Fly Fish Tennessee

Redfish on the Fly Finally!

Kris Maurer — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:18:15 +0000

Let me rewind a few years. I was in love with the woman of my life. I had just bought a ring and we were on our way to Charleston, SC. I told her I was bringing a fly rod and had all the intention of the world to try to red fishing. I had every intention of doing so, but however other things were of more importance. My stomach was in a knots the entire trip down as I had no idea of how to pop the question and fishing was the last thing on my mind. Long story short, I proposed to my wife during that trip and we are still happily married!

So, present day we plan a wedding anniversary trip back to Charleston for a few days. I had been saving for a new gun, but decided that I really want to try the Redfish thing again, so there went the gun fund. A couple of phone calls and I got in contact with Captain David Camp of www.fishshallow.com, who had come very highly recommended by a co-worker and friend TJ Roy, manager of the Charlotte Orvis store.

So on the trip down I was all excited about the fishing trip that I had planned. When I was talking about it with my wife, she asked “What day are you fishing again?” “On Tuesday”, I replied. “You mean on our actual anniversary day!”, she exclaimed. Yes, like an idiot I had planned the fishing trip on our actual anniversary day! Oh, no! However, I have one of the most understanding wives around and she said it was no problem and not to worry about changing the trip around. I got very lucky when I hooked her.

The fishing trip was planned towards the end of the trip and leading up to it the weather had been amazing. However, a bad cold front moved in and it became very windy and cold. I was afraid that my Redfish trip would have to be cancelled due to weather. The day before meeting David, we spoke on the phone. I promptly asked, “So you’re going to turn the wind off right?” which was followed by a large amount of laughter. David assured me that he had some places that we could get out of the wind and we were still going fishing.

Finally, the fishing trip was here and I met up with David around noon. The plan was to catch an outgoing tide in the afternoon. We started by running up into some creek areas first. It wasn’t long until I was hooked up with the first Redfish of my life! All I can say is wow! I’ve caught a ton of different species of freshwater fish and even many in that 9 to 10 pound range, but none of them compare to the pull and fight of a Redfish. They are relentless! Just, when you think you have them whopped, they take another hard run and bust your knuckles! I had an 8 weight Helios completely doubled over! It was amazing.

I have been fly fishing since I was 15 and have had the opportunity to fly fish for many freshwater species from panfish to steelhead all over the United States. However, saltwater fly fishing is completely new to me, I may have a new bug! I’m ready to go back to the marsh and I’ve just returned.

Also, I have to give Captain David Camp a shout out for working his tail off! I’m sure polling a boat in 30 mph gusts is not easy! If you are in the area give him a shout (843) 532-7595 or check out is website at www.fishshallow.com. I promise you will have a great time.

Free Fly Tying 101 Class at Orvis

Kris Maurer — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:51:46 +0000

Wow, am I glad that the Holiday shopping season is over! It flew by in a blink of an eye and it was very successful, but I’m really ready for a little slower pace for a few months. Typically it is bitterly cold this time of year, however this year has not been the norm. We have had some abnormally warm weather, but also a ton of rain. So, even though the weather has been great for fishing, the rivers have been blown out. I’m not sure which is worse. Having great weather, but not fishing or having terrible weather and not fishing. Okay the first option sucks. If I can’t go fishing I want it to be nasty outside.

So, when it is really nasty and you can’t get out to fish. When work is slow and the honey do’s are done. When you need to escape, but can’t get out of the house. What does the avid fly fisher do? Tie flies and drink a frosty beverage of course. You’ll have to provide your own beverage, but we can help you get addicted to another passion, fly tying.

It gets better, ITS FREE! yes, free fly tying instruction. Find out if you love it or hate it on our dime!

Dates are Jan 21 and 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 11am to 1pm. Call us at the Orvis Sevierville store 865-774-4162 to reserve your space.

Jake do you care to elaborate?

Kris Maurer — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:04:56 +0000

Float Planes and Jet Boats: Tikchik Narrows Lodge from Cory Luoma on Vimeo.

I don’t know what to say?

Kris Maurer — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:12:06 +0000

So this is kind of cool, kind of ridiculous, but I laughed anyways and maybe you will too!

The Shadow Cast Competition from Jazz and Fly Fishing´s Jazzcam on Vimeo.

Happy Thanksgiving and a black friday saftey message!

Kris Maurer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:00:27 +0000

Black Friday is just a few days away! If you were like me you, don’t really give a hoot and would rather be fishing, but now that I work in the retail industry, it basically means that I will be up early and home late. However, If I didn’t have to work, I’d say that this weekend would be a perfect day to go fishing (if you can get away from the wife and kids). If you can pull it off, think of how sweet it will be standing knee deep in cold water while your poor buddies are stuck shopping!

You might have to come up with a plan to get out of the shopping/kid watching/car parking/bag holding/credit card swiping/chaos that is Black Friday weekend.

Plan 1: Be honest with your significant other and tell her how hard you’ve worked and how hard you will continue to work and you just need to go fishing instead of shopping. (I doubt this will work)

Plan 2: Suggest that you brave the midnight sales and get your deal shopping done by 6am then, drink some red bulls and hit the water while the wife and kids sleep. (might work, but you may also fall asleep in the river)

Plan 3: Hire a baby sitter to watch the kids, while the wife shops and you go fishing. (Good luck finding a sitter this late)

Plan 4: Lie and get sick, think back to your childhood days of faking it so you didn’t have to go to school. But you better up your game, cause you know your wife is wise. (You will need an Oscar winning performance)

Plan 5: Convince your wife to do all of her shopping online. This could actually work.

If you have a better idea, let us know. If you do get stuck going to the outlet malls in Sevierville, drop everyone off and come over to the shop and watch some of our new fishing DVD’s while you wait. Good luck to everyone and I wish you all safe adventures on this Black Friday Weekend.

And of course have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TVA Generation Link

Kris Maurer — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:14:58 +0000

I just ran across the TVA iphone app, okay someone else told me about it. Regardless the app works great so far and it’s free to boot. Check it out on the apple iphone store.

On another note, a couple buddies and I just got back from the Watauga. The river fished good and we did well on Pheasant Tails and egg patterns. The fishing was much better in the morning than the afternoon, when the sun decided to come out and make all of the fish super spooky.

C.R. Outfitters moves location!

Kris Maurer — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:57:31 +0000

So I need to apoligize to Cal and Chris, for just now getting this up, but here it is guys. C.R. Outfitters has moved locations, just a little farther down the road from thier old location. Thier new address is:

C.R. Outfitters
3310 Andersonville Highway
Andersonville, Tenn. 37705
865.494.2305
croutfitters@msn.com

I’ve heard some good reports coming from Clinch, when they aren’t running water. Stop in and holler at Chris and Cal, they’ll give you the run down on what’s happening.

A Double Dose of John Gierach

Kris Maurer — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:01:57 +0000

I thought this video was really cool. I pulled the article off of Orvis’ Fly Fishing Blog and it seems like the Trout Underground posted a great interview. I’ve read every Gierach book except his new one “No Shortage of Good Days” and I can’t wait to read it this winter.

A Double Dose of John Gierach
Posted by: Phil Monahan Date: 09/02/11

It’s no secret that fly fishermen, as a whole, love John Gierach. He has served as the sport’s philosopher for almost 30 years, during which time he has published 16 books and countless magazine articles, yet he has never sought to become one of those fly-fishing “celebrities” who travel from sports show to sports show soaking up the admiration of the masses. Instead, he fishes…a lot. And then he sits in his house in Colorado and writes about it. I’ve met Gierach a few times, through my friends Jim Babb and Ed Engle, and he seems like he’d make an excellent fishing companion—self-deprecating, full of great stories, and quick to admire a fish of any size.

The video above is a short from the Fly Fishing Film Tour, and it features Gierach expressing his philosophy of life and angling in plain, often humorous terms. Over on the Trout Underground blog, Tom Chandler has posted a great interview with Gierach that touches on everything from why he loves to fish for steelhead, to the ins and outs of his writing process, to his views on modern “extreme” fishing. As usual, his words are not fancy, but his descriptions are spot-on:

When I fish small streams, I tend to catch a lot of fish and that’s great, but steelheading is very different. I know my local small streams pretty intimately and I’ve got the timing down, but with steelhead, you’re suddenly playing chess against somebody who really knows what they’re doing.

Both the film and the interview make it clear why Gierach has remained so popular over the years.

Labor Day Deals from our Affiliates

Kris Maurer — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:14:09 +0000

I just wanted to share some great deals that came up from some of our affiliates. These are the places that we get our gear from. Thanks and have a great Labor Day weekend!

Musky Talk

Kris Maurer — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:56:16 +0000

There seems to be a growing buzz thoughout the fly angling community about musky fishing with the fly since Brad Bohen’s new video Musky Country: Zero 2 Hero. These guys seem to have really started to share what they’ve been doing and the word is spreading. I’m sure there are even more guys out there and maybe even some local TN and NC boys that have it dialed in as well. However, even more so than Striper fisherman, the Musky guys are very tight lipped about their passion. As it should be when your talking about something like a Musky. It wouldn’t be as cool if it were as easy as throw here with this and you’ll catch a 30 to 40 inch Musky, the biggest most aggressive and coolest fish you can catch in freshwater, would it?

I have been discovering that we have some great Musky fly water in East Tennessee. I even know a couple of guys who just a week ago had five follows to the drift boat by some big guys on the fly. No, I’m not gonna say where or who. There is also starting to be a little talk on the forums about catching Musky on the fly in the last couple of years. Where ever you get your information, it is still a little vague and will probably require a bit of homework. All I have to say is good hunting and have fun!
This next video is from a buddy Brian Wise who runs www.flyfishingtheozarks.com, it is one of the coolest tying videos I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure some hair dresser would pay a couple of hunderd dollars for the fly too! Brian, also recently took a trip up to Hayward Co and although they came back fishless, said he really learned what throwing streamers was all about. Another note was that on the Hang Time the big eyes that he used didn’t really work that great and may need to be changed up. Check out his site for some more information and tips.

I think there may have to be some Musky fishing in my future this fall!