The fishing this year has been nothing short of amazing. Water levels have been excellent and the trout and smallmouth are cooperating daily. We’ve been busy chasing tailwater trout, wade fishing the local creeks in Pisgah National Forest, chasing native brook trout in the backcountry creeks, and catching prespawn river smallmouth in the big rivers around western North Carolina.
We’ve got consistent fishing on the delayed harvest creeks and rivers till the end of May then we will solely be focusing our efforts on wild trout in the higher elevation creeks and smallmouth in the French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers.
The smallmouth fishing from May to October is great. We’ve been devoting our off days to exploring new sections of the French Broad and we are excited to share it with longtime clients and new ones. We are supposed to be getting a cicada hatch mid May through June so if you’re interested in throwing poppers using the fly rod this time frame would provide some excellent topwater opportunities. Contact me and we can discuss where I believe the best bite will be for this rare hatch.
Smallmouth bass are an excellent species to target on the fly or using light tackle. They fight way harder than trout and are plentiful in the larger rivers around western North Carolina. The fish naturally reproduce which means they have been here since God created these beautiful mountain ranges and rivers. Post spawn fishing is a few short weeks away and this is an excellent time to catch a bunch of smallmouth including some larger ones in the 16-20 inch range. Below are some big prespawn bass we caught early this spring.
The tailwater trout fishing on the Catawba Tailrace and the Tuckaseegee has been excellent. We are catching lots of numbers with some big fish mixed in every outing. We are catching them using dries, wet flies, nymphs, and streamers. If you want to improve on a specific technique reach out to me and I’ll be happy to devote a half day or full day trip to whatever method you want some professional guidance on. All our guides at The Catawba Angler specializes in teaching because if the client can do the right things then they can catch fish. We will continue to float these tailwaters until the first Saturday in June. We may be able to squeeze out another month on the Catawba Tailrace depending on water temps and flows but we will play it by ear. Normally the water temperatures coming out the dam at Bridgewater is 60+ degrees by the fourth of July. If you’re into catching stripers go down there when two units is being released and throw a trout swimbait and try your handle at catching one of those big fish coming up the river from Rhodhiss. Below are some catches from our recent float trips across the mountains of North Carolina.
The wade fishing around western North Carolina has been consistent. This is a fun way to learn the sport of fly fishing. We supply all the rod and reels, waders, and boots for a successful day on the water. If you are a beginner wanting to learn the sport we breakdown every little detail of what rigs we use, reading water, fly selection, how to hook, land, and release the fish safely. Fly fishing is a lifetime sport that you can carry with you anywhere you go. There isn’t a better place than here in the mountains of North Carolina to fly fish. You get to experience Gods creation and fish in some of the most beautiful rivers in the South.
Wild trout fishing in North Carolina is fantastic this time of year and will stay that way well into the summer months. We’ve had a productive spring chasing these wild fish in the backcountry creeks deep into the Pisgah National Forest. We use three weight rods for these fish and most days all we throw are dry flies. This is an excellent trip for beginners and experienced anglers. Most of the places we go have little fishing pressure so fishing is always productive. Wild trout are special because they are not stocked, they naturally reproduce in the creeks we catch them in. Wild trout live in the prettiest places in North Carolina. If you are interested in catching wild trout and even figuring out where they are let us take you to these special places.
Thank you for taking the time to read our report. We would love to have you on a guided fly fishing or spin fishing trip this year. We are now booking in the month of June so book ahead to get your desired dates. Tight lines!
Matt Evans