February was a great month on the water, but the best trout fishing of the year is here!

February was a great month for trout fishing! Clients and I were able to have some productive days on the cold and warmer days. The warmer afternoons brought out some excellent Blue Wing Olive hatches and the midges were consistent the entire month. We all long for those warmer Spring days on the water, but don’t overlook the cold February days because trout still have to eat. The good news is that the warmer days are finally here and there are some exciting fishing opportunities on our local creeks, rivers, and the Catawba Tailrace.

Catawba Tailrace Caddis Hatch 2021

March and April means Caddis.

As of March 4th, the caddis have made there appearance on the Tailrace. The fish are not fully keyed in on them at the moment because the hatches have been sporadic. The best hatches normally occur mid March through the beginning of April but the warmer weather this week could speed things up. If you have been wanting to experience this hatch then shoot me a text, or call me, and I can update you as things progress. I am hoping Duke Energy will cut the wheels off of generation because low water will bring the best dry fly fishing, so stay tuned! I made a short video from my last outing on the Tailrace with my wife using dries and streamers. Check it out below!

Delayed Harvest Float and Wade Trips

DH water will fish well until the end of May!

The local creeks and rivers are fishing excellent. We guide on the Catawba River, Curtis Creek, and Mill Creek. They were stocked on March 3rd and will receive the second stocking on April 6th. This is a great trip for beginners looking to have a lot of opportunities at fish and for the seasoned angler looking to learn something new. I don’t hold back any knowledge on guide trips because I want you to be successful on your own outings.

We offer half day and full day float trips on Delayed Harvest water.

Trout live in beautiful places. Curtis Creek, North Carolina

Ted with a nice stocked brown trout from a float trip in February.

Half day float trips are $250. Full day float trips are $350.

Wild Trout Fishing Trips

Fly fishing for wild trout in the Pisgah National Forest is something every fisherman should experience. The fish are plentiful and the scenery is second to none. March will bring out the bigger mayflies like the Blue Quills and Quill Gordon’s. This is an exciting time being able to fish a size 10-14 bug to hungry fish. It sure beats fishing a size 24 Griffith’s Gnat on a cold winter day! Here are some of our recent catches from our guided wild trout fishing trips.

20 inch wild rainbow trout for Dr. McNabb! March 4, 2021.

Fishing an Adams in March is about as productive as anything.

Wild Brown Trout from a backcountry fly fishing adventure.

This wild brown trout crushed a parachute caddis.

Doing what I love! Teaching the sport of fishing to others.

Lake James Fishing Trips

Warmer days have the bass moving into the shallow water from their deep water holding places. The month of March provides excellent opportunities to catch some very large bass at Lake James. Fishing will only get better as the bass prepare to spawn.

Head Guide Kelsey Minish and his daughter had a good outing on Lake James.

Other Fishing Adventures in February and March

That’s a Wrap!

The trout fishing in western North Carolina is something special that everyone should get to experience at least once in their life. It’s a great way to get outdoors and enjoy some beautiful places in the Appalachian mountains. We have a trip for everyone whether you’ve never picked up a fly rod before or you have been fly fishing 30 years. I want to thank new clients and old friends that have trusted us to take them trout fishing over the years. I look forward to seeing you on the water in 2021. I’ll leave you with some footage from Curtis Creek. Enjoy!