Fly Fishing With Headwaters Outfitters

Here Comes Rock-tober!

2011-09-25T13:10:00.003-04:00

After another long summer of low rainfall and steamy temperatures, we have been looking forward to autumn for some time. Fall brings cooler temps, of course, but the fishing perks up for other reasons, too. For one, all of our Delayed Harvest streams (including the East Fork, Tuckasegee, Little River and North Mills) get stocked with fresh fish in the first week of October. Then there is another stocking by the state in early November, and the fishing doesn't suffer much even as late as Thanksgiving.
Another reason we welcome the Autumnal Equinox is that it kicks off a fresh round of hatches. We already have seen October caddis buzzing around in the mornings on our North Fork private waters. An orange Stimulator (#14-#10) may bring fish up to the surface, but it's the pupae that really seem to turn them on. Cinnamon-colored Deep Sparkle Pupas, Fox's Poopahs or even a simple Partridge-and-Orange are the best choices for dredging and swinging down-and-across. Early morning and late in the day are best, since these pumpkin-colored caddis emerge mostly at night.
We saw a ton of tiny blue-winged olives (likely Acentrellas) on the Davidson the other day while guiding. Any decent drift with a #22-#24 olive RS-2 or a Pheasant Tail nymph brought a strike, though they were lightning quick to spit it, as usual. But we can expect to see continued hatches of BWOs throughout the fall, especially on cloudy days. Isonychia mayflies, commonly known as Leadwinged Coachmans, are also coming off right now, along with a few remnant Tricos. Don't neglect the terrestrials, either. Beetle and ant imitations are still hot, even as the hopper/inchworm hatch winds down for the season after the first frost.
Probably the biggest single reason our guides look forward to fall, however, is the bump in water. We have suffered through three or four summers of below-average rainfall and at times, it was sheer torture to get fish to eat in August. Now, thanks to Hurricane Irene and the latest dump this week, our rivers are getting back in good shape again. More tropical moisture is predicted to come our way in the coming week, which is great news for our streams and those who love them.
Brook trout are on the beds up high, so we'll be putting aside the 2-weights for awhile to let them rest and reproduce without harassment. Smallmouth bass, particularly the larger fish, are moving into deeper troughs and holes as the water cools down, so our float trips will mostly shift to the Tuck or the Watauga for trout. The brown trout spawn is nearly upon us, which always produces a few whopper-jaws in October and November. Fishing streamers out of a drift boat allows you cover more water and increases your chance of hooking a trophy-class brown.
So put aside college football games for a weekend and forget about deer season for a minute, because the best trout fishing of the year is about to arrive. The tulip poplars and sourwoods are already turning here in the French Broad River valley and the best of the fall foliage season is still ahead of us. The private waters is booking up quickly for October, so don't wait until the last minute to get in on the autumnal action. This winter is predicted to be a cold, snowy one, so it may be the last opportunity to get your trout on until spring!

Tight lines,
Than

The Dog Days Are Here Again

2011-08-03T22:07:00.002-04:00

Trout fishing is a coldwater sport, folks. To quote the eminent ichthyologist Dr. Robert Behnke, "Trout feeding is sharply reduced as temperatures rise from 60 to 70 degrees F." Unfortunately, that is exactly where most of the waters locally are running right now -- between 65 and 70 degrees. That will change if we start getting some nighttime lows in the low 60s and the highs moderate from the sweltering 90s we've experienced of late, but needless to say, it is an awful tough time to be a trout fisherman.

Still, it's much cooler in our mountain streams than it is on the coastal plain of any state in the Deep South, so there's something to be said for going up in elevation. If you plan on booking a trip in August or early September, prepare to head for the high country to fish. That means try to book our North Fork private waters, which sit about 3,300 feet in elevation, or climb even higher on a backcountry brook trout trip.

If you opt for private waters, shoot for a day when temperatures are not in the 90s, preferably with some cloud cover or a drizzling, overcast day. This heat wave will eventually pass. If your plans don't allow for such meteorological advantages, come anyhow. We'll still hook some fish; it will just be more challenging than in the spring or fall.

Another good summer option, for those with the physical stamina and adventurous spirit to pull it off, is a backcountry brook trout trip. All of our guides love to fly fish for native brook trout, and a trip to the high country offers an invigorating alternative to the daily heat gripping the valleys below. Be forewarned, however: these backcountry trips are not for couch potatoes or guys nursing an old football leg injury. Typically, we will cover about five or six miles, including hikes in and out plus fishing upstream. And the climb out at day's end is usually a lung-buster. But the scenery on these streams cannot be rivaled and these fish readily rise to a dry fly, if you're stealthy. They are small, though. A big brookie is about 9 or 10 inches. We use 2- and 3-weights to make it sporty and fun.

Don't forget our warmwater species, too: there are numerous slow river stretches and lakes locally where you can catch largemouth and smallmouth bass, bream, muskie, redeye bass and lots of warpaint shiners! Start with public ponds in DuPont State Forest, which offer decent bass and bream fishing in the early morning hours, or try wading the shoals down near Bent Creek on the French Broad. Bright days aren't the greatest, but cloud cover will bring fish up top on poppers (white and chartreuse work well for us.) Slow down your retrieves - afterall, it's the dog days of summer. Everything is working at about half-speed.

Tight lines,

Than

Summer Arrives With A Bang

2011-06-06T12:33:00.006-04:00

Summer has arrived with a bang, marshalling in unseasonably warm temperatures and high humidity. We've already hit the 90-degree mark here, which we usually don't reach until late July or August. So we've been wet-wading (just neoprene socks and felt-soled boots) for two weeks already, even on higher elevation streams like those in the Shining Rock Wilderness. The heat seems to have put a damper on mid-day hatches of bugs like Light Cahills and yellow sallies, which have slid back until close to dusk. Nymph fishing remains good, though, especially early and late in the day.

However, that doesn't mean you can't coax fish to eat a dry when the sun is high in the sky. Attractor dries like Lime Humpies (#12-#16), Hopper Stones (#10-#12), Thunderheads (#12-#14) and Mr. Rapidans (#10-#16) will draw fish up if they're well-presented, with no drag, particularly in pocket water and faster runs. This is going to be a banner summer for terrestrials, too. We have more hoppers in the field next to our private water than we've seen in five seasons there. Also, if you live in the South, you've probably heard about the gigantic numbers of cicadas that are awakening from their 13-year slumber underground. They emerge when soil temps reach 64 degrees. Get ready for trout to start slurping these inch-long monster bugs! This has also been a prodigious year for inchworms, which seem to dangle from every tree.

Meanwhile, if you get on the water an hour before dark, there are a lot of aquatic insects coming off at dusk, including sulphurs, yellow sallies, and even some Yellow and Green Drakes on the siltier stretches of the Davidson, West Fork and North Fork. A parachute dry fly in cream or yellow, or a rubber-legged yellow Stimulator, in a #12-#14 will cover multiple bases. We are happy to accomodate folks who want to fish these early evening hatches by starting our guide trips later (typically around noon) and thereby finish up right around dusk, when the best hatches are coming off. Keep in mind that afternoon thundershowers can put a damper on any topwater action late in the date. However, they also cool things down and a decent amount of rain usually ramps up the nymph fishing success, so it's often worth it even if the hatch doesn't come off as planned.

Although the early heat isn't great news, so far it hasn't hampered the fishing much, especially on our private waters and smaller wild streams at higher elevations. Now that Delayed Harvest is officially over until fall, it pays to focus on the wild, unstocked waters if you want to avoid the crowds. The West Fork has been producing lots of 9 to 12-inch wild rainbows and browns. Avery Creek, Looking Glass and Courthouse have all been fishing well, so when things get too hot or crowded on the Big 'D', slide over to a small stream with your 3-weight and you'll have a blast. And don't forget smallmouth fishing! Michael Sprouse tells me that the smallie action on the French Broad is heating up nicely, as long as afternoon thundershowers don't muddy it up.

Tight lines,
Than

Cahills, Caddis and Craneflies, Oh My!

2011-05-05T12:11:00.008-04:00

You know the old saying: "April showers bring May flowers." Well, maybe we should change that hackneyed expression to, "April deluges bring May hatches," because that's exactly what has happened locally. We've gotten a lot of rain this spring, including a monster flood on April 16 that brought the French Broad ripping at over 4,000 cubic feet per second (it usually hovers around 250 cfs.) But the upside of all this water has been some incredible aquatic insect hatches and hopefully ample flows going into summer.

Almost every spring bug of significance has been popping off in the last week. We've seen solid hatches of March Browns for several weeks, though most of the fish were eating the emergers sub-surface (a #12 Soft-Hackle March Brown Emerger or Mercer's March Brown Trigger Nymph was the ticket.) Light Cahills have made an appearance on the Davidson and West Fork, along with the bigger sulphurs (E. invaria). Net-building caddis are popping in good numbers on warmer days, along with lots of yellow sallies. And creamy craneflies are buzzing around almost everywhere.

Dusk has been the best time to catch a good hatch of the sulphurs and Cahills, but the March Browns (as well as a few straggler Quill Gordons) are showing up mid-day. We also have seen some Gray Winged Yellow Quills (Epeorus vitreus) on the big D. Given all this, you really cannot do wrong by tying on a #14 cream or yellow-bodied parachute as your lead fly and a #16 rubber-legged Red Fox Squirrel Nymph dropper. Another killer fly recently has been a #16 green Translucent Pupa, which is sort of a LaFontainesque caddis emerger. Swing it down and across during a caddis hatch and hold on! A little shock loop under your line finger is a good idea to keep from breaking off the more aggressive takers.

Our private waters has been cranking since the storm, so the trips we have run up there have been heavy affairs, literally. Lots of split shot, ping pong ball-sized Thingamabobbers, and longer drifts have been the name of the game up there, until just recently. And yes, the fish have still been eating well. It's just been harder to land them in all that current and we haven't been able to fish several places because the wading is too difficult for most folks. As of today, though, the water has receded to a good fishable level and the timing couldn't be more perfect, with all the bugs we're seeing. As a result of the high water, we've been fishing the Davidson quite a bit over the last three weeks, and it's still producing lots of strikes for those willing to endure the crowds. Mac had a client land a giant brown this week that didn't acutally eat the fly, but instead engulfed a 10-inch rainbow and refused to spit it out!

Meanwhile, all our Delayed Harvest waters received their last stocking of spring this week, which means the fishing is about as good as it's going to get on the East Fork, North Mills, Little River and Tuck. The Tuck has been generating both forks pretty solidly, but if you're prepared to strip streamers all day, it's a great way to go. If that's not your bag, wild streams are in fine shape right now: Avery, Looking Glass, Cathey's, Courthouse and their ilk are producing lots of dry fly takes. Go to a bigger fly if the dinks and young-of-the-year rainbows get too annoying. A dark Thunderhead has been the fly du jour recently on small streams. It's a beautiful time to be on the water. All the foliage is bright and fresh, bugs are hatching and the wildflower displays are excellent. Come on up and let's go fishing!

Tight lines,
Than

Spring Hatches Arrive In Force

2011-04-03T11:13:00.012-04:00

Are you weary of nymph fishing after the long winter and late spring? Then get yourself to the mountains soon because the dry fly fishing is getting really exciting and fishing on top will only continue to improve as we get further into April and May!

Right now, we've got Quill Gordons popping off in big numbers on all the tributaries of the French Broad, especially the East Fork, West Fork and North Fork. During a guide trip yesterday, fish were coming off the bottom in 7 feet of water to eat emerging Quill Gordons on the surface! Quite a spectacle after our long, cold winter. There have been hundreds of little black caddis covering the sun-warmed boulders along our private waters almost every morning for the last two weeks, and they've been all over the Davidson, too. Any well-presented black pupa (our go-to imitation has been a #18 gray Deep Sparkle Pupa) has produced lots of strikes in the mornings, then we're switching over to #12-#14 Hare's Ears and Sheepflies around noon as the Quill Gordons get active. By 1 p.m., the fish are looking up and we're catching them on a variety of patterns: Mr. Rapidan parachutes, #12 Adams parachutes and Catskill-style Quill Gordon dries. Drop a Hare's Ear off the back if the surface action is slow - you'll eventually snip it off to avoid the inevitable tangles/wraps once things warm up and the duns start popping. All our local Delayed Harvest waters will receive another stocking of fish this week, so the fishing on the East Fork, Little River, Tuckaseegee and North Mills will continue to rock. The East Fork was tougher to fish over the last few weeks because it holds water so well and all the rain we got in March kept it cookin'. But with enough shot and the right drift, you could catch fish at will. Lots of smaller brook trout, with the odd holdover brown and numerous cookie-cutter rainbows. Meanwhile, the Davidson has been on fire thanks to all the rain we've gotten. I did two trips over there last week and it seemed like the fish were on steroids - even the 10-inchers fought like crazy, pulling drag and catching air. One of my guys broke off a 22-inch-plus brown within the first hour of fishing, but we landed a bunch and they all looked chunky and well-fed. Midge pupa in gray, brown and black did the trick, along with blue-winged emergers when they started coming off around 1 p.m. I haven't caught a Hendrickson hatch on the Davidson (which is the best E. subvaria water around these parts) but I've seen a few spinners, so I know they're coming off somewhere. Get ready for the March browns to make an appearance soon, as temperatures are forecast to climb back into the 70s by late this week. If you're in the market for a new dry fly rod, every rod in the shop is now 25 percent off for the next few weeks. That means that Wright & McGill 3- or 4-weight you've been coveting is just $165! Come cast one and check out these premium features not usually found on a stick in this price range: Portugese cork grips, titanium guides, external ferrules, with a leather-bound case and a lifetime warranty. We also have two Scott A3s on sale: a 9-foot 6 wt. that would make any smallie fisherman ecstatic and a 9 ft. 8 wt. that would be great for Charleston or NOLA redfish. They're a steal at $221 and $251, respectively. Tight lines, Than

Fishing Improves Along With Weather

2011-03-03T11:34:00.006-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since we've posted a fishing report. Believe it or not, we've been fishing a lot! February was pretty tough, primarily due to ultra-clear and low water, but recent rains have improved matters considerably and March is shaping up to be a great month to be on the water. For one, our daytime highs have been about 10 to 15 degrees above normal for the last few weeks, which has bumped up insect activity significantly.

Delayed Harvest streams will all get stocked this week, including the East Fork, the Little River, the Tuck, and the North Mills. The state hatchery finally changed their trout chow (they were feeding an inferior pellet last season that wasn't getting eaten, hence lower growth rates) and the fish they're stocking this spring look very nice - average size is probably 12-13", with some brood stock pushing 20". They won't start eating real bugs for a couple of days, so stick to Woolly Boogers, Y2Ks, and SJWs until they get acclimated. The wild and holdover fish are loving a #14-#16 green Deep Sparkle Pupa. Brachycentrus larva are all over the streambed - we've been dredging them off the bottom while nymphing. If things continue to warm, we'll see some good caddis hatches in the coming weeks. Mac saw a few Quill Gordon spinners while guiding on the E. Fork yesterday, along with a couple winter caddis and a TON of miniscule cream midges (#30, he estimates.)

On the Davidson, we're starting to see Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, #18-#20 black caddis and lots of micro-stones, especially little brown "needleflies," which are easily confused with tiny hemlock needles. The fish aren't looking up that much, but we're getting many more strikes than we did a month ago. Most of the fish we're catching are smaller than 12", perhaps a sign that the water is still too chilly to get the bigger size-class fish moving. Or more likely, they're spooking before the flies hit the water. We're talking non-hatchery stretch here. The 'D' is surprisingly low compared to its sister tribs, despite some good snow this winter. We're officially 3 inches behind for the year in precipitation, but the 'D' is running about half of where it should be. Fortunately, more rain is forecast for this week.

We've seen a bunch of Quill Gordons on the North Fork, too, along with a few healthy BWO hatches mid-day. A #18 flashback Barr's BWO emerger dropped off an olive parachute has fooled any fish that are showing themselves on the surface. The Quill Gordons are coming off around 1-2 p.m. in the faster, cobblestoney areas, so the heavily hackled traditional ties are superior to a parachute Hare's Ear, which tend to get drowned. Leave it under if your fly does get sunk, though, and if you can still see it - we caught several fish that way this week, either because they took it for a drowned dun or an emerger. Please remember that all hatchery-supported streams are closed the month of March, so the mainstem of the French Broad and the West Fork are off-limits until April 2.

Come by the shop and check out some of our new spring gear arrivals from Simms and Redington, including the re-designed, featherweight Paclite rainjacket and some cool hoodies. All Simms and Redington fleece is marked down 25%, all rod/reel combos are slashed by half, and all fly rods in stock are 25% off, as well.

Tight lines,
Than

Wintertime Fishing Tips

2010-12-20T10:22:00.012-05:00

Well, we officially jump into winter tomorrow, but it's felt like winter here on the river since late November. We had very chilly conditions for our traditional Thanksgiving week rush, but the trips we ran on public and private water went very well, considering the highs only reached into the 40s! Then, earlier this month, the North Fork froze over from bank to bank - even the little riffle off the front porch was sheer ice. First time anyone here can remember seeing that! But before we could dig out our ice augers and rig some tip-ups, the icebergs retreated downriver and we were back in the trout-catching business.

With small wild streams in their winter doldrums, the two best options for those of us in search of a tug or two are the Davidson and any Delayed Harvest stream. The big 'D' has been fishing fair to middlin' thus far this winter - the recent snowmelt has dropped water temps into the mid-3os, which makes trout pretty lethargic. The hatchery stretch offers the most consistent fishing, though they're not as spread out, particularly above the bridge. With temperatures so frigid, the state isn't dumping pellets very often, which makes success less about pellet flies and more about picking the right midges and getting good drifts. Like the good ol' days, in other words. And don't neglect the other 99% of the Davidson. We had several decent days fishing between Coontree and Looking Glass this week, but the water is painfully clear and on our last trip, we were dodging mini-glaciers floating downstream and regularly cleaning ice out of our guides. Iced-up guides are a constant problem this time of year, with no easy remedy. We've tried smearing on Loon Outdoors' "Stanley's Ice-Off Paste," spraying Pam on our guides, treating flylines with Mucilin, etc. The only thing that consistently does the trick is dipping your rod in the river to loosen things up and then manually breaking off what remains.

The East Fork is holding fish -- and water -- better this year than any season in recent memory. As you would expect, the fish are not holding in the faster, shallower riffles as much as in deeper runs and pools (although they will move into the shallows when BWOs and little black stones are coming off.) Several folks have come in the shop complaining that they can see lots of fish glued to the bottom, but can't get them to eat. Here's what we're telling them - (1) make sure they're not suckers, which have been podded up in the back of slower moving pools; (2) make sure you're actually getting down to them and bumping them on the nose with your fly. Trout will not move as far for flies in winter and in gin-clear water, depth is harder to gauge. Try extra split shot, lengthening your leader, dropping down to 6X tippet, which cuts through current easier, and/or tying on a small tungsten-beaded fly like a #18-#20 Mercer's MicroMay or our Soft-Hackle BWO. Mend, mend, and mend some more. If that fails, change flies and repeat.

Winter is a great time to fish locally - the crowds of summer are gone and the sight-fishing opportunities are unparalleled because the water is so clear. Don't bother getting on the water at the crack of dawn - the best time is between 1 and 3 p.m., when the sun has had time to warm things up a little. If you're looking to book a guide trip this time of year, the key is picking a sunny day with predicted highs in the 50s. Bottom line is, we'd rather guide on a 55 degree day in January than a 90 degree one in August. Bundle up, fill up that coffee thermos and stop by for some hot flies and advice. We're open 10-6, 7 days a week, all winter long.

Tight lines,

Than

Autumnal Awesomeness

2010-09-29T10:02:00.005-04:00

What a difference a couple of weeks can make! Seems like yesterday we were bemoaning how hot and dry it was (and how low and clear our streams were) - then, BAM, we woke up to three inches of rain and nighttime lows in the 50s! Even during the past three years of drought, October always has turned the fishing around and this coming month looks like it will be no exception. For one, we got some heavy rain this past week and our stream levels are back up. Second, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has gotten their act together at the hatchery and will be stocking better-sized fish this year in our Delayed Harvest waters. And finally, experts are calling for this to be the best fall foliage season we've had in several years. It's time to get up to the mountains and catch some trout!

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind. We took six anglers on a killer destination trip to British Columbia in August, catching gobs of 17-plus-inch Westslope cutthroats on dry flies and floating through some of the prettiest country in the northern Rockies. Upon returning from B.C., we spent the latter half of August and September guiding on a variety of streams, including our North Fork private waters, the Davidson, the West Fork and a host of backcountry brook trout streams. The fishing ranged from stellar to just okay - every day was different. The Davidson got so low that it was like fishing in a wet parking lot, so we gave it a rest throughout most of August and early September. It's still not its ol' self, but we've had customer pull some beautiful browns out of the big 'D' in the last week and a half. Midge patterns such as a #24 Don King UV midge, a #22 black Pulsating Emerger and Barr's dun Micro Emerger in #20 have been our best producers, dropped off an olive Crawling Caddis or other dark-colored caddis larva. On the lower river, we've seen a bunch of winged ant swarms during the day, so always have a #18 Delektable Flying Ant handy, in black and cinnamon.

Our private waters continue to produce the best fishing we've experienced locally. The low water has podded up the fish in the deeper holes, which means you don't have to move as much for the same number of strikes. While our water is still dominated by rainbows, we've stocked some bigger browns and more wild browns have shown up of late, since the spawn is almost upon us. We had one 15" brown come to net the other day that looked like a leopard, he was so spotted up. Drink some caffeine the morning of your trip, because the strikes are lightning fast when the water is moving slower, so you've got to be quick on the draw to hook these guys!

Our wild streams, including the South Mills and the West Fork French Broad, are fishing well and will likely get even better as the leaf fall colors up the water with tannic acid. October caddis are hatching in good numbers at night, so make sure and try an orange Stimulator or pumpkin-colored Elk Hair in the mornings, when the stragglers are around. A #12-#16 tan Fox's Caddis Poopah or Translucent Caddis Pupa is a great dropper during the afternoon hours - try swinging it or lifting slowly at the end of your drift if fish aren't eating it on the dead drift. Isonychia are also hatching in decent numbers, so give a #12 Parachute Adams a shot. We're still catching lots of fish on hoppers, especially our Headwaters Letort, though the inchworm bite seems to be over for the most part.

All our local Delayed Harvest streams will be stocked by the end of the first week of October and our guiding calendar is filling up quickly. Give us a call if you're coming to the area and want to experience a crisp, cool day on the water with one of our veteran guides.

Tight lines,
Than

Fishing the Dog Days

2010-07-13T13:27:00.008-04:00

The heat arrived a tad early this year, with daytime temps jumping up into the mid-80s to low 90s in late June. Since then, temperatures have moderated, thanks to some damp, cooler days interspersed with hot, sunny ones. The rivers started to drop from lack of rain in early July, but afternoon thundershowers have since recharged water levels and we're looking pretty good going into August (though the Davidson is still pretty bony.)

With the change in Delayed Harvest waters from C&R to catch-and-keep, our fishing options have shrunk some. The best trout fishing right now is on our North Fork private waters, which has been producing lots of rainbows and a few nicer browns on all but the brightest days. We've been breaking off a lot of big fish, even on 5X, but a few have found their way to the net even on the slowest days. We still have some availability mid-week through the end of July, but the weekends are pretty full. Call 877-3106 to book your own little piece of fishing paradise.

On public water, there are plenty of wild trout options, but the fishing at mid-day has slowed considerably as water temps climb into the mid- to high 60s. If you're headed to Looking Glass, Avery, Courthouse, Cathey's, the Big East Fork or any of our smaller wild trout streams, prepare to get lots of dry fly refusals during the heat of the day. Early and late in the day or on a rainy, overcast day is better. Thunderheads, lime or black Humpies, Stimies and foam ant patterns in sizes 12-16 are your best bets, and don't forget to tie on an inchworm or epoxy ant dropper. We've been running some backcountry southern Appalachian brook trout trips and they've all gone great - lots of strikes in all the places they should be, with a few fish topping 10 inches (yes, that's a trophy in the S.A. brookie world.) If catching a mess of pretty natives on a 2-weight sounds like fun, give Than or Mac a shout at the fly shop. But be prepared to hike 3-5 miles over the course of the day, in sometimes steep terrain.

Smallmouth season is here in force and our driftboat guides have been having some banner days on the French Broad, when afternoon thundershowers don't muddy things up for us. Guide Michael Sprouse reports that even on off-color days, once he finds the fish, it's not hard to catch 20 or more on chartreuse-and-white Clousers or other streamers. Michael's drift boat trips are fun, but if you don't have a full day to devote to smallie fishing, try a half-day wade trip (normally near Asheville) for $150 (one angler) or $235 (two.) Most of these will be late in the day, when the chance for top-water action is greatest.

Tight lines,

Than

Epic Fishing Everywhere!

2010-05-02T16:37:00.009-04:00

O.k., so you know how fishing writers (and fly shop stream reports) tend towards hyperbole. "The river is on fire!" (Really? Is it the Cuyahoga?) "We're having 60-fish days without even trying!" (If that includes suckers and warpaint shiners...) And my all-time favorite, "The fishing has been epic!" (Which means they've been catching some fish, or they have a guide named Homer.)

Well, the fishing hasn't been exactly epic, but it's been so good that I might get a little gushy writing about it. April started out with some great hatches, and they've gotten better and better, but also spottier and spottier during mid-day. Now, the best dry fly fishing has shifted to a summer-like pattern, with Cahills, yellow sallies, and sulphurs coming off best towards dusk. There are some gray-winged yellow quills popping during the day, along with the odd March Brown, lots of cream midges, giant craneflies, cinnamon caddis and yellow sallies here and there. We got into a little burst of March Brown activity around the Caddis Riffle on the North Fork the other day and it was a blast, with 10-12" browns pounding MB dries that even Mr. Magoo could see. But the Davidson has offered the most consistent dry fly fishing of late, so stake out a spot early and prepare for some company. Parachute Cahills in #16, #14-#18 Sulphur Comparaduns, and Lowe's Little Yellow Sallies have been the best producers at the witching hour.

There's not a small stream we've fished in the last month that isn't producing well right now: Looking Glass, Avery, Courthouse, the Big East Fork, the upper West Fork of the Pigeon, they're all "on fire!" Lime Humpies, yellow Turk's Tarantulas in #14 & #16 and Puterbaugh's Foam Caddises all will produce on top, while a #16-#18 tungsten Prince or SHPT is all you need down below. If you don't own a 3-weight for this blueline fishing, we've got a sweet Thomas & Thomas on sale for $368.

This is the first time in about three years that our Delayed Harvest waters held so many fish late into March and April. Whether that's due to more rain/water or better enforcement by Wildlife Resources, I don't know, but it's working to our benefit. Mac and I both ran trips on the East Fork this week and it fished great despite a lot of angling pressure. Medium-sized brook trout still dominate, with the occasional brood stock beast and even some better-sized browns this month. The Little River can't compete as far as numbers are concerned, but it got stocked with a few 20-inch browns, which have definitely gotten harder to catch as the month has worn on. We took a couple over to the West Fork of the Pigeon, across the divide, last week and the area around the Iron Bridge was brimming with stockers, so its poaching problem must have abated, too.

Our North Fork private waters have been stupendous recently, so great in fact that we're having trouble getting fish to the net some trips. They're going ballistic, streaking off like a steelhead, going airborne, thrashing around on the surface. Mac endured a torrential downpour up there last Saturday with a father-daughter pair, but the subsequent bump in water just turned the fish on even more. I've guided up there a bunch this month and people are always awed by the scenery, the quiet and the great fishing. We haven't seen conditions this good on "The Farm" since we first leased it three years ago. BTW, a gift card for a private waters trip makes a fantastic birthday/anniversary/graduation gift.

And if trout aren't your thing, the smallie and muskie fishing are heating up as well. Michael Sprouse says he's been catching some quality bass in the French Broad despite stained water. He landed 15 or 20 in a couple of hours yesterday and one went 3 pounds. Float with Michael in his Hog Island drift boat soon if you want to get in on the action. And if you've crossed permit off your life list and want the ultimate challenge of catching a muskie on the fly, Mac has a new johnboat/motor that's custom-made for the "Muskie Mile" special regulations waters. He stuck a 35-incher two weeks ago that flared its gills so hard it could probably be seen on Google Earth. EPIC!

Tight lines,
Than

Streamer Mornings, Dry Fly Afternoons

2010-03-21T16:42:00.005-04:00

As part of our School of Trout all-day class, we use a kick net to sein up bugs off the bottom of the river. I've done three classes this past week alone, and the samples we're taking tell an interesting story. Dump the sein contents into a white tray filled 1/8" deep with water, and what first catches your eye are all the Baetis nymphs, which undulate through the water by pumping their abdomens up and down. Next you notice all the clinger mayflies, which have flattened heads and thick biceps (not unlike Arnold Swarzenegger.) Some are Quill Gordons, which are coming off right now, and some are March Browns, which - despite their name - start emerging in April. Lots of stoneflies crawl through the debris, too, especially little brown ones.

All of these bugs are active right now, and the dry fly fishing is starting to get really, really good with each 60-degree day that passes. Fortunately, we've had a bunch of those recently and we are catching lots of fish on top. We fished the Davidson day before yesterday and there were fish rising steadily all day long, from the upper river above the spillway dam all the way down to the C&R boundary. A #16 black Elk Hair Caddis was the best producer, but at times when the Quill Gordons were flying, a #12 Quill Gordon dry was unbeatable. You had to get the drift absolutely perfect, though. Any drag was rejected and with so much water pushing through, a 10-foot leader was key in many places. On the East Fork, we caught numerous wild fish on 3/9 and 3/12 that were eating Blue Winged Olives on top. A #18-#20 Brooks Sprout Baetis did the trick.

Still, streamer fishing has been our bread-and-butter of late. Michael Sprouse, Freddie Raines and I all floated the Tuckaseegee River on Sunday, the 14th, our first major trip of the season down there. Despite temps in the mid-40s and a constant rain, we boated more than 60 fish and 95% of them ate a streamer. We fished Clousers, Woolly Boogers, Beldar Buggers and J.J. Specials, and all of them produced for us. Some really fine looking browns ended up in the net below Webster Bridge - they almost looked like wild fish, they were so colored up. If you want to fish from the comfort of a drift boat, anytime between now and late May is the time to book. Bring some band-aids for your stripping fingers!

Speaking of fishing streamers, our very own Michael Sprouse made it to the fishing finals of the Pisgah Fly Masters, a tournament to benefit the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. He came in fourth out of 17 or 18 professionals that competed in the casting competition, which meant he made it to the "Big Show," fishing against nine other anglers on Sunday. Fishing a top-secret streamer, he hooked and fought a 25"-plus fish for several minutes before the hook pulled out. Even his competition acknowledged it was the biggest fish hooked all morning. That's just the way it goes with fishing, competitive or not. You land some, you lose some. He'll get 'em next year! Meanwhile, he'll be oaring people down the French Broad and putting them on a bevy of smallies. Bass season is almost here and June and July weekends are already filling up.

If trout are more your thing, get up here quick. Late March/early April offer the most fishable hatches of the year. And unlike the past three years, we've got plenty of water to float a fly in!

Tight lines,
Than

Winter Fishing Advice

2010-01-31T16:12:00.015-05:00

Fly fishing in winter is what separates the casual fly dunker from the stalwarts, the fair-weather fisherman from the hard-core trout bum. And yes, it often distinguishes the crazy from the sane. Let's face it, it takes a certain amount of mental instability to crack through ice, wade into 40-degree water and break ice out of your guides all day long. But there are distinct advantages to such craziness.

For one, you can fish in virtual solitude, even on notoriously crowded rivers like the Davidson. I fished the 'D' three times in the past two weeks without seeing another soul, much less another angler. My secret? I avoided the hatchery stretch. About 95% of the Davidson is abandoned during the winter and the fishing can be great. I caught several fish over 17" above Looking Glass last week, all on midge pupa and tiny Baetis nymphs. Never saw another angler. Most of my fish were in slow-moving pools or the outside seams of languid runs. Some ate BWO dries on top (a #20 Lawson's Thorax Baetis worked great), but most ate a #22 Cardinal Midge or a #24 Gnatty Bumpo on the bottom. Use enough shot that you're ticking occasionally and set on any little thing that looks odd. The takes in such cold water are very, very subtle. Another tip - there are a bunch of spring holes on the Davidson, where the incoming water is significantly warmer than the prevailing current. Where you find springs, you'll generally find willing takers even on bitterly cold days. How do you find these spring holes? Wet wade the river in the summer and you'll find spots that are distinctly cooler than surrounding areas. Such areas are treasure troves in the winter.

We've been hearing a lot about Delayed Harvest streams like the East Fork and Little River being "poached out" lately. This happens every winter, it seems. People go over there, use the same flies and techniques that worked for them last spring or fall, catch little to nothing and then chock it up to poaching. There's no doubt that poaching (and mishandling by law-abiding anglers) have thinned out the populations some, but our guides haven't had any trouble putting rank amateurs onto fish on the E. Fork, Little River or the Tuck this winter. We haven't fished the N. Mills, but get away from the campground and I'll bet there are fish to be had. The key is changing from a "freshly stocked" mindset to a "holdover" mindset. Forget woolly buggers and other streamers stripped upstream. That will produce the odd suicidal brook trout, but most DH fish have become too educated for such shenanigans. Likewise, leave the #12 Princes and #14 Red Fox Squirrels at home and tie up some #18 A.P. Nymphs and #20 TB black or green Copper Johns. Not only are these more likely to be taken by holdovers jaded by the old standbys, they more accurately represent the size, color and silhouette of naturals found this time of year, which are primarily small and dark. Check out our winter hatch chart for more insight. If you're still not hooking up, try trading out that giant red Thingamabobber or yellow yarn pom-pom for a small white football indicator. DH fish can and will become indicator-shy. With the water so clear, 6X tippet helps, too, though 5X usually is fine if you're getting good drifts.

We still have two spots open for our British Columbia destination trip, scheduled for Aug. 15-22. With our partners at Home Waters Guide Service in Fernie, Headwaters Outfitters is offering a special package rate: 6 nights of lodging in a luxury condo, with private baths and river views, and 5 days of guided fishing for cutties, rainbows and bulltrout, plus three squares a day and transportation from the airport in Kalispell, MT -- all for $1,800 per person (based on double occupancy, excluding taxes, tips and licenses.) If you've ever wanted to catch 30+ cutthroats in a day on dry flies, or tossing hoppers to 20-inch rainbows on a private ranch in Alberta sounds like fun, you need to get in on this trip. We have a great group of anglers signed up, so the company should be as fine as the fishing. Call Than for details at (828) 877-3106.

We have a bunch of special events coming up, most of which are totally free! On Feb. 12, we're sponsoring a special showing of "Red Gold," a documentary film by Felt Soul Media that follows Alaskan fishermen as they fight an open-pit copper and gold mine proposed for the headwaters of two Bristol Bay trout and salmon rivers. It starts at 7 p.m. and the film (in Surround Sound!), popcorn and candy are all free. Great footage of grizzlies, salmon runs and big rainbows being caught on the fly. Our free fly casting clinics are totally full now, even though we just added 12 more spots/2 more dates last week. But we still have room in our free "Guide Flies" fly tying classes. On Feb. 13, smallmouth guide Michael Sprouse will demonstrate how to tie his own "Mike's Hellgrammite," as well as the trusty Clouser minnow. All the materials necessary to tie the flies will be available for sale in handy pre-proportioned packets, but you don't have to tie along with Mike - just come and watch. There's still room in Mac's muskie fly class on March 113, too. You need a rotary vise for that one. Call to reserve a spot either day - (828) 877-3106.

Tight lines,
Than

Late Fall Fishing Has Been On Fire!

2009-12-01T10:14:00.006-05:00

Phew! That's all I can say after the busy Thanksgiving holiday week we just had. Thanks to over 28 inches of rain we've received since September, our water conditions in the beginning of the week weren't exactly ideal, but we managed to get folks into a bunch of fish anyway. Lots of split shot and big dumbbell eyes sure helped cut through all that water and the fish were turned on enough to eat some streamers, too, which certainly helped. By the time Turkey Day was upon us, the water levels on the Davidson and upper French Broad tribs had dropped to a great level. All in all, it was a fun way to bid good-bye to fall and say hello to the colder conditions of winter.

With water temps in the low 40s, the trout definitely have moved into their winter holding lies. We didn't find many willing takers in the shallow riffles or pocket water this last week. The deeper holes and slow-moving runs produced the bulk of our fish, which ate blue-winged olive emergers, dun caddis pupa and any small nymph with a tungsten bead (a #18 amber Tung-Stud was killing it.) Given the chilly water, the fish were surprisingly willing to eat swung flies on our private stretch, with many of the bigger trout eating Caddis Borealis soft hackles just as they lifted off the bottom at the end of the drift. On the Davidson, we caught some hefty browns both streamer fishing (Butt Monkeys and white Zonkers) and dead-drifting small Baetis nymphs just off the bottom. A #20 olive Pulsating Emerger was our #1 producer overall.

Looking for a Christmas present for the brookie fanatic in your family? We still have a few clearance items available at deep end-of-the-year discounts: a 7' 6" Thomas & Thomas LP 3-wt. for $368.55 (down from $567!), two 7'6" Wright & McGill boron 3-wts for $239.20 and our last remaining Scott E2 7'6" 3 wt. travel rod for $350! All of these rods come with a lifetime warranty and aluminum rod tubes with socks. Call the shop at (828) 877-3106 or email me at thana@headwatersoutfitters.com for details.

We're headed back to British Columbia this coming summer to fish for Westslope cutthroats and giant bull trout, and we'd like you to join us! Imagine catching 30-40 cutties in one day from the comfort of a Clackacraft drift boat, all on dry flies. Or how about spending a day on a private ranch in Alberta, casting hoppers at 20-inch wild rainbows, or sight-fishing to a pod of giant bull trout miles from any road? If that sounds fun, you need to sign up for our B.C. trip that runs Aug. 15-21, 2010. The cost is ridiculously affordable: $1,800 covers 6 nights of riverside lodging, five days of guiding, three square meals a day and transportation to Fernie, B.C. from the airport in Kalispell, MT (excluding taxes, tips and licenses.) We still have a few spots left, but we need a 50% deposit by Dec. 15 to confirm your reservation. Call me if you have any questions -- (828) 877-3106.

Tight lines,
Than

Fall Fishing Should Be Great!

2009-09-13T15:43:00.003-04:00

What a difference a couple of months can make! When last we blogged, all the region's meterologists were saying the three-year drought was officially over and regular rain was back in our forecast. Indeed, this spring and early summer, we had some of the best water levels (and temperatures) we've had in several years and the fishing was generally excellent. Then July's heat arrived and the afternoon thunderstorms we rely on to keep our rivers in good shape evaporated. We were back to the French Broad being about 20% of its normal flow and the Davidson was even worse. However, we muddled through the dog days and now things are once again looking up as we head into the fall season.
For one, our water temperatures are back into the 50s and 60s, depending on what elevation you fish. That's good news, because the fish are definitely happier than they were in August and early September. They're fighting longer, stronger and are putting on a more acrobatic show when hooked. They're also much less susceptible to being accidently killed by playing them too hard. Nonetheless, water levels are still substantially below where we'd like them to be and the water clarity is very clear because we haven't had any leaf fall yet (which tints things up a bit with tannic acid.) Fishing on our private waters has been tough. Almost everyone has hooked up with big fish, but landing them has been a struggle. We've put lots of the medium-sized and smaller fish in the net, though; they're just harder to fool because the water is so slow and clear. Small flies (Juju midges, small PTs and black caddis pupa in #18-#20) and ultra-light tippet (6X and 7X) seems to help a lot, but the real key - as usual - is a solid, realistic dead drift.
We've done okay on the big 'D' (we even had a 9-pound brown landed by a client on his birthday last month!) but the fishing is definitely slower than it was last year at this time, especially on the hatchery stretch. Most likely, it can be attributed to the massive amount of chow the hatchery is flushing out into the river. Apparently, the state bought some chow in bulk that the fish really don't like, because they're not eating it in the hatchery and lots of uneaten food is being deposited into the river. Fortunately, they begin to cut down on the amount of chow that's fed as the water cools, which should mean fewer "pellet hatches" as we get into fall.
Whether or not we get a big slug of tropical moisture in September, Delayed Harvest starts October 1, which means our trout fishing options open up tremendously. Hopefully the state will stock the Little River, East Fork and North Mills at normal levels this fall, rather than short-changing us like they did last year due to the drought.
Meanwhile, the early fall smallie fishing is on fire, according to drift boat guide Michael Sprouse, who had several 100-fish days around Ledges Park in early September. "The wading is great right now," Michael said. "If it is cloudy the clouser bite is amazing along with crease flies and wiggle minnows and when the sun comes out bottom bouncers are still catching them great. Anything in black, brown or olive on the bottom seems to work."

Our Best Summer In Years

2009-05-26T10:10:00.004-04:00

Good news for anglers considering a fly fishing trip in the mountains of Western North Carolina: the state this month officially lifted our three-year drought advisory, thanks to over 15 inches of rain we've received this spring. It appears we're now back into our typical summertime pattern of afternoon thundershowers, which will keep flows and dissolved oxygen levels high enough for good fishing all summer. Our guides have muddled through three straight summers of brutally low flows and high water temperatures, so needless to say, we are all stoked for a summer of normal stream conditions. Pack your raingear and head up here to Appalachian's temperate rainforest - the fishing should be great!

We've had a busy -- and somewhat strange -- spring that started out with kickin' hatches of Quill Gordons, Hendricksons, Blue Quills and March Browns. But then the hatches during the day seemed to peter out when the mercury shot up into the mid to upper 70s, which is unseasonably warm for April. We're currently seeing good sulphur hatches, particularly on the Davidson, and modest yellow sally and golden stone hatches on the North and West Forks of the French Broad. Some Light Cahills are hatching at dusk and there have been some Yellow and Green Drakes emergences and spinnerfalls on some of our siltier stretches, but nothing like years past. It may be the last three years of low water and higher water temperatures hurt the bug populations somewhat. But it appears like the worst drought in NC history had at least one positive impact: we have more young-of-the-year and advanced fingerling trout in our rivers than I can ever recall. All of which means our next three years of fishing should be fantastic as these youngster grow to catchable size; plus, in the meantime, it means lots of prey for the larger trout. We've been streamer fishing with white Zonkers, small white bunny leeches and baby rainbow Clousers with great results.

Other good patterns to try right now are Yellow Lab Trout Retrievers, purple and yellow Sparkle Princes, and when the water's up and murky, a #8-#10 Bitch Creek or Red-Bellied Yuk Bug with a Y2K dropper is the way to go. Make sure to hit the slower moving outer seams and along the banks when the water is up.

Despite some poaching, our local Delayed Harvest waters are holding their own as we reach the end of the catch-and-release period. The May stocking included more rainbows and browns than we've previously seen, and a good portion of them are bigger than the 10" brookies that got stocked all spring. The Little River is fishing better than we've ever seen it, but we've gotten several reports that the North Mills is being heavily poached. We still have a week of catch-and-release regulations remaining on DH waters (they open up to general harvest on June 6), after which your best bets will be the Davidson, small wild streams, or booking a day on our private stretch of the North Fork. Our private water is fishing well, with lots of wild fish being caught and at least a few big boys making it to the net every trip. With water levels up where they are, all signs point to a banner June, July and August.

Tight lines,
Than

Spring Has Sprung

2009-03-26T12:15:00.007-04:00

You don't need to set foot in a stream around here to know that spring has sprung. Daffodils are blooming along the roads, and deep in the woods, hepatica, bloodroot, and trout lily leaves are poking up out of last fall's leaves. Bugs are flying, too, including decent hatches of Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, black caddis and Blue-winged Olives. You can also tell that spring is here because we've seen a lot more traffic on our streams and in the shop. After a long, cold winter filled with depressing economic news, it's good to see people are still willing to support local businesses like Headwaters. We appreciate everyone who has come in or taken a guide trip with us.
We started the month of March out on private waters, guiding Paul T. and three friends on the Farm stretch of the North Fork. The fishing was good, despite water temps in the low 40s. Black caddis pupa and clinger mayfly nymph imitations were the top sellers. On the 8th, I took out repeat client Mark S. from Nashville and we netted several dozen fish over the course of the day on Bird's Nests, Hotwire Caddis nymphs and Bloom's Soft Hackles, among others.
On March 17, I got to take my favorite repeat clients, Dave and Marty M. from Florida on a trip to the East Fork, which was low and clear but fished well. Dave hooked up 10 trout in the first hole he fished, including a 17-inch brown that dragged him 25 yards downstream. Meanwhile, Marty and I snuck up on a bunch of risers in the head of a big pool upstream. They were pounding Quill Gordons and a few Blue Quills and we had fun hooking up a few on both a Parachute Hare's Ear and a Hare's Ear dropper.
The next day, I was tickled to take Don P. and Steve F. up to our private waters, where we spent the morning perfecting our dead drifts and hooking a slew of nice-sized rainbows on a variety of nymphs, including Karnopp's Keystones and San Juans. Thanks to higher water levels, most of the bigger fish we hooked pulled out or broke us off on limbs that had washed downstream, but it was a thrill to watch the larger fish take off up into the whitewater.
This past weekend, guide Mac Marett and I both had trips on public and private water. Mac took out Sid J. and his son on the private waters, where they wore them out on clinger nymph patterns and even streamered up some fish. On the 22nd, I took one of my favorite clients, Jimmy L. from Florida up to the Farm and we were blessed by an awesome Brachycentrus hatch in the morning that had all of the fish in our first pool suspended and feeding actively. We had to tinker with the weight and depth, but after we dialed in, Jimmy hooked more than a dozen trout, including an 18-inch wild brown with bright red spots. Just as we were preparing to move upstream, a sharp-shinned hawk buzzed by his rod tip and divebombed some songbirds in the rhododendron across from us. He must have hit his mark, because feathers flew, literally.
We're getting a good soaking rain as I write this, and temperatures are forecasted to climb into the 60s all next week, so we couldn't ask for better fishing conditions heading into April. All of the Delayed Harvest streams will get another stocking in early April, and our private waters are fishing very well. If you're in town for a trip, come check out some of the special closeout deals we're having on fly rods from Thomas & Thomas, Wright & McGill and Redington. We have a couple of sweet 7'6" 3-weights that would be perfect for brookie fishing this summer.

Tight lines,
Than

The Ice Man Cometh

2009-02-06T13:17:00.006-05:00

Until today, we've needed to lace up our ice skates to go fishing in the upper French Broad River valley. Thanks to record lows at night, most first-order streams are still completely iced over (except on south-facing slopes) and the Davidson, East Fork, North Fork and West Fork are all rimmed by mini-iceburgs and slush. Tread carefully, if you plan on fishing the lower 'D' or East Fork this weekend (bring studded boots if you have them.) The good news is the weather forecast for the next 10 days could not be better: highs in the 60s are predicted, with lows only in the 40s some nights, along with the promise of some badly-needed rain, too.

Water levels remain well below where they should be, thanks to our ongoing drought. NOAA still ranks our area as under "severe drought." The agency's latest Seasonal Drought Outlook predicts that Transylvania County will experience "ongoing drought with some improvement" from now through April, with rainfall "barely reaching above normal." The Davidson looks really sad right now, although there have been some good hatches of BWOs, midges, micro-stones and black flies in recent weeks. The East Fork, for some reason, has held water better, but fish populations are really thin compared to last fall. Poaching? Tons of people mishandling fish (throwing them up on the dirt or gravel for a digital creeling)? Natural predation? Probably all of the above, but there are still some fish to catch. You just can't stand around in one hole for very long, unless you've got risers to work. Please use good catch-and-release practices, which means not removing fish from the water if possible.

Our private waters on the North Fork are holding their own, despite lower-than-usual water levels and a fair amount of natural predation from kingfishers, otters, etc. Fishing on "The Farm" has been fair some days, great on others. Not unlike the heart of summer, except there has been less pressure from anglers, so the fish aren't as particular about fly selection or drifts. If you book it for a sunny day in late February when the first Paraleps are popping, you'll probably slay them if your casting skills haven't deteriorated too much over the winter. We had a killer BWO hatch up there on Wednesday, where the duns were drifting up against the lip of the ice flows and POOF! disappearing into the maw of a big rainbow hiding beneath. Pretty cool.

Probably the two best public streams, in terms of water levels and fish numbers, are the Tuck and the Chattooga Delayed Harvest sections. The Tuck was on fire in January until the mercury starting plunging, but it should be back to its old self this week. Nantahala Power is not supposed to be generating on either the East or West Fork this weekend, which means wade fishing will be ideal. On your way to the river, stop by and stock up on #16-#18 Purple Sparkle Princes, #16 Bloom's Olive Soft Hackles, #22 Copper Johns in black and green, and #18 Tungsten Bead Rainbow Warriors. If you see rising fish, try a Henryville Special with a small Griffith's Gnat or Midge Winker dropped off it.

Tight lines,
Than

Delayed Harvest Is Here!

2008-10-04T08:45:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-08-25T13:39:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-02T15:15:00.004-04:00

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

2008-07-04T12:09:00.004-04:00

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!

2008-06-04T12:26:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-05-16T14:29:00.004-04:00

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

2008-04-25T14:18:00.007-04:00

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!

2008-04-14T16:16:00.002-04:00

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

2008-04-05T15:48:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-03-19T11:44:00.005-04:00

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

2008-02-27T14:21:00.005-05:00

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

2008-02-08T14:56:00.002-05:00

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

2008-01-19T14:47:00.002-05:00

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!