Michael “Rocky” Cox at the oars of a driftboat


Longtime fly fishing guide Michael “Rocky” Cox will speak at a public meeting of the Clinch River Chapter, Trout Unlimited on Thursday, March 10. The topic? “Drift-Fishing the Tailwaters for Trophy Fish”. There is no charge to attend. The program begins at 7 pm in the parish hall of St. Francis Episcopal Church, 158 W. Norris Road, Norris, TN.

Cox is owner of Rocky Top Anglers. He is a Knoxville native who has guided more than 1,000 fishing trips professionally since he started in 2001.

He says his upbringing in East Tennessee “allowed me to grow up with wonderful places to play right in my own back yard. Countless miles of mountain streams and cold tailwaters provided endless playgrounds. I never realized how much those years of playing in the water would influence my adult life.”

“I’ve always loved the peaceful excitement of fly fishing and always found myself thinking about that next big trip to the mountains. When my leisure time came, I was fly fishing. I was captivated by the old guides, rowing their anglers downriver and finding those special places only accessible by driftboat. I knew that guiding others and showing them the places I treasure would be a very rewarding career.”

Clinch River Chapter TU works to preserve and protect the Clinch River tailwater and its watershed through conservation projects and through education of children and adults in aquatic natural resources. For more information, visit crctu.org.