jode hillman
Well-known member
I took a few days this past week and made a trip to my friends grandmothers near Cherokee North Carolina. I've stayed in the areas a few times before, but always on family vacations. This was a dedicated fishing trip and I had some hikes planned into the upper reaches of some local streams.
In five days I covered around 35 miles. Most of it on small trails choked with rhododendron following cascading streams, ending in waterfalls plunge pools and beautiful trout water.
I was fly fishing most of the time but did bring some spinning tackle to use in areas that were just too tight for effective fly casting.
Early in the week I fish the Catalochee Valley, which was hit hard during the hurricane last year. They have made amazing progress and stabilizing it and allowing access. But it is far from what it was. Large areas of rock and mud displaced by the hurricane have choked different portions of the stream and trails. The upper sections by Palmer Creek we hit the hardest. But the sections below the group camp seem to fare better and that is where most of my fish came from.
Despite the changes it is still one of my favorite places. I was able to catch Native Brooke trout (specs) , browns and rainbows. Mainly on Telico nymphs in Small Yellow Sally's.
The hardest day of the trip occurred when I hiked big Snowbird up to the headwaters of middle and upper Falls.
I have never been to the area before and access to the stream is very limited. It is a several hundred foot drop at a steep angle in most places. Ones reaching Middle Falls after a 6 mile hike I was rewarded with nearly a dozen Brooktrout and some nice beautiful scenery.
However it was more of a hiking trip than a fishing trip!
At the trip wound down and heavy rains were expected I decided to fish the delayed harvest section of the Nantahala. It contains both wild and stocked fish, and the quality of the Fishing never disappoints. After catching a few fish on small limbs I decided to switch it up and try big black streamers. The results were instant and amazing. Hard strikes from Brooke and brown trout. Brought many to the net but Many also escaped the photographs!
It is so different in the area of New Jersey Where I'm from, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to fly fish.
A few pictures below
In five days I covered around 35 miles. Most of it on small trails choked with rhododendron following cascading streams, ending in waterfalls plunge pools and beautiful trout water.
I was fly fishing most of the time but did bring some spinning tackle to use in areas that were just too tight for effective fly casting.
Early in the week I fish the Catalochee Valley, which was hit hard during the hurricane last year. They have made amazing progress and stabilizing it and allowing access. But it is far from what it was. Large areas of rock and mud displaced by the hurricane have choked different portions of the stream and trails. The upper sections by Palmer Creek we hit the hardest. But the sections below the group camp seem to fare better and that is where most of my fish came from.
Despite the changes it is still one of my favorite places. I was able to catch Native Brooke trout (specs) , browns and rainbows. Mainly on Telico nymphs in Small Yellow Sally's.
The hardest day of the trip occurred when I hiked big Snowbird up to the headwaters of middle and upper Falls.
I have never been to the area before and access to the stream is very limited. It is a several hundred foot drop at a steep angle in most places. Ones reaching Middle Falls after a 6 mile hike I was rewarded with nearly a dozen Brooktrout and some nice beautiful scenery.
However it was more of a hiking trip than a fishing trip!
At the trip wound down and heavy rains were expected I decided to fish the delayed harvest section of the Nantahala. It contains both wild and stocked fish, and the quality of the Fishing never disappoints. After catching a few fish on small limbs I decided to switch it up and try big black streamers. The results were instant and amazing. Hard strikes from Brooke and brown trout. Brought many to the net but Many also escaped the photographs!
It is so different in the area of New Jersey Where I'm from, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to fly fish.
A few pictures below
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