Everyone camped at a spot called Rock house; it’s a natural bridge in Russell County, Kentucky.  Used for thousands of years by Indians and early setters as a meeting place it seemed a fitting place for our group of YakAngler’s.  I got to camp just in time to grab one of Geno’s breakfast burritos, with homemade salsa “Awww Yeahh”.  I’d never fished for trout before so I asked some of the canoer’s that were camping next to us what to use.  They said earlier one of the guys caught a 22” Brown Trout on a night crawler.  He said that corn works well and also Mepps spinners.  Out of the three he mentioned I had one a Mepps spinner.  So I rigged up my rod with my only  spinner and we headed out.

We launched at Helms Landing and planned to take out at Windfrey’s Ferry approximately 11.3 miles downstream.  I know everyone told me how cold the water was in the Cumberland but stepping into it for the first time almost took my breath away!  

The first mile of the Cumberland we all stuck out.  The current was rippin and it was hard for me work the spinner without it snagging and twisting my line. Unable to figure out any pattern to the trout I switched into smallmouth mode.  I tied on old faithful, a crawfish Rapala Fat Rap.  Within eight casts “fish on!” at first I thought it was a Smallmouth, turned out I had just caught my first Trout.  Pam took a few pictures of it and I let it go.  Casting the Fat Rap into eddies I was able to catch another rainbow, this one much smaller than the first one.  I’m not sure what he was thinking when he hit my lure.  The fish was only 5 inches longer than my crank bait.    On the same stretch Pam caught her first fish on a fly a nice Brown trout.

 

 

Everyone regrouped at a sandy grass bed and we grabbed a bite to eat.  We all decided to take a dip in the icy river to cool off.

 

 

 

I shoved off while everyone was still eating lunch and noticed several trout hit insects on the surface.  “Time to break out the fly rod”.  Several errand casts later I plopped the fly right next to a trout boil…  “Wham fish on!”  My first fish ever on a fly!  The trout was no monster but the awkward-ness of the fly reel made the fish seem that much bigger.

 

We all fished for a few more hours, everyone landing a few more.  I'm not sure how many Geno, Jami, and Adam caught Pam and I lagged behind for most of the day.  Realizing that we had only gone 4 miles by 4 pm we hauled ass down to Windfrey’s Ferry.

 

It was a day of firsts for me; first time I got to meet Pam aka Yak Girl; first time fishing on the Cumberland River; my first trout; and my first fish on a fly!  What a great day a day of firsts.

If you would like to hook up with us on one of our trips check out our YakSocial groups Louisville Kayak Fishing and Kentucky Kayak Fishing or creat your own group!

Here is a quick clip of me attempting to to fly-fish.... Be amazed by the Technique!!