Relocating to NC in a few months...

[sdelia63]

Hey everyone!

I basically have been scrolling through this forum for a couple of years now and never said hello... sooooo... helloooo. Anyways, I have a question for everyone and anyone.

As of now I am from Southwestern PA and will be relocating to North Carolina in a few months because of work obligations. New contracts..blah blah blah... Leaving PA again will be hard but I'm open for change and excitement. Adapting to the southern lifestyle shouldn't be hard considering I have already lived in Mississippi for a couple years. (Complete 180 from the north by the way)

I have been googleing everything and anything NC recently and came to a couple conclusions. It's pretty big for the wild trout game! (which I really have never had a chance to experience living in SW PA... shame on me) And lets face it, the other side is a beach!

Having only fished basically SW & NW waters in PA my whole life and only starting FFing a couple years ago, I figured fishing wise, it should be a whole new adventure and a lot of fun.

Basically, I am just asking on anyone's input if they have been to NC to FF? Either Blue Ridge Mountains area, random lakes, anything? How is it? Any tips, best places to go etc etc?

Actually any input on anything west of the typical vacation spots where I have been will be great. (By vacation I mean beach area)

I'd love to hear any input!

Very much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[elonDO]

What part of NC will you be moving to? I lived in NC in the Greensboro are for some time a bit ago. You are correct, the wild trout game in NC is quite large. I fished a fair amount in western NC. In NC I fished Helton Creek (Grassy Creek, NC, near Boone), Wilson Creek (http://www.northcarolinasportsman.com/details.php?id=3143), New River (just outside of Boone), Elk River (Banner Elk, NC), Watauga River (Boone, NC). They are many, MANY other options available.

Some useful guides in the NC area are the following:
- Jeff Wilkins - http://jeffwilkinsflyfishing.wordpress.com/
- Jeff is a great guide and awesome guy to fish with. Have fished
with him a few times & he is a good friend of a few of my NC
fishing buddies. He will definitely put you of fish.
- Appalachian Angler (Theo Copeland) - http://www.appangler.com/

Also, depending on where in NC you will be, there is the South Holston River in Bristol, TN. This is an amazing tailwater with beautiful browns & rainbows. There are great sulphur hatches this time of year & extending through the summer. Jeff Wilkins guides on the South Holston, as does Appalachian Angler I believe. This river is worth looking at.

Good luck with the move and hope you have some great fishing chances in NC!

 

[Wild_Trouter]

I am very familiar with Western NC, Eastern TN and Northern GA. You have tremendous fishing opportunities available in WNC. I have included a link to a forum of which I am a member. Join, and you will interact with a tremendous group of guys like here who will help set you up for success. If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me as I'd be happy to help.

www.southeastflyfishingforum.com

Also, you will find a wealth of information here:

http://www.flyfishingnc.com/

Finally, get yourself copies of:

Don Kirk's "Fly-fishing Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park"

Jimmy Jacobs "Trout Streams of Southern Appalachia"

 

[sdelia63]

Hey thanks for all the info!

Elon...

The company that I work for is going to open offices all over NC. Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, and a couple other places that I can't think of off the top of my head.

More than likely I will end up in Charlotte, which doesn't seem too bad of a drive to the mountains. I think about a 2 hr drive maybe?

I'm hoping that I can migrate more towards Asheville after everything gets settled down.


Wild Trouter....

Thanks for the recommendations with the forum and books! I'll be sure to pick up a copy of the books and see what those have to offer!

Anyways, thanks to both of you... much appreciated! Maybe in the future i'll post some photos of some streams I fish.

Thanks again!

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, they got lots of wild trout streams in western NC, up in the mountains. While they have brookies and browns, rainbows dominate.

Virtually every stream in those mountains is going to have wild trout up high, and transition to a bass/stocky fishery farther down. That transition point is going to vary from stream to stream and area to area. One thing you can do is invest in a simple stream thermometer, and go take some temps at mid-day, in say, mid August. That will really tell you a lot. At the hottest time of day in August, find the spot on each stream where the temp is a hair over 70 F. That's going to be near the bottom end of the wild trout area. Everything upstream is going to be pretty good for wild trout. Downstream is gonna have lesser wild trout pops, but may have smallmouths and/or stockies.

My personal experiences are right around, and in, the park. It's beautiful country and the fishing is generally pretty good. They hit dries in the summertime like our brookies do. The streams in the national forest and elsewhere are supposed to be good too. Generally southerners are a little more tight lipped about details. And there tends to be less formal sampling as well. We are spoiled as the PFBC makes it pretty easy. Just go explore.