The Course:
PHR176: Fly-Fishing the Smokies and Tennessee Tail Waters

Much like the two brothers in Norman Maclean’s fictional memoir A River Runs Through It, several Maryville College students this semester are enthusiastically dropping their “real world” responsibilities and seeking out freshwater streams with rods and reels in tow.

But unlike the characters Norman and Paul, fly-fishing for these Maryville College students is a sort of “real world” responsibility. They’re enrolled in PHR176: Fly-Fishing the Smokies and Tennessee Tail Waters, and are casting lines for trout, yes, but also academic credits and grades.

PHR176: Fly-Fishing is a course that fills up quickly, said instructor Pepe Fernandez, who is also head coach of the College’s men’s and women’s soccer teams. And its appeal is far-reaching.

“All types of students take this course,” said Fernandez, “from biology majors to outdoor recreation majors, athletes and non-athletes and experienced fishers to students who have never held a fishing pole.”

Experienced bass or crappie fishermen (or fisherwomen) usually find fly-fishing a different sport, the instructor said. Skills developed for more conventional types of fishing don’t always help students in his course. Fernandez points out: “The cast is completely different, and you are constantly casting and recasting instead of casting once and waiting a while for something to bite.”

Learning the basic cast is often the most difficult aspect of the course, Fernandez commented. “It takes some practice to get the technique down, but most students are making good casts by the second or third class,” he said.

Students start small in their casting efforts. Fernandez takes them to the Greenbelt Park stream in town to begin mastering their techniques. After catching a few bluegill or redeye in those waters, students graduate to more advanced fishing in the streams around the Townsend area and up into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fernandez also hopes to work in a trip to the Clinch or Hiawassee River.

“I like the students to have experience fishing in different environments, so we try to fish in ponds, natural rivers and tail waters by dams,” he said.

One of the best ways to learn about fly-fishing is from other, more experienced fly-fishermen, the instructor added. Two local fishermen, Ken Henderson and Gary Ramsey (to whom Fernandez refers as “local legends”) make a trip to the College each semester to pass on their considerable knowledge about the sport to the students.

“Fly-fishermen love to talk about fly-fishing,” the instructor said. “They get excited about telling people about the sport, and the students always learn a lot from Ken and Gary.”

Students learn the importance of balancing rod and line weights and how to choose from the various types of reels – all while adding fly-fishing words and concepts like “tippet,” “double taper” and “sheath” to their vocabularies.

Much discussion in the course is devoted to fly-fishing tackle. In fly-fishing, the weight of the cast is only in the tiny fly at the end of the line, and the goal is to make the landing as light as a real bug landing on the water. The trick of fly-fishing is to sight where the fish are coming up to feed, and casting the line down to that spot, the instructor explained.

Fly selection is discussed at length. According to Fernandez, entire books have been written on this topic because it’s important to pick the type of insect that is in the water at that time of day and year.

“Not only are there different types of bugs during the different seasons, but also some hatch at different times of the day than others. Insect identification is critical because you want your fly to match as close as possible to what is already in the water,” said Fernandez.

And according to the instructor, the flies are as diverse in variety as the real thing.

“You could spend as much or as little money as you want on flies. [Stores sell] everything from flies that look like actual flies to small tadpoles or frogs – really anything that a fish would eat.”

Some of his students even opt to tie their own flies, which demands a special type of artistic talent.

Requirements for PHR176: Fly-Fishing are few. Students need to obtain the necessary fishing license with trout stamps that can be purchased at any licensing store and usually cost around $35. The College provides most of the equipment, including the poles and waders.

To pass the course, students should catch at least one fish during the class’ fishing excursions. That’s an added pressure for students (especially for those who’ve never pulled a fish from water), but once they hold up that first catch, it’s usually they who are hooked.

According to Fernandez, there are three main reasons everyone should try fly-fishing: first, because you generally catch more fish then other types of fishing; second, you are constantly doing something – whether it is recasting or changing your fly; and third, “it’s like golf – you could spend thousands of dollars on a pole and flies, or you can spend under $100 and still have fun participating in the sport.”