Appalachian Tightlining

05/08/2025

The mystery and allure of the Brook Trout is chasing the patterns of stars and galaxies upon their bodies, the map of the labyrinth in their vermiculations upon thier back, the bright reds tipped with black and white upon thier fins waving like thier own proud flags. To think in a span of 50-100 years we almost lost these native Southern Appalachian fish to deforestation, pollution, and through the introduction of invasive species still boggles my mind in the fact these fish have been here since the last ice age. To think we have no affect on nature is naive but thanks to the few that sought to preserve, we can still catch these fish and more importantly know their populations have a future.

13/06/2025

The Yallarhammer. A fly from the myth and legends of the Southern Appalachian fly fishing lore. While we can no longer tie this fly from the traditional feathers of the Northern Flicker woodpecker, protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Dyed Starling(used here), quail, or dove work as excellent substitutes. The trick is to soak the primary wing feathers in water and a healthy dollop of hair conditioner overnight then strip the shorter “biots” starting from the tip towards the butt of the feather to get a thin membrane connecting the biots to Palmer over a body of peacock herl. Many variations of this fly exist but this seems to be as close to the original as I can find. This fly is traditionally fished like a wet fly and I have had good luck with it in that variant or weighted nymph.
Recipe: size 10 stonefly hook
Tail: Golden Pheasant
Body: Peacock Herl
Wing: palmered stripped or split biots of Starling, Dove or quail

27/05/2025

“When I went south into the mountains I was seeking a Back of Beyond. This for more reasons than one. With an inborn taste for the wild and romantic, I yearned for a strange land and a people that had the charm of originality. Again, I had a passion for early American history; and, in Far Appalachia, it seemed that I might realize the past in the present, seeing with my own eyes what life must have been to my pioneer ancestors of a century or two ago. Besides, I wanted to enjoy a free life in the open air, the thrill of exploring new ground, the joys of the chase, and the man's game of matching my woodcraft against the force of nature, with no help from servants or hired guides.
So, casting about for a biding place that would fill such needs, I picked out the upper settlement of Hazel Creek, far up under the lee of those Smoky Mountains that I had learned so little about. On the edge of this settlement, scant two miles from the post office of Medlin, there was a copper mine, long disused on account of litigation, and I got permission to occupy one of its abandoned cabins.”

An Except from Horace Kephart’s “Our Southern Highlanders”

I hate to say I tried to find this cabin site and the nearby mines but after being tangled in a Rhoddodendron Hell for nearly 2 hours without much sign of forward progress I claimed defeat this time. Besides I had my fly rods in hand and there were flowing creeks nearby that called my attention.

I was staying at a nearby campsite close to the ruins of the town of Medlin for 4 days. Hazel Creek was high and swollen making wading a particular gorge section near impossible so I had to pick and choose my spots all the way to the crossing at Cold Spring Branch. Where I could fish though the fish were willing. Lots of rainbows and one small brown.

A thunderstorm lured me to sleep that first night. The booms and quickening patters of rain on the tarp and rhythmic booms with the whispers of the souls of the creek singing their sweet and tragic songs took me to the world of dreams till just after 7 am the next morning.

Bone valley was an easy walk with multiple crossings of the creek all the way to Hall Cabin and the cemetery up the hill. The nearby ruins of a larger home intrigued me as its footprint seemed large with a massive double room fire place and chimney stood at its center.

Bone Valley Creek released some of its colorful little inhabitants of rainbows and I searched further and deeper into Hazels tributaries and found the best of treats. Native Southern Appalachian Brook trout, Specks , brookies.

Friday morning came before I was ready but I was also looking forward to the day. My father in law and nephew were headed over for the day to explore and fish the lower portions of Hazel Creek with me.

At 11 years old my nephew is developing into a fisherman himself catching a massive 23” rainbow in Gatlinburg this past winter. We’ve gently educated him on the difference between stocked and wild fish without taking away from the accomplishments of landing such a beast .

Suspecting a heavily fished section of creek along with a 12 degree drop in temperature from the days before my nephew only landed a small creek chub and my father in law came up with none. We explored the area from the Calhoun House to the ruins of the lumber kiln.

The funniest part of the day when my nephew came runnng from covering a cat hole he had done his business in to say he heard something growling. Just then a woodpecker thrummed high on a nearby tree and he said, ”there it is again”.

07/05/2025

It’s not always about the fish. The long hikes, pushing ones self to see whats on the other side of that ridge, searching out wild flowers and finding the rare lady slipper blooming and discovering new creeks to fish and explore are just as soul regenerative as a long day in a river for me.
I was a little nervous about the hike into the back beyond of the GSMNP though. On my last backpacking trip my thighs cramped and were seizing as I made the final climb out and todays solo hike n fish was 3 times that distance with 2 and half times the climbing .
I made it out though. 17 miles, 2 creeks fished and a descent sized rainbow along with many brook trout to make the day grander then it had already been.

19/03/2025

Troutsmiths Brookie LT 3 wt E Glass Build. Bamboo Reel Seats down locking ring Reelseat complete with etched bear, AJ Pagley, Spilt Cane and Agate(instagram) agate stripping guide, Brand Guides, silk wraps and rattan grip by me( J. Bear Hedrick, with 4 coats of Shellac followed by 6 thin coats of Flexcoat Lite Epoxy. Ready for chasing Southern Appalachian Brook Trout this weekend.

03/03/2025

Recently I was contacted by someone who came here to fish the National Park this winter who got skunked. They asked if they are fish in the national park because the next day they fished stocked waters and did significantly better. Here’s my answer.

Consider we’ve had some really cold days this winter including several weeks of icing events of the park streams. At these water temps cold blooded trout will slow thier metabolism and significantly reduce activity. A warming trend of 4-6 F of the water could cause a change in wild trout causing them to feed better even if water temps are still below thier 50-62F preferred water temperatures .

Likewise a cooling trend of the water can cause a decrease in feeding activity . Comparing how a wild trout feeds to a stocked trout will most likely frustrate you. Regardless of how my day of fishing was, a day in the mountains on mountain streams offers a relief from civilization and our busy lives and I try to savor every minute of that space.

Wild trout and stocked trout often show different feeding behaviors in cold water, with wild trout appearing to reduce their feeding activity more significantly than stocked trout. This difference stems from several factors:

For wild trout:
- They've evolved to conserve energy during winter when food is naturally scarce
- Their metabolism slows dramatically in cold water, reducing their caloric needs
- They're adapted to surviving seasonal cycles by building fat reserves in fall and minimizing activity in winter
- They're more selective about feeding opportunities, only expending energy when the reward is worthwhile

For stocked trout:
- They're typically raised in hatcheries with consistent feeding schedules regardless of season
- Many are conditioned to artificial food and less reliant on natural feeding instincts
- They haven't developed the same seasonal adaptations as wild fish
- They're often stocked shortly before fishing seasons and haven't adapted to the local environment

Wild trout don't completely stop feeding in winter - they become much more selective and opportunistic. They'll still feed during prime conditions (slightly warmer days, specific hatches) but are much more conservative with their energy expenditure compared to stocked fish that may continue their hatchery-conditioned feeding behaviors.

27/01/2025

A whole new world. Are you getting out this winter? Feel you don’t have the right shoes? I use my summer wet wading setup with thick wool socks and dress in merino wool base layers. Right now that is the Korkers Stealth Sneakers or Astral Merge and I keep a set of Microspikes in the pack for icy and slippery conditions.

The neoprene wet wading sock works like a wetsuit , trapping water between it and your skin and warming it up. In some of my photographs here I am standing in the water yet my feet were warm once I got out and started hiking again. Don’t let winter keep you inside. Get out and enjoy it and build that endurance for the spring hiking into the backcountry for brook trout.

18/01/2025

Glass is moving along. Ray Lee of Bamboo Reel Seats made me another bear etched ring and cap Down locking reel seat and I believe I have nailed how I am moving forward with the Brook trout inspired rod wraps. I was struggling with the white tips of the fins when I discovered ‘s YouTube tutorial on using India Ink to color the thread before wrapping and it has worked brilliantly. Shown with 1 coat of shellac with multiple more coming to lock in the colors of the silk. I may still let the guide wraps turn transparent colors while keeping the ferrule and decorative wraps opaque above the rattan grip that I am still working. Further testing on that.

30/12/2024

Admittedly I have become crayfish obsessed lately and have been a fun tie on the vise. Even in the streams of our Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding southern Appalachian Mountains crayfish are abundant even with a few blue varieties. The 4th photo in this set is a crayfish I caught in the Little River while snorkeling a few summers ago. Interestingly crayfish swim backwards as this one was when I caught him. The last photo is a rainbow caught on the Tellico this past weekend on a Crayfish fly.

20/12/2024

Big Fish are moving about in Tennessee’s and North Carolina’s delayed harvest streams

15/12/2024

November backpacking and flyfishing

20/10/2024

As many of you know Western North Carolina and North Eastern Tennessee got absolutely hammered during Hurricane Helene causing widespread destruction and devestation. While these areas are recovering and being the much needed help they need, don’t forget that much of our area didn’t ge hit as hard and are fully operational and depends on tourism and the dollars it brings to keep people working, buisnesses and towns alive. That goes for the local fly shops, their guides, the local coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and so much more. If you can’t visit the local areas, many of these shops have online sites as well that would also enjoy your patronage. This includes but not limited to:

Maggie Valley Fly Shop- Maggie Valley, NC
Tuckaseegee Fly Shop - Waynesville, Sylva, Bryson City, NC
Bryson City Fly Shop- Fly Fishing the Smokies - Bryson City, NC
Headwaters Outfitters- Rosman, NC
Davidson River Outfitters, Pisgah Forest, NC
Smoky Mountain Angler- Knoxville, Gatlinburg, TN
Little River Outfitters, Townsend, TN
Tellico Outfitters, Tellico Plains, TN

Please support all of the fly shops and guide services here in our region that were affected by this tragedy. You can make a difference by supporting us and all of the other businesses in these mountain towns. Gift cards can be purchased and online and in store shopping and coming here is that difference. It’s gonna be a long road back, but it will come back