Part one of Southern Appalachians

by JJ
(Upstate SC)

I thought I might share some photos of some of the beautiful places that the pursuit of trout have taken me. My hope is that it may inspire others to do the same so that we all may experience the great diversity that this country has to offer. After a couple of attempts to upload posts, I contacted Chris to seek his advice on how best to do this, so I am going to attempt to post in separate parts.

This particular trip was to attempt a thru fish of a rugged, if not lengthy gorge. I have fished above and below this area, but was unsure how passable it was. Recently this area received 11 inches of rain over 4 days, and the amount of water that ran thru the gorge was staggering. It’s not a place to be during rising water, as there isn’t a safe exit. With the lower summer water levels, and a favorable forecast it seemed like a good time to explore.

This was also my first trip where taking pictures was a consideration, and I will admit that it messed with my fishing mojo. I did catch fish, just not as many as I thought I should have based on the quality and remoteness of the water. There was one beautiful surprise brookie that was the cherry on top. I know them to exist further up the drainage, but wasn’t expecting anything other than rainbows here.

This is southern Appalachian water, by the way. The specifics shall remain nameless. If this is well received, I will hone my process, attempt to improve my photography and try to do this more often.