Fall fishing trip

This past weekend found me lost in the Great Smoky Mtns National Park.

On purpose.

I've had a love for backpacking and flyfishing for over 30 years and I would very much like to just disappear into the Smokies for a very long time. Since backcountry permits are only valid for 30 days, I will have to be content with that, but not for a while. This weekend was a trip to a place called Hazel Creek.

Hazel Creek is accessed two ways - a very long hike (from Clingman's Dome or Fontana Dam) or by boat on Fontana Lake.

We chose the boat access.

It was raining when we put in at the marina and continued to rain until somewhere between 2 & 4 a.m. Saturday morning.

Just a quick note here: THERE ARE NO SHELTERS ALONG THE HAZEL CREEK TRAIL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYONE ELSE (including NPS personnel) tells you, so bring a tent or a tarp or be prepared to sleep on the porch of, or inside, the Calhoun House - one of the very few extant buildings along the trail, which the NPS maintains in and around Proctor, the old farming/lumber town along the creek.

There are ruins of the old sawmill further up the trail and several primitive campsites. The fishing is decent and the scenery is awesome. The old roadbed makes for fairly easy hiking, even in waders in October.

Here's a few pics from the weekend . . .



The trail/roadbed





Erosion



I stepped in one of these Sunday and sunk up to my knee in water, if that gives you any indication of the power of water.

General ideas of the scenery
















Fishing buddy




We did this all day Saturday & Sunday. I got home at 11 o'clock Sunday night.

Can't wait to go back.