I guess its only fitting I start my first blog post off with a story about a fish I do not guide for but I do hold pretty dear to my heart. The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is a worthy opponent in the game of Fly Fishing, especially in the Southern half of the Cherokee National Forest. I hope this article will give you more insight into this little gem of a fish, like where they once thrived and where you can still find them today.
The Southern Strain of Brook Trout are found throughout the mountains of the Southern Appalachians. There are known populations in the headwaters and small, mountainous upper stream sections of Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and Western North Carolina. The general rule of thumb is that you need to be above 2500 feet in elevation to find them, however, I can’t sit and tell you that this statement is one hundred percent accurate based on some of the locations I have caught them. I can for sure say that they are one of the most beautiful fish I have had the pleasure of touching. The Purples and vivid oranges of the Pectoral, Pelvic and Anal Fins make this one of the most photogenic fish species we have to pursue in the great state of Tennessee.
My fascination with the Brook Trout started not long after I began fly fishing. Growing up in Chattanooga, TN the closest Trout of any kind were found on the Hiwassee River near Reliance, Tn. It is a larger tailwater and TWRA does abundantly stock the Hiwassee with a good number of hungry Trout. During dry years and normally for a large part of March, April and May each year, TVA will give us favorable flows for wade fishing. And of course the rest of the time or in particularly wet years you needed a boat to fish out of and when I first began fly fishing that was luxury I did not have. The next closest water for Trout to my home was the Tellico River and the tributaries that form it. The Tellico Watershed is one of the true wonders of the Southeast. It is full of incredible scenery, diverse and plentiful wildlife and it is managed very well for Trout fishing.
