Fishing in the Smokies

NOC is offering hike-in fishing trips in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this summer.  Last week Fishing Programs Director, J.E.B. Hall and Fishing Guide, Cory Sutton, went out to do a little "scouting around".  Scouting is a relative term here, since both J.E.B. and Cory are Swain County natives and have fished in the Smokies all of their lives.  What they found was a stream running clear but high.  A little too high, actually.  Even with the adverse conditions they still managed to catch a couple of trout and a creek chub to boot!

 

Cory rigging up with his morning cup of clarity.

Hiking in.

Classic Smokies pocket water.

Trout Wrangler!

J.E.B.'s non-target species :)

Fish Hook Extraction

NOC Fishing Programs Director JEB Hall and NOC's SOLO Southeast Director Jono Bryant demonstrate proper fish hook removal technique during today's Wilderness First Responder class. No makeup or special effects were used, just Jono's grit. Apparently this doesn't hurt though. Could've fooled me.

NOC Fishing Makes The New York Times

Today The New York Times published an article on western North Carolina's fly fishing. The article, "Chasing Rainbows, and Their Cousins, on North Carolina's Trout Trail", by Christopher Percy Collier details the region's unqiue brand of fishing:

"Along the area’s narrow river reaches, casts are typically shorter, the fish are less particular about their diet and anglers can get by with fewer fly patterns. It is entirely feasible to hit one trout stream in the morning, one after lunch, and still another before dark. Even the trout flies are different, more impressionistic than entomologically correct."

Citing NOC Fishing Director J.E.B. Halls's Western North Carolina Fly Guide Collier describes how the region's fishing scene is finally getting the attention it deserves, and he goes on to recommend NOC as an outfitter for the Nantahala area:

"On the Nantahala River, the Nantahala Outdoor Center (13077 Highway 19, Wesser; 888-905-7238; www.noc.com) sells all manner of outdoor equipment and offers guide services at $250 for one or two people on a half-day wade trip and $350 for a full day. Float trips are $300 and $400."

Read the article here: http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/travel/escapes/15fly.html?ref=travel

And check out J.E.B.'s popular Western North Carolina Fly Guide here: http://brushymountainpublishing.com/ncflyguide/index.html