Finally, if you are really serious and want some in-depth exposure that will later serve you well, it isn’t a bad idea to hire a guide. There are plenty of them, especially on the East Tennessee tailwaters, and a good one can teach you more tricks of the tailwater trade in a day or two than you are likely to learn on your own in a dozen outings. Although I’m pretty much a do-it-myself fellow, one guide who fishes the Holston and Watauga tailwaters with whom I’ve spent time astream and can recommend from first-hand knowledge is Jason Reep www.tnflyfishing.com or 423/474-4388).

Whether you go it alone or hire a guide, wield the long rod with whistling line or bump bait along the bottom, Tennessee’s trout-filled tailwaters are an angler’s bonanza with full promise for tight lines and fine times.

(Editor’s Note: Jim Casada is a full-time freelance writer who has fished for trout all his life. He is the author of two books on fly-fishing, as well as many other works. To learn more about or order any of these, or to sign up for a free subscription to his monthly e-newsletter, visit his Web site at www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.)