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Travel is one of the great opportunities that life has to offer. Sometimes travel is planned far in advance, with great cost, and careful consideration. Other times our trips are spontaneous and short. Either way life would just not be the same without the thrill of visiting new places and meeting people along the way. From time to time I will lead you vicariously on a new adventure of mine.
 I took a day trip to a new fishing destination. My good friend Tom Spangler and I departed on this short trip to north east Tennessee and fished with none other than Mr. Bear an accomplished fishing guide in this part of the world. We rose early and drove two hours to meet Mr. Bear for some smallmouth fishing on South Holston Lake. This little gem of a smallmouth fishery is located in both Tennessee and Virginia. The closest town to the lake is Bristol (home of the famous motorsports complex).
 On our drive we noticed the temperature dropping as we climbed in elevation toward the lake. At home the mercury was 20 degrees. By the time we met Mr. Bear at the landing the temperature was a brisk 17 degrees at 6:30AM. When we were greeted by Mr. Bear he let us know we were in for a treat as the weather was just right for a day of smallmouth scouting. We piled in the boat clad in the latest foul weather gear that insulated us from the bone chilling cold. That was until we were driving across the water at 50 mph. Yeah very cold, but it sure was beautiful. The dim light gave way to a glowing orange morning view of the lake and wooded hillsides.
 We spent the morning fishing ledges in 20 to 30 feet of water in search of "brown mules" as Mr. Bear referred to the lunker smallmouth bass that this body of water is noted for. I connected with the first one of the morning on a slowly fished Senko. The first mule of the morning came in at around 4 pounds. What a great way to warm up the body! Throughout the day we had a few more fish eat our offerings including some small rainbow trout. Toward the end of the day Tom landed two awesome smallmouth between 4 and 5 pounds on a float and fly rig. Mr. Bear showed us a great time on the water and told us plenty of stories about his decades of fishing in the area. He also knew how to keep us going with a tub of brownies that his wife baked for us. I am not sure if the temperature ever rose over 30 degrees but it sure never felt like it.
 In closing we had a great day on the water and found a fast friend in Mr. Bear. By the way Mr. bear is the nickname that Roger Johnston goes by. He is a big friendly man with less of a grizzly attitude and more akin to a fuzzy teddy bear. Mr. bear operates a full time guide service in Tennessee and can be reached by calling (423) 384-9978. On our way home we talked about the super day on the water and of the new techniques we learned with Mr. Bear. Cold and tired I slept with ease that night dreaming of the big brown mules with Mr. Bear and Tom.
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