Smoky Mountain Trout Trip – October 2017
Wednesday, 10/11/17 – Sunday 10/15/17
Cecil Osborn-Trip Coordinator
Home Phone: 513 340-4837
Mobile Phone: 513 335-9295
Email:
Trip Description / We’ll be fishing on our own, self-guided, unless you prefer to hire a guide yourself. The Tuckaseegee and Nantahala Rivers and several other streams in the area are stocked and have delayed harvest regulations. You will likely catch brown and rainbow trout and some brook trout.Several other nearby streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park such as Deep Creek, Forney Creek, Indian Creek, Noland Creek, Socco Creek, and the Oconaluftee River offer opportunities for wild trout.The stocking of fish for the month of October is scheduled for the week prior to our arrival (Tuck) or on the Monday before we arrive (Nantahala). We will make sure that any new fly fishermen are paired up with a member who has experience fly fishing the area. We encourage all fishermen/fisherwomen to travel and fish with at least one partner for safety.
Directions / Smoky Mountain Retreat Directions
Directions: I-75 South to I-640 East around Knoxville to I-40. From I-40, take Exit 27 (to Western Carolina University/Maggie Valley), which puts you on 74 West. Take 74 West to Exit 64 (Alarka Road) and turn left at end of the exit and cross the overpass. Go up Alarka Road for approximately 1-1/2 miles to East Alarka Road on the left. Go up East Alarka Road approximately 1.4 miles to a sign on the left for Green Valley Acres. Then take the next gravel drive on left which is the drive for Smoky Mountain Retreat. If all else fails, call me (513-335-9295). Remember, cell phone reception up in the mountains can be sketchy.
Lodging / We will be staying at Smoky Mountain Retreat, just a few miles outside of Bryson City, NC. We have 2 cabins (#3 and #4) reserved with 8 separate beds in each. Both cabins have 3 bedrooms and a loft area with 5 beds. There has been a slight increase in rates this year including a $125 cleaning fee per cabin. The upside to this new fee is that we can use the cabin’s linen and towels and will no longer need to bring our own or launder used items before we leave on Sunday. Best estimate, with 16 participants staying all four nights, the costs break down to about $30 per person per night. The cost per person will need to be adjusted if all the slots are not filled.
The accommodations are excellent, reasonably priced and well located, relative to the
Tuckaseegee and the Nantahala Rivers.
The website for our cabins is
Address and phone number:
Smoky Mountain Retreat Vacation Rentals
51 Green Valley Acres
Bryson City, NC 28713
(828) 488-6347
Schedule / Wednesday is a travel day. Check in and maybe do a little fishing. Thursday through Saturday pick the stream you want to fish and go for it. Sunday morning we clean up the cabins and head for home, or fish a little and then head for home.
Meals / Everyone is on their own for meals except Saturday evening when the group will have a salmon dinner with green beans, mac and cheese, and cold slaw at the cabin. The rest of the time we can use the kitchen, go out, or bring in Pizza or KFC, it’s up to you. Bryson City is nearby and offers some local eateries, and fast food chains. There is a supermarket in Bryson City, about a 10-minute drive from the cabins. We can coordinate for evening meals, and or breakfast as desired. Lunch will be somewhere on a riverbank, so plan accordingly. There are some new restaurants in town that are not bad. Jimmie Macs is pretty good. Pasqualino's Italian Restaurant also has good food. Bryson City Cork & Bean was expanded last year and is an excellent place to eat but a little pricey.
Here is a link to restaurants in the area:
Registration / Note: a liability waver will be required for this trip. This may be done electronically when you register for the trip.
A $120 check is required to secure each place on the trip. Please no cash in advance of the trip. Once we are within 2 weeks of the trip, a refund will not be possible unless a replacement angler is found to fill your spot on the trip. Do, however, bring cash or a check with you on the trip to pay for the balance ofyour cabin costs! The deposits will be used to hold our reservation and pay toward your portion of the cabin rental fee.
To sign up send your $120 deposit to: Cecil W. Osborn, 7395 Wethersfield Drive,Maineville, Ohio 45039 no later than 09/27/17.
Call or email Cecil for additional information or clarification.
Deadline to register is September 27, 2017.
Equipment / Waders, Rain Jacket, Fishing Hat, Sunglasses, Landing net, Nippers, Hemostats, Split shot, Strike Indicators, Floatant, Camera, etc. Bring clothing suitable for fall, and items that will layer well. The weather could be very nice or cold and wet. The mornings will likely be cool and crisp. Afternoons may be sunny and warm. Anything from long johns under your waders, to shorts at the cabin in the afternoon is possible. Wading and accessing these streams can be very tricky, a wading staff is a must. I always have an emergency bag with a change of clothes in the car.
Rods: 3-6 Wt. rods will fish well. Bring two if possible, just in case one gets eaten by a screen door or ceiling fan. Floating line and 8’-10’ leaders are adequate to fish these streams. Tippets of 5X-7X are recommended.
Suggested Flies:
Nymphs: in sizes 12 to 18; Bead Head Prince, Gold Ribbed Hares Ear Ear’s, Zebra Nymph’s, Sow Bugs, Scuds, Golden Stonefly, Small Black Stonefly, Caddis Pupa, Copper Johns in copper, green, red, black, etc.
Streamers: in sizes 6 thru10; Muddler Minnows, Mallard Minnow’s, Black, White or Olive Bead Head Wooly Buggers with flash and rubber legs, Grays White, Girdle Bugs, Bitch Creek, Clouser Minnows etc.
Dry Flies: in sizes14 thru 20; Parachute Adams, Blue Wing Olive, Elk Hair Caddis, Deer hair Emerger, McGinty’s, Quill Gordon’s, etc. Griffiths Gnat in size 18-22. “Hi-Vis” parachute dries are recommended.
Soft hackle Wet Flies often work well especially as a dropper beneath a dry fly or behind a nymph. Orange or green are good colors.
Terrestrials: Ants, Beetles, Hoppers, Foam Spiders, June Bugs and San Juan Worms.
Tandem rigs, Elk Hair Caddis and a Copper John or a Prince, have worked well for me in the past.
Fly Tying / There is ample room for fly tying so bring your stuff, and don’t forget a tying light if you have one. The lighting at the dinner table is not very good for tying.
License / North Carolina Fishing License. Visit to purchase your fishing license on line. The Tuckaseegee Fly Shop in Bryson, NC sells licenses. There is also a Walmart in Silva, NC that has North Carolina Fishing Licenses. Don’t forget a Trout Stamp!
Fly shops / Last minute supplies may be purchased at the Orvis shop in Pigeon Forge, or The Outpost, a gas station on US 74 between Bryson City and Silva (great selection of flies). There is also very good fly shop in Cherokee, NC, called Rivers Edge Outfitters (they are routinely a BUFF Sponsor for the banquet). The same can be said for the Tuckaseegee Fly Shop in Bryson City, NC. But, it is best to have what you need with you when you come.
Guide Information / I have only used fellow BUFF members to show me the streams in this area. If you would like to use a guide, here are some of the local businesses:
- This is the Tuckaseegee Fly Shop located at 3 Depot Street, Bryson City, NC. They have participated in our annual show, presented to our club in the past and have been very helpful to us while we are down in NC. Several members used their guide service last year.
AB’s Fly Fishing Guide Service – Alex Bell spoke at the club meeting in February, 2015 and has guided many of our members over the years.
This is Ian and Charity Rutter’s guide service. They have been big supporters of BUFF.
River’s Edge has been a loyal contributor to the club for several years and has presented at our meetings in the past.
Mountain Troutfitters is a guide service near Linville, NC, operated by Cade Buchanan. Cade has guided many BUFF members in the past.
Area Links /
, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce
This particular website and the one above will provide a wealth of information.