November was one for the books! I was able to guide my father into catching his biggest NC brown trout to date. The fish taped out at 21 inches and was one of the heaviest fish I have had the priviledge to net.

21 inch brown trout from the Catawba Tailrace.

I also had the lucky hand in November by catching one of my biggest NC rainbows to date in a small mountain stream in McDowell County. I caught him on a size 16 perdigon which is a simple fly developed by the Spanish Competitive Fly Fishing Team. I am starting to use more types of these flies on guided trips and they have proven themselves to be highly effective in catching fish especially the picky ones.

Fish hit a size 16 Olive Body Quill Perdigon.

Fishing with family is something I’ll always cherish because it allows me to introduce my passion and what I do for a living to my closest people. I took my sister on her first fly fishing trip down the Catawba River and was able to watch her hook and land a healthy rainbow trout. These memories I get to create on the river with a fly rod in hand is what keeps me pursuing this career as a fishing guide.

My sister with her first fish on the fly.

These fish are often overlooked as fun to catch because of their size, but chasing these fish get you into some of the prettiest terrain that western North Carolina has to offer. What they lack in size they make up for in beauty. They are eager to hit dry flies year round and that is something that makes wild water in NC so special. North Carolina has so much wild water to explore. I enjoy looking at maps and findng the water that is rarely touched by other fishermen. If you are willing to put in the miles then you can find solitude and some nice wild fish. There are two streams that we guide on in Old Fort that allows anglers to obtain the “Grand Slam”. This is where anglers catch all three species of wild trout in the same outing.

Fishing from a raft is an exciting way to fish because you get to cover much more water than if you were on foot. I took Keith Burch and his friend down a really cool stretch of water that only a few people float here in McDowell and we had alot of action the entire trip. During this trip we fished stoneflies, eggs, and pheasant tail nymphs with CDC collars on them and the fish absolutely loved them. Most float trips involves fishing with an indicator and this year I have gotten away from using the thingamabobber because beginners have a harder time casting it and it hits the water much harder than a fly.

Keith with a healthy rainbow trout from the Catawba River.

Another look at the brown trout my father caught.

November Fishing Tips

** These are tips I have gathered from guiding in November and would like to share with anyone willing to better themselves as an angler**

Use lighter tippet: Starting in November the fish begin to pod up in the deeper holes and I have found it beneficial to fish lighter tippet. Our water here in North Carolina is generally low and clear this time of year so the lighter the tippet the less disruption it makes when it hits the water. It’s not uncommon for us to use 6x or 7x tippet on our guide trips.
Fish Deeper & Slower: Adding weight or fishing heavier flies can be very beneficial this time of year because it gets your flies to where the fish are holding. On colder days you want to hit the fish right on the head with your flies because the less energy they have to move to eat your fly the better. When striping streamers try going a little slower on your retrieve and consider using a heavier sink tip.
Smaller Flies: I remember when I first started fly fishing I thought to myself that bigger fish hit bigger flies. This is a true statement but bigger fish also hit tiny flies. Try a midge underneath your indicator and you will be surprised by how many bigger fish you will net.
Stealth is key: When the water is low and clear fish will spook more easily. I have found that longer casts, lighter tippet, and being stealthy are musts on wild trout water in the month of November. We have all heard the saying “ That fish didn’t get big by being dumb”. Being stealthy will increase your chances at getting that cast off to that big wild rainbow thats holding in crystal clear water.