Went to the "fantastic Raven Fork" in Cherokee, NC yesterday. I fished the fly fishing only section for the second time this year. It wasn't easy today. A major tan caddis hatch was in progress all day but they didn't key in on the adults. I took a couple of fish on a nymph. At about five they began taking duns. The first one was a major brute. The fish was pushing 20". I had him on for about five minutes. I couldn't put any pressure on it because of the 6x tippet and the swift current. The fish threw the hook and I felt that limp rod feeling. Oh well, maybe next time. I had a couple of other strikes on top from fish in the 15" bracket but lost my touch after loosing the big one. The river was gorgeous and the water level great. To round out the day, two elk was crossing the river and it made up for my lost fish.
