Oconaluftee brookie

[CuriousLayman]

I don't fish there often, but today I caught a little brookie not too far up from the visitor's center (a good ways before tow string road turnout). I had not realized they were down that low. They are my favorite species, so it was a pleasant surprise!

[JoeFred]

A nice looking speck, CL. Thanks for sharing.

[spotlight]

Wow nice sized fish!

[flyman]

Looks like another Reservation escapee I've caught stocked brook trout from tribal waters a couple of miles up the Bradly Fork several times.

[Jim Casada]

I suspect Flyman is right. The tribe stocks plenty of brook trout and they regularly make their way up Luftee from Raven Fork.
Jim Casada
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com

[CuriousLayman]

That makes sense to me. By the way Mr. Casada, I keep your book near the top of the stack next to my reading spot. It's my most used fishing book.

[ifish4wildtrout]

Nice fish. I may be wrong, but that looks like a wild brook to me, parr marks and all. There are natives found in some of the Oconaluftee's feeders on upstream. I have caught quite a few above Kephardt, which would actually be Beech Flats at that point.

Regardless, those stocked fish do run pretty far some times. I have caught a few in wild Pisgah waters 5 or miles from any stocked water.

Now I am itching to get up there. I still have a score to settle with the monster brown I hooked in October 2010. After a 5 minute fight, he broke the hook off my nymph. I got a few good looks at him, he was a buttery golden football shaped creature.