Head for the Mountains Archives - Page 15 of 19

June 2, 2026

The most effective method of releasing a trout is to keep it in the water while removing the hook.

Trout: Please, release me, then let me go

I believe in the merits of catch-and-release, but I’m not a hard-core purist like many Trout Unlimited members. […]

Spring mayfly hatches make for some of the best mountain trout fishing of the year.

Mayflies big blessing for springtime fishing

Spring is truly the time of the trout fisher. The weather is perfect for fishing, wildflowers are in bloom, and, best of all, mayfly hatches are emerging. […]

Changing your tactics to match winter conditions can lead to nice trout, like this Davidson River rainbow.

Cold-weather fishing can pay off

Robert Satterwhite

Winter in the mountains is a time of stark beauty, a time when the dominant colors are blue, gray, brown and black, a time when streams run full and clear and icy cold, a time when a warm, sunny day is an event and a blessing for a trout fisher. […]

Popular streamers such as the Mickey Finn (above left) and Muddler Minnow account for a lot of winter trout, especially in high-water conditions.

Streamers: best choice on full streams

Robert Satterwhite

Heavy rainfall kept rivers and creeks full this summer and fall, and it appears the trend is continuing into the winter. […]

Streams like the Oconoluftee River draw trout fishermen from across the state and Southeast, generating an economic windfall for mountain counties.

Popularity of fly-fishing giving boost to economies in western North Carolina counties

Robert Satterwhite

Every year, more and more people, young and old, male and female, take up the fine sport of fly-fishing. […]

Trout fishing during late fall and early winter means slowing down, fishing deeper and expecting fewer bites, but bigger fish.

Don’t neglect cold-weather fishing; trout will bite if you adjust your tactics

Robert Satterwhite

Although spring is undoubtedly the ideal trout time for trout fishing, winter also has its merits. What most winter trout fishers discover is that they catch fewer but larger fish. […]

Brown and brook trout seek out tributaries of larger streams such as Little Santeetlah Creek when looking for spawning sites in the fall.

Fall is prime time for browns, brookies

Robert Satterwhite

In September, autumn eases into the mountains in muted colors: dull reds and yellows of sourwood, dogwood, and sumac. […]

Owen Jane Yanik shows off her first two trout, a brown and a rainbow from the Tuckaseegee River.

Passing on the thrill: the rewards are endless

Robert Satterwhite

She asked me to take her fishing, out of the blue. So I took her to the local Wal-Mart and let her pick out a fishing rod. […]

Areas with fast-flowing, highly-oxygenated water are great spots to look for trout in mountain streams during the hottest months of summer.

Presentation is a key for hot-weather trout

Robert Satterwhite

One hard lesson I’ve learned fishing mountain trout streams in the hottest months of summer is this: how you present a fly is far more important than the type of fly you use. If the fly is sufficiently “buggy” and floats naturally, chances are good that a trout will hit it. […]

Wilson Creek’s headwaters are on Grandfather Mountain; it runs dozens of miles to its confluence with Johns River in Burke Co.

Addition of section of Wilson Creek is big bonus for delayed-harvest waters

Robert Satterwhite

The acquisition of a section of Wilson Creek in Caldwell County is a double bonus for trout fishers. […]