May Day on the Lil Pig

While wanting to try out some smallie patterns that I tied up for an upcoming fly swap, I decided to steal away a couple hours and head out to the Little Pigeon to get them wet. Since my son was born (6 years ago mind ya), I have not been out during the week to flick a line... With my oldest in kindergarten, the youngest in a 2 day a week pre k program and the weather finally cooperating with my work schedule - I decided to venture out and wet a line.
My buddy Rusty came along and brought his raft as we were prepared to do a short float to cover more water for my little time, but of course Murphy decided to pay a visit and put the kibash on those plans. While parking my truck at the take out, I noticed it was acting up more that usual (I was already running on expired time with the starter) and sure enough, the mechanical gremlin reared its ugly head - the car wouldn't start. SOOO, what to do....I only had a few hours before I had to get back, teach my photography class, pick up my kids from school, and then go to work...but I wasn't about to pack it in either...well I'm already here, lets go fish.
We had to wade of course and the water was cooler thanks to a deluging front earlier that weekend. As a result, the smallie bite was off but I was just happy to be out, but its tough to fish effectively when you have issues looming - my eye was constantly on the clock.
Working my way down stream, the water was pushing fairly swift and was slightly stained. I was startled to hook a nice smallie in a soft side of a tail out not more that 3 feet in front of me. The surprise hookup didn't afford a good connect and in a couple of nice jumps and that bronze ship sailed away...it was a very decent fish, a porker too...
And it wasn't on the pattern I tied, I ended up switching over to a clouser because of the currents. But you gotta adapt to the situtation and the clouser seemed close enough for government for what the bass were looking for.

The funny thing was that here we were looking for smallmouth and Rusty tagged a one of the bigger 'bows I've seen in a while (course I haven't got out much lately)
It's a washover - a washed down holdover from the "trout rodeo" that is in Pigeon Forge every spring. We reasoned that if it can make it to the tailwater and find a spring, it could theoretically live a long, healthy life. There is definatly enough food in the French Broad.

Seeing as how the bite was off and the looming issues of me having to deal with my car and get back in time to deal with life's responsibilities - we cut the jaunt short and headed back up stream. 'Course you have to have that last cast and on the way out I managed to get this small guy to hand which makes it all worth it. In the end, the tow truck came, the starter was the culprit, and I made it back on time to take care of business. What a day...