First Fish in the New Kayak

I took the kayak out a couple times to see how it would handle fishing. I'm still not confident fly fishing out of it but spin fishing is really easy. The rod holders work great and the material the kayak is made out of seems sturdy enough to with stand hooks. As long as you don't set the hook into the boat like you would a fish I think you'll be fine. I went out over the 4th of July weekend and hooked a nice channel catfish and white perch. 

I'm still trying to figure out the right seat configuration with the foot rests to be comfortable. After about an hour I keep wanting to lay down in the kayak. I actually slid down and laid my head on the seat to see how comfortable it would be. I could have took a nap easily. Really I could have removed the seat all together and just used the boat like a air mattress. Not sure I'm confident enough to do that just yet but I could see someone really enjoying that. I'm having fun with the boat and that's all that matters currently. It's been really hot lately and with no shade on the water the sun and heat have been brutal. I'm hoping to get out more and have some more reports soon. 

Kayaking as a family

I've been wanting another kayak for quite some time and I researched several different options. My wife gave me the go ahead to get a tandem and I had one on order and decided to try a inflatable for the kids. The Intex Excursion Inflatable kayak came and after our first test float I was so impressed I decided to order two and use them with the family. 

The boat takes about 7-10min to inflate with the dual pump hand pump it comes with. The kayak is very sturdy and although I don't think could stand up in it but the inflatable bottom doesn't feel like a water bed. It fits a adult and child comfortably but the boat was designed to be used solo as a fishing kayak.

The boat comes with paddles, two seats, rod holders, pump and skagit right out of the box. The kayak is very easy to maneuver and tracks very well. It does get caught in a cross wind if it's really blowing. 

I can't comment on the durability because I've only had the boats out twice but so far my I've been very happy with them. I'm not sure you can find kayaks that are easier to transport and setup. Breaking them down doesn't take long at all and they both fit in the back of my SUV. 

I did get one of these boats for fishing and I have to admit I'm a little concerned about fishing out of it. The boat seems durable but I don't think it could handle a decent hook hitting the side of it. I remember with my old kayak my cast would sometimes send a fly right into the side of it. That kayak was hard plastic so there was no concern but with this I wouldn't feel so confident. I do plan on using spinning tackle I'll be sure to post a review once I do. 

Stinging Lips on the Eno

Took the kids back to where it all started for me fly fishing in this area. I have plenty of posts about the Eno and I think this trip the kids are starting to realize why I like it so much. 

My daughter didn't care about fishing and spent most of her time using her hat as a seining net.

My son was eager to fish more than he's ever been. 

The Eno is a great place for beginners. The current is fairly mild and the water is knee deep in most places. The sunfish are always happy to hit flies.

It's also a great place to hike with old homestead features and bridges.

It was great to get away and forget about this virus stuff for at least a few hours. 

The distraction was welcomed and we look forward to more days like this.

First Trip of 2020

I took the day off to head to the mountains and try for some trout. The weather forecast said the high was 50 but the snow showers we experienced said otherwise. It was still a great day with plenty of fish caught.

 The river has been through quite a lot with the amount of rain we've had recently. I didn't recognize parts of it because the topography has been totally changed. 

The flies of the day were the usual brown and green soft hackles I like to tie. I'm always confident on this river and feel like I it dialed in. I went with a friend who hadn't fished here before. He had his first fish on with in 10min. 

I hope this is the first trip of many for 2020. 

Fishing With Troy

I've had the pleasure to fish with Troy quite a few times. We've had some epic days on the water especially one morning chasing redfish. He's one of the best fishermen I know. This is a great video demonstrating his fishing prowess. 

Smoky Mountain National Park

The Mammoth Cave trip had been such a success we were excited about what the Smoky Mountain National Park had to offer. The drive went up through Pigeon Forge, TN and what I saw there concerned me. The main strip going through Pigeon Forge is lined with tourist traps. It reminded me of Branson or a attempt to be like Vegas. Traffic was very heavy and I couldn't believe people would drive from all over for a vacation to deal with more people. Gatlinburg had some of the same problems but it wasn't as bad as Pigeon Forge. What Gatlinburg has going for it is the proximity to the SMNP. The park is within walking distance and it's a great place if you have someone who hates the outdoors in your party and just wants to shop. 

My daughter had been hounding me for years to do a horseback riding trip. I had wanted to try it in Yellowstone but the prices were outrageous. The prices at the Sugarlands Riding Stables are reasonable and the people there did a great job with my family. Especially the kids.

The ride we did was a few miles but you felt like you were actually riding in the country and one section followed a creek as it gained elevation. 

The scenery was breathtaking and I couldn't think of a better way to start our trip. My daughter was on cloud nine.

The family experience was well worth the price. At the time we did this a family of 4 could do a hour and a half ride for around $200 that's including tip. 

The next day we decided to try a hike at Grotto Falls. What attracts people to this water fall is you can walk behind it. I had heard so much about the wildlife in the Smokies and the drive to the falls gave us our first taste. Right in the middle of the road was a turkey doing a mating dance around a female.

We kept our distance and just watched but other tourists weren't as respectful. Driving right up to the birds as they did their business. 

We had to park a little further than we intended because of the upper parking lot being closed. This actually helped us enjoy the hike more. I was worried the 2mile hike to the falls might be too much for the kids but I think they were distracted having their friends along.

The kids got a kick out of this log they could climb through.

The big highlight for me was running into this guy on the trail who was hiking with his alpacas.

Eventually we could start to make out the falls from the trail.

When you first see the falls it's hard to believe you can walk behind it.

As you get closer you can see it is fairly large and there's plenty of room to fit behind it.

We took our time exploring the park for the rest of the day. There's a nice rest area right off the Pigeon Forge river where I was able to fish a little. 

This area was great for wading and with the weather being so warm the kids took advantage of playing in the water.

The water was very clear, cold and refreshing from the 80+ temperatures we were experiencing. When we had our fill of playing in the river we made our way to Cades Cove.

There are old buildings you can visit in Cades Cove but the majority of it is seen by car. There's a road that circles around the area and has a speed limit of less that 25 if I remember correctly. The views are terrific and it's not uncommon to see bears and turkeys.

We were lucky enough to see both.

There's some interesting history in this area and it's worth stopping at the old settlements and reading about them. When you drive around SMNP you'll notice right away an abundance of waterfalls and wildlife.

It reminded me of a condensed version of Yellowstone. 

The fishing pressure wasn't that bad at least when we visited. There are so many places to fish I had water to myself quite often.

Many of the streams are filled with small trout similar to this rainbow trout.

The following next few days were spent hiking and exploring the area. Rainbow Falls is a popular tourist attraction.

The hike there is fairly easy and paved most of the way.

The falls are beautiful and well worth the hike. 

Similar to Yellowstone if you see a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road that usually signaled there was wildlife not far. What's great is you can slowly pass the onlookers and ask what they're looking at then decide if it's worth stopping. This one day there was a mother and cub and we decided to join the gawkers.

The bear was about 100yds from where we were standing and I had never seen a bear in the wild until this vacation. I was a little concerned we were too close and I was ready make my way back to the car if the bear came any closer. It didn't seem to mind our presence and as we watched it we kept over hearing people talk about a cub. Sure enough up a small bear cub scampered up a tree not far from the mother. 

It was neat to witness such a thing and it wasn't long until the cub climbed down and met back up with the mother. We later learned after watching awhile there were two cubs and I was lucky enough to snap this shot. 

Where ever we stopped there seemed to be waterfalls and wildlife I guess that's kind of what the Smokies are all about.

The best part was experiencing all this as a family.

Having another family along was huge to help with lulls. When the kids felt tired the other kids would help drag them forward. It really helped with the kids moods and overall moral.

The last day we checked out Clingmans Dome. The hike to the dome was kind of brutal. It's a paved trail but it's up a ridiculously steep grade. I'm not in great shape but I 'm not super out of shape either and I had stop to rest because my calves were killing me.

The drive up to the dome dropped the temperature over 10 degrees. We went from hot and sweaty to thinking we needed a sweatshirt. There was a brisk wind which made it feel even colder. 

The path up the dome was a marvel in itself.

The curve of the path as it raised in elevation was pretty neat.

The view back looking over the valley.

You can see both sides of the Smokies from the top of the dome. It was a great view but I'm sure on a clear day it's spectacular. 

If you haven't visited the Smoky Mountain National Park before I'd say it's a must visit. The crowds may seem bad going through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge but once you're in the park it's easy to get away. There's plenty of places to fish, hike and see wildlife. It's not hard to find your own spot where you can relax and admire the scenery.