I Spent 3 Days in Fly Fishing Paradise!! || Trout Fishing North Carolina and Virginia
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- čas přidán 26. 10. 2023
- Fly Fishing North Carolina and Virginia for Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout!
The southern range of the Appalachians has been one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited. It’s just a slightly more extreme version of the mountains I call home, with peaks towering well over 6000 feet in elevation. The water flowing through these deep hollows and ravines is cold, incredibly clear, and holds an abundance of wild trout. It’s been over a year since I last fished North Carolina, or anywhere in the southeast for that matter. So when I saw a 3 day weekend on the horizon I messaged my buddy Micah and asked if he’d be interested in doing a little back country camping trip… and before I knew it we were pulling into the parking lot, packing our backpacks, and hiking into the mountains.
Southern Appalachia has some of the most impressive waterfalls I’ve seen on the east coast. So one of our goals for the day was to make it up to a set of falls that I had marked on my map. We ended up making it to several sets of waterfalls, all of them impressive in their own right.
One of the best parts of camping is the serenity of waking up hearing the wind whistling through the trees, and creek flowing over the rocks. Having no cell service is always a blessing and enables you to get away from the fast pace of the world we live in today. Spending this long weekend in the mountains is good for the soul.
We ended up catching 3 species of wild trout. We caught a native brook trout, a wild rainbow trout, and a wild brown trout. All on the fly and all caught in the Appalachian mountains of the southeaster United States. Fly Fishing in the Southeastern United States is always a treat.
I think after watching this video you’d probably come to a similar opinion as I did after finishing this trip. And that was that the fishing wasn’t the greatest… but getting away for a weekend and spending it in the mountains of southern Appalachia is good for the soul. Of course we didn’t catch anything large, and I could use a dozen different excuses like low water, spawn, or the fact that we were fishing during the first major cold front of the year. But even in perfect conditions the fish don’t always cooperate. So I think it’s important to be able to have fun regardless of how the fishing goes and to enjoy your time in the mountains. I truly hope you enjoyed this video, and if you’d like to see more like it let me know down in the comments. And as always, thanks for watching.
#troutfishing #flyfishing #fishing #camping
I love how stoked you get about the little wild brookies. understanding how special even a 6-8 inch wild brookie in a little stream is. I’m a NY native and I used to spend a lot of summer time way up north in the Adirondacks. I used to catch some pretty incredible native brook trout in some similar settings on tiny mountain streams that stayed cold all year long. I can still smell the air and slight waft of bug spray when I think about those days.
Mineral Creek, Branardsville offers amazing wild rainbow trout fishing. With fish reaching the high teens. Although the big bow can be a rarity, it is still worth checking out.
The colors of the trout in your area are breathtaking. I live in south central TN and here we have mostly stocked trout with very little hold overs. The trout here couldnt hold a candle to the wild natives in your area. Youre so blessed to be able to call that area home. Keep having fun man.
Caney Fork has plenty hold overs
As someone who lives in East Tenessee, you couldn't be more wrong. We have just as many native brook trout in our mountains as North Carolina, as well as plenty wild browns and rainbows. I understand you live in Central TN so you're not really close to the mountains, but fishing in the mountains of East Tennessee is about the exact same as fishing in North Carolina.
I can agree with that! The mountains are beautiful waters to fish. I was just up fishing the great Smokey mountains a couple months ago! Loved it! But within an hour or so of me I have nothing but stocked trout.
Quite a nice adventure - I’m very impressed with North Carolina’s wild trout conservation efforts.
I don't live in the USA but I think it's important to conserve natural fishing stocks, in the UK and Isle of man where I live salmon and sea trout come in smaller numbers and even the mullet that use to flood the harbour big fish upto 15lb are now rare and you only see shoals of maybe 10 fish when it use to be 100s waiting for small shrimp at the river mouth in 6inches of water an amazing sight is now none existent due to over fishing 🎣 so I think it's important to conserve as many species in there natural elements as possible and I'm sure you'll agree 👍
I’d never thought of fly fishing the Appalachians, but now,I’m adding it to my list. I’m on the West Coast and of course we have some iconic trout streams here. But NC looks like has plenty of opportunities to match them.
As someone with breast cancer, I appreciate the pink fly! Nice. Beautiful falls! Lovely film and beautiful fish, as always. Looks like fun!
My mom also had breast cancer, I hope your recovery is swift and everything works out for the better! Thanks for watching
😮WNC surely has the most beautiful waterfalls you will ever see. They reveal the greatness of our Creator. Thankful to call it Home.
My heart leaps when I see such a beautiful creek!
You and me both!!
I am a big fan of Appalachian adventures. Beautiful scenery and fish. But this time I really liked the shot of millipede. That was great! Thanks HFA!
That millipede shot was awesome!! I was surprised it looked so cool honestly. Thanks for watching!
I normally don’t comment at all, but I need to say that I have been fishing I the mountains of North Carolina since I was twelve years old. I am now almost 63 years old. Complaining about small brookies is like complaining that a yellow crayon is yellow. I live up here in the mountains of NC. These fish are the only native trout here. If one were to catch anything over 8 inches, they have done well. A 10 inch brookie is fantastic. A 12 inch fish is a trophy worthy of a picture. 4 to 6 inches is normal.
Such a great video. You seem to be improving with your content, videography, how you describe what you see, and oh yeah, the fishing. Really enjoy all of your videos. Outstanding.
Thank you so much for the kind words!! I work hard on the videos for sure
dude, while fishing for any type of trout is forbidden right now, I do enjoy those videos more than ever. thanks a lot and tight lines from Germany
This was one of my fav videos you’ve ever made, that stream and those trout were gorgeous
I'm glad you enjoyed it!!
Great to see my favorite stream! You should thank me for cleaning up that camp site on a very rainy day. I love the small water!
Yep for a backcountry that area is really messy. People need to learn to take out what they bring in! But thanks for watching as always Larry
Been waiting for this new video 🎣 watching from Australia 🇦🇺 👍
Thanks for watching all of the way from Australia!!
Some beautiful Brooks brother - Love the beautiful colors of wild trout ... cant beat it
Really enjoy the videos. I learn something everytime I watch.
I was once privileged to spend a week fishing the Blue Ridge Parkway. Trip of a lifetime as things are looking now. For the foreseeable future, my adventures are going to have to be closer to home.
Another beautiful gem. Wonderful work. Thank you for your persistence. 👍🏻
Thank you for watching!
My friend and I had to have passed you on your way in to that camp. We left on Saturday morning before the cold front came through and stayed in that exact same camp in NC. We had a great time at one of those falls!
That’s awesome! I think we did go in on Saturday morning? Although I don’t remember at this point. That cold front really screwed us over I think, but it’s hard to tell 😂 thanks for watching!
I know where you are and it’s God’s country, for sure. Those Specs are little jewels of nature. Thanks for sharing. I was there last, two autumns ago.
As much as I love catching a decent size fish I totally agree the experience of getting up into the mountains is a pretty much well worth the effort! Nice trip great video!
Thank you so much!!
Wow the colours the spots are amazing on those trout, good show. Always enjoy your content such beautiful rivers n streams you fish I couldn't ask for more, a bigger trout would be nice but regardless its an amazing location 👌.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video
What fantastic countryside, those little streams were so productive. Your casting skills are amazing fishing amongst all those trees without getting snagged up. Hopefully you got some eaters that you were able to cook over your camp fire.
Thank you! And nope, we didn’t keep any.
Waters are low up nearer the head waters of most all of the main creeks that actually become the rivers in WNC. Really was glad to see y'all try and find better waters and fish in Va. The native brookies are by far the most beautiful species. This made my day to watch y'all enjoy catching up there in Va. especially that unexpected brownie. The big rainbow was nice and congrats on catching the tri-fecta. Wishing you good luck blessings and can't wait for your next video and always tight lines.
Thank you so much Tony! Glad you enjoyed the little Virginia Adventure at the end
awsome fish 👍👍
That little brook was loaded with Brookies! 😀Enjoyed 👍
Glad you enjoyed!!
Living life ,awesome
I so enjoy watching you fish. You are truly an angler. I am going to try and hit my mountain stream before it closes 11/1. Gonna take a garbage bag hoping (expecting really) not to need it. The thing that most strikes me is the gradient difference. My stream flows very fast. But the volume will be at its lowest. You inspire me. Thanks!
Thank you so much!! And good luck out there on the water!
Fished this area many times. Cool video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
i love watching your videos thanks for making them i make fly fishing videos too and videos of cross country thanks for doing what your doing keep it up with fly fishing videos👍👍😁😁
Epic!
Glad you're back! Would have expected more from the spot on minute 8.
You and me both! But the fish weren't cooperating
Great video! Just got back from vaycay a week and a half including a guided trip north of Boone. Great fishing in beautiful little streams just like that, got a few native browns and the rest of an 18 fish day were native rainbows, the best about 14”. What a blast it was.
Wild not native. Only Brook trout are native to NC
My mistake… I’m new to the trout game. They were definitely wild fish, not hatchery stocked. I’ve spent decades fly fishing saltwater here in Fla., but this was my intro to freshwater trout, in a small stream, with a great guide. It was fantastic, now I’m hooked and can’t wait to do it again! And I’m learning all the little nuances. Thank you!
Killer bug in the Uk or the Utah bug in the us great video and location 👍
Stripes on those Brook trout are beautiful I love catching them, I noticed on a few the reel didn't come into play at all it was more like dapping you could have use a sapling with a line n nymph and you'd still be golden 👍👍
Yep you're right!! Thanks for watching
omg…i want to be there too…such beautiful view…gonna buy a camera making me step closer to this parsdise😢
One day I'll get good at fly fishing.
Just awesome. This is the craft of fishing. My stompin’ grounds, and you dialed it in. Certainly slim due to low waters, but you persisted and adapted. Did you just have the nymphing rod?
Thank you! And nope I didn't really talk about it but I switched over to my shorter 3 wt which I use for dry flies and droppers in those small streams
Those are called speckled trout around here. They are a subspecies of brook trout
Where are you fishing in North Carolina? That’s where I’m at.
What brand and type fly line, rod, leader were you using to throw dry flies?
im lucky enought to live in north carolina
That sure is a Purdy rain shelter 😅
Enjoy these lower Appalachian videos as I’m from South Carolina and fish smaller streams.
I’ve fished SC once or twice!! There is some good water there as well
You should try going for bull trout in Canada, it’s the best fly fishing I’ve ever experienced
It's on the bucket list for sure!
Damascus/ white top / mt rogers area .
N.C. my neck of the woods. Love fishing the bluelines. Enjoyed watching. 👍
Thank you!
mind sharing your trip details? i live near here and trying to get into fly fishing!
hey i am wondering what rod and reel you are using
I would like to know what weight rod and line being used.
What were you wearing for pants? Were you doing a waterproof pant type deal with some wading boots/neoprene socks? I'm trying to find the right setup for that in between time of year where it's not wet wading but I'm still in small streams and small crossings. Thanks!
I was actually just wet wading for this trip! Mostly because I didn't want to carry in any waders. But Dryft and a few others make some wading pants that I'm sure would be awesome for what you're talking about.
@@hardmanfishing Awesome thanks for the info, I will check it out!
is that Snowbird wilderness area?!
I've been watching you catch what you are calling brook trout! Very hard to catch a big one!! I am almost 💯% sure what you are catching are the only true native trout!!
Nearing 68 , been trout fishing all my life, in these Appalachian mountains!! These fish are speckled trout!! You have probably turned loose a near state record!!😳
Love your commitment to the preservation and enjoyment of the outdoors!! Your photography and presentation is simply AWESOME!! BE SAFE AND BLESSED!!
Speckled ad brook trout are the same thing.
@@mkwy8782 Not at all!! They are two distinctly different species of trout!! The specs never get very large and have to have very cold water to survive, unlike brook trout!!
Yes, they are the same exact fish biologically. The terminology is purely regional and partly morphological. Same fish.
What nets do you use??
What kind of rod is that?
Colour trout is brook or rainbow?
Big tree guy
Tree hugger!!
How did you know they were stocked brook trout before even seeing them out of the water?
In the southern range the native brookies rarely get to 10” and they are much more colorful
We just knew because it was a pretty large brook trout, that and I had just caught one previous so it was easy to identify it a second time.
Stocked brookies with clean white tipped fins?
The fins weren’t clean. They were white tipped because they’d probably been in there for a few months (they stock the lower end in the spring). But they were 100% stocked
Hi my name is Travis an that is my home town and there are 11 an 12 Inches in that creek but there are way more little one than the bigger one to To catch the bigger ones, you need to fish with a fly size 12 and up so the The smaller ones won't get it first. And fishing is better from the middle falls up. Maybe next time we can catch up and I can show you more creeks
And drew from looking fishy. Visit the same place and I took him on a few creeks and we had a blast.
Yeah I've fished it once before and caught larger fish, I think it was more of a timing thing. That's why we ended up leaving on the 3rd day and running to Virginia!
Yes it is a little better in the spring
I stg I know that waterfall and the native brookies above it
You probably do, not a super secret spot to be honest LOL
I love you
you cant be expecting 20" browns when fishing wnc creeks.
Well since I was fishing for brookies I’m pretty sure I wasn’t expecting a 20 inch brown hahaha
@hardmanfishing well you were expecting something that wasnt there regardless
I’m farting right now
Thank you for this completely relevant information
No problem
Im shidding and farding right now, more than Greta Thunberg even
Word
Hell yeah dude. 🤘
Be nice to the Nature bro! Don’t trow them so back in water
Ease up on those releases…..
I would feel better about your fishing if you were handling these beautiful jewels of nature more gently and with wet hands. Hope your hooks are barbless. Enjoying the videos otherwise.
Quit catching those minnows
No