Backpacking/flyfishing around Smokies?

[bobgessner57]

My brother in law has no backpacking or backcountry camping experience and is an avid flyfisherman with bad knees. I know nothing about fly fishing. We are talking about getting together for a long weekend around the Smokies to trade skills. Would appreciate suggestions for short easy hikes leading to good fishing, maybe a base camp offering clear casting for me and challenges for him. He is working on conditioning, braces, etc on the advice of his hiker doctor but I definitely want to break him in on the slow and easy plan.

Some trails I have considered are Big Creek up to site 37 or 36. How is the fishing?

Others would be in Cattaloochee. Caldwell Fork to site 41 or Rough Fork to site 40. Good fishing?

Any good fishing over on the Harmon Den side of I-40? We talked about using the little stocked pond by the Max Patch trailhead for a casting clinic, day hike or overnight on Max Patch, then do an overnighter in the forest or back into the National Park for the real thing.

Any tips or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Jaybird]

there are some great FLYFISHING guides in Gatlinburg

but, since youre talking fishin' & hikin' why not head to DAMASCUS,VA?

you've got both there!

[bobgessner57]

there are some great FLYFISHING guides in Gatlinburg

but, since youre talking fishin' & hikin' why not head to DAMASCUS,VA?

you've got both there!

We are trying to do this on the cheap and Rick ( the fly fisherman) has plenty of expertise with the fishing technique, so paying a guide is probably foolish.
I thought about some areas up around Damascus but Rick will be driving out from the Little Rock, Arkansas area. He can make the Smokies in a long day.
Damascus or the classic troutwaters around Mills River and the Pisgah are enough further away to make the driving unweildy.

[orangebug]

From the descriptions of the interests and the knees, I'd consider the shoreline trail on Fontana Lake, or further south along the Little Tennessee.

[Lone Wolf]

I've blue-blazed down the Big Creek Trail many times, once with hiker who had a fly rod. He was catching fish left and right.

[cyclocrosser]

I work at a flyfishing store in Louisville, KY and there a lot of books about flyfishing in the smokies. What I hope you are going to do is a flyfishing trip that involves back packing not backpacking that involves fishing, because you will never have enough time to fish if you spend it all hiking. Try to find a trail that runs the length of a good stream so you can fish it for several days.

Also you will want him to teach you how to cast in your backyard, so you don't waste time on your trip. You may want to take a day trip with him to a local stream to practice.