BY THE NUMBERS
700 Miles of trout streams in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park
521,000 Acres of land in Great Smoky Mountain National Park
8 million Annual visitors to the park
Don Kirk, the original guru of trout fishing in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, will be in Atlanta on Nov. 12 to speak to the monthly meeting of the Atlanta Fly Fishing Club. The event is free and open to the public.
Kirk first came to prominence with the publication of his “Smoky Mountains Trout Fishing Guide” in 1981. That book was followed by the “Fly-Fishing Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains” and the “Ultimate Fly-Fishing Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains.”
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited tract in the national park system. It straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennessee and is home to some of the best trout streams in the southeastern states.
Those creeks contain wild rainbow and brown trout, as well as native Southern Appalachian brook trout.
Kirk’s guidebooks provide some history of the fishery, along with descriptions, directions and tips for fishing the most popular creeks and rivers in the park.
Kirk will discuss his new book “Hatches & Fly Patterns of the Great Smoky Mountains” during his appearance. This guidebook was released earlier this year and offers an in-depth look at the legendary flies developed in the Smoky Mountains and the anglers that created them.
He also will talk about his newest project Southern Trout, an online magazine covering fishing throughout the South. The free bi-monthly publication features articles by many of the region’s accomplished anglers, guides and outdoor journalists. The magazine can be viewed at southerntrout.com.
The AFFC meeting begins with dinner and a social hour at 6:30 p.m., followed by Kirk’s program. The event is at Manuel’s Tavern in the Poncey-Highland area on the corner of North and North Highland avenues. More information about the club and the meeting is available at atlantaflyfishingclub.org.
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