Headed there this summer for camping / backpacking / fishing. Anyone with helpful hints? Appreciate anything! Gig'em.

I used this book as a guide years ago when I first flyfished - and I will add a short story that I learned from. Had my first fly rod and have always tried to hike away from pressure. Spent all day in Hazel Creek which was 6 mile round trip hike and had creek all to myself. Got skunked. Woke up the next morning and caught first brown right under the small bridge in elkmont campground . You don't have to get deep to catch trout there. This book below has listing of all streams so it should given you are backpacking. The brookies are in the small high drainages in the small plunge pools.
https://www.google.com/search?q=flyfishing+the+smokies+author+Don&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari&sei=OsMJatDoIcOyqtsPvJHUuAY

Th Ed bigger rivers are chock full of brown and rainbow stockers. I fished around Cherokee outside the park before and it was productive.