Fishing the Caney Fork River (with Curtis & Robert)

Robert, Curtis and Mark from Our Point of View

The drifter was booked on Saturday when I received a call from Curtis. He wanted to do a half-day float on the Caney Fork too. So, I called Mark and he was there Saturday morning to take Curtis and Robert, both experienced anglers, for trip on the Caney Fork. Mark took care of Curtis and Robert while I focused on my float. Below is Mark's account of the day. Curtis, I am looking forward to the float in August.

A Behind the Back Hatchery Brat

Guiding Curtis and Robert was pretty simple and enjoyable any way you look at it - just get them somewhere near the river and they would start hauling fish out. Both were excellent casters and great company on the water - the conversation kept pace with the relaxed Saturday mood and the trout seemed none too concerned at the rate Curtis an Robert were pulling them out of the Caney. No amount of canoes, kayaks and waders seemed to phase them. They each just looked for openings and started crossing trout eyes. Curtis and Robert were visiting from Alabama but they really seemed to know their way around pretty good already. Curtis is a native of Cookeville and had waded stretches of the Caney. But, he wanted to see some stretches that are best viewed from the casting brace of a drift boat.

We tried nymph rigs and shad-patterned streamers (the schools of gizzard shad seemed to stretch the length of the river) but still kept coming back to a simple Bob Clouser pattern on clear, intermediate sinking lines that just put the hammer down over and over. We didn't land the big one but Robert had a really nice brown on the line briefly that took a Lefty pattern- and he got some looks from a few other browns that would have made it one heckuva half-day trip. As it was, we landed a boat slam in about 15-20 minutes - the first fish was a brookie that was overly camera shy, then the rainbows and recently stocked browns came to hand soon enough.

A Nice Caney Rainbow

After sizing up the cattle Where Cows Walk On Water (Curtis is in the cattle business....), we had to pick our shots between the more frequent flotillas of paddlers, but we did so throughout the float and when we needed a break, there were RC Colas and Moon Pies waiting.... Robert especially appreciated the southern touch to the snacks. We kept up the pace all the way to Happy Hollow, plucking trout from one end of the float to the other.

The action slowed down some as the sun finally got up and the heat cranked up, but that is to be expected this time of year and the trout are still there under the Caney's cold flow. It was true quality time with two quality fly fishermen.

Busy at the Take-Out