Blue Lining Appalachia
Blue Lining is the act of fishing and exploring the small, often overlooked, streams in a given area. The name comes from the “blue lines” that represent miniscule bodies of water on a map. Blue Lining is as much about the exploration, research and physical effort as it is about the fish. Often enough, these tiny streams and brooks hold only small and relatively unremarkable fish. The massive amount of work that sometimes goes into finding and catching these small fish seems disproportionate. An 8 inch Brookie might be a true trophy, keep the size of fish in perspective with their surrounding landscape as well as their peers! To many, this type of fishing doesn’t grant the necessary rewards. This is not the fishing of powerboats, hero shots, lucrative pro deals and the like. Blue Lining is about solitude, feeling connected to our natural environment and just taking a step back from the turbulence of our modern lives.
With the proliferation of fishing information on the internet, the research that goes into blue lining has been widely modernized. Now, an angler can spend tens of hours backtracking rivers up to their highest and most remote points using Google Maps. Forums, YouTube videos and countless blogs can inundate prospective fishermen with a menagerie of options. A good topographical map is as valuable today to the fisherman as it was 100 years ago. Research books abound detailing all sorts of watersheds and how to explore them. Be creative and think outside the box, this is part of the fun when it comes to this type of adventure.
You should ask yourself some questions while looking into your first trips:
How much work am I willing to put in? Are you an experienced backpacker willing to travel miles into the backcountry or are you more interested in finding a quiet place to hike with your family and maybe catch a few fish along the way?
Is there a type of fish you specifically want to target? Maybe beautiful native Brook trout high in the southern Appalachians or leaping Rainbows in overlooked tributaries?
Our home waters here in North Georgia offer tremendous blue lining opportunities due to the prolific amount of tributaries flowing into our main river systems. If you are in the Blue Ridge area I would highly suggest exploring the Blue Ridge WMA as it offers a great concentration of high elevation streams holding a large population of wild trout across the spectrum. While some streams are more accessible than others, this area offers a wide range of technical fishing and can test even the most advanced anglers. The 3 forks area in the Blue Ridge WMA is a fan favorite, with miles of small streams holding wild trout both along the road and off the beaten path. Streams like Chester Creek, Noontootla Creek, and Long Creek provide anglers with access to unpressured rainbow and brown trout, and even brook trout when reaching higher elevations.
When it comes to gear I typically will carry only fishing apparatus on a trip that I expect to take fewer than four hours. Beyond that, I will carry water, snacks, maybe a full picnic depending on the nature of the specific trip. For fishing gear I will typically carry a 3 or 4 weight rod (6-8ft rods work great when casting with limited space), some spools of 3-6X tippet, a couple small fly boxes, floatant, nippers and hemostats. When it comes to flies I tend to carry a variety of smaller dries and nymphs such as blue winged olives, various color humpy’s, small stimulators, CK nymphs, and an assortment of size 16-20 beaded nymphs (midges, hares ear, etc.) This will cover the basis and gives confidence in almost any scenario when it comes to small stream fishing. I tend to travel as lightly as I can and will often have all of this just in my pockets if I can manage it. To that point, I don’t like carrying multiple pairs of shoes while doing this. I usually wear Chaco’s or some sort of wading sandal during the warmer months and wading boots with neoprene socks during the cooler months. The time of the year will dictate the proper footwear but finding something comfortable is key. Your choice may not serve as well as a purpose-made hiking shoe, but the versatility they afford will be well worth it.
However, these sort of trips are whatever you make of them. Sometimes I plan weeklong expeditions tens of miles from the nearest road. Other times, I just like to take a quiet afternoon nearer to home and hike with a fly rod in hand. Use your own judgement on what kind of gear and preparations your trip might dictate. Always make sure that someone knows your location and your approximate return time. Safety is key while traveling somewhere remote and whenever possible you should Blue Line with a friend or two. Most important is to have fun with it! Blue Lining doesn’t have to be all about trout. Maybe your “blue lines” are full of Carp, suckers, Redeye bass or even something more exotic. This is all about the pursuit of the fish, the journey, not necessarily the fish themselves. Make it your own and enjoy the chase!