I had reached that stage of holiday exhaustion where too much consumption and stimuli had veiled me in a narcotic mist of fatuous inertia. Nothing would restore my senses like an …
Historically Low Water Levels at Chilhowee Lake Offer Up a Surprising Catch
“What is that thing?” biologist Drew Crain said when the fish on my line came into view, shimmering in the clear water. People standing on the bank of drawn-down Chilhowee …
A Walleye Is Finally Caught, and a Personal Quest Ends
For almost a year now, I’ve been paddling my kayak in pursuit of the East Tennessee walleye. I’ve heard people claim they’ve caught walleye—a pikeperch native of the upper Midwest—and …
A Last Look at Boomsday—From the Tennessee River
Like most paddlers, I usually employ my canoe or kayak to escape the cacophony of civilization: motors sputtering, roaring and emitting fumes; people arguing; barbaric yawps of pleasure or pain; …
Secret Fishing Spot: Lots of Bites—Not Many From Fish
We had failed in our first attempt to find the secret fishing spot in the gorge. We’d lost our way and we’d been attacked by an unseen enemy that would …