Head for the Mountains
Looking for a brown-out
Brown trout aren’t native to the Carolinas, but they thrive throughout certain waters in both states. Anglers shouldn’t be afraid to upsize their lure offerings when targeting browns. […]
Head for the Mountains
Head for the Mountains
Enjoying those beautiful brookies
For thousands of years, brook trout had mountain streams to themselves. Around the turn of the century, however, brook populations began an irreversible decline as widespread logging, railroad construction, agriculture and unregulated fishing exacted heavy tolls on both numbers and habitat. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Cataloochee Creek is a real keeper
Few places exist where you can fish for trout with elk looking over your shoulder, and few streams in western North Carolina contain more brook trout than rainbows or brown trout. Cataloochee Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is such a place. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Don’t get stuck in a fishing rut
Trout anglers in the Carolinas have more options than they could fish in a lifetime, so they shouldn’t get stuck on just one or two streams. Winter is a great time for fishing these waters. They are less crowded, and the trout will still bite enough to make it worth a trip. […]
Freshwater Fishing
Keys to catching more winter trout
The key to successful winter trout fishing is to use more nymphs and fewer dry flies. With fewer hatches coming off, nymphs will be the most-productive flies until spring. The numbers of fish you catch may not be as big, but you’ll likely catch some big trout.
Bass Fishing
Living out a dream
Austin Neary developed a passion for bass fishing when he was four years old, fishing from a boat dock on Lake Wylie near Charlotte, N.C. — a passion fueled by his father’s love for bass fishing.
Freshwater Fishing
Park your tackle at this state park
North Carolina’s state park system stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to mile-high Mount Mitchell, offering a variety of activities, including camping and fishing in most of the parks.
Freshwater Fishing
Streamers are made for September trout
Thunderstorms and showers are as much a part of late summer as huckleberries, fireflies and bobwhites. Although summer storms arrive quickly and usually end just as quickly, even high-gradient mountain streams need a little time to calm down.
Freshwater Fishing
Hazel creek: A trout treasure
No roads lead to one of the most-celebrated trout streams in the East. Isolated, remote, accessible only by boat or foot, Hazel Creek lives up to its reputation as a trout-fishing Mecca. It’s all that everyone says it is, and more.
Freshwater Fishing
Find your summer trout strategies
Summer can be a frustrating time for trout fishers, no matter their skill level or level of dedication. High temperatures, low water and an absence of major insect hatches do not make for ideal trout fishing conditions. But with a slight change of tactics, selective stream choices and a tad more patience, summer trout fishing can be as rewarding as it is any other time of the year.
Freshwater Fishing
Delayed harvest: Trout for everyone
Beginning May 15 in South Carolina and June 2 in North Carolina, anglers will be able to keep their catches in delayed-harvest trout waters, up to five trout per day in South Carolina and seven in North Carolina, with no bait or lure restrictions.
Freshwater Fishing
Four-of-a-kind basic trout flies for fly fishermen
Fly fishers utilize four types of flies, with each designed to imitate a particular phase of an insect’s life or a particular kind of aquatic life. Basic types of flies are dry, wet, nymph and streamer.