Smokies Trout Adventure Camp set for June 20-25
January 10, 2022

Smokies Trout Camp activity; Frances Oates

Applications are open for the John Thurman Smoky Mountains Trout Adventure Camp for middle-school-age girls and boys, scheduled June 20-25 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The camp, sponsored by the Tennessee Council of Trout Unlimited (TU) and supported by proceeds from TU’s Tennessee Conservation License Plate, is based at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

The camp is aimed at youth 12–15 years old who are interested in learning the sport of fly fishing in a mountain stream environment. Campers can be boys or girls (TU does require at least two campers of one gender) and are not required to be Tennessee residents.

Trout Adventure Camp promotes an appreciation of coldwater conservation through activities in stream science and fly fishing. Campers receive instruction from experts in fly casting, fly tying, and how to fish mountain streams, as well as being guided on fishing trips by experienced mountain stream mentors.

Science activities include catching and identifying aquatic invertebrates and flying bugs that trout eat, learning how they are duplicated with artificial fishing flies, trapping and identifying fish that live in Smokies streams, and observing fish in their natural habitat by snorkeling in a mountain stream.

Although activities are planned for every day, there is also time for recreation including swimming, hiking and fishing.

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont is located along the Middle Prong of Little River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The facility includes dining hall, classrooms and sleeping facilities; the institute’s professional staff lead some camp activities.

For more information including photos from previous camps, a schedule of camp activities, and an online application, please go to the camp website, www.tntroutadventure.org. You can also contact Sean Fagan at tntroutadventurecamp@gmail.com or Mike Givney at mikegivney@gmail.com.

Camp tuition in 2022 will be $550. Financial aid can be obtained through Tennessee TU chapters—for a list of chapters, visit the Tennessee Council website at www.tctu.org.