Sean
11-03-2009, 04:16 PM
Last spring a few friends and I went backpacking in the smokies for spring break. Here is the report I'm being lazy and just copying and pasting it from another site.
I'm back from my backpacking trip to the Smokies.
Overall the trip was pretty good. We had rain the first 4 days or so and the fishing was just bad. Oh and before I forget if you plan to travel somewhere and the locals say bring waders...do it... We froze wet wading but it cut the weight down for our long hikes.
We arrived around noon friday to set up camp and get settled in and ready for our first hike. The next day we hike to the infamous Abrams Falls of Abrams Creek. We did some fishingbut not so much as a nibble and it rained all day. Did I mention the tent I was borrowing leaked.
Some Photos
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140009.jpg
me not knowing a photo was being taken while I was rigging up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140007.jpg
Kirk giving it a shot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140008.jpg
some amphibian eggs
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140014.jpg
view from the trail head
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140015.jpg
We hiked back and stayed at the same campsite that night and prepared for our first backpacking hike along Deep Creek. Oh and It rained some more.
A Trib cascading down into Deep Creek
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150017.jpg
again
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150018.jpg
I finally caught a fish here one afternoon when the sun decided to pop out. I should state now that these fish have horrible aim. We all missed a lot of fish that just didn't get the fly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150020.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150021.jpg
Some black caddis
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150024.jpg
next morning I woke early and got moving to get some time on the water in but all I got were failed slashes at my fly so that day's hike began.
Our home for the night
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160038.jpg
This was the view just upstream but no one was home or willing to eat.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160032-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160031-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160040.jpg
Blue Quill I believe
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160029.jpg
my fly box had gotten wet with all the rain so I decided to take some shots of it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160035.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160036.jpg
I broke off
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160033-1.jpg
Bear bagging made easy in the smokies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160039-1.jpg
Like I said it was wet the first few days
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160045-1.jpg
But hope rose one morning
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160046-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160047-1.jpg
These views made me miss my summers in CT with my grandparents and fishing all the time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160026-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160027-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160048-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160052-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180076.jpg
These next two were taken while driving at some point
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3190097.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3190098.jpg
The hike out of Deep was a nice sunny uphill with a very long downhill which found it fit to give me some blisters on my feet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160053-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160054-2.jpg
Lots of small blue butterflies on the hike out of Deep
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170062.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170060.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170059.jpg
Next we camped at a front range site in North Carolina (Deep was also in NC) and fished that afternoon and morning. My roommate Shane managed a nice brownie but there is no photo. The next morning I got up at the crack of dawn like I always do while camping and missed a bunch of fish including what I think was a nice one while I was mending over a stick in the water.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170063.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170066-1.jpg
Next was twenty mile creek in NC as well.
nice and sunny
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180070-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180076.jpg
There was trout working the water there but couldnt get a good shot of her.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180074.jpg
a familiar sight
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180078.jpg
this spot was naughty and nice to me. there was a large fallen tree pretty much above my head where this photo was taken that claimed several flies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180081.jpg
...but this beauty came out to play.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180079.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180080.jpg
caught on this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180083.jpg
Next morning I got up and headed downstream with a prince tied on.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180088.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180089.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180090.jpg
Went back to camp to pack for the hike out and caught this little guy along the way. My last fish of the smokies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180092.jpg
They were rising like crazy that last morning....to midges which none of us had so we could occasionally get a slash at a fly but again horrible aim on the fishes' part.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180075-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3190099.jpg
we went rock climbing for a day or so in Kentucky afterward I'm not going to give a play by play but all of my pictures from the trip can be found here
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v247/ ... 09%20SMNP/ (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/)
I'm back from my backpacking trip to the Smokies.
Overall the trip was pretty good. We had rain the first 4 days or so and the fishing was just bad. Oh and before I forget if you plan to travel somewhere and the locals say bring waders...do it... We froze wet wading but it cut the weight down for our long hikes.
We arrived around noon friday to set up camp and get settled in and ready for our first hike. The next day we hike to the infamous Abrams Falls of Abrams Creek. We did some fishingbut not so much as a nibble and it rained all day. Did I mention the tent I was borrowing leaked.
Some Photos
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140009.jpg
me not knowing a photo was being taken while I was rigging up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140007.jpg
Kirk giving it a shot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140008.jpg
some amphibian eggs
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140014.jpg
view from the trail head
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3140015.jpg
We hiked back and stayed at the same campsite that night and prepared for our first backpacking hike along Deep Creek. Oh and It rained some more.
A Trib cascading down into Deep Creek
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150017.jpg
again
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150018.jpg
I finally caught a fish here one afternoon when the sun decided to pop out. I should state now that these fish have horrible aim. We all missed a lot of fish that just didn't get the fly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150020.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150021.jpg
Some black caddis
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3150024.jpg
next morning I woke early and got moving to get some time on the water in but all I got were failed slashes at my fly so that day's hike began.
Our home for the night
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160038.jpg
This was the view just upstream but no one was home or willing to eat.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160032-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160031-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160040.jpg
Blue Quill I believe
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160029.jpg
my fly box had gotten wet with all the rain so I decided to take some shots of it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160035.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160034.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160036.jpg
I broke off
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160033-1.jpg
Bear bagging made easy in the smokies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160039-1.jpg
Like I said it was wet the first few days
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160045-1.jpg
But hope rose one morning
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160046-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160047-1.jpg
These views made me miss my summers in CT with my grandparents and fishing all the time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160026-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160027-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160048-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160052-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180076.jpg
These next two were taken while driving at some point
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3190097.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3190098.jpg
The hike out of Deep was a nice sunny uphill with a very long downhill which found it fit to give me some blisters on my feet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160053-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3160054-2.jpg
Lots of small blue butterflies on the hike out of Deep
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170062.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170060.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170059.jpg
Next we camped at a front range site in North Carolina (Deep was also in NC) and fished that afternoon and morning. My roommate Shane managed a nice brownie but there is no photo. The next morning I got up at the crack of dawn like I always do while camping and missed a bunch of fish including what I think was a nice one while I was mending over a stick in the water.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170063.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3170066-1.jpg
Next was twenty mile creek in NC as well.
nice and sunny
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180070-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180076.jpg
There was trout working the water there but couldnt get a good shot of her.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180074.jpg
a familiar sight
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180078.jpg
this spot was naughty and nice to me. there was a large fallen tree pretty much above my head where this photo was taken that claimed several flies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180081.jpg
...but this beauty came out to play.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180079.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180080.jpg
caught on this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180083.jpg
Next morning I got up and headed downstream with a prince tied on.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180088.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180089.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180090.jpg
Went back to camp to pack for the hike out and caught this little guy along the way. My last fish of the smokies
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180092.jpg
They were rising like crazy that last morning....to midges which none of us had so we could occasionally get a slash at a fly but again horrible aim on the fishes' part.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3180075-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/P3190099.jpg
we went rock climbing for a day or so in Kentucky afterward I'm not going to give a play by play but all of my pictures from the trip can be found here
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v247/ ... 09%20SMNP/ (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v247/HansenRods/Spring%20Break%2009%20SMNP/)