North Carolina offers some of the best fly fishing in the country. On our trips you will be paired with an experienced guide that will do everything in their power to make sure you have a successful day on the water. Some of the biggest trout we catch all year is in the springtime stripping streamers against the banks. We are getting a lot of repeat clients in the fall that want to chase those big smallmouth on fly or spinning tackle. Its always a pleasure fishing with Jim Sitts. I look forward to fishing with everyone who has already scheduled a trip this season and I welcome new clients to get on our calendar. The leaves are have began changing colors in the higher elevations, but expect peak color to be around the end of October. We offer alot of trips and cater to beginners and the most experienced anglers. The brown trout that are placed in this fishery grow at a very fast rate. They fish hard from the time we push off from the put in to the time we take out. Curtis Creek has been fishing consistent but its best to go early morning or late evening when the light isnt directly above the water. Fishing has been consistent on the French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers. The French Broad River is hands down the best smallmouth river in North Carolina. All Rights Reserved. Its the thought of catching the biggest brown trout of your life here that brings guides and anglers back every year. Dam Modification Spawning New Whitewater Park on the Catawba River. Use dark/flashy flies: A big black stonefly or a flashy beadhead egg is hard to beat when the water is up. Leaders should as least be 10 foot in length. We catch some of the bigger, smarter fish that survive the influx of people during the wintertime. The Catawba Tailrace is a unique tailwater fishery below Bridgewater Dam in Morganton, North Carolina. S2O Design & Engineering, the worlds premier river engineering and whitewater design company, was tapped to devise a solution to allow flows through the diversion dam in a controlled manner and to provide safe bypass for paddlers who wish to traverse past the Diversion Dam into the beautiful corridor of class II-III whitewater. We will go into more details about that when the time is right. Below are some fish from the last two weeks. She is currently competing for Angler of the Year for IWFA so it was good to help her knock off a couples of species that can only be caught in western NC. 19 inch Catawba Tailrace Brown Trout that ate a white streamer. We throw a bunch of cinnamon ants, beetles, and grasshoppers. The best fishing of the year is upon us so dont hesitate to contact us. A crayfish pattern isnt supposed to be fished fast and a fleeing minnow isnt supposed to be fished slow so Im big on informing my clients how fast you need to retrieve certain flies. The Catawba Tailrace is about to get really good so dont hesitate to book a trip down there. NCWRC manages the following: Neck Road Access Area; Riverbend Access Area We caught most of our fish on the bottom that day which involves a more finesse style of fishing. An official website of the United States government. The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina and is home to 4 lakes which include W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, High Rock Lake, Badin Lake, and Lake Tillery. The delayed harvest creeks and rivers are full of trout and will receive their second stocking the first week of April so there are plenty of great wade fishing opportunities to seek out. The fall trout fishing in western North Carolina is something every fly angler should experience. These fish are prevalent in the 34 creeks and rivers that get stocked across the mountain region of NC. Numbers are low, but the potential to catch a good one is always possible. We were able to take kids fishing on a private lake and show them the sport of fishing. If you are looking to catch these fish find a creek above 3,000 feet and go explore it. Numbers of fish can be high and there are opportunities at some very large holdover brown trout. Here is list of general fly pattern recommendations for the Catawba River: Ventures Fly Co. offers a great selection of dry flies, nymphs and streamers that will catch fish just about anywhere. The second stocking of trout on our local Delayed Harvest waters happens next week so that is exciting as well. Lake James is home to some of the biggest smallmouth bass in the state. fish, but hooked up with a true trophy at the end of the day. In the deeper areas of the river, youll be able to fish during warmer months without much issue. Smaller topwater flies dominate throughout the summer because youve got cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, damselflies, and dragonflies. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Brown trout are elusive and considered one of the most difficult trout species to catch. There is no better way to beat the heat of summer than spending a day on the water chasing smallmouth bass. One way to catch more fish in an unfamiliar river system is to find out what forage is in the river whether it be bugs, minnows, or crayfish and start there. As water temperature goes up so does the smallmouths metabolism. The days we have been on the French Broad have been tough, but not impossible. We are starting to book up in September and October so do not hesitate to call to get your preferred date. Install DIY Fly Fishing on your iPhone and then Add to Home Screen, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Catawba River in North Carolina, Catawba River Map and Fishing Access Sites, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in North Carolina, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the South Toe River in North Carolina, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the East Fork Pigeon River in North Carolina, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing Lost Cove Creek in North Carolina, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing Boone Fork Creek in North Carolina. The rivers are stocked and will receive another stocking the first week of November. The smallmouth fishing around western North Carolina has been excellent since the beginning of May and will continue to be good all summer. If youve never fished for river smallmouth then let us guide you into a adventure of a lifetime. Visitors can find some lodging in the area, especially along the I-40 corridor. Explore this 15.5-mile point-to-point trail near Glen Alpine, North Carolina. There is a healthy population of wild brown trout in the Davidson River so that is a good start for most anglers looking to catch one. The state also stocks the first week of each of these months so there are a lot of fish to target in the creek. The waters are pristine and free-flowing in this area, albeit slightly limited in access for fly fishing. Whenever the water temperature drops below 60 degrees the bass will start chasing baitfish again and normally you net a lot of big fish during these months. Get it while its good. 21 inch brown trout caught by Allen Locke. The Catawba Angler keeps a continual pulse on the Catawba Tailrace to be able to offer successful fly fishing trips on this tailwater. Construction on the Great Falls-Dearborn Diversion Bypass began in the spring of 2021 and is expected to be completed by fall 2022. We received our last stocking of trout the first week of May so the Delayed Harvest stretches have been fishing well. The fluke bite on the Nolichucky during the last days or spring and early summer can be unbelievable. These fish come up the river eating the trout so you can imagine how big the flies are we will be throwing. Chasing these fish will make you a better angler. The spring is also popular when aquatic insect hatches kick into gear, although March is off-limits in several areas of the river due to stocking. The mend is very important when fishing from a raft or drift boat. Its not impossible to catch fish in muddy water but its not ideal. Weve brought a bunch of good quality fish to the net this year and the outlook for summer fishing is great. We are currently booking in August so please dont hesitate booking. Some of the best fly fishing is within a short drive of Asheville, North Carolina. I also want to thank him for the clients he allows me to fish with because its a cool experience getting to show people the fisheries I have grown up on and fished my whole life. The Catawba Tailrace is slowly starting to fish better and better. Its been a colder spring so this sets us up good for the later half of spring with colder water out of muddy creek and the dam. We grew up two miles from this creek so this is our home water. I had the pleasure of taking my best friend fly fishing for the first time and we had an excellent day dry fly fishing and running nymphs under an indicator. The upper mile of this fishery is stocked during the spring and Thanks for taking the time to read our post. The months of October and November are popular, as is April, thanks to the hatches. Poppers have been the fly of choice on both rivers. Give us a call to experience the best trout fishing of the year in western NC. Asheville is surrounded with many different fishing opportunities so we can cater our fishing trips to experienced anglers or complete beginners. Remember to still use light tippet this time of year. The North Carolina mountains boasts plenty of fisheries that contain wild and stocked trout. It only takes a few years for the stocked fish to become classified as trophy fish. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. Normally Ill run lighter tippet because the water is usually very clear this time of year. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. When water temperatures are hottest these big smallmouth arent going to be chasing a ton. Give us a call today to schedule your fishing adventure this summer. Learn about our recreational opportunities and shoreline activities. This was Bennetts personal best river smallmouth and the biggest smallmouth to hit my net this year. These trout are not stocked and naturally reproduce in the cold water coming off the highest mountain peaks in the east. Give us a call to book your fishing charter in the mountains of North Carolina. I look forward to seeing you on the water. Its been a wonderful summer full of some really good fishing. July and August is excellent for catching smallmouth on topwater! For more information, visit S2ODesign.com. Be sure to check the stream conditions before heading out to fish the Catawba River. S2O Design is led by engineer, Olympian, and three-time World Cup Kayak Champion and Freestyle Kayak Champion Scott Shipley. We can choose locations and experiences that will best fit each client. The mission of this organization is to bring hope and the love of Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips. Our team of expert boater-engineers has planned, conceived, designed, and created some of the best in-stream whitewater parks as well as largest and most dynamic recirculating whitewater parks in the world. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Contact us today to book your fishing adventure here in the mountains of North Carolina. Let's explore the local lakes and rivers. Current conditions of DISCHARGE, GAGE HEIGHT, and STREAM WATER LEVEL ELEVATION ABOVE NAVD 1988 are available. The weather in the spring can be unpredictable so I tell clients we fish conditions not dates on a calendar. Shearon Harris Lake is considered North Carolinas best lake to catch trophy bass. The key to having a successful day is finding somewhat clear water. The float is 8 miles so its a full day of fishing. There were lots of laughs and good times had on the lake. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The wild trout streams are in great shape with a lot of water in them currently which will set us up for some good fishing early summer. Its also gotten bigger since we first caught it in December. The wild trout streams in North Carolina are fishing excellent right now. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean. The best midge colors have been black, brown, and olive. Hatchery Supported waters opens up this Saturday so this provides some more opportunities on our float trips and wade fishing trips to catch some bigger stocked trout. Below are just a few pictures from some of the fish we caught in July! April 2021 The Catawba Tailrace is a hidden gem in the foothills of North Carolina. To provide the safest possible passage to the Long Bypass Reach at higher flows, S2O Design created the Recreation Bypass Channel that will have much less drop over a longer distance. After the first weekend of June fishing wont be great on the Delayed Harvest stretches because on June 4th anglers can harvest the fish. We welcome beginners and seasoned anglers. Brown trout are at the top of every anglers list. The draw of catching a big brown trout in the tailrace is both a blessing and a curse-- youll find good catches, but only if youre willing to deal with the crowds. I knew it was going to be a good time to fish because for the last three years the Catawba Tailrace has been excellent from the beginning of March to the end of May. The River offers miles of fishing, but the tailwater below Lake James is managed to create a trophy brown trout fishery where you will find some of the most impressive browns in the state. I want to thank him for my wife for getting up at the crack of dawn with me before heading to the river. Jerrod and his grandfather booked a trip with me on the Catawba Tailrace on March 22nd. The closest fishing to Asheville is the French Broad River. The current water temperature coming out the dam is 67 degrees. Dead drifting these big bugs is very similar to drifting flies to tailwater trout. I think between the warmer water temperature (72 degrees) and overcast day it created an ideal scenario. We welcome younger kids as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Locked padlock The takeout ramp in Glen Alpine is currently under construction so this section of river will be shut down for two months. We had a great day and we managed to get a good trout as well. I enjoy taking clients to these areas because of the 3 reasons below: Wild Fish: These fish are born in the stream instead of being raised in the hatchery. The Prachyls wanted to fish a smaller smallmouth river so we did just that and had a great day targeting smallmouth using spinning tackle. 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