Bass in Douglas respond well to fly poppers. I have used them putting in the lake at the Stumpy Cove dock and fishing the bank toward the dam. I have pulled up an occassional Saugeye!! I used a 9 ft #6 rod with a Cortland WF6F line, 7 1/2 ft 3X leader. They do draw Douglas down each year to basically no more than the river.
I have had no great results in Frenc Broad but did catch some with #10 crayfish patterns.
If you are near Douglas Lake, you should be close to Gatlinburg and the Smokey Mtn streams that have good Rainbow trout, Brown trout, and smallmouth bass. If you cross over Clingmans Dome into Cherokee, NC, there are several good streams. If you go through the Qualla reservation, out Big Cove Road until it dead ends, turn right, park, walk up the stream with 7 ft, 3-4 weight, some Stonefly and Mayfly nymphs in 12-14, there is great enjoyment to be had, but it is walking the stream only.
There is also some good trout fishing on the reservation if you shy away from the stocked sections of Ravens Fork that attract bait fishing crowds. That section from the overpass below the new schools to the bridge just above the new schools is very good. From the bridge above the new schools to the River Valley campground is fly fishing only, catch and release. The river Valley campground is also a great place to stay if you are into fishing, quiet camping. I have been staying there for about 18 years.
