Little Appalachian Gold

[Wallace1]

Used to love reading the reports here so I’m the interest of getting more posted here’s mine:

Had heard that the brookies were thick in a tributary off a well known stream on the NC side so decided to give it a shot. Up here for my bachelor party and it’s rare that I get to fish for trout so I figure why not.

Wake up to a mild hangover and some bacon and I’m off. Left the rest of the guys at the cabin because i might not have made it back if I’d led them on a 10 mile hike for fish that will fit in your hand.

Get to the parking lot and there are two cars which is about what I was hoping for. First 3.5 of the hike were mild with some ups and downs. Get to the tributary and it’s straight up for a haul before getting back to the water.

Now I don’t mind fishing small stuff but started to get a little nervous after that much of a hike and I can’t see the creek from the trail even though I can hear it and it sounds like it’s less than 10ft away.

Finally get to a couple of bridges and figure that’s as good as place as any of to get in. To my delight my first cast results in a beautiful brookie. Was fishing a little neversink caddie and they never gave me a reason to change. It was all bow and arrow casts but casts to likely spots were usually rewarded with a strike. Ended up bringing 20+ to hand before finding a half decent place to get out of the water. By far my best day in terms of numbers in the park. Just something incredibly relaxing about getting away from everyone for a couple hours in the back country.

6AA619F4-07C6-4B3B-9FAA-1BDF24A3F8F8 by wallace west, on Flickr

A28D272E-C828-4FFB-9E11-A7BCA708B03C by wallace west, on Flickr

0876A080-5222-44FE-B278-8349975DCE72 by wallace west, on Flickr

Hiked back to the main creek and fished up it for maybe 2 miles hoping to get the slam. Couldn’t get anything figured out on the main creek unfortunately. Had a really nice fish rise to an ant pattern but I either set too early or he turned at the last second. Was whooped at this point so I’m sure part of the problem was me getting a little sloppy.

The trail out went up to a ridge on an incline that about killed me. After that 3 more miles and I was back at the car. Finished it off with a toast of Buffalo Trace. Couldn’t have asked for a better day chasing Appalachian gold.

Stick with me on pictures I’m going to try to get that figured out

[gjbu]

Sounds like a great day. Beautiful fish. Best of luck with wedding.

[Dawgvet]

Wallace, awesome report! That is some real dedication to hike in that far in search of Brookies. That is also probably why you caught so many! Great job.

[Grampus]

Beautiful.....

Jim Parks

[just a hillbilly]

Good stuff! It's hard to beat a day catching specks, for sure. I also miss people actually posting on here.

[North river]

Thank you for giving me a mystery to try to figure out (what creek you fished). I think I know, although I have never fished there. I’d hate to meet a bear that far back in the woods.

[Wallace1]

Thanks guys.

They are beautifuk Jim. They’re lucky they’ve got a lot of space between them and the fish you catch or they would be beautiful snacks. Would love to get a big brown in the park one day.

North: Sounds like you’ve got it figured out. I would definitely do it again but might wait for reasonable water conditions so the fishing on the big creek might be a little better.

[Bran]

Beautiful fish! And also a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing the experience, with back to back 100 degree days here this week I can almost feel that cold water and that little breeze!!

[North river]

If it’s where I think it is, you might try starting at the mouth of the feeder creek. Probably would find rainbows lower and at some point transition to Brooke’s. I would suggest early May as the best (most predictable) time to go. I have never caught Browns in the main creek but I’m sure they are there. 12 plus inch rainbows are a real possibility.