8 to 12 inch size. Next year promises to be even better since this was a good year weatherwise. PS Take the family along as there are other beautiful falls and some awesome areas to camp, picnic and hike. For those brave and strong enough you can hike over the entire stone!