Clinch River Steam Plant

Monday, June 17, 2007, Clinch River Steam Plant (central Tennessee, just off I-40)

The http://www.takemefishing.org/ Web site says this spot has bass and trout and stripers, and when I arrive this morning I see why. Huge smoke stacks announce the steam plant, and water rushes from the plant’s channel into the main body of the Clinch River.

There is lots of parking space and lots of clear shoreline available. I tie on a chrome Rat-L-Trap and begin covering water. This lure throws a mile on 8-pound line, and it’s one that will catch all three species. I have only an hour, and most of that will be with the crew from a Knoxville television station that’s interviewing me about the new book, TAKE ME FISHING – an anthology of writings by 50 great authors.

The tv folks arrive and I give the on-air guy – Russ Bevins – an extra rod and we cast and talk while the camera and remote mikes do their things.

There are no boats, but there are four other shoreline anglers including two near enough to see that they are casting Rooster Tails – trout lures. They say they haven’t caught anything.

It’s only 10:00 a.m. and it’s already hot – blazing sun, no clouds or breeze. I’ve given Russ a rod with a finesse worm and he starts getting bites – bluegill I suppose, but he gets excited and sets a fishless hook a few times. My Rat-L-Trap never gets bit, but it does get hung and I have to break it off.

There is an eddy area where the steam plant’s water rushes into the river, and we both target it – Russ with the worm and I with a new Rat-L-Trap. Nothing. I switch to a topwater chugger. Nothing. Then a Senko. Nothing. Then time’s up. The camera has watched and listened to us talk for more than 30 minutes and I’ve said about all I can say about the http://www.takemefishing.org/ Web site and the book.

That evening Russ’ pre-news hour-long program gives great coverage: several lead-in promos prior to commercials, and then almost 3 minutes of fishing at the Clinch River Steam Plant. No fish, but the camera guy has made it inviting anyway.

Motto: Whenever I travel I-40 I now know that this is a great drive-up-and-fish spot that’s less than 5 minutes off the Interstate. I will definitely add this one to my growing list of fishy Interstate stops.