Finally Success On The Caney Fork

Sorry for the late blogging folks... But anyway I spent that night at Hayes's house on Thursday night with Jack. We were off to sleep by 12:00am and getting dressed at 4:45am. So it was a short night's sleep! We got our gear together in the back of Jack's truck and we were on the road by 5:00am. Behind Jack's truck, he was towing a River Hawk Boat with a small horsepower motor on the back and a trolling motor on the front... Absolutely perfect for the Caney Fork! We drove for about an hour before stopping at a Mcdonalds for some breakfast. After eating, we drove the final fifteen minutes to our put-in at the base of Center Hill Dam.

I tied up a variety of Shad patterns in with .20 gram Lead core, Black Thread, White Streamer Hair, Black Marabou, Olive EP Fibers, and Goggle eyes. I also tied up some Olive and White leech patterns that I thought might be of some success. Earlier in the week, Jack told me that white, olive, and black Clouser Minnows would be a killer fly on the river and as I looked through my material, I realized I had run out of bucktail and I had to butcher a clouser minnow looking type of fly. That was my arsenal. Jack had tied up some of his own personal clouser minnow patterns and these things were mean.... Jack tied up the perfect variety of material in his clouser and they killed it. Hayes (Hazel) had some big white streamer constructed with a lot of white Marabou. Hayes also had some white wooly buggers too. Jack and I both had our fair-share of nymphs too.

The lineup in the boat was Jack up front with the trolling motor, Hayes in the middle, and me in the back. It couldn't have been longer than ten minutes before Jack caught a small rainbow trout and he had also probably "stung" two more. I knew today might be a good day for us! We continued to slowly go down the river casting at the banks and stripping our streamers like mad-men and we would get the occasional follow or look from a small bow or brownie, but none would really commit and attack it like we wanted. Meanwhile, I was busy switching up streamers I had tied... which was stupid now that I look back on it. I couldn't have fished the same fly for more than ten minutes until I found one that worked. But whatever at least we were catching some fish.

We continued to slowly cruise past other fisherman on the bank and finally we got up to a longer and deeper run that Jack said held some fish. So we anchored the boat up and all three of us hopped out and began to fish. I started out at the very top of the run, Hayes took the middle, and Jack took the middle/lower part of the run. Again, three minutes later Jack caught another 10-11 inch rainbow. Hell Yeah! They were here. Jack made his way down the long run and Hayes followed. Hayes hit a deeper hole created by a drop-off from a gravel bar up ahead. I was still fishing the top of the run when I heard Hazel hootin and hollerin about a big fish chasing his streamer. He went after it a few more times but nothing and he opted to move on down the river with Jack. Well I was done with my leech patterns and I put on one of my Shad patterns with the goggle eyes and went to fish this same hole. On my first cast I had a big bow chase my fly... Again, he wouldn't commit to it or attack it but it definitely got his attention. I kept at this fish knowing that he was interested in it already, so just keep throwing it right in front of him until he couldn't resist anymore. This is a very typical thing for trout. Especially bigger trout. Anyway, I never caught him and we all decided to hop back in the boat and move down river.

Again we pulled up to another great looking run and we anchored up again and began fishing. Same lineup as last time, me up top, Hayes in the middle, and Jack middle/lower. On my first couple casts I had a big fish go at my fly but he missed it. So I threw my streamer back at him right away maybe ten more times and he wouldn't go at it again. Man I just can't get these fish in this river. But Jack hauled another one out downstream, so Hayes and I decided we would move down too. I threw my streamer in this long pool/riffle and had four different "hits" from fish. I missed all four!! I was not on my game today... Man I could not get one of these fish attached to my line. But Jack was catching fish and so I was glad to see a good friend catching fish. Something I learned this summer in JH, watching other people catch fish gives me the same pleasure as when I catch my own fish. So I was happy. But still thinking to myself "Keif... they're eating your fly. Set the hook!". But I just couldn't get connected. Well we eventually moved on and Jack hauled out this big boy from the deep with one of his own clousers! It was awesome! The fight was incredible. About a 16 inch rainbow and man was he fat. An absolutely awesome fish!

We continued down river and Hayes caught a little 8 inch Striper and it was pretty cool especially since it was Hazel's first striped bass. As we continued down river, I still hadn't caught a fish, but I was just glad as a group we were catchin' em' and having a good time on the river. A little down river Jack hooked up again on a Pheasant Tail Nymph and caught a beautiful brownie. Another awesome fish!

We had gone as far downstream as we needed to and decided to start heading back upstream. Jack had caught his share of fish and decided to let me take the front of the boat. You don't find a lot of fisherman who will give their "lucky spot" to you so I was thankful. Granted, being in the back of the boat and starting at the top of the pools for most of the day it was likely that I wouldn't catch as many fish, but even when I got up front for the last hour of the trip I still couldn't haul anything in. But whatever! That's fishing... Sometimes it's your day and sometimes it isn't. Either way we all had a great time and I think we might be going back again next weekend. Haha Can't Wait! Awesome trip and stay tuned folks!