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NC Fly Fishing

49K views 178 replies 30 participants last post by  PSYOP Soldier 
#1 · (Edited)
Here we go...I spend alot of time here doing my best to stalk and catch the elusive Oncorhynchus mykiss (aka Rainbow) ant its' cousins: Brookie and Brown...

I live in Charlotte, travel all over the region to fish and am going to post some of my favorite pics wihtthe group, perhaps start a thread or place where like minded folks can share tips, techniques, and tactics, oh and favorite places as well...

I will go first...

For day trips, it the Mitchell River off hwy 77 near Shelton and Wilson Crk above Morganton...I have caught some nice fish both places...

I manage to get on The Devotion too...

I recently hit Cherokee, caught a couple nic 'bows in the 14-17" range and had a 20+" er on too, broke off....

I fish the Davidson too, near Brevard..

What would it be without hitting the Watauga or S Holstein too...

There you have it..pics to follow, after i resize em to fit....D:
 

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#3 ·
The commute to and back from the fishing locations is the most expensive part.

Being quite experienced at trout fishing in the Southern Appalachians I would imagine in a survival situation where fish is counted upon to be a large part of a diet you must live near the water and have a large stretch of water (miles of a typical stream) just for yourself. How can that be when so many others are also hoping to take fish from that same stretch of stream?

Think about it. There are now multiple millions of people living on or near the trout streams of the Southern Appalachians whereas 500 years ago the Native Americans in that region numbered only in the few tens of thousands. At that time the native people probably averaged a mile or more of good stream apiece.
 
#4 ·
BK....it is not any more expensive than any other type of fishing, trust me...i got back into it a fwe years ago..bought a cheap pair of waders and boots from bass pro..wnt to discks sporting goods and bought a 5wt rod/reel combo, some basic flies and misc items...got on the river and caught fish first time out...

i have been adding to the collection, new rods, online deals, reels, waders and boots, etc...I fish alot here in nc..will go out after xmas in january and then all year long, wherever the water is the best.....

if you are serious about it, it will offer advice...i love being out on the river, so peacful....I have had all kinds of animals come near/up to me....very grounding....
 
#15 ·
Wow! Man you're fortunate!!

I'm just getting interested in fly fishing again and can really appreciate your efforts. I've already learned a lot from your adventures.
It's difficult down south here in Louisiana to find a decent river or lake, much less good spots. We do have a few though. Also there are much more bass down here, which can be quite finickee or challenging, for example, to figure out what they're striking on from day to day and under different weather conditions.



Good question, I'm interested also. What's the name brand of rod your buddy uses?
Also, what brand of rod did you use?

Do you ever top water fish?

Have you ever fished for bass?

Where can a beginner learn? --Where did you learn your techniques?

Keep up the great reports!
 
#13 ·
Nice, very nice!

We ran a fly fishing school at the ranch. I took numerous back country fishing pack trips during my time in wyo.

It funny how many think you need to buy the most expensive stuff... not true at all..

Look at TFO rods or St Croix and you are good to go... I lean towards Lefty's stuff... mostly cause I had the chance to try the stuff out before it hit the market...
 
#14 ·
Jan 15 fly fishing Mitchell River, NC

Ok...what a day yesterday..My buddy and I took off early moring for the Mitchell River, Surry County, NC...It is off hwy 77 at exit 92, the Shelton Vineyard exit...

We stoppped at the Surry Diner for a nice, fresh, homemade country breakfast..Life was good so far...

Got to the river at 0930, started gearing up...

Air temp= COLD...snow still o nthe ground, ice on roads, and water as we later discovered...

On the water at 10, catching trout by 1030....

Water was low, gin clear, and cold...Holes that were normally covered/hidden were wide open, shallow...The trout we hugging the banks, in the sun...

I used my 7'6" 4wt rig....9' tapered leader to a size 14 bead head copper john nymph, with a 16" pice of 6x tippet tied to it, (dropper in fly speak) where i tied a size 18 bead head zebra midge....

no split shot necessary and a strike indicator (thing am a bobber) approx 4' up the line...

Started casting and gettting hits...nice gentle sucks, lift the tip and fish on!:D:

All in all, I landed 4, rolled another 5 or 6..my buddy landed 6 and rolled that many...Here are pics for your viewing pleasure....

great day to be on the river...it got to 45 degress and sunny, I was breaking a sweat had to change into lighter weight shirts and hat for the pm piece...:thumb:
 

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#17 ·
I moved out of Lincolnton, NC a few years ago - live here is good....they even let us practice "fillet & release" in a lot of places! There's good trout fishing here within 3-1/2 hours of Charlotte.

The first trout I caught after moving here was a "Golden Trout" - it's was one of the prettiest fish I've ever seen. Too small to eat, though - only about 10".
The only thing that tastes better than fresh a rainbow trout from fast clear water is arctic grayling......

I'm still learning fly fishing even though I grew up in SC using a fly rod with poppers for bream and bass.

Check the WV fishing sites - they stock a lot of places with trout and in a lot of areas, you don't have to release them. Actually, I only eaten 2 of them in the 3 years I've been here so there's plenty left!

Pic of Golden trout -
 
#22 ·
I think you should find your kit mate...I went out this saturday to lewis fork crk and fall crk off 421 right above wilksboro...hade a great ime..caught 6 trout total...5 in the 12-14 in range and a baby 6"er..

everyting was caught using a bead head olive nymph....7'6" 4 wt 9' 4x leader with a 5x tippett double nymph dropper bouncing on the bottom..strike indicator on the top...

this weekend, i head off to the Nantahala for three days of hard core fly fishing and camping with approx 40-50 of my fellow TU members......
 

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#23 ·
PSYOP

I know you just accepted a friend request, but I got to say "you suck!!", respectfully :D:

I get to fish only every few months, if at that. It would be heaven to be close to all of the cooled water fisheries areas that you have around CLT.

Years ago I was a TU rep for our local chapter advocating for the protection of the trout and the fishery at Lee's Ferry below Glen Canyon dam in AZ. Now works gets in the way of fun :mad:


Respectfully
Armordude

NRA Life Member
Certified Glock Armorer

"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.". George Orwell
 
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#24 ·
AD...life is good here, i must say...I am very fortuante to live here, and be able to play...I had no idea until a few years ago, when a fellow who has turned out to be a good friend, re-introduced me to fly fishing...We have thousands of miles of water to fish: hatery supported, delayed harves, wild water and catch n release only..all within 3 hrs...most approx 2 hrs or less...

Also, my wife is very happy for me to have such a great hobby, way for me to become grounded again..nothing like being on a river/stream, nature, etc...me, the water, the fish and God...Seems i do most of my praying/thanking/thinking on the water...

No distractions, no cell phones, etc...silence....the sounds of nature...:D:

We would like to visit Sedona sometime and i have looked into fishing there, looks promising?

I take off Fri am, early for our trip...I will be taking lots of pics, and will post on my return....

Would love to talk/pm about our mutual love of the sport/religion...:thumb:

Tight Lines all!
 
#25 ·
I will shoot you a PM tomorrow. Sedona is very pretty, fishing is all stockers that normally get fished out each season, lots of pressure. No carry over, so fish are small. Better places to fish depending on how much time you have.

Been here in AZ since 1959 and know it well. White Mountains is the best in the state for streams and lakes. here is a link to the gereral area 10,000 ft elev. Best place when the temps in PHX are 115 F http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.887396,-109.47165&num=1&t=h&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=33.873765,-109.46949&spn=0.055798,0.113554&z=14

Lees Ferry is the best tail water fishery in AZ. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=36.847291,-111.545277&num=1&t=h&sll=33.873765,-109.46949&sspn=0.055798,0.113554&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.853252,-111.52462&spn=0.215104,0.454216&z=12

San Juan River in NM is just about 4 hrs for "the Ferry" and is a trip you have to take if time permits. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=36.823618,-107.645788&num=1&t=h&sll=36.853252,-111.52462&sspn=0.215104,0.454216&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.796227,-107.663097&spn=0.107632,0.227108&z=13

Respectfully
Armordude

NRA Life Member
Certified Glock Armorer

"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.". George Orwell
 
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#27 ·
Here we go again, my most recent trip to western NC for 3 days of fly fishing nirvana and camping...we had blast, perfect weather, gerat water, food, drink, friendship and of course fly fishing....

we stayed at the appletree campground, fished the DH secction of the nantahala....I nymphed the entire time, even tried Czech nymphing for the first time, quite a tactic once you get used to it...

i mainly used my 9' 4wt sage launch..7.5 4x leader wiht 5x tippet....

sliung a golden stonefly with a small midge type bug as a dropper....

enjoy the pics....

this saturday, Helton Crk, near Virginia..will report back afterwards....
 

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#28 ·
Beautiful looking water! Is that a stray cat on the grill :D:
Nice looking brown.
 
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#29 ·
Helton Crk Day Trip

My buddy and I took off yesterday bright and early and headed off to Helton Crk, a DH stream way up in Ashe Caounty, right off the VA line...Beautiful drive and country...

This was my first time there, his second in many years, so we were winging it, just looking for decent water...

We got o nthe first stretch at 0930, fished until 12 or so, and did do well...I hooked into a nice brookie, he broke off...Nothing otherwise...

We regrouped, seriously considered heading to to Wilson Crk, and took a drive up SR 194, looking at some water
...We decided to give it one more shot, found a spot near a tree farm, for OPSEC resons, shall go nameless..:D:

We slid into the water, my friend downstream, i upstream, and BAM!!! started nailin em hard and fast....

I came upon a bridge, there was nice pool under it, i got on my knees, and slung my double nymph rig upstream and WHAM! A 14" brooking nailed my bottom nymph, a bead head blood worm nymph...Fought like hell as wild trout do...I landed him, let him go, slung again, and WHAM! Another one...very similar...

I moved upstream, stalking holes on my knees (using my tactical kneepads, lifesavers) and had a great time...

All in all, i landed 10, 2 brookies, 2 browns, 6 'bows....I hooked 4 others that broke off...

Overall, a great day fly fisihng in NC with my buddy....He had a 17 fish day, landed some monster brookies and what had to be a 20" bow...

I will be back....

I used my White River Bass Pro brand 7'6" 4wt with a 7.5 ' 4x leader and 5x tippet, double nymph rig..one BB split shot to sink and a white "thingemabobber," as a strike indicator...

I was mainly on my knees the entire time, due to the overhang, water depth, etc...

Enjoy gang....
 

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#30 ·
PSYOP

I would love to have that water in my back yard. Instead I have something a little warmer. Take a look at this photos take yesterday and this morning MY back yard lake
 
#31 ·
Nailin Natives

Another day fishing with my buddy on the Devotion, 'Bows, Brookies and Browns...What a great day today, perfect weather...We wet waded, fished 90% of the time under canopy, pocket water...As you can see from the pics, tight, overhangs, very technical casting and you had to be johhny on the spot, and gentle, setting the hook, or you spooked the hole and lost the fish...

I spent about 50% of the time on my knees, (gotta love my tactical keepads) casting up into the holes/drifts...We'd get a strike, maybe hook one, then land one..Then off to the next hole upstream....

In the afternoon, we fished a lower section and i nailed a 16" 'bow from a bathtub sized pocket..He's the curled up pic, he wormed his way back into the water...I cast again, and caught the next trout...

There were many smaller fish hitting our stimulators and droppers too..Lots of fun, good friend, relaxing....

I used my TFO 7'6" 4wt..7.5' 4 x leader with a 5x tippet..

Used a stimulator with a bead head dropper....

Tomorrow I am off to the North Toe River, Sprice Pine, NC...Will report in afterwards..should be a a good day too....
 

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#33 ·
Can"t wait to get back up to Cherokee in late Sept. I do so much want to ride the Blueridge parkway from one end to the other on my motorcycle and stop at every stream and wet a hook.
 
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#34 ·
Cherokee Trip

Ok...heading off tomorrow, Fri am for two days of WNC/Cherokee fly fishing...

I will be fishing Bunches Crk for the first time, small stream i hear, and the Raven Fork trophy section for HOGS!!! :D:

They just hosted the 2011 National Fly Fishing Championships - May 18, 2011
so, should be a good time....

goin gby myself, going to primitive camp, sort of..tarp tent, etc...

I will post pics on my return sunday...

Tight lines all... :thumb:
 
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