Addition of section of Wilson Creek is big bonus for delayed-harvest waters
July 2009
The acquisition of a section of Wilson Creek in Caldwell County is a double bonus for trout fishers. Not only will the state’s popular delayed-harvest program be expanded, the acquisition opens to the public a section of trout waters that was previously private water.
Tuckasegee River is an underrated gem
June 2009
It’s an early weekday evening, and I’m on my way home from work, driving along North River Rd. between Webster and Dillsboro in Jackson County. The Tuckasegee River runs close to the road, and below me, where the river makes a sharp bend and forms a long, wide pool, the surface is dimpled from bank to bank: fish feeding on the evening hatch. It is a sight too tempting to pass.
Jackson County maps out a trail of streams for trout fishermen
April 2009
Jackson County in far western North Carolina is a land of mile-high mountains, cascading waterfalls, picturesque lakes, and hundreds of trout streams. The streams, large and small, are scattered throughout the 499 square miles within the county borders. With such a broad choice of fishing opportunities, selecting a suitable stream can be as much of a problem as deciding which dishes to sample at a sumptuous banquet. You can’t sample them all, but you do want to sample the best.
It’s ideal time to head for a trout stream
March 2009
The last day of February usually signals the end of winter in the mountains, but Mother Nature doesn’t always consult the calendar. Winter can, and often does, linger long past its scheduled departure date, greedily eating into spring’s precious time.
Trout fishing requires variety of flies
January 2009
Fly fishers utilize four types of flies with each type designed to imitate a particular phase of an insect’s life or a particular kind of aquatic life.
Hooked on trout: the terminology
December 2008
Anglers have been using hooks to catch fish since the Stone Age, fashioning hooks from wood, bone, shells and horns.
Mercury problem for walleyes
November 2008
Walleye long have been one of the most-prized fish to eat in mountain lakes.
Worm your way into trout’s mouth
October 2008
I am a fly fisher but not an elitist fly fisher because once in a while, I’ll fish with worms — without reservations and without guilt.
Techniques for catch-and-release
September 2008
Delayed-harvest streams revert to catch-and-release rules October 1 with two streams joining the popular fishing program, bringing the total of delayed-harvest streams to 20 in 14 western counties.
Summer time for largest trout
August 2008
Western North Carolina has more than a dozen lakes that have fair-to-excellent populations of trout.
Some like it hot, but trout do not
July 2008
In the heat of summer, when mountain streams often are low and clear, trout are less active and spookier than usual.
Sometimes you must spin to win
June 2008
Spinner fishing is a good alternative to fly fishing when trout aren’t rising to a hatch or snatching a nymph.