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Tellico
Oct 16, 2005 16:30:33 GMT -5
Post by Fly Flicker on Oct 16, 2005 16:30:33 GMT -5
I woke up early this morning hoping to beat everyone else to the river. I left at 7:45 and was fishing by 9:30 or so. It was COLD. I started out at the first likely stocking point of the DH section. Someone beat me there! Outta no where this guy just splashes up and starts causing a ruckus. I realized he had already poached the first several holes. He was good too, no bait or nothing, he just swam around and grabbed them with his teeth. ;D The fishing was spotty, they only stocked easy spots close to the road, and only a few of those. I managed to find a couple holes with fish in them and I caught about 6. The ones that were stocked though are really nice fish, they're fat and big and healthy. Later I moved on up to some wild water and slayed 'em. They were hitting everything with gusto. I almost caught a double three times. I hit the Tellico again above the DH and luckily picked up two brownies. I made it home around 5:15 and now I think I'll go take a nap before I start homework .
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 9:11:27 GMT -5
Post by Jay on Oct 18, 2005 9:11:27 GMT -5
Glad to here somone fishing the DH. Thanks for the report. I am not sure of the stocking schedule on the DH. Do they stock it 3 different times like they do in NC or is it a one time deal? The more people that show interest in the DH waters the more fish we will see being stocked. I think that they are still just trying to see if there are enough people fishing it to justify really filling it up.(like the Nanty) It would be great if we had that kind of DH fishery right here close to home. It is excellent water for one, probably better than the Nantahala.
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 9:23:58 GMT -5
Post by Petey on Oct 18, 2005 9:23:58 GMT -5
I have been thinking of fishing the DH section sometime soon to test it out. Might have to go fish the gorge section just below the Bald River Falls.... I have been eyeing that stretch for sometime. I know some people that fished the DH section just last week and had a blast. Can't wait to get to it.... Petey
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 10:27:08 GMT -5
Post by Tentwing on Oct 18, 2005 10:27:08 GMT -5
Man!! ...... You guys know how to hurt a fella. Fall is here and all my favorite DH's are now very far away since my move to the upper Cumberland. Keep posting.... I gotta get my DH fix in somehow... ...........................Tentwing
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 14:16:33 GMT -5
Post by Fly Flicker on Oct 18, 2005 14:16:33 GMT -5
I saw about 4 other cars fishing the DH Sunday. Saturday there were probably more. I think the cooler weather means fewer fishers and I'll have to start wearing waders . Petey, the gorge might hold some fish, maybe even some really big holdovers, but I highly doubt it gets stocked at all. It is to tough to get to. TW, that's too bad. You'll just have to take a whole week off here and there to go fishing to make up for lost time . By the way, in the same hole I saw the otter, I saw a fresh can of corn and an empty crawler container. The poachers are already taking advantage of it.
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 14:50:35 GMT -5
Post by Hoss on Oct 18, 2005 14:50:35 GMT -5
I managed to fish the DH below baby falls saturday for a couple of hours and caught 3 nice bows on a #14 orange bodied E.H.C.. Only saw about 5 other people fishing the river all day. Strange thing is , I talked to a few guys who fish it fairly regulary and they said they have never caught very many at all, but we took a few guys that were camping with us to the hatchery to see the raceways and brood fish and they were loaded with creel size fish. Now according to a pamhlet they have posted on the board in the hatchery parking lot, they only stock Tellico,Citico,Green Cove pond and 10 polk county streams that they sometimes supplement with fish from the Dale Hollow hatchery. So why so many fish in the raceways if stocking has been over for a month now?
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 16:07:35 GMT -5
Post by Petey on Oct 18, 2005 16:07:35 GMT -5
Not sure... You could possibly call the hatchery or email TWRA and the Forest Service to find out. You should have tracked down somebody that was hanging around working the hatchery to find out what the plans are. I will do some digging and see what I can come up with. Petey
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Tellico
Oct 18, 2005 18:32:02 GMT -5
Post by Fly Flicker on Oct 18, 2005 18:32:02 GMT -5
Can't say for sure Hoss. My understanding was they stocked often during the DH season. Like at least twice a month. So I guess those fish will just keep getting bigger until they get put in the river?
That makes me wonder, do they have problems with the raceways freezing in winter? If so all the fish will need to be in the river in the next month or so....
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Tellico
Oct 19, 2005 17:00:18 GMT -5
Post by Hoss on Oct 19, 2005 17:00:18 GMT -5
I looked for a game warden Petey but none were around when we were there. I know there were at least 4 raceways full of 12" to 14" or bigger fish. and the other raceways were full of smaller fish in the 7" to 10" range. I just thought it was odd to have all but 3 or 4 raceways full of fish if they were going to use them for DH. My thinking was surely they aint gonna feed all those fish all winter and release them this spring. As for the raceways freezing this winter as long as there is running water they shouldn't freeze.
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