Royal Coachman
Autumn brings with it colorful leaves, cool night temperatures and fly fishermen, just to name a few things. If you’ve driven through Laurel Bloomery recently you might have noticed cars parked along the roadside and fly fishermen casting in Laurel Creek.
“Fall is a great time for fly fishing and a perfect time to break out your wet flies, like nymphs,” says RV Smith, fly tier and one of the Johnson County Center for the Arts, Mountain City, Tennessee, newest artists.
Smith was born and raised in the Dye Leaf area of Carter County. A small community between Elk Mills and Poga; close to the Elk River. Growing up on his family's farm he learned to work with horses and mules,“We never owned a tractor,” Smith said.“We’d sometimes walk four miles to work a field of burley tobacco.”
In the mid 1970s, Smith began fly fishing as a further challenge to his regular fishing. A self-taught fly rod caster and fly tier, Smith says,“I can teach you to cast in 15 minutes, it’s all in the rhythm. Teaching you to catch a fish might take a bit longer.”
When Smith was young, he only knew of two men that fly fished, one of which was a forestry officer stationed at the fire tower on top of Pond Mountain in Carter County.
Like many fly tiers, Smith ties traditional patterns or mixes and matches to best fit the waters he’s fishing. These fly patterns have been passed down through the years, flies such as the Royal Coachman, an English fly pattern, is well over a hundred years old. The Woolly Worm is an original American fly pattern, as well as its offshoot the Woolly Bugger, which is great for bass or trout. Smith has even invented his own pattern, the Elk River Brown,“I’ve caught everything with it on the Elk River from blue gill to brown trout.”
Smith collects or makes most of his fly tying materials. The hackle, a stiff multi-use feather, he gets from his roosters, and the dubbing for the body of the flies he makes from discarded yarn. If someone is interested in beginning to tie flies Smith advises,“Patience, and don’t try anything too difficult. Start with larger bass fishing flies like a Woolly Bugger.”
Smith is also a published poet and short story writer. His poems are featured in the book "Voices of Elk River" compiled by local author Frances Van Landingham. He has also contributed pieces to short story collections as well as essays to local newspapers.
To check out Smith’s collection of flies stop by the Johnson County Center for the Arts Gallery on Main at 129 W. Main St, Mountain City, Tennessee.
