My wife and I went to pigeon forge last Sunday for our anniversary. I took my nets, she took the debit card....works out well for the both of us. Anyways, we arrived on Sunday and I was a bit disappointed. I suppose TN had received a lot of rain because the river was up about 3 feet from where it was on Friday and it was muddy.

I went out Saturday morning to the West Prong Little Pigeon. The water was cold, fast, and deep however it was a decent trip. At this location I found:
1. Warpaint Shiner
2. Saffron Shiner
3. TN Snubnose Darter
4. Swannanoa Darter
5. Female Redline Darter

This wasn't the great find I was hoping for, but I guess it's not bad considering the deep fast moving water.

I left there and hit Walden Creek, that runs behind Kroger. At this location I found:
1. Several female Redlines
2. Two male Redlines

After I collected here, I ran in Kroger for something and when I came back out there was a hunter green SUV parked next to me with a light bar on top. I thought for sure somebody call the game wardon. The man had a police type uniform on, but he never said anything to me. Once I got in my car, I realized the SUV didn't have any markings or stickers of anything on it. But I thought for sure somebody call The Man.

The next day I sampled the West Prong again, further downstream behind our hotel. I didn't find much here, just TN Snubnoses. However, it was at this location that I nearly drowned. I crossed the main flow of the river onto a raised rock bed. Where I crossed was about 2 1/2 feet deep and very very fast. When I crossed back over to go back to the hotel I decided to cross at a deeper but slower moving part of the river. I got into the middle of it, roughly 4 feet deep (the water was at the bottom of my stomach and I'm 6'1) and I realized that the water was much faster than it looked. I lost my footing and was swept away for about 15-20 feet down the river underwater. I managed to come up and leap to the bank. Anyways, don't always take the water for what it is, and it's a good idea to have a friend with you in deep water.

To conclude, it was a decent trip. I wish that the water was down and the collecting would have been better, but I'm satisfied with the trip. I hope to go back this fall when the water is down. Okay, time for the pics.


Redline Darter (the best looking one I've ever seen)









Snubnose Darter







Swannanoa Darter

SHINERS

Warpaint Shiner
I had a hard time getting a good pic of this guy because he's so silvery








Sadly, I doubt he'll make it. He seems to have fin rot pretty badly. Most of his rear fin is gone, and the whiteness had spread up his tail. This was the only Warpaint I found while I was down there. Anybody know a good cure for fin rot?

Saffron Shiner
I caught several of these. I kept two adults and two juveniles. I actually thought the juveniles were TN Shiners at first. Juveniles don't have that same body shape as the adults, they are most long and skinny. The yellow color on this guys head is unreal, I wish it would stay that way.











The Saffron I caught last year is in the background here

Saffron's are some nice looking fish. The Chattanooga aquarium has a very nice display with a good sized school of them. I'd love to get a school of them going at some point.

Sounds like a pretty decent anniversary trip! Did you manage to hang onto your nets when you got swept away? I did that once when I was out wade fishing and about $200 worth of my gear got claimed by the river king.

Josh,

Thanks for sharing! I've never seen a fish with yellow on its head like that! That's soooo cool!

Brian

Josh,

Thanks for sharing! I've never seen a fish with yellow on its head like that! That's soooo cool!

Brian

awesome pics. i really need to get a redline darter...beautiful

Clayton, I managed to hang onto my net and bucket. That's actually what made everything worse. The bucket was full of water with fish and I actually had my net full of small gravel to add to my tank. Trying to navigate the waters and hang onto this made it more difficult. I was just glad that I wasn't wearing my chest waders. I hear that it can be really dangerous if you get those full of water, something I hope to never experience.

BT, I hope that one retains the yellow color, but I doubt it will. It really is an awesome looking fish. My other Saffron wasn't like that. He doesn't have much yellow, but his body stays red all the time.

Bumplyemon, Redlines really are awesome looking darters. They retain their color like that all the time and usually acclimate well to tank life.


The Warpaint wasn't looking good on Friday when I left home. I really wanted to get him out and go ahead and freeze him, but I am really hoping that he'll pull through. However, the fin rot had moved pretty far up his body. I'm betting on him being dead when I get back home on Monday. I just hope him dying doesn't affect the rest of the tank. I guess the Warpaint is a bit more of a fragile fish than other shiners. I was excited when I caught him too, gives me more reason to go back this fall.

I was just glad that I wasn't wearing my chest waders. I hear that it can be really dangerous if you get those full of water, something I hope to never experience.

I wear a belt with my waders. It slows down the water rushing in and gives me more time to get my footing back.