Head for the Mountains Archives - Page 11 of 19

June 2, 2026

The Tuckasegee River has four miles of water in the state’s delayed-harvest program, which allows trout to be creeled only during the summer.

Don’t delay, fish today

Winter fishing is often iffy in the mountains. Get out on a stream on one of those rare, warm sunny days, and you’ll likely hit a Blue-Winged Olive or midge hatch, and the trout will be hitting. […]

Big Snowbird Creek is one of best trout waters in Carolinas

Robert Satterwhite

Big Snowbird Creek in Graham County, considered by many veteran trout fishers as one of the best streams in the far western section of the state, now has four distinct fisheries. In July, a 2.8-mile section of hatchery-supported waters was re-designated as delayed-harvest waters.

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Some popular fall nymphs include (l-r):
Hare’s Ear, Prince, Zug Bug, rubber-legged Girdlebug and Woolly Booger.

Nymphs: the cool flies

Robert Satterwhite

If you want to catch trout when hatches are few or nonexistent, use a nymph. […]

Wild brown trout like this one from the Cataloochie area, spawn in the fall and provide plenty of fishing action.

Rain will mean great fall

Robert Satterwhite

After a summer of torrential rains, frequent flooding and limited fishing opportunities, trout-fishing conditions are shaping up as the best in years for the fall. Streams are in excellent shape, with plenty of water and plenty of healthy, well-fed trout. […]

Taking a child trout fishing for the first time can be a rewarding experience — for both parties.

Take a kid fishing

Robert Satterwhite

The first Saturday in June, delayed-harvest trout waters switch from catch-and-release to catch-and-keep fishing. Streams are crowded, and due to the large numbers of trout that have been stocked, just about everyone goes home with a limit of seven trout. […]

The other WNC fish

Robert Satterwhite

Western North Carolina streams may be best known for trout, but many of the larger ones offer another excellent and often overlooked fishery: smallmouth bass. When it comes to action, few fish can match the fighting ability of a smallmouth, and to hook one using light spinning tackle or a fly rod has to be the angling equivalent of paradise. […]

Wild brook trout live in small, hard-to-reach streams high in the mountains, like Moses Creek.

Bless the wild brook trout

Robert Satterwhite

Brook trout are easy to locate and easy to catch; getting to them is the hard part. Native brooks inhabit the headwaters of mountain streams, the wild, hard-to-reach sections of creeks accessible only by foot where the water is pure and cold, places choked with rhododendron and mountain laurel. […]