North Carolina Fishing Report March 2023

March 20th was the first day of Spring. It’s currently 74 degrees in Asheville. The caddis and march browns were coming off the Tuckaseegee River this past weekend. The Catawba River is loaded with hungry rainbows. The French Broad and Nolichucky smallmouth are in their prespawn phase bulking up for the spawn. The wild trout streams are waking up from winter and offering good fly fishing. Life is good for anglers and guides here in western North Carolina.

We’ve got a few dates left in April, but we are currently booking in May and June so do not hesitate to get on our calendars. I recommend people to book at least 3-4 weeks in advance. We can handle last minute bookings, but if you want a preferred date contact us early.

The French Broad smallmouth were on a crayfish pattern this past week with water temperatures around the mid to upper 40’s.Water temps are 60 degrees currently so fishing will be good until the fish concentrate solely on the spawn.

We have had some stellar days on the delayed harvest waters. Float fishing has been best because we can cover so much more water than wade fishing. The delayed harvest waters will be excellent till the end of May. Check out some of these great fish from our recent floats.

We been wading some new stretches of river which has been fantastic. We were on a local river in McDowell County and got into some excellent brown trout. The are healthy, hard fighting fish which makes for a great day!

As March comes to an end we are heading full steam into April. The Delayed Harvest waters are full of trout and after the first Saturday in April the Hatchery Supported Waters open up. We have some wading and floating opportunities that we haven’t been able to access due to the waters being closed so after the first Saturday in April let’s go chase some fish on some waters that have been closed a month long. Below is a brown trout from a hatchery supported section we are able to float in April and May.

Winter Fly Fishing Report & Outlook for Spring 2023

Winter is on its way out here in the mountains. We’ve seen plenty of 50 degree days in January and now we are starting to see those 60 degree days. These warmer trends have provided excellent fishing on the Catawba, Davidson, Tuckaseegee, and Toe Rivers. We have spent the majority of our time in the boat this winter, but have had some excellent days wading the Catawba. There are plenty of winter stones on the water so plenty of fish have been eating pats rubber legs in black and brown. The pats rubber legs is a confidence pattern for me during the winter. It’s proved itself over and over, year after year on these mountain rivers. Another productive fly has on the delayed harvest rivers has been orange sucker spawn eggs with a gold bead. If you can’t catch them on the pats or the egg then most likely the fish want something a lot smaller so that’s when you try your midges, pheasant tails, or flashy bead head nymph patterns. The smaller flies below have been productive for me on the DH section of the Catawba and Tuck.

We’ve been catching a bunch of rainbows and a few browns on the Catawba since that is the majority of the fish that were stocked this past fall. The Catawba, Tuckaseegee, and Toe Rivers will be receiving its first stocking of 2023, the first week of March so trout fishing here in the mountains is about to be lights out. We’ve got plenty of wadeable creeks and bigger rivers to fish for trout during March, April, and May. The fishing in the spring is consistent all day long because of the suitable water and air temps. If you’ve been wanting to book a guided trip, but have been on the edge of deciding I would like to encourage you to book. As a company we have decided not to raise prices this year for our half day and full day floats. Our half day floats are $300 and our full day floats are $400. I have decided to do this for the people who doesn’t have alot of disposable income. When I started my business in 2017 I wanted to make guided fishing trips in western North Carolina available to everyone no matter their income. You have my promise that our guided trips are the highest quality trip in western North Carolina even though our prices are the most reasonable. We understand clients work hard to book trips and so our promise to you is that we will do everything we can to give you the most memorable fishing experience in WNC. Let’s get back to fishing. The Catawba River is a beautiful stretch of water that holds a good amount of stocked fish. The stretch runs through small sections of private land that isn’t accessible by foot so these areas yield a bunch of fish. If you are a beginner wanting to book your first float trip and learn the ropes of fishing from a boat then this stretch is for you. Check out some of our most recent catches from the Catawba.

The Catawba River also provides great wade fishing opportunities as well. On the warmer days we have been taking advantage of wading the river with clients.

We provide all the waders, boots, rods, reels, and flies for our wading trips. We offer half day trips for $300 for two anglers and full day trips for $400 for two anglers. We are able to guide up to six anglers on guided trips using three guides. We prefer to put two anglers per guide so both anglers are getting the special attention they deserve.

We’ve been guiding on the Toe River this winter which has been excellent. This is a secluded stretch of water that isn’t the easiest to get to, but that is what makes it special. If you are interested in floating this stretch let us know. Check out this 25” bruiser our guide Jason Wilson put his client on last week.

The Tuckaseegee River always fishes well in the winter because it gets stocked in October, November, and December. We prefer to fish this river in the winter because it’s less crowded then and it’s a great time to rip big streamers for big fish. It will be getting stocked again in a couple of weeks so it’s a great option to fish this spring. Below are some recent photos of some of the fish we’ve caught on the Tuck.

The Catawba Tailrace is usually our go to float during the winter, but the rainbows that were stocked in the fall of 2021 did not make it through the summer of 2022 so fishing has not been great down there. We are still running trips down there if clients want to chase trophy browns throwing streamers. The bigger fish in the Tailrace are definitely carnivorous because the smaller stocked trout are their main food source. The NCWRC stocked a bunch of browns this past November in the 8” range so I’m expecting that stock to provide some good fishing over the next few years. The key to this fishery being successful is the survival rate of these stocked fish. The ones that make it past the first year grow to some trophy sizes. If you are on the hunt for that one big fish this is still the fishery to target. Let us know!

Below are some other pictures from our guided trips this winter.

Outlook for Spring 2023

The trout fishing in western North Carolina is excellent beginning in March and will continue well into June. The best fishing will be on the rivers that have been stocked, but there are numerous wild trout streams that will be fishing excellent as well. The smallmouth bite will begin in March for the spinning angler that wants to get in on the prespawn bite. This time of year we throw big jerkbaits and crankbaits for big river smallmouth looking to fatten up before the spawn. The guys that take us up on this guided trip are always happy at the end of the day when they have caught the biggest river smallmouth of their life. The French Broad and Nolichucky rivers produce trophy smallmouth year after year. If you have never been smallmouth fishing using light spinning tackle or a fly rod then I could not recommend it more. I believe it’s one of the most fun trips we offer. The fishing is excellent and the scenery is even better. Our smallmouth season starts in March and ends in November. Below are two big fish we caught last year in early Spring.

I want to highlight some of our best catches from spring time below. Enjoy the photos.

Linville Gorge Fishing

The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area is one of the most rugged places on the East Coast. The Linville Gorge is one of North Carolina’s most remote and unchanged natural areas. The Wilderness Act of 1964 has protected the gorge from any human development. The only way into the gorge is by foot so hiking in and out of the gorge is very strenuous. The Linville River drops 2000 feet in elevation as it meanders 12 miles through the steep gorge walls and eventually dumping into Lake James. The river through the gorge is both wild and powerful in places. Huge boulders and deep plunge pools make up the river and is home to trout and smallmouth bass. During the 90’s the NCWRC stocked thousands of brown trout from half-wild brood stocks into the gorge. There is little natural reproduction that goes on the gorge with these wild brown trout, but the majority of the fish are stocked. The Linville Gorge holds some very large brown trout and is slowly becoming more of a smallmouth fishery. The only problem is getting to the fish. This takes a lot of dedication and skill to rock hop through the gorge searching for that trophy fish. Fishing the gorge isn’t for the faint of heart because it will test you physically and mentally, but the rewards can be worth it. If you are up for the challenge of hiking in and covering alot of ground within the gorge let me know and we will make it happen. Check out some pictures from the gorge below.

Indicator Fishing Tip

Improve your nymph fishing by doing this one thing!

It’s been said over and over that 90% of trout eat subsurface. Some days 100% of the time the fish will be eating subsurface. This is why fly fishermen and women nymph fish. If your looking to catch fish the odds are high of catching them using something that is going floating through the water column. There are clients that love indicator fishing and clients that hate it. I will always have a dry fly rod rigged and ready to go on my guide trips because when a hatch is going off that’s what I’ll get clients to throw. The reality of it is that most of the time that’s not the case here in the mountains of NC. The five main insects in NC is stoneflies, caddis, midges, blue wing olives, and terrestrials. The majority of these insects life besides terrestrials are spent underwater so nymph fishing is usually the best method for putting fish in the net. We are going to keep this simple. When I’m fishing indicators, my set up is the following:

My fly line connects to a section of 3.5 ft fluorocarbon (15 pound) line that connects to a tippet ring using a loop knot. I attach my tippet to the tippet ring using an improved clinch knot that connects to my nymph. Pretty simple setup.

The key here is using a loop knot that connects to the tippet ring. This is a game changer. The tippet ring can freely move around the loop knot while fishing and it creates a 90 degree angle from the butt section of the leader to your fly. Check out the setup below.

This 90 degrees angles helps get the flies straight down underneath the indicator. Try this method the next time your own the water and see if it doesn’t help put more fish in the net. Thanks for taking the time to read the article!

Fly Fishing in the NC Mountains

North Carolina is home to the highest mountains east of the Mississippi. The Blue Ridge Mountains located in NC are a sector of the bigger Appalachian Mountain range that extends more than 500 miles. The Pisgah National Forest is located within the mountains of North Carolina and is comprised of 500,000 acres of hardwood forests full of trails that lead to wild trout streams. The NC mountains are full of cold water streams and rivers that provide many fly fishing opportunities to the wandering angler. Some of the best fishing in western North Carolina requires a hike to get there, but there are also plenty of fly fishing opportunities easily accessible. The bigger rivers that meander through the NC mountains provide good fly fishing for river smallmouth as well. Fly fishing for river smallmouth in the NC mountains is hands down one of the best things to do when visiting Asheville. The French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers provide great fly fishing opportunities starting in April and ending around October. We do catch smallmouth year round using light spinning tackle, but if fly fishing is your thing then it’s best when the water temps warm up and the bass are most aggressive. The NC mountains provide year round fly fishing opportunities for trout and smallmouth bass which is great for people looking to get on the water anytime of the year. The Catawba Angler is a full time fly fishing guide service that provides fly fishing trips 12 months out of the year. We guide clients in the Pisgah National Forest for wild trout and we float the larger rivers such as the Catawba, Toe Rivers, and the Tuckaseegee Rivers for stocked trout year round. The best fishing on the wild trout streams is March through December. The best float fishing for trout is October through the end of May. Our smallmouth float trips begin in March and end around November. There is always something to fish for when visiting the NC mountains.

Winter Fly Fishing Report January 2023

Winter trout fishing here in North Carolina has been excellent. The colder days are more challenging than the warmer ones but downsizing your flies on the colder days have been vital to our success. Hitting the fish on the nose with smaller flies seems to work most of the time. We’ve been having great success on the higher rivers this time of year with stonefly patterns, prince nymphs, and eggs. Fishing will continue to be good all winter long on the lower elevation creeks and rivers. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. The crowds are nonexistent this time of year so come enjoy the river to yourself.

Spring Trout Fishing in Western North Carolina

Spring in North Carolina begins March 20th and ends June 21st. The Spring offers some tremendous fly fishing opportunities across the mountain region for trout. After a long winter many anglers look forward to this time of the year because of the warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. The water temperatures range anywhere from 45 degrees to 67 degrees which is prime trout feeding water temperatures. The bigger bugs such as caddis, cahills, hendricksons, quill gordons, stoneflies, and sulphurs begin to make their arrival in the spring so there are plenty of insects for the trout to eat. Spring provides some of the best dry fly fishing of the year on our local creeks and rivers. There is nothing better than sight casting to a feeding fish with a dry fly and landing it. This is the pinnacle in fly fishing. The Catawba Angler offers dry fly fishing trips on our mountain creeks for wild trout in the the Spring. This is where we will hike into a backcountry creek and dry fly fish all day for rising trout.

Spring trout fishing means higher water flows which can offer some excellent streamer fishing opportunities on the bigger tailwaters in North Carolina. Some of the biggest trout we catch all year is in the springtime stripping streamers against the banks. The Catawba Tailrace and Tuckaseegee River systems offers some great streamer fishing in March, April, and May.

The weather in the spring can be unpredictable so I tell clients we fish conditions not dates on a calendar. It’s important to always be flexible with your game plan on the water. Successful anglers recognize how fish behavior changes during different weather conditions and adapt their fly selection and presentation. Fly fishing in the Spring is hands down the best time to trout fish in North Carolina.

The Catawba Angler offers float trips and wade fishing trips for trout in the spring here in North Carolina. Give us a call to experience the best trout fishing of the year in western NC.

Bass Fishing Guide in North Carolina

The Catawba Angler offers guided bass fishing trips on the best rivers and lakes in North Carolina. Below is a resource for some of the lakes and rivers in the state that holds bass in them. The Tarheel State has three major geological regions which include the Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, and Atlantic Coastal Plains.(West to East) All three regions boasts some excellent bass fishing in the lakes and rivers. The only natural lakes in the state are located in the Coastal Plain region which begins around the Raleigh area and extends to the Atlantic Ocean. The lakes in the mountain and Piedmont regions are the result of dammed rivers. The Catawba River runs through both regions and is home to 7 lakes that offers good bass fishing. These lakes are named the Catawba River Chain of Lakes. The lakes that make up the Catawba River Chain are Lake James, Lake Rhodiss, Lake Hickory, Lookout Shoals Lake, Lake Norman, and Lake Wylie. Lake James is the best bass fishing lake on the Catawba River chain and is home to both smallmouth and largemouth bass. The lake draws many anglers from the Piedmont and coastal plain region looking to catch both smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Lake James is home to some of the biggest smallmouth bass in the state. In February of 2020, a 7 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth was caught by Ken Whitesides. We’ve heard of 7pound fish being caught and even bigger ones that have gotten away. The Catawba Angler was one of the first bass fishing guides in North Carolina to guide on Lake James. The Catawba River and Linville River that flows into Lake James offers good wade fishing for smallmouth bass. The bigger smallmouth that call the lake home will run up the two rivers certain times of the year so it’s not uncommon to catch 3 to 4 pound fish in the rivers. A good float is putting in at the bridge at US Business 221 and going down to Burnette’s Landing. This stretch has long, deep holes that hold good populations of bass in the summertime moving upstream from the lake looking for those cooler river temperatures.

Another prominent river that flows through the Piedmont region is the Yadkin. The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina and is home to 4 lakes which include W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, High Rock Lake, Badin Lake, and Lake Tillery. Badin Lake is the clearest lake in the Yadkin Chain and runs within the Uwharrie National Forest which offers some unique scenery for a Piedmont Lake. The lake is home to some big largemouth bass and is also known as a put and take striper lake where the state stocks 25,000 fingerling every year. The lake has a good population of smaller striped bass, but it’s not uncommon to catch 20 pound fish. The Yadkin River boasts a small population of smallmouth bass and a variety of other species. Those looking to fish the Yadkin for smallmouth bass should check out Burch Station and Yadkin Shore public fishing areas.

Falls Lake also known as “Falls of the Neuse” & Jordan Reservoir are on the border of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain region and are some of the best largemouth lakes in North Carolina. North Carolina’s fisheries biologist will say Jordan Reservoir is the best lake in the state. Fish over 10 pounds have been caught in Jordan Reservoir. Another notable bass fishing lake in close proximity to Falls and Jordan is Shearon Harris Lake. Shearon Harris Lake is considered North Carolina’s best lake to catch trophy bass.

Lake Mattamuskeet is the most well known lake in North Carolina since it’s the largest natural lake in the state. The lake is a shallow coastal lake which is home to largemouth bass. The lake is home to many different fish species but the largemouth bass is most sought after. Another notable bass fishing lake in the coastal plain region is Lake Waccamaw. Similar to Lake Mattamuskeet, Lake Waccamaw is shallow. In the spring these lakes warm up faster than the deep man made lakes in the piedmont and mountain region so the prespawn bite on these lakes occur here before any other lake in the state.

The French Broad River is hands down the best smallmouth river in North Carolina. The river has the quantity and the quality every bass fisherman is looking for. The river has an abundant supply of baitfish and crayfish that is needed to grow trophy river smallmouth. The French Broad River consistently produces 4 pound smallmouth year after year on our guided bass fishing trips. The river is not suitable to wade so it’s important to hire a guide to float you down the river to the best fishing spots. The smallmouth fishing is best from the airport in Asheville to the East Tennessee line. The Catawba Angler provides guided bass fishing trips on the French Broad River starting in March and wrapping up the season in the middle of November.

Another river worth mentioning when talking about bass fishing in North Carolina is the Nolichucky River. The fishing is fantastic and the scenery is second to none. This river consistently produces trophy smallmouth year after year. The biggest smallmouth we’ve ever guided a client into has come from the Nolichucky. If you are a bass fishing Angler then the Nolichucky should be on your bucket list. The fluke bite on the Nolichucky during the last days or spring and early summer can be unbelievable.

The last river that is worthy of mentioning in the bass fishing guide in North Carolina is the Pigeon River. The Pigeon River is a trophy smallmouth river. The river is half the size of the French Broad River, but has a thick population of bass in it. The best fishing is below Waterville dam and into East Tennessee. This section is a tailwater that provides cold water year round that creates the perfect habitat for aquatic life. After a few years of scouting and many trips down the river we have started guiding the Pigeon River for smallmouth bass.

The Catawba Angler offers half day and full day bass charters on the lakes and rivers of western North Carolina. It’s our goal to provide the best bass fishing guide experience in North Carolina. If you are interested in hearing more about our bass fishing trips then please give us a call. We would love to talk to you about the best times of the year to fish or answer any question you may have about fishing. Thanks for taking the time to read our post. We look forward to fishing with you.

Fly Fishing in North Carolina

North Carolina offers some of the best fly fishing in the country. The North Carolina mountains boasts plenty of fisheries that contain wild and stocked trout. Some of the best fly fishing is within a short drive of Asheville, North Carolina. From backcountry experiences to roadside pull offs there are plenty of trout fishing opportunities for the curious angler in North Carolina. I’d like to highlight the four trout species that are available in our public waters.

Brook Trout

The Southern Appalachian Brook Trout is our native fish here in North Carolina. These trout are not stocked and naturally reproduce in the cold water coming off the highest mountain peaks in the east. These fish have been in our creeks since God created the world. These fish thrive in cold mountain creeks that can only be reached by foot. If you are looking to catch these fish find a creek above 3,000 feet and go explore it. There is nothing better than catching one of these native fish using a fly rod. This is the pinnacle of fly fishing in the mountains of North Carolina.

The brook trout directly above is a stocked fish. The state stocks a lot of these fish in the Delayed Harvest streams in the fall and the spring. These fish lack the beauty of the native brook trout but are still pretty fish nonetheless. These fish are prevalent in the 34 creeks and rivers that get stocked across the mountain region of NC.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout are prominent in North Carolina. There are more wild rainbow trout in the wild trout streams than any other species. Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific region, but were introduced to North Carolina around the 1900’s. The logging operations at the turn of the century almost depleted the native brook trout populations so that’s when non-native trout were introduced in NC to help bring back trout populations. The rainbow trout gets confused with the brook trout, but rainbows have a long lateral line on their sides that are pink or red.

North Carolina stocks some very large rainbow trout. The rainbow trout above was caught out of a delayed harvest stretch north of Asheville. The state record rainbow trout in North Carolina weighed over 20 pounds and was caught out of a stream 60 miles from Asheville. Out of all the fish stocked by the state 40% of them are rainbow trout.

Brown Trout

Brown trout are at the top of every anglers list. Brown trout are elusive and considered one of the most difficult trout species to catch. There are some excellent wild brown trout fisheries in North Carolina, but much like the native brook trout streams getting someone to tell you where they are will be hard to accomplish. There is a healthy population of wild brown trout in the Davidson River so that is a good start for most anglers looking to catch one. Brown trout are native to Europe, but were introduced in the 1920’s in alot of the streams in North Carolina. They are the most tolerant trout species and can live in waters upward of 70 degrees.

The brown trout above is a stocked fish. One indicator that it is a stocked fish is that some of its fins are nubs. Most likely the fins were rubbed off during the time this fish was in the holding walls of the hatchery. North Carolina brown trout can get very large and attracts anglers all over the country to try to tango with one.

Tiger Trout

Tiger trout are extremely rare in North Carolina. They are a cross between a brown trout and a brook trout. Tiger trout rarely exceed 8 inches, but what they look in size they make up for with their beauty.

The Catawba Angler offers guided fly fishing trips in Asheville, North Carolina. We offer wade and float trips for the four trout species found in NC. Fly Fishing in North Carolina is one of the best experiences to do when visiting the mountains.

NC Trout Fishing Report

The fall trout fishing in western North Carolina is something every fly angler should experience. The leaves are changing colors, the weather is ideal, and the water temperatures have dropped to a suitable level after a long summer. Fall fishing is special because you are likely to experience some excellent dry fly fishing, nymphing, and streamer fishing all in the same day. Recently on the Catawba River we got into a Blue Wing Olive and an Early Black Stone hatch that offered us some excellent sigh fishing to pods of stocked fish. Earlier in the day the nymph and streamer bite was consistent till the sun was directly above us. There are plenty of wade fishing and float fishing opportunities available on one of the many delayed harvest streams in NC. If you want to specialize in Euronymphing, Streamer Fishing, Nymphing Fishing, or Dry Fly Fishing we can customize your trip to solely focus on one of these different tactics. It’s our goal to help you become a better angler on the water. We understand that everyone likes to catch fish which we can definitely do that, but if you want to focus on some advanced fly fishing tactics to accelerate your growth as an angler then give us a call to set up a trip with one of our professional guides.

Water levels in the mountains of North Carolina are currently low which makes fishing more challenging that years past. We’ve been having to run very light tippet and downsize our flies this year due to low flows and spooky fish. This requires anglers to make longer casts and get flawless drifts over the fish to get eats. We’ve had our best success on the Catawba River since there is more flow on it than the smaller mountain creeks. Curtis Creek has been fishing consistent but it’s best to go early morning or late evening when the light isn’t directly above the water. The sun directly over the water makes it tough to sneak up on fish.

The Catawba Tailrace is slowly starting to fish better and better. We’ve been picking fish up in the deeper runs on nymphs and streamers in the riffles. The current water temperature coming out the dam is 67 degrees. As that temp drops the fishing will continue to get better and better. This is our best fishery from November to the end of May. The water temperature here during the winter is 50-55 degrees which is alot warmer than the freestone streams in the mountains. Numbers of fish can be high and there are opportunities at some very large holdover brown trout. The Catawba Tailrace offers some of the best brown trout fishing in North Carolina. Below are some of the biggest fish we’ve caught out of the Tailrace.

If you want to chase these bigger fish using large nymphs and streamers then this trip is for you. The float is 8 miles so it’s a full day of fishing. This is our favorite fishery to guide on because in these waters lurk the biggest trout in the state. Ask us about the ones that have gotten away.

If float fishing isn’t your thing then we got some excellent wade fishing opportunities chasing stocked and wild trout. These trips are fun because we can post up on fish and use different tactics to catch them. The best method has been using dry dropper rigs using 5-6x tippet. We’ve been fortunate to catch some really nice trout on the Catawba River this year. We offer half day wade trips for $250 (2 anglers).

We’ve got a few more smallmouth trips on the books this year which we are excited to finish the year out strong. The reaction bite the last two weeks has been nothing short of amazing. The water is unusually low on the Nolichucky so we’ve been spending the most time on the French Broad. Below are some fish from the last two weeks. Once the water temperature drops below 45 degrees we will solely focus on trout until the smallmouth bite picks back up in March.

Outlook for November 2022

The trout fishing in November will be good. The rivers are stocked and will receive another stocking the first week of November. There isn’t a better time than now to get out on the water and learn the sport of fly fishing. These stockings provide a lot of opportunities to catch fish. If you are just getting into the sport then book a guide to help accelerate your growth and have a mentor that will teach you how to do things the “right” way. We are big on teaching then catching at our guide service because you’ve got to be able to do things the right way before you start catching. There are alot of fish in the river right now so let us take you to them and show you how to be a better angler. The Catawba Tailrace is about to get really good so don’t hesitate to book a trip down there. Pressure is light and the fish are eager to hit big bugs and streamers. The weather is perfect this time of year with the later start times so give us a call to book your fishing adventure in the mountains of NC. I appreciate you taking the time to read our reports. We look forward to seeing you on the water.

Matt Evans

Owner/The Catawba Angler

September Fishing Report 2022

September has come to an end but it was definitely a month to remember. The last two weeks of September was nothing short of amazing. We have had clear water on the French Broad River so I have been out there every day chasing those big smallmouths that have some big appetites this time of year. The water temperature on the French Broad is 57 degrees. We’ve all heard about the 50 degree magic in the Spring and Fall seasons for smallmouth. Smallmouth start chasing during this time and there is no better time to throw moving baits. I look forward to an excellent October for smallmouth as well as trout. The leaves are have began changing colors in the higher elevations, but expect peak color to be around the end of October. If you have never experienced the smallmouth fishing or trout fishing in October then give us a call. You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy some smallmouth pictures below of some September 2022 smallmouth.

October Outlook 2022

October is going to be good for trout and smallmouth. I think it’s going to be a dry month so finding creeks and rivers with the most water in it will be key. October is usually the month we see our biggest smallmouth hit our nets. The trout fishing will be excellent on the delayed harvest stretches on the Catawba, Curtis, Mill, and the Toe Rivers. I’ve got a few dates left in October so don’t hesitate to book or they will be gone. I look forward to seeing you on the water. Thanks for reading our report.

August 2022 Fishing Report

August is normally our hottest month here in the mountains, but we’ve seen some cooler temperatures as of late that has kept the smallmouth and trout bite consistent. The temperature reading on my truck this morning said it was 57 degrees outside. You can’t beat that in late August. We are thirty days away from the end of summer (September 22). It’s been a wonderful summer full of some really good fishing. The smallmouth bite has been lights out all summer long and we have consistently been catching quality fish on every trip. There are a lot of 10-14 inch fish in the Toe River so the next few years we should some true trophies caught out of the river. The French Broad has been off colored since the beginning of July so I haven’t gotten the opportunity to fish it that much. We should be drying out here in the mountains over the next month and the fishing on the French Broad should be excellent. Fall time anywhere from the second week of September to the end of October is when you can plan on catching your trophy smallmouth out of the river. A trophy smallmouth out of the river is anything over 18”. We are starting to book up in September and October so do not hesitate to call to get your preferred date. We are getting a lot of repeat clients in the fall that want to chase those big smallmouth on fly or spinning tackle. Don’t forget the Catawba Tailrace will be cranking back up in November so we will have some good tailwater trout fishing down there all winter long. We will go into more details about that when the time is right. Below are some highlights of some good fish we caught in August, 2022.

What a wonderful summer it has been! I want to thank my savior Jesus Christ for creating these wonderful fisheries and beautiful places that I get the opportunity to work in every day! I want to thank him for my wife for getting up at the crack of dawn with me before heading to the river. I couldn’t do it without her support. I also want to thank him for the clients he allows me to fish with because it’s a cool experience getting to show people the fisheries I have grown up on and fished my whole life.

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Curtis Creek Fly Fishing

Fall/Winter Fishing on Curtis Creek

Curtis Creek gets stocked the first week of October and November so this provides good fishing all fall and winter. Normally when they first stock the first will hit anything flashy in the color of pink and yellow. For fly fishers it’s hard to beat squirmy worms, mops flies, and eggs. Normally I’ll run lighter tippet because the water is usually very clear this time of year. They stock some big brown, brook, and rainbow trout in Curtis so a lot of clients that we take fishing normally catch their personal best here. Check out the fish we caught in October fly fishing Curtis Creek.

When the water temperatures dips below 45 degrees I consider it winter fishing. In the winter time I’m using 6-7x tippet. A lot of times I’ll run wool as an indicator since it is such a delicate presentation. I run size 16-20 midges under the wool and drift the deep slow moving holes. We catch some of the bigger, smarter fish that survive the influx of people during the wintertime. These fish are less pressured and more willing to eat during this time. Check out the two fish below we caught in January of 2021. The best fishing during the winter is going to be throughout the Delayed Harvest Stretch. One of the best holes on the creek is going to be the handicap holes right off the main road. There are always some big fish that hang out in those holes.

Spring Fishing on Curtis Creek

Spring is my favorite time to fish Curtis Creek because we get some excellent caddis, March brown, and Hendrickson hatches throughout March, April, and May. The state also stocks the first week of each of these months so there are a lot of fish to target in the creek. Normally if the crowds are bad you can bounce up to Newberry Creek or the wild water of Curtis Creek and do well throwing dries. Below is a nice brown we caught during a rainstorm on Curtis Creek. Remember to still use light tippet this time of year. The fish are spooky after seeing a lot of pressure on the weekends. The best time to fish it is going to be the weekdays.

Summer Fishing on Curtis Creek

Summertime is terrestrial season. We throw a bunch of cinnamon ants, beetles, and grasshoppers. The fishing is slower in the summertime because they open the creek up for harvest on June 4th, but there are always some bigger, smarter fish that will “make” throughout the summer so this time of year is perfect for stalking big fish. Numbers are low, but the potential to catch a good one is always possible.

The Catawba Angler is a fly fishing guide service that offers wade fishing trips on Curtis Creek. We grew up two miles from this creek so this is our home water. If you are in town and want to experience some of the best fly fishing in the area then give us a call. We welcome beginners and seasoned anglers. See you on the water.

July 2022 Fishing Report

Smallmouth! Smallmouth! Smallmouth!

July is hot, but so is the fishing for river smallmouth. We’ve been chasing river smallmouth on the French Broad, Toe, and Catawba Rivers all summer long. July was an excellent month of fishing even though it rained almost every day. We haven’t had consistent weather since early June so we’ve had to keep a constant eye on the weather. The key to having a successful day is finding somewhat clear water. The French Broad has been off colored for the last month, but I am okay with that because the less fishing pressure this summer means a better late summer/early fall bite. The days we have been on the French Broad have been tough, but not impossible. We’ve been fishing dark colors in water with less than a foot of clarity. The key to fishing off colored water is to fish it extremely slow. This will test an anglers/guide patience but it’s vital to one’s success. The topwater bite for the fly fisherman has been excellent some days and mediocre others. The best bite has been when we get a cold front come through and the water temps get around 75 degrees again. Once this happens the bite turns on. There was one day where the water got up to 84 degrees and we threw everything but the kitchen sink at the bass and they just weren’t responding. That’s fishing though! Overall I think this July has been more productive than I’ve seen in years past. The water has been lower so it’s pushing the bass in isolated areas looking for that higher oxygen content.

We will be fishing low water till into the fall so I expect the topwater bite in August, and September to be good. The best bite of the year is right around the corner. October is when the big ones come out to play. Don’t miss out on some beautiful scenery and some good fishing in the mountains of NC!

Below are just a few pictures from some of the fish we caught in July!

Trout Fishing in July

We were fortunate to run a few trout fishing trips after rainstorms because the water temperatures were in a suitable range for the fish. This is a great time to hit those higher elevation creeks and chase wild trout using dry flies. Start early and end early. Remember the water temps are hottest in the evening because the water has warmed up all day. Fish in the morning.

Fly Fishing With Poppers

Using poppers to catch river smallmouth is by far the most exciting way to fly fish. It’s visual. It’s versatile. It’s flat out hunting for big bass on the fly. There are different ways to fish a popper: Dead Drift Em, Pop Em, Twitch Em. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean.

Dead Drift Em: This method is very similar to drifting dry flies to trout. You want to look for moving water with white bubbles close to structure. Smallmouth will sit in these lines waiting for bugs to drift by. I prefer to fish sliders when the water is super low and clear because the slider doesn’t have as much of a pop when it lands. Below is a fish we caught dead drifting a popper right off the bank by a fallen down tree. It was an ideal location for a river smallmouth to be holding. Mends are vital to your success when drifting poppers. If it’s dragging it’s lagging.

Pop Em: Normally the best time to pop poppers is early morning and late evening when the sun is low. It’s good to pop poppers in deeper water close to ledges because we’ve caught some good smallmouth drumming them up in deep water. The bass will let you know if you can pop aggressively or every ten or so seconds. Right after that first pop will tell you a lot.

Twitch Em: In deep slow slack water I like to twitch the poppers because sometimes just a little movement on the legs can draw a strike. Lift the rod tip up or wiggle it.

The best time to throw topwater poppers is during the summertime and early fall during June-September. If you want to experience some exciting, visual fly fishing for river smallmouth contact us today.

Late June Fishing Report

Fishing has been consistent on the French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers. Our water temperature is mid 70’s and we are finally seeing some great topwater action. The topwater bite has been best from 6am-11am, but we are seeing fish hammer topwater baits all hours of the day. Fish are beginning to favor the faster moving water when the water temps are getting up past 75 degrees so that’s where our focus has been with the soft plastics. Poppers have been the fly of choice on both rivers. Chartreuse on the sunny days and black on the overcast days. There are a lot of June bugs out so we’ve been having some good luck using smaller bugs on the Toe River. Smaller topwater flies dominate throughout the summer because you’ve got cicadas, beetles, grasshoppers, damselflies, and dragonflies. Bigger isn’t always better. Trying throwing some smaller profile flies to “match the hatch”.

Outlook For July:

The best fishing will continue to be early morning to midday. If you have a trip booked in July be prepared to start early. Topwater will continue to be good the rest of the summer. As long as the French Broad stays clear we will be on it. The Nolichucky has been clear and low so we’ve been taking the majority of fly fishing clients there. It’s been one of the best smallmouth seasons we’ve ever had so I’m very thankful for that. We are currently booking in August so please don’t hesitate booking. Below are some pictures of some recent catches. Thanks for reading.

Early June Fishing Report

The smallmouth fishing around western North Carolina has been excellent since the beginning of May and will continue to be good all summer. We’ve been getting just enough rain to keep the rivers higher than years past, but still fishable. When the water is clear we’ve been having great success on flies which we will go into detail of what has been working and what we can expect the rest of the summer. There is no better way to beat the heat of summer than spending a day on the water chasing smallmouth bass. Give us a call today to schedule your fishing adventure this summer.

It is important to understand what types of baitfish, aquatic insects, and crayfish that are in a river system before you can have success using the fly rod. We’ve all heard of “matching the hatch” which is good and all, but I would go farther than that and say it’s even more important to match the movement of the forage you are mimicking. A crayfish pattern isn’t supposed to be fished fast and a fleeing minnow isn’t supposed to be fished slow so I’m big on informing my clients how fast you need to retrieve certain flies.

Lisa and I chased red breasted sunfish, trout, and smallmouth on a local fishery and we managed to catch close to 20 fish on the fly rod. She is currently competing for Angler of the Year for IWFA so it was good to help her knock off a couples of species that can only be caught in western NC. We threw a lot of smaller black streamers to mimic the stoneflies and hellgramites in the river so Lisa did a good job of slowly fishing the streamers.

Ryan and Mike have been fishing with me the last couple of years and I enjoy fishing with them because they like to get after it. They fish hard from the time we push off from the put in to the time we take out. We had a phenomenal day on the water this year and we managed to catch 51 total fish. We ended up catching a bunch of 1 to 1.75 lb. fish, but hooked up with a true trophy at the end of the day. The fish measured 19.5 inches and weighed right at 3.4lbs. Anytime you can bring a 19inch fish to the boat it’s a good day. These guys put a lot of time on the water which is the best teacher of all. I appreciate the hard work they put in on the guided trips we’ve been on over the last couple of years.

Bennett Jordan and his dad make their annual outing to the mountains every year and I’m fortunate enough to take them fishing each year. We had a great day of fishing on the Nolichucky River and Bennett reeled in a true trophy river smallmouth. What was cool about catching this fish is that I’ve had a few encounters with it over the last few years where I see it chase out smaller fish we hook. Bennett made a beautiful cast in the deep, slack water and the fish took off with the jig. After an intense fight we netted the fish and it was nothing but smiles the rest of the day. This was Bennett’s personal best river smallmouth and the biggest smallmouth to hit my net this year.

Kirk and his son Houston had a great day on the water. The bite started off hot during the morning, but tapered off mid day then the bite picked up significantly in the afternoon. We caught most of our fish on the bottom that day which involves a more finesse style of fishing. In order to fish the bottom of the river well you got to be willing to fish slowly. That’s the key when fishing crawfish patterns.

We all hope for the days when the smallmouth hit on top and top and his son got just that. We caught a lot of smallmouth on top using hardbaits and soft plastics. This is exciting fishing because it’s all visual. If I could predict when the smallmouth turn on to topwater I’d be a rich man. The topwater bite can be very sporadic, but this day it was consistent all day. I think between the warmer water temperature (72 degrees) and overcast day it created an ideal scenario.

The Prachyl’s wanted to fish a smaller smallmouth river so we did just that and had a great day targeting smallmouth using spinning tackle. The fish were hitting on top in the shallow water and fished subsurface jigs in the faster, deep water. We had a great day and we managed to get a good trout as well.

We took the McKay family on a two boat float trip down the lower end of the Nolichucky and had a fantastic day. The fish were smacking topwater baits, but the key was to cast them a foot off the bank. If you weren’t within a foot of the bank you were catching fish. It is exciting when the fish blow these baits up right at the bank. The topwater bite should continue to get better with the water temperature warming up.

Travis and Jordan are good buddies of mine from way back in the day when we all used be apart of collegiate track and field teams. We spent the day together on a local smallmouth river and had a blast catching the fish on a variety of methods. Fishing trips are fun for beginners and experienced anglers. We cater our trips to all anglers so no matter your experience level we’ve got fisheries just for you.

We were able to hit a local wild trout fishery early morning last week because the smallmouth rivers were blown out. The water temperature was 59 when we started and 63 when we finished. It’s important to check the water temperatures on the wild trout streams because catching wild trout in water temperatures above 70 degrees can be fatal to the trout. We were fortunate to hit this local creek after a cold front came through and cooled the water down to a desired level. We managed close to 20 fish to the net. All fish were caught on a yellow stimulator and a parachute adams.

The French Broad River is finally at a fishable level so we were able to take a trip there and it fished excellent.

The smallmouth bite is good all summer. July and August is excellent for catching smallmouth on topwater! Book your trip today! We look forward to seeing you on the water!

Spring Fishing Report NC

Let’s dig in to what has been fishing well and whats ahead for early Summer. We received our last stocking of trout the first week of May so the Delayed Harvest stretches have been fishing well. The best fishing has been early morning because it’s been abnormally hot since we’ve had some 90 degree days. We are finally starting to see some normal May temperatures so midday fishing should get better with these cooler nights and rain.

We have had some stupid, good days on the Catawba Tailrace over the last month so it’s good to see the rainbow trout that were stocked back in the winter doing so well. Whenever you can catch the water clear on the Tailrace from November to May you need to be on it. The takeout ramp in Glen Alpine is currently under construction so this section of river will be shut down for two months. You won’t be able to put-in or takeout there so just a heads up.

This fishery should be on everyone’s list to fish in North Carolina. The fishing is great from the time we put on to the end and there is always potential to catch a trophy brown trout. This year we have caught only a handful of holdover browns, but the rainbows have been a ton of fun. The browns will be back again this fall after the NCWRC stocks them. I’ve got a feeling rainbow trout streamer patterns are going to catch some big fish over the next few years down there. Below are some pictures from the Catawba Tailrace this May.

We won’t be fishing the Catawba Tailrace until the fall unless you have an interest in chasing striper on the fly in August & September. There aren’t many striper in the Tailrace, but if you are looking to grind and catch your first striper on the fly then we welcome you. This is trophy hunting using the fly rod because these fish will range anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds. These fish come up the river eating the trout so you can imagine how big the flies are we will be throwing.

The Delayed Harvest stretches on Curtis Creek and the Catawba have been fishing really well. The fish are coming up eating dries in the morning then droppers midday to early afternoon. Normally your best fishing will be 7am to 11am so we’ve been out there early this month. After the first weekend of June fishing won’t be great on the Delayed Harvest stretches because on June 4th anglers can harvest the fish. This is when we head to the hills to chase wild fish where the water temperatures are lower and there isn’t a ton of fishing pressure. The wild fish are more challenging to catch but we trick a bunch into eating dry flies. We throw a lot of terrestrials during this time so it’s a lot of fun seeing these smaller fish come up for bigger bugs. Below are just a few pictures from the DH stretches in May.

Wild trout fishing in North Carolina provides a unique experience for anglers because we wade smaller mountain streams for stream bred fish. The fish are wild and beautiful. I enjoy taking clients to these areas because of the 3 reasons below:

1. Wild Fish: These fish are born in the stream instead of being raised in the hatchery. These fish are beautiful and live in some of the coolest areas in the state.

2. Seclusion: We rarely see anyone else on the wild trout streams.

3. Challenge: In order to catch these fish you must get good presentations with drag free drifts. If a wild fish comes up and eats your fly and you set the hook and miss…. then it’s best to move to the next plunge pool. These fish give you one chance.

If you want to become a better angler and want to test your casting skills then go after some wild fish. Chasing these fish will make you a better angler. I enjoy taking people to the delayed harvest to boost their confidence before chasing wild trout because it can be a humbling experience. Every beginner needs to be put in challenging circumstances because how can you truly appreciate the sport if you never have to work hard to catch a fish? Below are some clients chasing wild fish this past month.

Smallmouth fishing has been fantastic. We’ve brought a bunch of good quality fish to the net this year and the outlook for summer fishing is great. We are currently getting some rain which will bump those river levels up right in time for our June trips. The smallmouth have been heavily feeding on a variety of baits but we’ve had the most success on baitfish imitations. One way to catch more fish in an unfamiliar river system is to find out what forage is in the river whether it be bugs, minnows, or crayfish and start there. Ever since I’ve been guiding I’ve kept a log of notes from every day I’ve fished. This has allowed me to form patterns certain times of the year and it gives me the proper baits to start with instead of going out there guiding by the seat of my pants. I track water temperatures, pressure, weather, water levels, and make notes of every fly or bait that caught fish. Start writing down notes from every fishing trip you take and you will be surprised how it will benefit you down the road.

Below are some of the smallmouth bass we’ve caught this spring.

Mended Fly Fishing

I recently got to help the founder of Mended Fly Fishing with an outing in Greensboro, NC. The mission of this organization is to bring hope and the love of Christ to youth through free guided fly fishing trips. This was an amazing experience for everyone involved. We were able to take kids fishing on a private lake and show them the sport of fishing. There were lots of laughs and good times had on the lake. All praise and glory goes to God because all good things come from his goodness, grace, mercy, and unfailing love. God has given us the passion for fly fishing, and if we can use that as an outlet to become a friend to fatherless children then that is a beautiful thing. If you are interested in this mission and know of a kid who could benefit from Mended Fly Fishing then please reach out to Patrick Hayes (Founder) or myself. For more information check out the website below.

https://www.mendedflyfishing.com

Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass have always been overlooked by trout anglers, but I hope I can convince you to start targeting them if you haven’t already. Smallmouth bass are the hardest fighting fish we have around the mountains of North Carolina. These fish will test your drag, jump, and then tail slap water at you when you release them. They are an aggressive species which makes them a perfect fish to chase using the fly rod. Fly fishing for smallmouth bass can be the most rewarding thing you can do with the long rod from Spring to Fall. Fly fishing for smallmouth is not an easy task, but I couldn’t think of anything more rewarding when that 3 pound smallmouth takes a topwater bug drifting parallel to the bank. When you decided to pick up fly fishing you knew you were at a disadvantage compared to using a spinning rod. Smallmouth can be picky throughout the season that runs from March to November, but we bounce around from three different rivers to put clients in the best water to catch fish. Early Spring which runs from March to the beginning of April is the pre-spawn period. Fish are actively feeding and preparing themselves for the spawn which is a good time to cast crayfish, hellgrammite, and baitfish patterns. If conditions are right we can normally get by using floating line, but if we have good flows I will use sink tips and intermediate lines. This time of year, smallmouth will congregate in the big, deep, slack water so getting flies down into the strike zone can be essential to having a good outing. The majority of smallmouth in our stretches of water will be in just a few holes. When guiding clients in the spring if you catch a smallmouth then chances will be high that there are more fish to be caught in the general area. After the spawn is over the water temperatures start to warm and the fish start chasing baitfish. As water temperature goes up so does the smallmouths metabolism. After spawning these fish need to replenish their calories to obtain the weight they lost during the spawn. In May you start seeing smallmouth coming out of the deeper water and will stage anywhere there is structure, safety, good current and food. It is not uncommon to see smallmouth in just a few feet of water chasing minnows or eating mayflies off the surface. One of the coolest things I get to witness guiding the same rivers year after year is seeing the smallmouth bass in the French Broad sipping mayflies. Normally I always have a few dry flies in the box during this time, but anytime you see a sipping smallmouth they will be eager to take a popping bug. The bass below hit a popper after we stalked it for a few minutes eating mayflies in less than 2 foot of water.

My favorite time to fly fish for smallmouth is the end of June to September. It’s hard to beat catching smallmouth on top water bugs. The dead drifting approach is going to be best when targeting smallmouth bass in the low, clear water throughout summer. Dead drifting these big bugs is very similar to drifting flies to tailwater trout. Long, accurate drifts without drag can entice big smallmouth to come up from the depths to eat. When water temperatures are hottest these big smallmouth aren’t going to be chasing a ton. They want an easy meal without expending a ton of energy. This is why small flies and good presentations dominate. Normally if we get a good cold front to come through that cools the water off then clients can be more aggressive on popping and the twitching of the bugs. Most smallmouth flies are designed with legs, hairs, or fur that provides lifelike movement in the water. Less is more when it comes to retrieving smallmouth flies during the summer time. I love fly fishing with game changer flies. The only disadvantage to this fly is that it’s always swimming fast on the retrieve so if the fish aren’t in the mood to chase then try a fly that hangs and suspends more.

Towards the end of September all the way into November the smallmouth will leave their summer territories and find the deeper water again where they will stay all winter. During this time the leaves are changing colors and most people are occupying the trout streams again. There is nothing better than clear water and smallmouth bass in the fall because fishing is great! Whenever the water temperature drops below 60 degrees the bass will start chasing baitfish again and normally you net a lot of big fish during these months. During this season it’s time to break out the bigger flies and target the biggest smallmouth in the river. Once the bass school up it creates competition for food so you will find more than one fish chasing your streamer back to the boat.

Big smallmouth are usually compared to big brown trout. These fish are selective and are not afraid to eat big flies. Most of the big smallmouth we have caught have come out of areas you wouldn’t think they would be holding in unless you caught one there. When these smallmouth spread out in the summer they could be anywhere. The good news about hiring one of our guides is that we know where these big fish hold year after year so we can place clients in these areas giving them the best chances at catching a trophy smallmouth bass. Sometimes the fish cooperate and sometimes they don’t, but that’s what keeps us coming back.

The Catawba Angler specializes in fly fishing for smallmouth bass. There is nothing better than floating down a beautiful mountain river chasing smallmouth bass on the fly. We offer full day float trips for $400. We provide everything but a valid NC fishing license. If you are looking to target something other than a trout on the fly rod give us a call and we will show you how much fun smallmouth can be.

Thanks for reading!

Matt Evans

Owner/The Catawba Angler

April & May Fishing Report 2022

Trout fishing has been fantastic this month and will continue to be good the entire month of May! The river smallmouth fishing is about to be lights out. We’ve had a lot of fun catching prespawn smallmouth, but their is nothing better than the post spawn smallmouth fishing in May. We catch river smallmouth on a variety of baits in May since the smallmouth are feeding aggressively on baitfish and crayfish. If you’ve never fished for river smallmouth then let us guide you into a adventure of a lifetime.

The best fishing during the month of May will be floating the rivers for smallmouth and trout. Both species are very active right now and I can’t think of a better time to be on the water! The wild trout streams are in great shape with a lot of water in them currently which will set us up for some good fishing early summer. Once the water temperatures get around 70 degrees on the trout streams we will solely focus on the warm water species such as smallmouth, largemouth, and carp. Give the trout a break! Once you target bass and carp on the fly then you will be glad you did.

The Catawba Tailrace is fishing well and will remain consistent till early June. We’ve been bringing alot of fish to the net and seeing some holdover fish as well.

We are on the water every day and we are doing our best getting back with clients as soon as possible. If you don’t get an immediate response we will respond as soon as we get off the water so please bear with us. We thank everyone who has trusted us over the years for making this passion a career. We promise you the best fishing trip in western North Carolina. Our guides work tirelessly to make sure we can deliver no matter the fishing conditions on all guided trips. We value your time as much as ours and will do everything in our power to make sure you have an enjoyable experience on the water. Below are some recent pictures from our most recent outings.