The Poor Caney Fork

[CopperJohnny]

A bad trip to the Caney yesterday evening has prompted this post. I have been fishing the Caney hard for 20 years. I fly fish exclusively, I fish year round weather permitting, and I've had good years and bad years...but never a year this bad. This has been the worst year I can remember for both size and quantity of fish. I think it's time for all of us who fish the Caney to admit what has been coming for years....it's over used. It's over fished, over kayaked, over canoed, over tubed, over waded, over stocked and under oxygenated. Maybe I shouldn't be complaining about something that I have no idea how to fix. But I have a feeling that soon....next few years...something is going to have to give.

[tcintn]

Johnny,

I totally agree.I started fishing 6 years ago and all I do is fish for trout.The Caney became almost a second home since I am retired.I have always caught a lot of fish and always a lot of nice size ones.However,this year something is wrong on the river.I have a friend who is catching some big trout,over 20" but he has to do it only at certain times.The thing is,there are hardly any fish between 10" and 20" plus.
I will say the canoes,kayaks and tubers are a pest and that is why I no longer go on week-ends and holidays.
It is the same on the Elk.Its like someone has come in and took all the decent fish out and left the 8" ones.
I fished the Little Red last week in Arkansas for three days in a boat with a guide and we caught big trout all three days and well over 250 for the three days. And that river is fished a lot also but no canoes and kayaks.
I have had TWRA say it is going to get better once dam is repaired.Will see.
This is a you tube a friend made of me in 2010 fishing for three days for around 12 hours total.Most of the fish were like the one shown,it was what it was like then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArUIVh1eJpE

[Travis C.]

I personally think the canoes/yaks and other rentals are more of a pest to us than the fish. Granted if it just started up this summer maybe not the case but it has been going on for a while now full bore. The small stockers may spook off but the quality fish I'd imagine are conditioned to it by now.

The Caney has always seemed to fish like crap on wet years. For who knows what reason over the years it just has. Dry years were always the best fishing and like a lot of places they become cyclical with ups then down years. Construction on the Dam hasn't helped much either. I don't care what the Corps said it was dumping some sort of by product in the river at first from the construction. Hell you could go down to the first creek below the campground and watch it coming in. They put the monitoring equip above that creek??? It would really be good to watch how the Cumby comes back as the Caney will likely follow the same curve. Once it's done it should get better and with the regs should get better rather quickly with hard stocking.

I also don't think the TWRA has been stocking like normal this year. I have heard from several that they want to re-establish the lower section which means to me they are dispersing the stocking efforts and makes no sense because water temps are getting hot now down there....like typical summer pattern. That is something that would be great for once the Dam is done not now in my opinion.

My schedule has kept me off the river but I will be there this Saturday and will post results. This year I have seen more big rainbows caught in the river than ever and I am sure browns are still there as well as the brooks.

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

This year I have seen more big rainbows caught in the river than ever and I am sure browns are still there as well as the brooks.

That's funny, I only have caught 2 rainbows over 14" this year, but have had more browns over 17" than in the past...but I am also getting better at these browns too.

I really think it has something to do with 24/7 generation until about August! And even now with 10 hrs a day during the week is more than normal. I think all that flow made it a tough year. But who knows. I know they are still around! I have had a few days watching very decent browns and bows surfacing all around me.

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

That's funny, I only have caught 2 rainbows over 14" this year, but have had more browns over 17" than in the past...but I am also getting better at these browns too.

Go to Caney Fork Outdoors FB page check out the huge bow caught month ago.

[Mike Anderson]

Caney today is to Middle TN what Disney is to central FL. A toilet.

[browntrout]

Guys for some reason the Caney does get slow this time of the year. I will normally quit fishing it right now for that reason. Trust me come about November and on it will be good again. Good thing is there is plenty of football on. Hang in there and it will be back.

Roy

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by browntrout

Guys for some reason the Caney does get slow this time of the year. I will normally quit fishing it right now for that reason. Trust me come about November and on it will be good again. Good thing is there is plenty of football on. Hang in there and it will be back.

Roy

Oh trust me...I am not gonna stop trying

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by Mike Anderson

Caney today is to Middle TN what Disney is to central FL. A toilet.

A toilet??

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by browntrout

Guys for some reason the Caney does get slow this time of the year. I will normally quit fishing it right now for that reason. Trust me come about November and on it will be good again. Good thing is there is plenty of football on. Hang in there and it will be back.

Roy

I'll be back after those big spawning browns once the weather cools off!

[bd-]

All the canoes and kayaks destroy any chance of enjoyment or solitude on the river, but I don't think they are to blame for the terrible fishing. The Caney always suffers in long periods of sustained generation, and we've had a lot of that this year. Until the generators shut off and stay off for a good long time, it's not going to get any better.


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