July Jump

After spending the weekend in GA and dropping of the kids with the grandparents, my wife and I came home to a quiet house and a week off...well, she still had to go to class so I just had to occupy my time somehow. So I ventured out the the Smokies and while I just wanted to see how the brookies were faring up high in my favorite haunt, i decided to see if a slam was in order.
It was rather chilly out as I headed out. By the time I got above the Chimneys, it was down right cold for July 1st. The water was freezing, but with no thermometer on hand I could only guesstimate, but it hurt to keep my hands in for any length of time. My theory is that it shut down the fish. Even though the water was spooky low, usually you could raise plenty of fish in known slots and pockets. There were the few risers, but the specs were tiny... I did see a nice one rise in a dark pocket at a base of a "fall" but most of the brookies were tiny -
The funny thing was that I came onto a 'bow that was of decent size for such small water. It was finning in a slanting current that was being washed back from a large rock - so the fish was facing away from me to the opposite bank. I saw it follow my yellow EHC with no take and so began a mini pursuit to take the fish. I tried several different flies that resulted in looks but no takes. There was a a quick mouth on a ant pattern but no hook up. Finally after watching this thing feed, it looked like to me that it was midging... so i tied a small black tailwater style midge with a zlon wing dropped off the ant pattern and after the first cast - boom! that fish rose and took the midge with out hesitation...
It was only about 6" but it was the challenge and figuring out the problem that made that fish so rewarding...and as the saying goes, never pass up a feeding fish.
Since I had 2/3 of a slam, I decided to head on over to LR to look for a brown. This proved to be most dificult. Though I had some great looks from some sizable fish on a yellow stimi, there was no takes...I high stuck a bunch of small bows, but now browns. I hooked a huge horny head - but again no brown....finally I did hook a small guy high sticking a SMBSH, but lost the fish as I was digging for the camera...so in sense I did complete the summer slam, just no pic to back it up. At any rate - it was fun to get out and managed to find solitude streamside in the middle of summer. Though there tons of people about, the cold, low water must of kept most of em out of the water...anyhow, anytimes a good time to get out and fish...and it was a bonus to see the rhodos in bloom.