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A total of 40 species of fish live in the Smokies. They include snail darters, dace suckers, bass, shiners and trout. Salamanders, crayfish, aquatic insects and algae are also found in the ecosystems of the mountains here and are part of the important components of these mountain streams.

Kyle H. Kelley, experienced fishing guide has offered these guidelines for boaters:

*Always wear your personal floatation device (PFD).

*Don’t overload the boat.

* Load the boat properly, keeping the heaviest loads in the middle and bottom of the boat.

*Never stand on the bow when the boat is in motion.

* Load and unload the boat one person at a time.

* Don’t change places in the boat in the middle of the water. Come to the shore.

*During a storm, lay low in the boat and point the bow into the waves to avoid being tipped.

* At night, slow down and use the running and marker lights.

*If the boat capsizes, stay with it until help arrives. Don’t remove your clothing or boots. They will help keep you afloat by holding air and also help keep you warm.

*On the shore line, never go wading alone.

*Let someone know where you will be.

*Wear a shoe or boot that will provide maximum traction on the slippery rocks underfoot.

*Unseen holes and drop-offs are a dangerous hazard. Test every step carefully in advance by taking shuffling steps. Bob Van Elsberg says “Better yet, use a wading staff to measure the depth of the water before each step.”

These are easy safety rules to remember and use as adults and to teach your children
when you take them fishing. Since my kids had a father who was either gone on Air Force trips or working on the road, it was up to me to teach my children these tips. It was me who had the patience to be the best back lash detangler of everyone’s reels. Mom’s the one who untangled lines and took all the rats nests apart. Summer vacations with my bunch was spent in the woods, on rivers and creek banks. They moved on up from stick fishing, to cane poles to rod and reels and on to fly casting.

Trout Fishing Returning To The Smoky Mountain

It is Saturday, the sun is out, the rooster crows, your wallet is empty, but your pack is full
and your spirits are high!!! The call of the wild is beckoning you.

There is a rule that is absolute for hikers, with a sliding scale of neccessity attached to it. The rule is to carry all that you will need with you. An afternoon walker on a broad level well marked, heavily populated
trail can do with out a single one of these items. If you stick to roadways and turnpikes you may need only a few of them. However, those of us who probe deep into the wilderness, away from quick support of rangers or other hikers, especially those who strike off cross-country must have the full 10 essential
items. The more independant you hike the more important it is for each person to carry their own
10-pack.
EXTRA CLOTHING

Always have more clothing than seems necessary. you can set out on a sunny morning, but by afternoon
it may be windy and rainy. If it is an overnight hike in… the night may turn stormy or freezing. Even if you
did not intend to spend the night in the wilderness…a sprained ankle can leave you with no choice. Some
sort of protection from moisture of the sky or the ground such as a light sheet of polyethylene plastic.
EXTRA FOOD

A day hiker may carry enough to stretch lunch into a supper and an over nighter enough for breakfast and
another lunch….rule of thumb, there should always be food left at the end of your hike.
SUNGLASSES

Forest traveling, may not require sunglasses. However, they are in desert country, and open alpine regions where boulder fields ( massive screes or felsenmeers) of light colored rock reflect the sun and glare. Where snow is still on the ground they are mandatory on bright days to prevent eye discomfort and temporary blindness or permanent damage.
KNIFE

Every hiker should carry his own knife. So many uses!!! They include eating, (opening that can of hard pemmican fruit cake), first aid, whittling, kindling to start a wood fire (for cooking or for emergency warmth when trapped in a storm or the night by accident or getting lost. No one needs a “hunting knife” unless to bolster his manhood….a requirement of most boys of all ages. Big blades are only for the hunters, fishermen and the guerrillas.

The most popular knifes are the single blade, can-opener, combination bottle-opener, screwdriver, awl costing from$2.00 to $17.50. The cheapest is the best for children,outing. I prefer the Swiss Army knife, strongly constructed of stainless steel, it will not rust shut as happens with the cheaper ones. Mine has a blade, can-opener, bottle -opener, reamer, screwdriver, and nail file. The can-opener is better too than the boy scout design.
The “Japanese Army knife” including a fork, spoon, complete, kitchen kit, and a dozen other tools is great for entertaining kids but too heavy and cumbersome for us grown-ups. I also carry a whetstone (which is not a neccessity).
FIRESTARTER

To be able to start a fire when one is urgently needed, as in a rainstorm when a hiker is lost and the wood is wet. I like to carry a few fuel tablets or candle stubs.
MATCHES

To start a firestarter one must have matches. Each person should have an emergency supply of waterproof,windproof matches. So can a butane cigerette lighter.
FIRST AID KIT

The following items constitute a very minimum, one
man first aid kit:
*Bandaids — Several, for minor cuts
*Gausze pads — Several, 3 inch and 4 inch squares,
for deep wounds with much bleeding.
*Adhesive tape — a 1 inch or 2-inch roll for holding
bandages in place, covering blisters, taping sprained
ankles, etc.
*Salt tablets — to prevent or treat symptoms of heat
exhaustion (including cramps) when sweating heavily
*Aspirin — for relieving pain and reducing fever
*Needle — for opening blisters, removing splinters
*First aid manual — one of the small pocket booklets

Such a kit can cope with the simplest problems, and after a hiker has gained a bit of sad experience he will want to add many of the following to his kit:

*Moleskin or molefoam — for covering blisters
*Razor blade, single-edge — for minor surgery, cutting tape and shaving hairy spots before taping

Shotgunners may stick with a basic volume of powder to the same volume of shot, so they may individualize their weight charges to produce a definite and desired shot pattern at a given yardage. High level competitors know the specific quirks of their firearms, and they know how to score well.

The basic needs of blackpowder enthusiasts are propellant, projectile, and accessories specific to the type of competition in which they are involved in. Muzzleloading firearms use either blackpowder or blackpowder substitutes as the propellant.

Black powder has remained virtually unchanged for more than 400 years. Generally it is a mixture of 75 parts potassium nitrate, 15 parts charcoal, and 10 parts sulfur.

Currently two companies offer blackpowder: Goex, Inc. of Moosic, Pennsylvania, which releases products under the Goex name. and the other is Petro-Explo, Inc. of Arlington, Texas, which offers their product Elephant Black Powder.

Most primitive shooters get by with a “possibles” bag to carry balls or bullets, flints, or percussion caps, and a powder measure. Some shotgunners use a “shot snake” a leather tube with a shoulder strap and brass measure built into one end, while others fill the loading benches with all sorts of necessary hardware.

Hearing protection is strongly advised and high quality shooting glasses provide protection against flying debris such as bits of flint or copper shards from detonating caps. Shooting clothes can be anything that is comfortable, but if the re-enacting bug bites you …there are plenty of suppliers offering to sell blanket coats, capotes, or buckskins for period costumes.

Rendezvous strive to recreate the historical and aesthetic qualities of muzzleloader shooting and are to be credited, to a very large extent, for keeping the blackpowder tradition alive and growing in the United States. It is a brilliant way to bring an exciting era of American History alive and help keep it preserved.

Competitive shooters of muzzleloading arms enjoy this exhibition of the skills admired for centuries. Muzzleloading dates from the 1500s. The pungent aroma of blackpowder smoke, the necessity of making one shot do the job, and the link to history are only part of the reasons for the growing popularity of the shooting of muzzleloading arms in the United States and Canada.

The attraction to blackpowder shooting competitions vary. Some people enjoy the increased challenge of shooting firearms with slow ignition times. Other people enjoy the “primitive” reenacting of the competitions in clothing and accouterments appropriate to the original fur trade rendezvous era. Many who attend look to the muzzleloading arm as a way to extend their hunting opportunities, since most states offer early or special primitive firearms seasons. Even the slow paced gratifying simplicity of blackpowder shooting draws shooters, as does the individuality of this sport.

In fact, Muzzleloading matches stress individuality. Powder weights vary from shooter to shooter and from match to match. Rifle shooters use patch materials ranging from pillow ticking to precut linen strips. Lubricants may be anything from a modern synthetic to plain old saliva.

There are scores of snakes common in the American wilderness areas, but only four carry venom. They are the coral snake in the South and Southeast, the water moccasin (cottonmouths, we call them) in the wetlands of the South, the copperheads are throughout the East and the Rattlesnake Family, which are just about everywhere. Snakes fear man and if given the chance will flee. Very few hikers have ever been bitten.

There are beast out there too, they have a thousand eyes, jaws, fangs and claws, but very very few threaten man. The menace is the other way around. Cougars and mountain cats do not attack man unless they feel cornered. It is rare for a hiker to see one, let alone even hear one. The same holds true with wolves.
Elk and Moose should be shunned in rutting season in the fall … passion mad bulls will attack and mistake a hikeer for competitors. In the spring and summer it is the mother cows that should be avoided.

Skunks … avoid them and let’s just say do not frighten them.

Bears — do not fraternize with them … forget DIsney cartoons and Gentle Ben. These are not cuddly bears that live in the wild. They basically tolerate people and they hate us. Sometimes we can be seen as a food source. Enjoy them only from a distance. Leave no scraps, no garbage, and leave no food visible. Stay away from cubs … the dealiest beast of them all is their mother and she is nearlyalways, and ready to take you out!!! There bears and then there are BEARS … we will not even discuss the Polar or the meanest and the biggest of them all, the Kodiak Grizzly.

A hiker, no matter how inexperienced, should almost always realize when he is in great danger. He knows when the terrain is too steep and a fall could be mortal. He knows when the wind is so ominous a bad storm is building.
Beginners, get in trouble because they have been led to believe that man has conquered the Earth and that when he is confronted by the naked force of nature, that he is breaking faith with the pioneer spirit that he thinks he has acquired.
Fear is healthy and when scared, say so proudly and don’t give a hott about being called “chicken” !!! Hiking builds humility and respect. These are qualities that not only improve the soul but enhance your chances to walk wildlands for years and with little or no disaster.
Ecology, the study of life systems and the inter relationships of all their components, should be the hiker’s passion, not merely to enrich his pleasure but so he may understand the functioning of individual ecosystems and how to fit into them as unobtrusively as possible.
The hiker should be a bird watcher, animal watcher and a bug watcher. He should be curious about rocks and minerals and note the slow process by which soil is created. Gain a feel for the dynamic balance of a river, or a glacier. See how valleys are carved. He should grow intimate with trees and flowers, mosses and lichens, fungi and molds. Learn the meaning of progression of clouds, a change in the winds, and the relationship of the atmosphere to the mantle of the living green plants and the underlying rocks. At night he should look out to the moon and the stars and deeply comprehend in his soul, this is the Earth on which we live and the only Earth we ever will have.
Many of our inner city children see their “valley” as streets and avenues, with concrete or asphalt floors and their “mountains” as skyscrapers of glass, aluminum and steel. As adults, we can lead them into natural valleys and natural mountains. We can teach them how to be comfortable there, so they can grow up and expand in an environment which even under hostile conditions is fair. They can learn to enjoy, perhaps lvoe, and surely respect nature. Most of all, they can come to the realization that all things natural … including themselves … are beautiful!
Hiking adventures are best when you begin with one step at a time!

Keeping this in mind each hiker must learn his own potential and adjust your ambitiions to match that. When your personal abilities are defined, your future hiking trips can be planned accordingly. The more one walks, the farther and the faster one can walk. Always focus on the beauty part …linger over the fine details of rocks and springs, even mosses !!!
Water is very essential to life as much so as air is. The old Puritan formula was to suck a prune pit or a pebble on the theory that excessive drinking endangers the soul … (with booze maybe…but not with water). Also, gulping too much cold water can shock the stomach, dumping pounds of liquid into the body all at one fill-up can require an extened rest while the bloated tummy empties into the bloodstream. Moderation is the rule … when you find a sweet fresh mountain spring at it’s source. There is nothing better, or more filling! Not all springs are safe.
Always use extreme caution, in the streams there are various bacteria’s that develop from animal droppings. Most states DNR’s caution hikers from drinking unpurified water. Most bacteria is high mountain clear streams can be killed by bringing the drinking water to a full boil and boiling for 5 minutes. Water purification tablets are available and should always be carried in your pack. Food while hiking is an all day meal with me. Nibbling in small frequent installments (never overload) Carry trail mix, bread, jerky, hard cheese, and dried or fresh fruit. This keeps your energy level on an even keel.

Ease in gradually! The beginner must test his own back, starting with modest loads and short hikes. Gradually increase the pack weight and the length and duration of trips. When an experienced backpacker is initiating a novice, maybe the honeymoon would be better spent day hiking with campground camping and an occasional night in a mosquito-less, bug free motel.

There are bugs, beasts and snakes to consider. Don’t yield to paranoia or you will lose the battle and are not long for trail blazing. Realize that bugs belong to the Earth.
If the great Architect intended wildlands to be perfectly comfortable and convenient for us humans, He would have designed them more like Disneyworld. Every hiker has bug stories, I am no exception. I have encountered flying insects with flaring wings and snapping jaws. You have a big circle of trail companions. (known as insects, arachnids and arthropods) Admire the gorgeous butterflies, the spectacular dragonflies, the ever patient spiders, graceful water snakes, the glistening beetles. (It is too much to ask to show charity for the fly). If you really have a phobia about creepy crawlies, you need to sleep in a floored ziplock tent Bees … honey bees, bumblebees, yellowjackets, hornets, wasps, etc. etc. they will leave you alone if you leave the bright colored clothing at home (love my drabs and camos). Hate it when I am mistaken for a huge flower, and ladies, flies, mosquitoes, bees, they love it, when you wear perfume and scented hair sprays.
Accidently stepping on a yellowjacket or ground hornets nest in the middle of a trail can be unpleasant. A single warrior bee can deliver numerous stinging stabs, it is entertaining (for him), when you are hiking with a dirty OLE man and several get inside your shirt. Proper medications should always be carried, especially if you have an allergic reaction to bee stings.

I can still vividly remember my first backpack trip. The startling vision of the panoramicvistas, the smallest of green plants, and that incredible odor of warm, musty earth while hiking above the timber line in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. We traveled carefully and considerately, to fit unobtrusively into the landscape. I became a part of nature, for the first time.

We used a small backpacking stove, instead of building a fire from the natural wood, dipped water out of lakes and streams to wash rather than using soap, made our campsite in an area we wouldn’t damage in anyway or that would have any evidence of our having been there when we left. We left out dressed in three layers of clothing, and a lot can be said about good quality, comfortable fitting hiking boots. We stayed on game trails, packed out all our own garbage. I took only pictures and left only footprints.

I believe as Thoreau that “in wildness is the preservation of the world.” My experiences gained me a basic need to be one with nature, and helped me reject the philosophy of materialism. I had a wonderful guide and teacher … and I found not only for hiking but for life as well, that most of my obstacles were mental.

The beginner is alarmed by a new awareness of heart, lungs, and muscles. Imagine, from your beginning point, you had just climbed 500 to 1000 feet of elevation (depending on your pace), in a couple of hours … especially after a long winter at a desk … you will be wheezing a little and there may even be a huff and a puff. Don’t start out to set any records. Just enjoy the full walk, admire the trees, flowers, birds, waterfalls, streams, even the rocks along the way. The most pleasurable pace thus is somewhat considerably slower than the maximum. (of course, if it is getting dark and the goal you set is still distant or you are in a black cloud of flies gathering in for the kill with gaping jaws, the rule is to say the heck with fun and run a little) ………..well, at least stagger as rapidly as possible!!!