INTERSTATE SPORTSMAN

Trouting on the go
by Ray Brock, the Interstate Sportsman

As a writer known to be knowledgeable about trout fishing throughout the South in the 1990s, I took some pride in being able to direct anyone who asked to good, easily accessed fishing. Don Webster, an editor out of Chicago, called one day to say he would be traveling to Nashville. He was interested in learning where he might cast a fly for a few hours near the Music City during his stay.
     Without thinking too much, I told him that the Caney Fork River tail waters crossed I-40 several times, and at one crossing was a rest area near the river. I mentioned that if he were able to catch the river down between periods of water releases at the upstream dam, good fishing was likely. Don took my advice, caught the water down at the Caney Fork River, and within two hours of tossing a #18 Ginger Quill, caught over 200 rainbow trout. He thought I was more responsible for the high point of his trip to Nashville than credit was due to me for my directions.
     Ironically, such hot fishing for trout is not unusual when one studies interstate highway maps and how often they cross and crisscross some of the best-known trout streams in the world. Partaking of the great fishing these trout streams and rivers have to offer can be so easy you may wish a thousand times over you had not “gotten wet” sooner.
     In terms of carrying along tackle and related gear, trout fishing is the easiest of the higher levels of fishing to pack gear for. Unlike the bulky gear needs of bass or striper fishing, your tackle needs for trout are incredibly streamlined. Trout tackle for stream fishing is by definition compact and lightweight. Modern waders are paper-thin and roll up for packing into pouches half the size of a loaf of bread.  Fly rods come in two- to three-piece sections that are less than four inches long, while lightweight spinning rods are often shorter. A single fly or lure box the size of a wallet can hold a hundred flies or three-dozen bantam-sized spinners. A rod, reel, lures, sunglasses and hat are all you need. Even if you over-pack, your entire array is rarely more bulky than a typical gym bag.
     A fishing license, of course, is a consideration when you are on the road. This used to be a pain for drivers, but now can usually be bought in advance by visiting state fishery/ wildlife sites on the Internet or even by telephone. Unlike nonresident hunting licenses that are always expensive, fishing licenses for nonresidents rarely cost more than $20 for two to five days of fishing. Additionally, if you have down time, you may want to do more than just try roadside casting. You may wish to hire a guide for a float trip or even pay a trespass fee to get onto one of the prime spring creeks in places like Wyoming.
     Here is a list of places you may cross frequently without ever realizing you were napping next to a blue ribbon trout-fishing stream or river. These are merely the tip of the iceberg: 

Letort Creek: The East’s Top Limestone Stream
     Pennsylvania’s famous Letort Creek is the best known of the Eastern limestone trout streams. Flowing through the historic South- eastern Keystone State town of Carlisle, Letort Creek flows beside and under I-81, one of the East’s most heavily traveled north-to-south routes. The Letort is largely found on private land, but permission to trespass is still as simple as asking in most cases.

South Fork of the Powder River: Rooftop Trouting
     The South Fork of the Powder River begins in the lofty Rocky Mountains, 50 miles west of the Wyoming city of Casper. Flowing north it travels over forty miles to a crossing of I-25. This river is lightly fished, and it is brimming with large rainbow and brown trout. It is a great roadside stop, especially in early July when there is a heavy hatch of green drake mayflies that bring the river to life with surface feeding trout.

Caney Fork, Tip Top Tennessee Trail Water Trouting
     Big trout holding rivers do not occur naturally in the South, and they are created when cool streams and rivers are dammed, as is with the Caney Fork to create Center Hill Lake. Cold water pulled from deep beneath the surface is pushed through the hydroelectric turbines, resulting in manmade trout waters called tail-water rivers. Caney Fork crosses I-40 three times in a 10-mile stretch, one being at a rest area. Wade fishing is easiest and safest when the upstream dam is not releasing water.

Au Sable River: Michigan’s Ah Yes Trouting
     It was a favorite of Hemingway, and is widely regarded as the best brook trout fishing in the United States. The pristine headwaters of the Michigan’s Au Sable River crosses beneath I-75 near the fishing mecca of Grayling. Not only is wade fishing available at this point, but float trips are easy to arrange with local guides and outfitters based out of Grayling. The best hatches occur during July, and last until mid-August.

Canadian River: New Mexico’s Best Kept Secret
     If your route ever takes you along I-25 in northern New Mexico, then a stop along this highway’s crossing of the Canadian River is an absolute must. One of the West’s best kept trout fishing secrets, the Canadian is chock full of scarlet slashed rainbow trout and big growing browns. Great summer fishing is a given, but unlike other streams, this one is hot through the autumn months as well.

Adirondacks: New York’s Step Back in Time Trouting
     A good argument can be made that I-87 is the key artery between the U.S. and Canada, and that I-87’s 100-mile plus run through the New York’s Adirondack Park is eye candy for drivers. Although often overlooked, I-87 crosses or traces alongside over a dozen prime trout streams and small rivers. Ironically, these roadside stretches of water get less fishing pressure than do more remote waters in the Adirondacks. If you have the time, a few hours in one of the smaller rivulets along this route can be remarkably rewarding.

Sacramento River: Fruit State Salad
     Okay, we all hate runs to California, but we also all know that northern California is a “different” state.
     The headwaters of the Sacramento River cross under I-5 south of Redding, where great trout fishing is found in several locations near this busy throughway. Portions of the Sacramento River are on private land, and other reaches are on public property. The best fishing occurs in early summer.

     Remember, take a kid fishing and it will keep them off the streets, May God bless you as he has me, and if you just ask him, he will. You can find us on the World Wide Web at www.interstatesportsman.com