Choosie Trout Choose JIF

Last year the state tried to save a buck by buying the off brand trout chow.  Well, the trouts in the hatchery just turned their noses up at the generic stuff and the stocked fish were not nearly as big last year.  The debate began that the smaller fish would have a greater impact on our states economy than the bucks saved feeding the trout the Great Value brand trout chow.  Trout fishing brings millions of dollars to the state, particularly WNC each year.

Last week I had the privilege to take an up incoming fly fisher who is in high school to the delayed harvest section of the Green River.  It was my first time on DH waters this fall.  We were rewarded with big, healthy, feisty trout.  I don't know for sure, but it seems that the NC Wildlife Commission was able to feed the fish the top shelf chow this year.  Some times fly casters get labeled snobby, but who knew their finned quarry had such discerning palettes in their concrete holding tanks.

The fishing was really good, and I felt like I was cheating a bit catching 4 in the first 10 minutes.  I gave my high school buddy some high sticking instructions, and after our 3 hours on the water, he managed to land his biggest rainbow ever.  That was the coolest part of the day for sure. 

Here is a big brook trout I caught.  I can't call it a brookie, since this fatty comes from the northern strain of brook trout.  This one looks like a bass almost, especially in the mouth.  She looks like she had a healthy diet of trout chow at the Davidson River hatchery. I wonder, whats in trout chow anyway?  Can you imagine what the "cheap" stuff was made of? Scary. 

Bloggin' ain't easy.

Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, and Snoop Dog all said "pimpin' ain't easy."  To that I say, touche.  As I attempt to do a fly fishing blog, I don't think I'll have the time to actually do one.  Let's be honest, if I have some time I hope I'm actually fishing, not just blogging about fishing.  So, I'm afraid that bloggin' ain't gonna be easy either Mr. Ice T.  Write a song about that!

Nonetheless, my hope is that this blog will be an informal fishing log, a photo album of those silly fishes that impale themselves on the flies at the end of my tippet, some instructions on how to tie really lousy flies like me, and even a place to tell you about the good food and beverages I find after I get off the river.  I primarily fish the trout streams in the Brevard area of Western North Carolina, but I also do some small mouth fishing, make it out to Colorado occasionally, and sometimes sneak onto to the marsh flats around Charleston, SC looking for tailing reds. 

I have been fly fishing since I was 10 years old.  I cut my teeth on small wild streams with my dad growing up, really got fired up about fly fishing in college at Appalachian State fishing delayed harvest and wild streams, but I may have learned more about fly fishing in the last 5 years than in the previous 18 (not to mention becoming slightly addicted to chasing fat bows and browns in the 20'' plus range).  I get stoked looking for big fish now, but when push comes to shove, I love getting out in the woods and wading in a mountain stream just like I did when I was a kid playing in the creek. Now instead of racing boats down the stream, I like to try and stay into fish and out of trees.  Well, here we go.  May my first post not be my last!

Fraser River, Colorado