Here on the Nantahala, Euro nymphing has always been our fly fishing guides’ go-to cast because it is one of the most productive ways to fish in western North Carolina!

Why Euro Nymphing?
The use of indicator line rather than a bobber allows you to adjust your fly’s depth in real time, keeping it deep while avoiding snags. This means you can transition from fishing deep holes to shallow runs and pocket water without the need to adjust an indicator or re-rig. In addition, the precision and lack of a long back cast makes Euro Nymphing ideal for fishing along overhung banks and in close quarters.

Setting up your rod
Before you head out to try this cast, take the time to set up your rod correctly.

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May through the end of summer is also a great time to fish warm water rivers like the Tuckaseegee River and Little Tennessee River for small mouth bass, spotted bass, brim and red eye bass. There are miles and miles of great fishing either by wading or floating on these two rivers. This is a great time to explore streams like the Cheoah River or the Lower Hiwassee Rivers. Water temperatures are warmer in these streams, so break out the wading shoes and leave the waders at home.

May is also an optimal time to fish the mouths of all the rivers that flow into Lake Fontana. The mouths of the Nantahala River, Forney Creek, Nolen Creek and the Little Tennessee River will have hold over trout from the spring runs. They are also gathering places for big bass and carp.

May is here and you will run out of time long before you run out of quality places to fish here in the mountains.  Visit our website for all your options for Fly Fishing with us. 

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Delayed Harvest Season

Delayed harvest makes western North Carolina an even better fly fishing destination than it already is!  All of the delayed harvest streams are stocked in the first couple of weeks of October, and then again in March, April and May.  This is the time of year when you might find larger fish being stocked. What makes it such a good time to get out with a guide and float the river is that you have lots of fish and no crowds. This time of year, there is no reason to be limited to a small section of stream.   A float trip allows you easily cover miles of river and not have to worry about trying to wade in the faster and deeper water.

“I can pretty much guarantee that if you put in the time and use this technique you will be surprised at the success you will have.  Once you pick up the technique and spend some time fishing during the off-season, it will likely become one of your favorite times of the year to fish.”

The Nuances of Streamer Fishing

We asked head guide Ken Kastorff about late winter and early spring fishing.  His response was that “personally, my favorite time of the year to fly fish because I switch to streamer fishing.   While it is always fun to work on nymphing skills, late winter/early spring is a great time to streamer fish.  Streamer fishing is the most exciting way of fly fishing because, typically, larger fish are caught on streamers. Late winter/early spring is prime time to catch that trophy brown trout.  Streamer fishing gives you a break from watching a stick indicator or struggling with trying to perfect that perfect drag free drift.  Streamer involves traditional casting skills like those that most people associate with “fly fishing.”  Switching to streamer fishing is like casting yourself in A River Runs Through It.”

Best Equipment for Off-Season Fly Fishing

It is time to bring out the sink tip line and shorten your leader.  Geta rod with some backbone that can throw larger heavier flies.  Ken recommends fishing two streamers at the same time.  Usually, a smaller streamer followed by a larger one a few feet behind.  He added that many times he will fish two different colors

Here are a few tips I give my fly fishing guests when working with them on streamer fishing:

• Start with a cast perpendicular to the current.  Let the current swing the fly down stream and wait until the fly has almost straightened out before stripping it in.
• When stripping back to the rod, pause after every second or third strip.  Steer the fly with your rod.  You can easily move the fly laterally in the current flow to place the fly next to downstream eddies or over and into likely pockets that could hold fish.
• Cast cross current again and this time strip slowly as the fly swings down stream. Pumping the rod will give the fly more action.  Do this same cast again each time increasing the speed of the retrieve.
• Eventually, on your last cast the streamer should be erratically breaking the surface of the water on your retrieve, looking like distressed bait fish.
• Now cast about five feet upstream from perpendicular and let the fly sink a little before stripping it in.
• Each successive cast should be five feet further upstream, until you feel the fly bouncing on the bottom of the river.  This technique works well because each cast brings the fly through a different water column.

If you are looking for one of the best destinations for fishing in the southeast, and looking for one of the best small towns to visit in North Carolina, western North Carolina is your destination.

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Unrecorded state record trout

Fall is in the air! Already the days are getting shorter and the leaves will start changing color soon.  For fly fishermen, fall means the delayed Harvest streams will be stocked with trout and anglers will have more places to trout fish then time to fish. Here is a list of local streams that have Delayed Harvest Designation. Check the Wildlife Commission web site to get stocking dates.

Try fishing with streamers like Wooly Buggers, Egg Patterns and San Jaun Worms. Match the hatch on dry flies and you should have no trouble keeping busy releasing fish.

• Upper Nantahala Wade Only
• Tuckaseege (Bryson City) Wade or Float
• Tuckaseege (Jackson County) Wade or Float
• Snowbird Creek Wade Only
• Firers Creek Wade Only

*Remember all Delayed Harvest Streams are single hook artificial, catch and release only* Double check the regulations before going out.

The tail waters of the Nantahala River is fishing well. Early fall is the best time to hone up on your dry fly skills. You will see daily hatches of Blue Wing Olives, October Caddis and early on Sulfurs in September and October. It is not unusual to have large numbers of fish caught on float trips on the Nantahala at this time of the year. There is nothing more exciting than an 18-24 inch Brown Trout on 6X tippet in the fast water of the Nantahala River. If you are lucky enough to land one of these monsters in those conditions you have really accomplished something.

We are offering some new trips this year to some of the Tennessee streams. We are offering trips to the South Holston and the Watauga for Trout and also the Pigeon river for trophy Small Mouth. Call and ask about our special two day trips trips.

When you are in the area, stop by Endless River Adventures Fly Anglers Loft.  We have a large selection of flies in stock. We also carry Chota Waders and Boots and TFO fly Rods and Reels.

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Picture a well-placed fly rod cast landing the fly under an overhanging mountain laurel. The fly sits on the surface of the water for just a second, with a small twitch of the fly rod it moves with the appearance of a living thing and then there is an explosion of water.  The game is afoot! This is what fly fishing is all about.

So you want to learn how to fly fish?  Ok!  Let’s break this down into the basics.  Three things come to mind: gear, flys and technique.  So before we get started let me say that there isn’t enough room in one article to write everything on just one of these subjects — much less all three, so we will condense to be a little more brief and hopefully helpful.  The list of what you will need to get started is somewhat easy to compile, how much money you want to invest can be a little more complicated.  Let’s get started:

Rod and Reel
 Fly Rods come in different weights and actions.    The weight will depend on the type of water you plan to spend your time fishing on and what species of fish you want to catch.  For general trout fishing look for a medium action 4, 5 or 6 weight rod.  In general, smaller creeks, lighter rod, bigger rivers heavier rod.  In reality the weight of the rod has more to do with the size and weight of the flies you will be casting.  So, if you plan to throw big flies, for instance in salt water, then you are going to need a heavier rod like an 8 – 12 weight rod.  It also has a bit to do with the distance you will be casting.  Of course casting ability comes into play here as well.  You can spend anything from a few dollars up to more than a thousand dollars for a rod.  If there was ever a truer statement when it comes to buying a rod, it is, you get what you pay for. I cannot emphasize enough – get a decent rod!  You want something that isn’t a broom handle.  Pick a rod with a good warranty.  I don’t care how good you are; sooner or later you will break a rod.  Find something that casts well and has a no fault life time warranty.   

Pick a good reel that allows you space to put at least 100 yards of backing and a good fly line on it without crowding the reel.  If you are planning to use the reel in both freshwater and saltwater, then make sure to check that it will work in both.  Make sure that the reel you buy has a good drag on it.  If you are planning to fish freshwater streams only, then you should be able to find a low end reel for about $100.  If you have a few dollars extra get a spare spool.   Salt water reels – you can double that price, minimum.  Just like rods if money isn’t an issue you can spend much more on a fancy reel. 

Fly Line
Get good fly line.  If you’re going to spend money, spend it on your line.  In general a good weight forward floating fly line will allow you to catch most anything you want.  If you bought that spare spool load it up with a sink tip line. 

Waders and Boots
Get a good pair of waders that are reinforced in the knees and butt.  Check to see if they have a warranty.  You want stocking foot waders and a good light pair of wading boots.  Check to see what the regulations are in the area you plan to fish.  Some states will not allow felt soled boots.  Felt soled boots are still by far the least slippery boots to wear.  No matter what you buy remember to always clean them after using them so not to spread invasive plants or diseases from one river to another. 

Fishing Pack / Vest
You need something to put all your “Stuff” in.  Definition of “Stuff” includes leaders, tippets, fly boxes, nippers, forceps, floatant; etc, etc… you get the picture.  Whether you get a pack or a vest depends on your personal preference.  I like something I can attach a net to.  Other than that I go for comfort. 

Flys and Fly Boxes
This can be the most intimating part of learning to fly fish.  Get some help!  Got to a shop or a friend and have someone take the time explain all the options.  I am going to break this down to the bare basics, but you need to learn more than I can write down here. You can break down flies into three categories, Flies, Terrestrials and Streamers. 

There are three basics species of flies in the United States,  Caddis, Stone and Mayflies.  There are lots of different sub species of each of these flies.  The life cycle of each goes something like this.  These flies mate and land on the water and drop eggs that sink to the bottom of the river and hatch out into nymphs.  The nymphs crawl around under the water for a while and eventually float or crawl back up to the surface as emergers.  Wings unfold and dry out and they take off and mate and the process repeats itself.  There are other flying insects that trout will eat also, like mosquitoes, wasps etc.  Each has a similar but possibly slightly different life cycle and in an effort not to complicate things too much, I will leave you the reader to investigate these other options on your own.  In general, if the fly has a hackle, a ring of feathers around the collar of the fly, it is going to be a dry fly.  In order to fish a dry fly it has to float.  This means you have to put some sort of coating on it to stop the fly from absorbing water.   If it looks like small worm, it is probably a Nymph.  Many nymphs will be tied with a small metal bead at its head; these are called bead head nymphs and help the fly sink. If it looks like a worm and it has a tuft of material on its back it is probably an emerger. There is a different technique for fishing each one. 

Terrestrials are pretty simple to categorize: anything that normally lives on land that ends up in the river and can be a food source for fish.  Grasshoppers, crickets, worms, etc.

Streamers are anything that lives in the river, like minnows, leaches, tadpoles, etc.

You need a place to put all these flies and keep them organized.  This is where the fly box comes into play.  The only recommendation I have is get at least one box that is waterproof for your dry flies.  Also, take time to open all your boxes and dry everything out each time after a fishing trip, otherwise you will have a box of rusted useless hooks.

Technique for Fly Fishing
This one is easy, GET HELP!  !  Learning to cast is not that hard, but unlearning bad technique is almost impossible. Find a shop, a friend, a guide, take a class, do a guided trip, read a book.  Learn good proper technique to start with and you will eliminate a lot of frustration and enjoy a sport that you can do your whole life. 

Getting started in fly fishing can be intimidating, but that is where we are here to help you out! Endless River Adventures has a full fly fishing department at our Nantahala Outpost overlooking the Nantahala River.  We also offer guided fly fishing. The advantage to joining us for a day of guided fly fishing is that  our guides not only focus on what is biting that day and where the best pools are dependent on water levels, but for those who are still learning, time is spent improving casting techniques and adding new technique that might not be familiar to you.  You will come away with more than having had a great day fly fishing, you will be a better fly fisherman. 

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When fly fishermen talk about the delayed harvest season – the Nantahala River is always mentioned as one of the top destinations.  The Nantahala River has two distinct sections of river, supporting all three species of trout:  rainbow, brook and brown.  Between the quality of stocked and native trout and the beautiful scenery on both sections of river, it is no wonder that the Nantahala is ranked as one of Trout Unlimited’s  Top 100 Trout Rivers in North America.  While supporting a healthy population of native trout, the Nantahala River is also a delayed harvest river from October to June.

What is Delayed Harvest

Delayed harvest is a trout management strategy that provides a high quality catch and release trout opportunity from fall through spring. It runs from October 1st to June 01.  During that time, there are strict regulations set up by NC Wildlife that must be followed.  Regulations include catch and release only and the use of single artificial hook. There are specific stocking days set up  rivers are generally stocked in October and November, and then again in March, April, and May.

What flies work best during Nantahala’s Delayed Harvest?

Dry Flies work best in the early morning and late afternoon.
Small wet flies, streamers, and nymphs work best during the day.

A current NC fishing license is necessary for fishing on either section of river.  You can obtain a 10-day short term license, or annual license at our Outfitters shop overlooking the Nantahala River.  Stop by for a license, and to spend time in our fly fishing section to check out what flies and gear you can use to spend time out on the water.

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Spring sure is a great time for fishing.  It is probably the most versatile time of the year. Remember to stop by for you fishing license and stop into the Fly Fishing Loft at Endless River Adventures for any fly fishing gear you might need. April is a great time to join one of our professional guides for a fly fishing float trip on the Nantahala River.

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