Delayed Harvest Is Here!

The foliage is beginning to change here in the French Broad Valley, particularly the sassafras, sumac and poplars, and you know what that means for the fishing --- it's ROCK-tober, when many of our rivers receive a truckload of freshly stocked rainbows, browns and brookies courtesy of the state. Although our water levels are still very low, the state did not shortchange us too badly on the number of fish stocked, as they did last year. At this writing, the East Fork, North Mills, Little River and West Fork of the Pigeon have been stocked, and the Tuckaseegee is supposed to get fish this coming Monday. Reports we've gotten so far from anglers and our guides indicate the stockers are running a little smaller on average than in past years (no doubt due to the drought's effect on hatchery operations), but that some of the stocking buckets contained brood stock browns averaging 18-20 inches! Remember, Delayed Harvest is catch-and-release only until next June and any scented plastics such as cheese worms are now officially illegal, so please report any violations by calling Wildlife Enforcement at 800-662-7137.

Our water conditions are still on the low side, since we haven't had much rain in the last week or so. Our streams are also very clear, which means 5X and 6X fluorocarbon will be de rigueur after the fish have been beaten on for a week or so. In the meantime, black and olive woolly buggers, eggs, San Juans, Lightning Bugs, Delektables, and other flashy nymphs will certainly account for lots of fish. With the water so low, many of the fish will be podded up in the deeper holes. Water temps are ideal right now, starting in the high 40s, and climbing into the mid-50s by the end of the day. Getting an early start may be advantageous if avoiding the October crowds is your goal, but the fishing won't really heat up until the sun gets on the water and gets the bugs -- and trout -- moving. October caddis are coming off in good numbers at night, so an Orange Stimulator (size 10-14) or Fox's Caddis Poopah in the same sizes is a smart thing to try in the morning and around dusk. We've been seeing a lot of cream-colored crane flies on the water, as well, which are about a size 16-18. We sell a sulphur cranefly here that has been fooling a lot of fish, skating it across the tails of the flatter pools in the mornings. If we're lucky enough to get some rain or cloud cover, the fall Baetis hatches will be good, given the number of nymphs present in the stream bed. Stock up on #18-#22 thorax Blue Winged Olives, parachute BWOs, Baetis nymphs, Flashback Pheasant Tails and pray for rain!

We had a reasonably slow September, guiding wise, which is normal for us. But September is usually when our guides take a vacation and get some personal fishing in; last month was no exception. Justin fished Kamchatka in Russia and Alaska with his dad and caught some gigantic rainbows, char and salmon. Mac took his annual muskie trip to Wisconsin, raised more than 40 fish and even had two 45-plus-inch muskies come after his fly simultaneously (a feat unheard of in the world of muskie fishing.) I headed out to the Fly Fishing Retailer's Show in Colorado, and was blessed with some wonderful hatches on the Fryingpan River, where I landed a 5-pound bow one morning, and spent several days floating and wading the Roaring Fork below Aspen. I returned to some rain showers, but generally we haven't gotten out of our rain-free rut.

Despite low water, we've had some really good days of guided fishing on our North Fork private waters lately, thanks to lower water temperatures and some decent bug activity. Guide Justin Howard and I took a corporate group out on Oct. 2, consisting of three beginners and one intermediate angler, and everyone landed double digits, including a couple of honkers apiece. If past years are any indication, this month will offer continued hot action on both private and public waters: browns are starting to move up into the West and North Forks to spawn, Delayed Harvest waters are brimming with fish, and our private waters continue to fish well thanks to careful management on our part. The fish seem to know winter is coming and have strapped on the feed bag, bulking up for the spawn and the long cold months ahead. Get out soon and enjoy autumn's bounty, because it won't last long.

Tight lines,

Than

Rain, Just In Time For Labor Day!

It's pouring here at the shop as I write this, and thanks to Tropical Depression Fay, we're supposed to get up to 4 inches of rain in the next 2-3 days. That's excellent news, considering we're headed into the Labor Day weekend and the phone has been ringing off the hook with people asking about fishing trips and conditions. Fay's soggy remnants are just what the doctor ordered to bump up our droughty water levels as we head into fall. The North Fork is almost back to her ol' self, and even prior to today's rain, water temperatures were only topping out in the mid-60s thanks to cooler nights. So hopefully the worst of the 2008 drought is behind us and autumn will continue to bring good fishing and ample rain.  

We've had some wonderful days of trout fishing lately, on backcountry brook trout streams, the Davidson and on our private waters, which seemed to weather the drought much better than last August. Guide Mac Marett found some physically fit folks willing to hike into Panthertown and the Pigeon watershed in search of wild brookies, including Jack S. of South Carolina and Mark and Jill H. from Missouri. The water temperatures remained cool enough to keep the "specs" active; everyone hooked fish in the double digits, on dry flies ranging from Mac's Blowfly to Streambank Hoppers. 

On the 15th and 16th, the King family from Chapel Hill took an All-Day School of Trout on the private waters, followed by a public water wade trip on the Davidson. Mrs. King and her son are both natives of France, but both spoke English far better than Mac and I speak French, that's for sure! With their newfound casting skills, everyone landed a bunch of fat rainbows and a few wild browns. Foam terrestrials and tiny nymph droppers on 6X did the trick. Their day on the Davidson was equally as productive, despite brutally low water, thanks to the hard work of Mac and guide Sam Aiken. Trico patterns and #24 midge pupas accounted for most of the fish. 

On Aug. 20-21, guide Justin Howard had back-to-back trips on the private waters that went exceptionally well considering the low water levels. Charles H. from Florida and his buddy stuck a bunch of fish on Day One. Then, Winston F. and his wife, Elizabeth, from Mobile landed some toads the next day, including a 20-plus-inch rainbow Winston landed on his second cast of the day on a Chernobyl ant! It's up on the Wall of Fame slideshow, if you want a look.

Perhaps our most memorable trip of the month involved hosting a group of Alabama state legislators and two lobbyists. They wanted to fish the Davidson, which at the time was running at an 85-year low. Add to that the fact that two of the four were beginners and we knew we had our work cut out for us. However, Mac and I were pleasantly surprised to find that the fish were in the eating mood. Everybody landed 7 or 8 fish apiece, including at least one over 18 inches. We busted off some of the bigger fish, but that's fishing on the big 'D,' right? We heard some hilarious jokes over lunch, but few were clean enough to share here, except maybe this one:

Did you hear that Barack Obama has a chance of winning Alabama?

No way! How is that possible?

Because if you put a 'G' in front of his name, you get, "GoBAMA!"

We haven't been able to float for smallmouth on the French Broad in several weeks, due to record low water. But the wade fishing has been consistently good, especially around the Long Shoals and Bent Creek areas. Going into the Labor Day weekend, the only problem will be visibility. If we get all the rain we're predicted to, the French Broad mainstem will be chocolate milk for several days afterwards, but may clear enough to run some float trips in early September. In the meantime, we're back in the business on the trout front. As always, feel free to call the shop for up-to-date conditions or stop by and pick up some "Hot Flies" on your way to the river -- 828-877-3106.

Tight lines,

Than

The Dog Days of August

 We've officially entered the "Dog Days" of August, with daytime temperatures hovering in the high 80s and lows only dipping into the mid-60s. That means water temps are starting out around 63- to 65 degrees on the North Fork and Davidson, and climbing into the potentially lethal 70s by mid afternoon. In short, it's a tough time to be trout fishing in Western North Carolina. As I write this, the North Fork is running at 1.79, which is the lowest it's been all summer. If you are thinking about going trout fishing in our area, I would wait until we get at least a few inches of rain. Should you be in the area for a limited time, and are just dying to fish, we have had successful days recently on our private waters, the Davidson and on several brook trout streams. But anglers have to change their expectations if they want to have a good day: the days of 20-plus fish days are largely over until September's cooler temps hit, and fishermen have to work hard for each strike. That being said, there are still some quality fish to be caught, if you're willing to work for them. Top flies remain hoppers, beetles, ants, inchworms, Isonychia nymphs, midge pupa and dark bodied mayfly nymphs such as the A.P. Flashback or Zebra Copper Johns. 6X tippet and long leaders are mandatory, except on brook trout waters.

July was hot and largely rain-free, but we still managed to keep our guides very busy, thanks to a never-ending line of anglers walking in the door of our new building. The month started with a bang on the private waters. Guide Mac Marett and I took Bestor W. and his family from Alabama up to the private waters and everybody hooked and landed their "limit," including at least a couple honker fish apiece. One of the cool things about repeat clients like Bestor's group is you get to see them grow over the years, both as anglers and individuals. Bestor's son, who I first guided as a young "tween," is now headed off to Suwannee to play football on a scholarship. For a young man who lives in bowfin country, he's evolved into quite an accomplished trout fisherman. On July 11, Mac took another favorite family of ours, Wes G. and his two sons from Columbia, S.C., up the North Fork. They all landed a mess of nice trout, mostly on dry-and-droppers. Wes even fished up a storm while sitting on a streamside rock -- talk about a man of leisure!

Guide Freddie Raines was handed a plum on July 20, when he took Richard B. from Vail, CO up to the private waters. Not only was Richard an advanced caster who could put the fly on target, but the fish were really amped up that day. He caught numerous trout pushing 18 inches and broke off a few bigger than that. Two days later, the fish were still on when I took Judge Harold A. and his good friend,  Billy W., up to the private waters. I didn't count how many Billy hooked, but the honorable judge landed 21 trout, including several over 17 inches. Considering the low, tepid water, that was a great day. Another pair of repeats, Michael and Misty M. from Florida, came up to fish "The Farm" with their youngest daughter, who they signed up for an All-Day School of Trout. I guided the 'rents, while guide Sam Aiken did the school. The fishing was slow at times, but everybody landed some nice rainbows and browns. Misty smoked them on dry flies, including several foam bodied terrestrials, while Michael put many bends in his Scott rod streamer fishing.  At the end of the day, a frog-choking thunderstorm ran us off the water, but nobody complained because we needed the rain so badly.

Most of that water had run off by the 24th, when guide Justin Howard had Carter D. and his two grandsons on the private waters. Anyone here will tell you that guiding three people is difficult under any circumstances, but Justin did a yeoman's job of getting each of them into fish. On July 27, Mac took Page S. from Mobile, AL on a brook trout fishing expedition that involved 7 miles of hiking, climbing up the sides of several waterfalls (the rock was dry), and throwing a little 2-weight at these native fish. After a lifetime of fly fishing, Page landed his first brook trout, followed by roughly 20 more. Dry flies such as Mac's Blowfly and Parachute Ants did the trick. Despite an arduous hike, Page said he'll be back. Two days later, Mac took Jack H. and his wife up the North Fork on an All-Day School of Trout. Using Bloom's Beetle, craneflies, and a host of midge pupa, the couple landed a brace of trout apiece, despite water temps in the high 60s. 

Although trout fishing is in the doldrums, smallmouth fishing is just hitting its stride. We've been fishing the French Broad, the Little Tennessee and the North Toe, and each river is fishing well using Shenandoah Blue Poppers, Sunfish Sliders, and white streamers. The bass are definitely spooky, but there are a TON of little guys willing to pound a well-presented topwater fly and a few big boys hanging out in the tails of the bigger pools. Until we get some cooler temps or rain, we're offering a special full-day wade trip that involves fishing public wild trout water in the morning and smallie fishing the French Broad in the afternoon. We also have access to a private lake with lots of largemouth and big bream that are willing to eat a popper or streamer. Call me at the shop for details: 828/877-3106.

Tight lines,

Than

Summertime & the Fishing Ain't Easy

Is it July already? The summer is just flying by, but we're having fun introducing more people to our private waters on the North Fork and hiking people into the backcountry for brook trout trips. Water levels on the North Fork are holding their own, on par with last summer, but the action has slowed down some as our water temps have climbed in the afternoons. The Davidson produced some bigger fish for us in the last two weeks, but the water levels there are very low (thankfully, water temps are staying cool enough for now). On the tailwater front, I fished the South Holston a few times in the last couple of weeks and the sulphur hatch there is kickin' at low water, with good terrestrial and streamer fishing when TVA generates. Bring a 3-weight and long, fine leaders for fishing it in low water. If you want to float the Holston or the Watauga, we have two guides on our roster with lots of experience on those rivers. It involves a 3-hour drive to the river, but we can arrange for accomodations in Bluff City if you're interested in floating the Soho one day and the Watauga the next. Call 828-877-3106 for pricing.

We started the month hosting a bunch of trips on our private waters, most of them repeat clients who had fished with us in the past. Guide Freddie Raines and I took Billy W. from Alabama and three friends up to "The Farm" on June 5, and everybody landed some nice fish on a variety of small nymphs. Billy even brought a few to the surface with dry flies, including a Red-Legged Hopper and some beetle patterns. On June 6, guide Justin Howard took Chris H. from Raleigh to the Davidson and landed several big fish, mostly on midge patterns. Justin said the river fished better than he expected, considering how low and slow-moving it was. That day, I took Ed H. from coastal South Carolina up to the private waters. We had a good day of fishing, although it wasn't easy. We had to get the drift right in their feeding lane to get any eats, and even then they spit the fly instantly. We had a little easier time on June 8, when I took Payton C. from Alabama up to the farm. Payton put the wood to several fish over 18 inches, including one beautiful red-sided 'bow that looked like it belonged in Alaska. On the 11th, Justin took Terrell H. from Texas over to the big 'D' and they had a fabulous day trying to fool the fickle fish on the hatchery stretch. Jujubee midges, blood midges and WD-40s did the trick, but as usual it took multiple presentations to get strikes.

Mac and I got invited to a bachelor party of sorts on June 13. We hosted groom-to-be Paxton L. from Hendersonville, along with his father, future brother-in-law and future father-in-law. For the record, there were no strippers or alcoholic beverages involved, but everybody managed to hook up with some nice fish in the short time we were able to fish them. On the 15th, Freddie took Ellis B. and his wife from Florida up to the private waters and they managed to hook up with some beautiful trout, both wild and stocked, despite water temperatures that hovered close to 69 degrees thanks to a series of 90-degree days the week before. Guide Woody Platt found time in his busy schedule as a bluegrass pickin' star to guide Shannon W. on the private waters on June 16. Shannon was agog at the nice trout she caught, but I think she was more impressed with Woody's affable nature and stories of touring the country with his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers.

We've run some smallmouth bass float trips this month and the fish have been more cooperative, overall, than the trout. That doesn't mean that the fishing is always easy, though. I floated Richard O. and his son, James, down the French Broad on June 18. This father-son team has fished for muskies, peacock bass and big lake trout on the fly, so they were experienced fly fishermen who could cast accurately and far -- in other words, a guide's dream trip. Unfortunately, a constant 25 mph headwind, coupled with brutally low water levels, made for a difficult day of casting and rowing. James landed two really large bass that fought like tigers, and both anglers landed a bunch of smaller ones, but rowing into the wind all day and dragging the boat over shoals made for a long day on the water.

Although this summer may not offer non-stop action, it's still a great time to learn to fly fish. Compared to the high water flows of spring, the streams are easier to wade and there are plenty of smaller wild trout willing to pounce on a dry fly in faster water. Guide Sam Aiken took John R. and his wife from Orlando to the West Fork on June 24 for our All-Day School of Trout and they had a great time and caught a mess of fish, even though neither had ever cast a fly rod before.

We ended the month much like we began it, with warm daytime temperatures and low water levels. But for the persistent angler who wants to land a big trout or two, or lots of small wild trout, there are days when the fishing is still excellent. Mac took Mark and George H. from New York on a backcountry brook trout trip on June 28, and they slayed them on dry flies. I took Ralph B. from Tampa over to the Davidson on July 1 and the fishing gods were definitely smiling that day. Ralph landed two tanks, both taping out at 21 inches, and about 15 other smaller fish, including a nice 12-inch brookie on a dry fly. Meanwhile, that day Mac took Wes and Scott G. from Columbia up to the private waters and they landed several whopperjaws. Justin had equally good results two days later on the big 'D' with Mike K., a Texan who is considering relocating to the Brevard area. Some days are slower than others, of course, but if we continue to get afternoon thundershowers, we should be okay through August. We're happy to give you an up-to-date assessment of fishing conditions if you call the shop -- 828-877-3106.

Tight lines,
Than

The Heat Is On!

Well, May has come and gone and all we can say here at Headwaters is WHEW! We had a very busy last half of the month, so much so that I haven't been able to get away to fish much myself. I did fish the main stem of the French Broad one afternoon last week and landed a bunch of small wild rainbows, all on yellow sally nymphs. And I hit the Davidson a few times at dusk and managed to land some nice brownies on sulphurs and Cahills, but the water is brutally low again. A 3-weight and a 12-foot leader really helped, though I still put down more fish than I landed. As I write this, it's 90 degrees here at the shop (!!) , with no significant rain in sight until late this week. Water levels are holding above 2.05 feet on the French Broad, which is an improvement over last summer at this time. Still, it looks like we're in for another droughty summer, which definitely has its pluses and minuses.

On the plus side, lower water levels force trout to pod up in the deepest water available to them, which means where you find one trout, you'll probably find more. As the water warms, oxygen levels drop, so don't neglect the faster broken water (riffles, heads of pools, etc.) Surprisingly large rainbows, in particular, will hold in such places because there's more oxygen and plenty of food. On the negative side, you must play and release fish quickly to avoid stressing or killing them, especially once the water temperatures get in the upper 60s. Right now, temps on our most popular streams are still holding in the low 60s, but they're rising fast thanks to the hot weather. If we get a bunch of afternoon thunderstorms, that will certainly help keep water and oxygen levels where we need them well into July. I'm doing my rain dance every morning, believe me.

Water levels certainly weren't an issue when guide Freddie Raines and I took Tom P. from Atlanta and his two fishing buddies up to the private waters for a day of mountain trout fishing on the 15th. It rained lightly all day and the fishing really turned on as a result. Freddie and Tom fished to a gigantic brown they saw eating behind a drop-off, trying "everything but the kitchen sink." Eventually, the fish opened its gaping maw and snarfed a golden stonefly nymph, but spit it instantly. Tom landed numerous beautiful 'bows out of the same pool, however. After lunch, his friend Rick hooked a beast of a rainbow that went shooting downstream with me chasing after it with my net. The pic is on our "Wall of Fame" if you want to check it out.

On May 17, Steve M. from Milledgeville Georgia, and his son, Charles, booked a day on the private waters. Steve broke in a brand-new Scott E2 5-weight with style, landing several nice rainbows in the morning and a creel full of nice trout (metaphorically speaking) in the afternoon. Not to be outdone, Charles stood downstream of his dad and wore them out pretty well himself, even though he'd never picked up a fly rod before. It helped that Charles is a former pro baseball catcher, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. Talk about hand-eye coordination!

Over the next two days, I took Curt H. and Ed B. from Florida to the private waters, and they had a blast. We caught some fish on top, which is always fun, but most of the fish ate sulphur or yellow sally nymphs fished deep. On May 24, we hosted a group of 7 anglers headed up by angler extraordinaire Pam J. from Atlanta. This group all attended NC State together in the 1970s and it was so much fun hanging out with their Wolfpack. Pam and her friend Nancy fished with me on the private waters, and they took to nymphing like a hummingbird to nectar. I didn't count, but they landed more than their "limit" by threefold. The others split up on the East Fork with guides Freddie and Mac Marett (who manned up and took three people) and despite quitting early, everyone caught some fish and had fun. The group stayed in some of our cabins at our Adventure Village, which they enjoyed thoroughly.

Mac and Matt Canter ran two All-Day Schools on the 25th and 26th, teaching their clients how to choose the right flies, present them accurately, mend line, set the hook, and play their fish. The East Fork fished great for both guides, who did well on an assortment of dries and nymphs, including sulphur nymphs, partridge & yellows, and PTs. On the 27th, Freddie took Bud W. and his fishing buddy D.J. up to the private waters on a day that threatened with thunderstorms. They slayed them on Harrop's soft hackles, woolly boogers and a CDC sally imitation that Freddie ties. Freddie said the wild fish, which make up probably 50% of what we catch usually, were really amped up and jumped on any good drift. On the 28th, I took Harry H. and his fishing buddy Sam H. from Atlanta down the Tuckaseegee on a float trip. We lucked out with the generation in the morning, but the water soon dropped to run-of-river flows and we squeaked by the islands just in time. The fish were definitely looking up, despite very off-color water conditions. We got lots of strikes on Chernobyl ants, Hopperstones, and Streambank Hoppers, and more than a few eats on yellow sally and Copper Johns dropped off them. We fished some tiny terrestrials on 6X to a bunch of rainbows sipping in a filmy back eddy below Webster and got several of those guys to eat, as well. Best of all, the predicted thunderstorm never evolved, so we floated most of the day in cool-ish, overcast conditions.

We ended May with a slew of private and public water trips, including three days of fishing with Jim M. from Florida. Jim sampled the private waters with me on two days, breaking his biggest-ever fish record on Day 2 with a 19-inch rainbow, and on the East Fork with Mac in between, where he got to catch some nice brook trout on top using his spanking new Scott E2 4-weight. Guide Sam Aiken took Gary and Cathy G. from Naples, FL to the East Fork for an All-Day School. From the sounds of it, they learned a lot from Sam and had a great day of fishing in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Now that tourism season is here, it pays to book your guided trips at least a week in advance. We are already fully booked up for the Fourth of July weekend on the private waters, for instance. Another reminder: Delayed Harvest ends this Saturday (June 7), so prepare yourself for more challenging fishing conditions after that date. We've already run a few wild brook trout trips, and those streams will continue to provide plenty of great trout fishing through the dog days of August for those willing to hike off the beaten path.

Tight lines!
Than

Dry Fly Heaven!

If you like fishing on top, you'd better get on the water soon. The dry fly fishing has been sensational recently, with solid hatches of March Browns, sulphurs, gray-winged yellow quills, yellow sallies, and three species of caddis all keeping the fish looking up. Within a few weeks, we'll be into the Green Drakes, Yellow Drakes and Litobranchas, too.

Guide Mac Marett and I got into a nose-clogging hatch of E. dorothea sulphurs on the Davidson River last week, but we only got a few fish to eat before the hatch quickly shut down. The fish were really picky about fly selection, too, especially for this early in the hatch. But then on May 7, I fished the same lower section of the 'D' and landed more than 20 fish in an afternoon of fishing, mostly on #14 March Browns or a March Brown emerger of my own invention. There were MB shucks everywhere -- in the eddies, on my waders, on the rocks. Though the browns were definitely amped up, the biggest fish I landed was a 21-inch rainbow that ate the dry fly in about two inches of water. He ran down into some downed wood, but miraculously came out without hanging up. After awhile, I snipped off my dropper because the fish were eating the dry so well and there's a lot of algae on the rocks. The poor Davidson has not recovered from the drought as well as other local rivers. It still looks really low, but right now, the water temps and bug activity are still making for some great fishing.

Speaking of dry flies, we've been seeing some giant golden stoneflies hatching on the North Fork recently, which is a little early by my watch. They come off primarily at night, but the stragglers are keeping the fish looking up in the mornings, and nymphing with a big Karnopp's stone is working well, as our guides can attest. One of my recent clients on the private waters, Robert B. from Bloomfield, Michigan, is such a dry fly fan that he wanted to fish on top all day. Generally, our private stretch doesn't fish well with dry flies unless there is a major hatch on, so with some relunctance, I tied on a golden Hopperstone (a high-floating foam bodied stonefly) and added a Prince dropper. Damned if the first fish, a wild rainbow, didn't pound the dry! Sure, the dropper accounted for a small majority of the fish caught, but Bob kept throwing the dry -- even in the pouring rain, mind you -- and the fish kept eating it. His last fish of the day was an 18-inch rainbow that crushed the Hopperstone in fast water like it had been waiting for a substantial meal all day. Very cool.

Guide Freddie Raines stayed below the surface with clients Randy C. and Robert S. from Monroe, NC on April 26, which paid dividends for those two newcomers to the sport. Freddie's killer fly, "Fire & Ice," produced a bunch of nice fish from the private waters, everything from little wild rainbows to a couple monsters that pulled out and everything in between. Three days later, I took Jimmy L. from Florida back for his second visit to the private waters and we had a grand day of nymphing, catching fish on everything from tiny Harrop's soft hackles to my #14 March Brown emerger. Guide Woody Platt and I hosted a series of trips on the private water in early May, most of which fished very well in the afternoons, when a boatload of sulphurs poured off, along with some March Browns. A good ol' Sheepfly/Hare's Ear combo did the trick, along with some yellow sally and sulphur nymphs when the fish got jaded. On May 10, I had the pleasure of taking Bill F. from Atlanta up to the private waters. Bill and I fished together on the East Fork last year and did well, despite it being the opening day of Delayed Harvest (yikes!), but nothing like we did on the private stretch. Bill landed several big fish over 17 inches, including two big bows that ate his AP Nymph in pocket water and fought like rabid pitbulls. The coolest part of the day, at least for me, was seeing a 17-inch hellbender right at our feet. Hellbenders are the largest aquatic salamanders in North America, and the North Fork (as well as the Davidson and Looking Glass Creek) are some of the best breeding grounds for them in the country, a testament to the purity of our streams.

On May 12, one of my favorite repeat clients, Stan R. from Huntsville, AL, made a return visit to the private waters. The last time we fished together, almost every big fish we hooked came unglued just as they reached the net. This time, it was payback time and Stan did it with style. He put the smoker-doker to every big fish, and this time we landed the vast majority of those we hooked, plus a bunch of pretty wild trout that jumped like trained circus animals and made his drag sing. It's a great time to be on any trout water in Western North Carolina, but be sure to book a trip soon if you want a piece of dry fly nirvana, because the bugs are going to peak here in the next three-four weeks. Tight lines!

April Showers & March Browns

With air temperatures consistently in the 70s and water temps in the high 50s, spring has officially arrived in the mountains here in the Brevard area. Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted, but we've been slammed with both fly fishing and canoeing clients and the shop has been bustling. The few days off I managed to carve out were too beautiful to sit behind a computer, that's for sure! My best day of personal fishing recently was on the Davidson, where a buddy and I stumbled upon a cinnamon caddis hatch of mythical proportions. There were large trout flashing, splashing and leaping everywhere. After netting a half-dozen fish up to 15 inches, I finally managed to get a bruiser brown over 20 inches to eat a dry fly, and my buddy got the whole thing on video. He broke off at the end, but the surface take and subsequent acrobatics are very cool to watch and re-watch (don't let anyone tell you that browns don't jump.) I'll try to post it soon, if I can figure out how to upload video files.

Meanwhile, we've had a couple of good weeks of fishing, despite dropping water levels. On the 18th, I took Ashton S. and his son-in-law up to the North Fork for their inaugural visit (we've fished the East Fork before), and they had a blast -- except for late in the day when someone who shall go unnamed took a plunge and immersed his camera in the drink!It was in the middle of a chaotic fight with a giant rainbow, who we haven't hooked in quite some time because he usually sits in some very frothy, fast current. On this day, Ashton managed to hook him and he jetted off down a sluice and into the pool below him. I scrambled downstream and we eventually tired him out enough to net him. He was 22 inches long and very brightly colored along his flanks, with bold leopard spots and white-tipped fins. The digital camera was inoperable at this point, but none of us will forget the image of that fish. Fortunately, both boys landed some nice fish earlier that made it onto the photo card before it got dunked, and nobody got hurt, thankfully.

On the 19th, Jimmy G. returned to fish the North Fork along with his fishing buddy, Butch. The forecast was less than desirable, with a cold front bringing in rain and a 60% chance of thunderstorms. But they toughed it out and, as is often the case, the extreme weather stalled long enough for us to fish in relative comfort (just a drizzle) for the entire day. Jimmy landed a bunch of "fat ol' silver bellies," as he dubs them, as well as the biggest hornyhead I've ever seen! Butch caught a few bigger fish, as well, with lots of wild fish thrown in the mix. The action wasn't as fast-paced as the last time we fished, probably because of the cold front, but it was still an enjoyable day of fine conversation, good humour and beautiful surroundings. We saw a bunch of birds that day, including a young Cooper's hawk teaching her young how to hunt. She flew over us and lighted in a dead tree, where she dropped a dead squirrel in a crook, presumably for the young to pick up. Bluebirds were in the apple blossoms, thrashers were scratching in the laurel and phoebes perched on roof of the old cabin. A few swallows dipped down over the water to grab the few March Browns that came off in the afternoon, but they were too scant to really turn the fish on much.

On the 20th, we were pleased to host Larry S. and his two grown sons, Jeff and Brad, on their annual father-and-son fishing trip. Guide Mac Marett and I switched off with Jeff and Brad, so they could each spend time fishing with their dad. Jeff and Mac landed a brace of wild trout in the a.m. and capped off the morning by landed a beast of a rainbow in a deep pool below some rhododendron. Meanwhile, Larry and Brad got into a nice caddis hatch on the upper stretch, each landing a handful of trout, including a couple of bigger rainbows, on Morrish's Hotwire Caddis Pupas and DSPs. After a nice deli sandwich lunch, Jeff and Larry followed me upstream, where Dad latched onto a huge rainbow and an equally huge brown that went boring downstream and pulled out. Undeterred, Larry climbed into some slippery pocket water and proceeded to land three nice rainbows -- boom, boom, boom. I almost killed myself wading out below him to net them! Jeff got a large fish to slash at his streamer, but it missed, then he landed four nice rainbows in the afternoon and a wild brown to boot. Meanwhile, Mac got Brad into a giant rainbow that ate his fly as it swung up on the end of his drift. They landed it on 6X! It was a great way to end the day.

The next day, April 21, I took Mike D. from Florida up to the North Fork for his first trip on the private waters. After fishing over them for three days, I wondered whether the trout would have lockjaw, but a fantastic March Brown hatch and lots of blue-winged olives kept the trout happy and active. Mike said it was the best day of trout fishing he'd ever had, and he has fished for big browns in Michigan, salmon in the Pacific Northwest and is a regular visitor to the Tennessee tailwaters. It helped that Mike is a good mender who sets the hook quickly, but not too hard, and he knows how to play big fish on light tippet. It was a memorable day, topped off by a big 19-inch rainbow at the end of the afternoon. I can't wait to fish with Mike again.

On the 24th, Mac, guide Sam Aiken and I got to host another annual fishing excursion, this one hosted by Watt G. and his wife Nancy, from Little Rock, Arkansas. Watt and Nancy and two other couples were staying in Black Mountain, so we met them on Hwy. 280 and headed over to fish the North Mills River. We started in the campground section, which was crowded for a Thursday and didn't fish well at all. We hooked into a few, but they weren't big. So after a tasty lunch and some red wine (for the clients, not us guides), all nine of us hiked in from the Trace Ridge Trailhead and began fishing three separate sections of the upper river. The upper river fished better than the campground, but wasn't exactly on fire. The water was low and the fish were spooky, even in the broken water. Everybody landed some fish, however, and there was no lack of visual stimulation: star chickweed, trillium, bloodroot, hooded warblers and a baby northern water snake that Nancy was brave enough to fish near! The hike out was arduous, but this was a tough group that has fished in Alaska, Montana and all over. Watt even smoked a cigar on the way out -- how cool is that?

Wildflowers and Trout Galore!

Any savvy angler who has spent enough time in the woods knows that blooming wildflowers are a great indicator of trout fishing (and hatches.) This goes for all areas of the country. In Michigan, for instance, when the wild irises are in bloom, you can bet good money that the Brown Drakes are hatching. Here in the southern Appalachians, three of my favorite indicator species for good fishing are the trout lily, yellow mandarin, and trillium. I fished up the West Fork of the French Broad the other day with a good buddy of mine and all three herbs were on full display, along with star chickweed, wild strawberry, and foamflower. The fishing wasn't super hot, but we caught some nice trout over the course of the afternoon, ranging from some cookie-cutter 10" rainbows to a beautiful wild brown of 15 inches. We didn't see any rises at all, so everything was caught fishing nymphs deep, with lots of split shot. Saw my first yellow sallie of the year, but most of the bugs were black caddis and Quill Gordons.

We've had some fun on guide trips over the last week or so. On April 9, guide Woody Platt took Bill and Mary P. from West Virginia up to our private waters for a day of fly fishing. It was a gorgeous day in the 60s and the fish were really on. Most of the fish caught were 12"-15" rainbows, but Woody also netted a 5-pound brown for the lucky anglers. From the smiles on their faces at the end of the day, I think we'll see them again. The next day, I took John M. from Virginia up to the private waters for an all-day trip. John and I have fished together for years and he is always a pleasure to spend the day with. The morning was kind of slow, with just a fish here or there, and I was a little mystified. I just figured they were sore-mouthed from Woody's trip the previous morning, which didn't make a whole lot of sense. Then John and I walked up on a wet sandy spot where there were lots of fresh five-toed tracks and two long, brown turds with fish scales in them. River otters! No wonder the fish were so freaked out. We've had a pair of otters on the river for a year or so, but they've come and gone with little damage to the fishery. Indeed, by afternoon, the otter rampage was a distant memory and the trout started eating well again. We landed several nice ones, but as always happens when the water is up, broke off or lost some of the larger rainbows when they went airborne or wrenched the hook out in fast current.

On April 11th, I hosted two of my favorite repeat clients, Stan R. and Tommy G. from Alabama, on the private waters; the fishing and the company were both fantastic. Despite a weather forecast calling for severe thunderstorms in the afternoon, the rain held off until we were done fishing, which was a blessing. We hooked a ton of fish, but lots of them pulled out just at the last minute. Stan even asked, jokingly, if there wasn't a hinge on our hooks, it happened so much (with water temps in the mid-50s, the fish's metabolisms are really amped up right now.) In the afternoon, a bunch of cinnamon caddis started coming off and the fish went wild. I tied on a caddis pupa dropper to both men's rigs and they started hooking one trout after another. Landing them was another story! About 2-out-of-3 fish got within inches of my net and then pulled out, with the flies shooting up into a rhododendron. I went through a whole spool of Frog Hair re-rigging them, but it's hard to complain when the action is that hot. Fortunately, both guys landed a fat rainbow to cap off the day.

On April 12, I picked up John M. at his Adventure Village cabin and we headed over to the East Fork for some public water fishing. Just as pulled up to the Delayed Harvest section, there was the game warden on the side of the road with three guys with spinning rods and worm containers. Busted! But that just goes to show how severe the poaching problems has become over there, with people bait fishing on a Saturday morning right next to the road. Despite the poaching, John and I had an awesome time on the water, landing about 30 fish over the course of the day on a variety of nymphs and streamers. Brook trout are definitely king on the East Fork after the last stocking -- 70% of what we landed was a brookie, including two monsters of 18 inches. That night, we ate dinner together at the Squared Root and laughed ourselves silly -- it was a great way to end a week of great fishing.

March/April Guide Trips

Our water levels are hovering right where they should be for this time of year, a further sign that the worst of the drought is behind us. All the rainfall of late has been good for fishing, both on public streams such as the Davidson and on our private leased water. Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, BWOs, black caddis and midges are all hatching in good numbers, though I haven't experienced a "blanket hatch" of any species in the last two weeks, perhaps because of the record flooding we had on March 19. We had to postpone a bunch of trips thanks to the high water, which reached 1,000 cfs on the French Broad in Rosman!

Once the water had receded enough to fish it, I took Jimmy L. from Panama City FL up to the private waters for a full-day trip on March 27. Jimmy, who was one of the first people I ever floated down the Tuckasegee years ago, put more fish in the net than just about anyone thus far this season. I won't brag on him too much, but Jimmy didn't go more than 20 minutes without a fish on, including several large rainbows. I think he's spoiled now! We even got four fish to come up and eat a Quill Gordon dry after lunch. But most of the fish fell to nymphs, everything from Caddis Poopahs to a #18 Killer Mayfly Nymph, either dropped off a Thunderhead or fished under an indicator. Jimmy just back from an awesome trip to Chile, so he's had quite a month of fishing. 

On March 28, we hosted a father-son getaway for Justin C. and Mark S. and their two sons, Parker and Chandler. I took the dads up to our private waters for a full-day of fishing, while guide Sam Aiken coached the two boys during a 3-Hour School of Trout. Parker and Chandler learned to cast like a couple of pros, and even got a chance to tie their own stonefly nymphs under Sam's tutelage. Then they took their newfound skills over to a pond, where they caught some trout for dinner. Meanwhile, their dads learned how to nymph, Southern Appalachian style, and caught about 15 fish apiece over the course of the day. We lost a few bruisers, but everyone landed a trout over 17 inches. The next day, Justin and Mark took the boys on a canoe trip down to Hannah Ford. I'm sure the whole adventure will provide fond memories for the parents and kids for years to come.

April arrived with still more rain, but that wasn't about to stop Tom L. from Tallahassee from going fishing on the 3rd. I took Tom over to the East Fork, where we did some casting instruction and flipped a bunch of rocks while we discussed "matching the hatch." We found some pretty cool bugs, including a giant Pteronarcys stonefly nymph that was as long as my ring finger! Tom hooked and landed three trout on his first five casts, so I had a feeling it was going to be a good day. It turned out better than just good - it was sheer trout-catching anarchy. In one pool, Tom landed 10 brook trout on 10 drifts. We tried it all -- dead-drifting, swinging flies, stripping streamers -- and it all worked. The dry fly fishing wasn't great, because the constant rain kept knocking our flies underwater, but the nymph fishing was sensational. I'm not a fish counter, but suffice it to say that if the regulations weren't catch-and-release, Tom could have fed a small Third World family with what he landed.

On April 4, I had the pleasure of taking out two of my favorite repeat clients, William M. and Art D. from Birmingham, AL to the private waters. These fellas are hilarious and had me in stitches the whole trip! Things started off promising, with both guys landing a handful of 12-15" rainbows on a variety of nymphs and attractor patterns. There were Quill Gordons coming off (they were #16s, which is pretty small for that species) and a few Blue Quills; the fish were definitely looking for them. When we moved upstream, where the current was rushing through narrow sluices and runs, the fishing got increasingly difficult. Both men landed some nice trout, but it took lots of good drifts to get strikes. We lunched on the porch of the old cabin, safe from the pelting rain, and talked about Alabama politics, golf, fishing gear and former bosses. When we returned to the river, it was definitely running higher and slightly dirtier. We landed another 4 or 5 fish apiece, had quite a few fish come unbuttoned, and ended the day after the rushing flow became too difficult to fish. Besides, it was time for everyone to dry out and have a cold beer.

This month should continue to provide good-to-excellent fishing, as the water temperatures are hovering in the mid-50s, which is the ideal feeding range for trout. Moreover, some of our best hatches, including the March Browns and Hendricksons, are about to start. If you're interested in a guided trip, either on our private waters or one of the fantastic public streams in our area, give us a call at 828-877-3106.

Spring (and Rain) Is Here!

It was only a few months ago we were bemoaning our drought conditions, but how quickly things change! According to state rainfall records, the southern mountains of NC have seen 1.26 inches more precip than normal over the last month, though we're still 13 inches down for the year. Fortunately, NOAA's "U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook" for March through May predicts that "drought is likely to improve, impacts ease" throughout the Appalachians. It's pouring here at the shop as I write this, and the French Broad and Davidson Rivers have not dropped below their normal (median) flows in weeks. All good news for trout anglers, especially heading into the height of our best spring fishing.

We've enjoyed the fruits of all this rain during our guide trips thus far in March. On the 6th, I took Dickie B. from Louisiana out to a local Delayed Harvest stream and we pretty much caught fish at will all day, except for a few places where we got in directly behind someone. It was a beautiful spring day in the high 50s and the fish really turned on in the afternoon, when the water temperatures climbed a few degrees. The water was cranking thanks to a major flood event the day before that brought the French Broad mainstem in Rosman up to 4,000 c.f.s.! But the river dropped quickly, and the high waters scoured out a lot of the sand and sediment that had built up in some of the bigger pools. We lengthened our leaders, crimped on a ton a splitshot and just kept casting. Dickie landed a huge brook trout with a vibrant orange belly at our first stop, and consistently landed 10-12" rainbows throughout the day. A Morrish Hotwire Caddis was the fly du jour, although we caught fish on black beaded Princes, PTs and Mercer's Trigger nymphs, too. Dickie owns several restaurants back home and I was pleased that he thought my homemade turkey sandwiches were up to snuff.

On the 8th, I went fishing with Darrell B. from Highlands/Atlanta on the Davidson. The water level was the best it's looked in a long time and the rocks had that freshly scoured look that they get after a big flood event. Darrell landed about a dozen fish, including a 20-inch brown, on a variety of midge patterns, and broke off at least that many on 6X. Not bad for a guy who has fly fished only three times. We even got to fish some dries late in the day, when a bunch of BWOs starting drifting downstream. With the water as high as it was, the drifts were difficult, but Darrell eventually got the hang of mending and stuck a few fish on Hi-Vis Baetis parachutes and Comparaduns before we had to call it a day. I fished the D on my own several times since the water came up and it has done me right each time. I got into a killer Quill Gordon hatch on the 9th, where the fish would only eat nymphs and emergers but never really came up to eat a dry. But I landed four fish over 17 inches that day, and a handful of 12-15 inchers. None of these came from the hatchery stretch, by the way, where I've witnessed some truly unethical fishing practices in the last few months. There's one guy who spends hours doing the San Juan Shuffle and fishing straight downstream to fish eating the midge larva and other bugs he kicks up, often hooking fish right at his feet. If you did that kind of thing on the San Juan or the Frying Pan in Colorado, you'd be tarred and feathered by fellow anglers, but somehow the local hatchery crowd seems to tolerate such cheating. What ever happened to the concept of "fair chase?" On a happier note, the flood waters blew out some trees and log jams on the D, opening up some new water.

Rain was in the forecast yet again as guide Freddie Raines took Chris F. from Chicago over to the East Fork on the 15th. Chris works for a company that has offices in Charlotte, so he made a long weekend out of his business trip and drove on up. He and Freddie got about four hours on the river before lightning started zig-zagging and thunder boomed. They high-tailed it back to the shop and hung out next to the woodstove, while Freddie showed him how to tie some knots. Unfortunately, the rain and thunder only got worse, so that was it for fishing. But Chris had a great time and caught a bunch of nice trout, including a chunky rainbow that broke him off and then ate another of Freddie's nymphs several drifts later! There's nothing a guide loves more than retrieving lost flies.

We had to cancel or postpone a few trips on the 16th due to still more heavy rain, but David and Martha M. from Florida were able to re-schedule their trip on our private waters for the 17th, when the day dawned sunny and temps climbed into the upper 50s. This was David's second trip to our leased water, but Marty's first time and she gave the fish up there a run for their money! She landed the first fish of the day, a 12" wild rainbow that jumped twice, on a PT nymph, and then hooked a tank that sat on the bottom like a rock and refused to budge. When it finally succumbed to rod pressure, the fish took off downstream and wrench the hook out. Bummer! David hooked (and eventually lost) three monsters at the first pool we fished, including a 19-inch beast of a rainbow that used the fast-flowing current to pull out, but we netted two good rainbows in the 15-inch class. At the next pool, David and Marty both landed a nice rainbow and David hauled in a beautiful wild brown of 12" on a Hogan's S&M nymph. BWOs, brown stones, and the occasional Quill Gordon were starting to fly at this point, but the water was cooking and we had to get our drifts just perfect to get strikes. Several fish tore downstream into whitewater and pulled off, but that's the price you pay for fishing in high water, I guess. We broke for lunch and then returned to one of my favorite spots on the private waters, where Marty jumped a huge rainbow that spit the fly and then successfully landed two more. Meanwhile, David netted a pink-flanked 17-inch bow and numerous smaller fish that fought like twice their size. This trip was a birthday present from Marty and from the grin on his face at day's end, he had an excellent B-day!

On the 18th, Dan and George H. from Nashville enrolled in our 3-Hour School of Trout, and despite a 30% rain chance and predictions of 59 degree temps, we ended up casting in drizzling rain and 43 degrees. (Are you seeing a trend here?) Anyhow, they were troopers, especially George, a 5th grader on spring break who was suffering from a cold. We got to fish a stocked pond towards the end of the school and George landed three 12-inch rainbows, besting his Dad's two trout. We lunched together on some delicious hot chili with cornbread and then learned some knots by the warmth of the fire. All in all, not a bad way to spend a chilly, rainy day in the mountains of North Carolina.

February Guide Trips

They say March comes "in like a lion, out like a lamb," but they might as well have been speaking of February in the Southern Appalachians. Our weather has fluctuated between brutally cold, windy days and balmy, spring-like conditions that have brought out clients trying to beat their cabin fever.
On the 15th, I took Jimmy and Justine G. from south Georgia up to our private water on the North Fork and we had a blast, despite water temps in the lower 40s. Jimmy is one of my favorite repeat clients because he truly appreciates every fish he catches. He'll hook a nice rainbow and hoot, "There's ol' Mr. Silver Belly!" His laughter and joy is infectious, so we always have a great time together, regardless of whether the fishing is hot or not. Fortunately, the fishing was pretty on. Jimmy hooked up on a big rainbow right off the bat, and proceeded to land a bunch more over the course of the afternoon, all on nymphs. Most fell to small BWO soft-hackles, Juju Baetis and other small offerings, but the biggest two fish grabbed hold of a #8 Yuk Bug. Not to be outdone, Justine held her own, landing several fat rainbows and a pretty wild brown of about 9 inches. Jimmy and Justine spent last summer in British Columbia, fishing the Crowsnest, Elk and other fine rivers, right at the same time I was there researching an article on bull trout, so we got to compare notes on that. Anyone interested in a Rockies fishing vacation that doesn't involve fighting crowds or fishing the same old Montana standbys, give me a call and I'll hook you up with the outfitter I recommended to them. They are already talking about going back to B.C. next summer. The dry fly fishing in B.C. is unsurpassed, better than the South Fork of the Snake (if you can believe that.)
On Feb. 20, Mike D. from Boca Raton, Florida booked us for a public water trip. He has a friend who lives on Frozen Creek and wanted to learn some local waters so he could come back and try them on his own. I took him over to the East Fork, which I was a little tentative about. I'd been hearing from customers that the stream has been heavily poached of late, with few fish holding out since the fall stocking. From the number of empty worm containers along the banks, their reports are reasonably accurate. But contrary to popular belief, there are still plenty of fish to catch. Mike must have landed 20 or so, and hooked many more than that. One of his last fish of the day was a 17-inch holdover brown that fought like a rabid Rottweiler. As usual, our best flies were small Baetis imitations dropped off caddis larva, Glo-bugs and Hare's Ears. The latter makes sense, because there were March Brown and Quill Gordon nymphs under every rock we flipped.
Indeed, we actually got to see some Quill Gordons in the air on Feb. 24 when I took Andrew P. from the Charlotte area fishing, along with his daughter and her boyfriend. They took advantage of a special deal we're running this winter, which combines a half-day private water trip with 4 hours of public water fishing. Like Mike, Andrew wanted to sample some local public streams in hopes of returning to fish them on his own later this summer. We had so much fun on the private waters that we didn't make it to the East Fork until late in the day, where we completed everybody's slam with a brook trout or two before they had to head home to Charlotte. The water was crystal clear compared to the 20th, but the fish were still hanging out in the same ol' places. We did pass a guy with a nightcrawler container on top of his vehicle, right below East Fork Falls. I couldn't get a cell phone signal, or I would've called Wildlife Enforcement on him. If you're fishing the river and see people keeping fish or fishing bait (which now includes PowerBait or any scent-impregnated "cheese worms" and such), you can dispatch the wardens by calling 800-662-7137.
We got more rain this last week and the water levels are holding right at median levels, so we're definitely crawling out of our drought. I fished the Davidson River yesterday with a buddy and we hooked three monsters and a handful of 10-15" fish during a heavy Baetis hatch that started around 11:30 a.m. and lasted until 1 p.m. We also saw some Quill Gordons, but couldn't get our hands on any because everytime one floated downstream, a trout snacked on it! Spring is about to be sprung, folks, and the fishing seems to get better with every 60 degree day we get.

Tight lines!

Magazine Writer Samples Private Waters

Headwaters Outfitters was proud to host a writer and photographer from Mountain Traditions Magazine on our private waters in late January, as part of a story they're working on for spring. The writer, Scott Parrott, is an editor and outdoors columnist with the Hendersonville Times-News who has fished with me in the past. Scott is a great angler, so it wasn't long before he stuck some of the fat rainbows we have up there. The water temp was 39 degrees, so the trout weren't super active, but we consistently hooked them on a double-nymph rig consisting of a Glo-Bug or stonefly nymph, followed by a dropper nymph. As usual, most of the fish took the dropper, whether it was a small Baetis pattern or a #18 black beaded Prince with rubber legs. The current was cookin' from recent rains, so the challenge was getting the flies down in front of the fish quickly, but not so fast that we hung up on the bottom halfway through our drifts. I'm not a fish counter, but I think in the four hours we fished, Scott landed several 15" rainbows and a small wild 'bow of 5 inches that was the prettiest fish we caught all day. We had a bunch of LDRs (long distance releases), too, mostly where the fish went berserk and pulled out the tiny hooks.
On paid trips, I'm a firm believer that guides should guide, not fish. But this was a "media outing," so when Scott encouraged me to fish for awhile for the sake of photographic diversity, I wasn't about to say no. I missed a couple of strikes right off, proving that even so-called "professionals" are fully capable of blowing it when the pressure is on! However, I soon hooked and landed a beautiful wild brown of about 12 inches, which had blood-red spots on its flanks and adipose fin. Photographer Michael Justus got a great close-up shot of it, which made me happy, since everything we had caught up until then were rainbows. That's not too unusual on our private waters, which consist mostly of high-gradient plunge pools and faster, broken water that rainbows favor. But I wanted a pretty brown photo for the magazine. Mission accomplished. 
With our photography needs met, it was time for Michael to step from behind the lens and up to the plate. For a guy who hadn't picked up a fly rod in awhile, he did great, hooking two or three trout once he got the drift right. Alas, those fish came unglued because a tree limb overhanging us kept him from raising his rod tip enough to keep the line tight. We stepped out of its shadow a little and BOOM, Michael landed a silvery 12" rainbow on his next presentation. From there, we moved upstream and flipped some cobblestones so Michael could get some shots of bugs. We didn't have to look long; we found Baetis nymphs, golden stoneflies, Rhyacophilia caddis larva, Hydropsyche larva and an adult Dolophilodes skipping across the surface. That's probably my favorite thing about our private water, other than the solitude and beauty of the place. There's lots of diversity among the aquatic invertebrates, ranging from giant black stoneflies to regionally rare mayfly species. They don't always hatch when I want them to (i.e. when we have a four-person guide trip), but there's always a bunch of different insects in the drift, even in winter.
If you want to read more about our private water, check out the Spring Issue of Mountain Traditions Magazine. If you want a guided trip on this special stretch, give us a call at (828) 877-3106.

Drought and Trout

If you believe the folks at the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council, our county was still in "exceptional drought" as of Jan. 15. While we're far from being out of the woods, I don't think "exceptional" fairly characterizes current stream and groundwater conditions locally. The French Broad here in Rosman has been holding at 2 feet above gauge or better since late December, and water levels on the North, East and West Forks are ideal right now, as far as fly fishing goes. We took two groups to our private waters on the North Fork last week and had a splendid day, hooking a dozen or so trout apiece on stonefly nymphs and Baetis emergers. We caught fish in places that were bone-dry back in August.
The Davidson River looks worse off to me, yet it has been fishing fairly well considering the low water temps, especially below its confluence with Looking Glass Creek. I had a banner day fishing the Big D last Friday, before the snows hit. Rains had brought water levels & temperatures up, and the bite was definitely on. A Juju Baetis was the killer fly, but I got fish to eat 10 or 11 different patterns over the day. One silver lining to the drought is that it makes sight-fishing a breeze. The water is so clear you can watch them eat your nymph from 15 feet away! The flip side is you have to be ultra-stealthy to get that close.
I've gotten several phone calls and e-mails recently from clients inquiring how the ongoing drought will affect their spring fishing plans, and I told them quite honestly that I'm optimistic about our spring prospects. For one, the long-range forecasts call for even more rain, on top of all the snow that is slowly recharging the water table. And two, I don't subscribe to the gloom-and-doom soothsaying you see in various chatrooms.
Yes, the drought may temporarily shift segments of the trout population around, maybe even reducing the number of larger browns. But wild trout (which are the only trout I truly care about) are hardy creatures; they bounced back from the post-Ivan and Katrina flooding a few years ago, and they recovered from the 3-year drought that preceded that. Nature endures, and local trout populations will emerge from the latest drought stronger than ever.
If you don't believe me, consider the findings of some of our best scientific minds who have actually studied the effects of drought on trout.
"Drought, like flooding, is a natural phenomena which has been part of the evolutionary history of fish species through the temperate regions of the world," aquatic biologist J.W. Chapwick wrote in 2004. "Trout have developed both resistance and resilience mechanisms to overcome problems associated with extremes in flow." Chapwick's study of two Colorado drainages found that young-of-the-year trout actually increased on the Arkansas during its lowest flow on record.
Closer to home, biologist Molly Keaton of Furman University and two associates also found greater numbers of juvenile and YOY fish after three consecutive years of drought on two South Carolina Piedmont streams, "suggesting that most species exhibited greater reproductive success following the drought."
It makes sense, really. What an impediment to survival it must be for juvenile fish when, freshly hatched out, they are buffeted by high spring flows.They can hide out in the slack-water areas on the current's periphery, but when the water is up, larger fish are able to easily sneak into those areas and prey on them. It's purely anecodotal, I know, but I definitely noticed an increase in the amount of smaller rainbows and browns in the Davidson this past season.
In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, aquatic biologist Matt Kulp reports that the Park Service's monitoring surveys indicate trout densities have not changed much at all. Indeed, juvenile and sub-adult survival has been very good. Adult mortality has been higher, but Kulp points out that natural mortality annually kills 60-70 percent of adult rainbow trout, irregardless of drought.
So I'm not worried much about the current drought's long-term effect on our local trout populations. I'm much more concerned about the loss of hemlocks along our streams, which threatens to increase summertime water temperatures, and about the impact that global warming will have on our future trout populations, especially native brook trout. Two climate models predict that a little over half of natural brook trout habitat in the southern Appalachians will be lost over the next century, according to U.S. Forest Service researcher Patricia Flebbe. Droughts come and go, but their duration and intensity may very well be linked to the ridiculous amount of greenhouse gases we produce in this country. Something to think about next time you fire up the Hummer for that fishing trip into the mountains...
Tight lines!