Smoky Mountains calls all fisherman

Usually, fisherman at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have to follow fishing guidelines closely. Starting Monday for 13 days, the rules are changing temporarily for a particular part of the Park.

Park officials are blaming rainbow trout for the declining number of native brook trout throughout the Smoky Mountains. They have announced that anglers, along an eight mile stretch of Lynn Camp Prong and its tributary Marks Creek, will be allowed to keep all the rainbow trout they can catch.

The Park wants to remove as many rainbow trout as they can by September. That is when they plan to use a fish toxin to remove any remaining rainbow trout.

Soon after, brook trout will be captured from other Park streams and placed into that eight-mile stretch. It could take several years for the brook trout population to re-bound, and the treated section will be closed until then.

Riley Jennings, an avid angler was fly fishing in the Park Sunday. He's glad the native fish will be making a come back.

"I think it's a duty. I'm a big fan of the brook trout," Jennings said. "That is our only native trout in Tennessee. Anything I can do to help the brook trout survive, I'm all for it."

The special fishing allowances run through June 14th.

To learn more about the special fishing regulations and location, click here.