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Hauling Mutton And Grouper
Off The Marathon Bottom By CAM Staff
Darcie Arahill’s biggest mutton snapper to date came from 200 feet of water off Marathon in the Florida Keys.
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ottom fishing is about hard-pulling fish and filling the cooler with some delicious table fare. With grouper season in full swing, there may be no better way to get your daily workout than floating over a reef or wreck. And you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to do it than off of Marathon in the Florida Keys. Darcie Arahill, host of the YouTube channel Darcizzle Offshore, spent a day with Capt. Dave Schugar and the crew with Sweet E’Nuf Charters out of Marathon and absolutely loaded the coolers with mutton snapper, amberjack, blackfin tuna and yellowtail snapper. It was the kind of trip that bottom fishing is supposed to be. Capt. Dave spent the early part of the day hopping from wreck to wreck and patch reef to patch reef, briefly prospecting each one with baits before moving on in search of hungry fish. He eventually found them over structure in about 200 feet of water. “You gotta keep moving to find those bites,” said Darcie, understanding the searching it takes to find productive bottom. But after setting up a drift on this spot, the whole boat knew they were on the fish. The action started quickly and it was fast, with multiple double and triple hookups. They caught some fish vertical jigging, but Darcie’s largest mutton snapper ever—a beautiful 13.6-pounder—was battled off the bottom after it ate a live pinfish. The live-bait rig consisted of a pinfish hooked through the lips with a circle hook, which was tied into 25 feet of leader and a three-way swivel. A 10-oz. teardrop sinker was deployed off the other arm of the swivel to get the bait down to the bottom. The group hauled several muttons up from the depths, and they also caught amberjack, jack crevalle, bonita and blackfin tuna off the same spot. Capt. Dave took the opportunity to give a quick demonstration on how to properly bleed a blackfin to deliver better tasting fillets to the table. Instead of cutting the fish’s throat, use your hands to tear the gills beneath the gill plate.
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“You don’t want to cut the heart,” he said. “You want to cut the gills so all the blood can drip out… The heart’s still pumping, but it breaks the circuit so all the blood will pump right out.” With the fish boxes filling up, Capt. Dave decided it was a good time to head for shallower water to pursue grouper and yellowtail snapper. They ended the run in about 100 feet of water over the sunken center swing span of the original Seven Mile Bridge. In the 1980s, 4,500 tons of concrete and steel from the bridge were sunk as a part of Florida’s artificial reef program. Constructed in 1912, the Over-Sea Railroad bridge connected the Florida Keys to the mainland and to each other for the first time. Now pieces of the railroad make great fish habitat. With a couple heavy-duty grouper rigs deployed with big live grunts, Darcie went to work on the yellowtail. Yellowtail fishing with light tackle offers fast action and delicious fish. It’s a lot of fun and a perfect style of fishing for families, Darcie said. With chum out, it’s as easy as flipping out a piece of cut bait on a lightweight spinning rod and allowing it to drift with the chum until a fish picks up the bait. As the boxes continued to fill, this time with yellowtail, there was a vicious takedown on one of the grouper rods. A grueling struggle to haul the fish up was rewarded with a big 25-pound black grouper. It was the exclamation point on the end of a fine day on the water. Check out Darcie’s YouTube channel Darcizzle Offshore at www.youtube.com/user/DarcizzleOffshore.
To see more Mutton fishing with Darcizzle, go to
CRYSTALSALTWATERS.COM
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The History Of Rapala
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t all began with a hungry Finnish guy and a carving knife. It was the 1930s when a simple fisherman made an observation of simple genius: Big fish eat little fish, especially little fish that are wounded. So began one of the greatest fishing stories ever told. As Lauri Rapala fished the waters of Finland’s Lake Paijanne, he quietly rowed and watched. And what he saw was how hungry predator fish would dart into a school of minnows and attack the one that swam with a slightly off-center wobble. Lauri realized that if he could craft a lure that mimicked the movements of a wounded minnow, he could catch more fish, earn more money, and not spend time constantly baiting lines. So Lauri set to work. He whittled, carved and shaved. Eventually a lure took shape. Using a shoemaker’s knife and some sandpaper, he created his first successful lure from cork in 1936. Tinfoil from chocolate bars formed the lure’s outer surface. Melted photographic negatives were the protective coating. It perfectly imitated the action of a wounded minnow. Legend has it that Lauri sometimes caught 600 pounds of fish a day with that new lure. And as word of his abundant catches spread, the lure’s reputation grew. The rest, as they say, is history. That first lure was the forefather to the lure that has helped more fishermen experience the thrill of more big fish than any other: the legendary Original Floating Rapala. As fishermen around the world began to catch more and bigger fish with Rapala’s lure, it became clear that what triggered them was the lure’s tantalizing
wiggle and wobble. Even though fish throughout the world are different, predators and baitfish always acted true to form. Big fish hammer wounded little fish. That’s why Lauri tested each lure to make sure it swam true to the unique “wounded-minnow action.” It wasn’t the fastest way to make a fishing lure. But it was the only way to make a Rapala. To this day, Rapala lures are hand-tuned and tank-tested to swim perfectly right out of the box. It’s an action as distinct to a Rapala as a fingerprint is to a person. With every unforgettable trip of a lifetime, every successful Saturday afternoon with a kid at the local fishing hole, the Rapala legend grew. A deep-seated trust formed between anglers and Rapala. Weekenders became hardcore. Dads became heroes. More and more fishermen began reaching for Rapala. For millions, success could be measured by the growing number of trophy fish caught on Rapala lures. To this day, no other lure holds more world records. And because we the designers at Rapala are fishermen first, they know not only what fishermen need, but what they can’t live without. When the Shad Rap exploded onto the scene, its ability to catch fish spread like wildfire. Tackle shops sold out across the country. Resort owners and mom-and-pop bait shops rented out Shad Raps by the day, and even by the hour. Yes, it was that good. Twenty years later, it’s still one of fishing’s most successful lures. Likewise, the moment Rapala introduced Fish ’n Fillet knives, they enhanced the fishing experience for millions. The tapered design and unique flexibility of the Fish ’n Fillet made filleting easier, which is why they’re still the number one fillet knives in the world. And so a foundation was laid. The successes of the Original Floater, Shad Rap, and Fish ’n Fillet were followed by other Rapala products that found their way into tackle boxes and history books. They are lures like the Magnum, the Rattlin’ Rapala, the Fat Rap, the CountDown, the Husky Jerk and the Tail Dancer. There’s a reason so many fishermen around the world put their faith in Rapala. It’s a confidence that stretches through 140 countries and is validated each year by the 20 million Rapala lures sold. Simply put, Rapala products make better fishermen. Nothing is rushed to market; everything is carefully crafted from years of experience. It is a legacy of unwavering quality that can be seen in every lure, every fillet knife, every tool, and every cast of our premium monofilament line. It is a legacy that continues with new Rapala offerings, new actions, new sizes, new colors, new finishes, new tools, new accessories and new ways of catching more fish. The sweet smell of success lingers long after the scent of fish slime fades. Tens of millions of walleye, trout, bass, wahoo, snook and tarpon later, Rapala continues to stand the test of time. Because through it all, one simple truth has endured. That which is irresistible to fish will always be irresistible to the fisherman.
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ne of the most prolific inshore species available to anglers on any coast, spotted seatrout come in two varieties: eaters and gators. Eater trout—those measuring in the 15-inch range—are extremely popular, due to their affinity to gather in big schools and chase down lures. Gator trout, however, are a whole different ballgame. Targeting big trout requires a different approach. Most resources suggest moderate-sized artificial lures, like imitation shrimp, for seatrout of any size. Yet, on numerous occasions, I’ve had big gators run down and attempt to swallow smaller trout while I’ve reeled them in. As seatrout grow larger, their diets shift from small crustaceans to almost exclusively fish—the bigger the better. Live baits are my preference for targeting big fish. Mullet are a favorite, as are pinfish and croakers. With big baits in the livewell, it’s time to find gator water. While it’s common to find schools of smaller trout in deeper channels adjacent to shallow flats, trophy trout spend more time around subtle depressions and breaks. If you’re catching large numbers of eaters, a change of areas is usually required to find gators. Most of my fishing is done in super-skinny water in heavily pressured areas with tough fish. Fishing these small, shallow areas requires stealth and patience. For big trout, I move into an area as quietly as possible, put the Talon down, and wait.
As things settle down, it’s important to assess the area. Flooded oyster bars or current-swept mangroves are always worth a shot, but don’t overlook inconspicuous spots. If an area is relatively shallow, with one washout or depression that’s just a foot deeper than everything else, that spot can be key, especially at low tide. Before the first cast is made, it’s important to select proper tackle. Line and hook size should be greater than what’s considered routine. With a mainline of 20-pound braid, I attach a long leader of 25-pound test fluorocarbon. It’s my only hope against razor-sharp oyster bars. I tie on a 5/0 to 7/0 VMC circle hook that’s super strong. A small float helps keep track of a hard-swimming mullet. It’s important to lob baits delicately toward the target. However, once a fish is hooked, any delicacy is tossed aside, as big inshore fish don’t play nice. Here, the proper rod becomes key to the equation. I like St. Croix’s Mojo Inshore rods for gator trout hunting. These rods are workhorses, covered in a double layer of finishing cure and backed by a five-year warranty. But durability doesn’t come at the sacrifice of quality. Mojo Inshore models are built from SCII graphite and contain hardcore components. Longer models aid in casting, hooksets and moving big fish away from cover; the 7’6” medium-heavy is perfect. Once your trophy trout is boat-side, be sure to handle it carefully. Summertime water temperatures leave these fish compromised after a fight. Giant spotted trout are rare and always females; to release them in a healthy state ensures a future for us all.
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Beautiful Log Home Erected in One Day!
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ounds incredible, doesn’t it? When we first heard that statement from Chip Smith, Owner of Blue Ridge Log Cabins, I smiled and said, “We would like to see that.” Chip’s confident smile back and his reply, “Great. Let’s get you scheduled to observe a cabin construction first hand.” The following article documents the amazing process developed by Blue Ridge Log Cabins and verifies construction of a 5,000 square foot log cabin in one day! This awesome engineering feat can be viewed in a time-lapse video by visiting www.blueridgelogcabins.com. Take a look; it’s quite impressive. Celebrating 25 years as an innovator in their industry, Blue Ridge Log Cabins have been featured on “Extreme Makeover,” HGTV’s “Amazing Log Homes” and were recognized as America’s Favorite Log Homes 2017 in a survey conducted by Log Cabin Hub. Editor’s Note: the logs used by Blue Ridge Log Cabins are engineered in their state of the art, 110,000 square foot, temperature-controlled production facility in South Carolina and are kiln-
dried and precisley constructed in their facility. Every log fits perfectly before it arrives to your job site. In their system, your log home has already been constructed at their facility before it arrives to be assembled. Nothing is left to chance, no guesswork, no hassles. It truly is an amazing process to watch. Their process is a truly personalized experience. They have a wide variety of floor plans to choose from in their Estate, Classic and Cabin Collections. Or bring your own ideas to them and let Blue Ridge Log Cabins customize a home for you. Then choose your style and decor so that your home truly is unique to you. All plans are reviewed and approved by a licensed third-party engineer to make certain all local building codes are met. The Blue Ridge Log Cabins team will visit your land to ensure there are no unexpected surprises as construction commences. Should you need help in finding the perfect property, they can assist with that, as well. Once you finalize your plan and design your home, Blue Ridge Log Cabins’ team of experts begin building your home inside their facility. While your foundation is going in on your property, they’re building your dream home including electrical, plumbing, windows and doors as well as installing appliances, fixtures, cabinetry and more. Once your home is delivered to your property and onsite construction begins, your dream cabin will be up before the day is over. If you enjoy the beauty and ambiance of wood and the mystique of log home living you owe it to yourself to see how easily and economically a Blue Ridge Log Cabin can come together. We were impressed and have no doubt that you will be too. For more information, please visit www.blueridgelogcabins.net or call toll free 888-340-9782.
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By Capt. Michael Okruhlik • Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures
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he Texas summer surf can spoil a newcomer in a heartbeat and is what the seasoned surf angler awaits each year. Vacation days are set aside well in advance and excuses to come in late to work are ready and often recycled. Spoil a newcomer, addiction, you might ask, what is so special about the surf? My fastest limit, 10 trout from the upper Texas coast, came on 12 consecutive casts. One was a dud, a lost fish, and 10 were solid trout, 19.5 to 24 inches. After I caught my limit, I continued to catch and release solid trout up to 5 ½ pounds. If that doesn’t spoil you, nothing will. Days like this are not uncommon when the conditions are right. The key to a successful morning in the surf is to remember you don’t plan a trip when you want, you go when the surf calls you. Green incoming tides rising with the sun paired with a calm surf are my favored conditions. May and June routinely provide the best odds of landing the larger trout with Independence Day marking the arrival of masses of school-size fish. I like to start my day before the sun’s rays illuminate the horizon. Standing on the sand, tossing topwaters or suspending baits parallel and as close to the sand as I can effectively work the lure. I have caught many trout pushing 7 pounds along with large flounder and snook using this approach. It is amazing the size of fish that will feed in mere inches of breaking water. As the blanket of darkness no longer conceals my presence, I will begin to gradually angle my casts towards the open Gulf. I will broaden my search area and structure type until I find where the fish are feeding, never overlooking the shallow water where I began my day. As the sun climbs, the trout will typically find comfort in the guts, chasing mullet, shrimp, shad and other baitfish. When this occurs, I still vary my cast from parallel to offshore, covering the deep guts and not overlooking the structure, which is the bar. As you would do while fishing the bay, don’t overlook the drop off. Casting along it can produce great catches. White water and waves crashing is an often-overlooked hot spot. I seldom see surf fishermen casting into the whitewash, which can be a huge mistake. The turbulence disorients the baitfish which are easy meals for the thick-bodied, strong-swimming surf trout. I can remember one day in particular when most, if not all, of my trout were caught in the white water on top of the bar. A solid trout inhaled my slow-sinking lure as it tossed and turned in the froth. After that, I made repeated casts into the turbid water to end a successful day that up until that point had been quite slow. Let me check the forecast, is it calm yet? Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
For basics on Surf Fishing, go to
www.coveralls.biz
FISHINGWATERS.CO
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DAVID MANEY, FOWLER’S SUNGLASSES
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aving been actively involved in the sunglasses industry for over 20 years and having sold over 25,000 pairs of sunglasses last year, I’m often asked, “What is the most important thing to consider when choosing a pair of sunglasses?” My answer is always, “the way they fit your face; comfort is the most important consideration.” I’m surprised at the number of people who choose their sunglasses based on brand. For anglers, and I am one, the next consideration can be offshore or inshore. The blue mirror lens models hold the best lens clarity for offshore while the green mirror/amber lenses produce the clearest lens visibility for the inshore angler. I’ve been a big fan of Revo’s Blue Crawlers for my offshore sunglasses, and I switch to my ambers as my go-to inshore glasses. Another big consideration for some is OSHA-approved eyewear. The correct approval body is ANSI approved. This ANSI validation of the sunglasses is the only accepted approval by OSHA’s requirements, however, few brands actually possess the ANSI approval. If OSHA requirements are important for your choice of sunglasses, make sure you’re seeing the ANSI approval in writing and not simply relying on your representative’s assurance. Finally, if you’re a prescription eyewear user, ensuring that the lens you receive when you request your prescription sunglasses from your favorite brand is not always apples to apples. Make sure that the exact same lens technology
is available for your prescription sunglasses as their nonprescription lenses. Otherwise, you could own an expensive pair of non-angler-friendly sunglasses. Believe me, it happens all the time. There are many new entries in the sunglasses field these days. Lens technology advancements continue to improve the quality of the angler’s viewpoint. If you’re in the market for a new pair of sunglasses, I recommend you do a little research before you make your purchase. Don’t just go buy XYZ sunglasses. Find the pair, regardless of brand, that’s best for you. If Fowler’s can be of any assistance in helping you make that decision, please feel free to call or email us. We’re happy to help ensure that you’re completely satisfied with your next sunglasses purchase. David Maney is considered to be one of the most published experts in the general field of sunglasses. He has appeared in Southern Living Magazine, USA Today and U.S. World Report and even appeared on Oprah. Fowler’s has been in business for 118 years and has sold over 250,000 pairs of sunglasses. For more information on Fowler’s and David Maney, visit www.fowlerssunglasses.com or call 888-340-9021.
6 Reasons Why Fowler’s Sells More Sunglasses than Anyone Else in the U.S. Over 250,000 Pairs Sold #1. Price #2. Selection #3. Price #4. Selection #5. Price #6. Selection
Since 1955
Toll Free
888-340-9021
www.FowlersSunglasses.com
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SUNGLASSES NATIVE EYEWEAR SIGHTCASTER Native Eyewear’s Sightcaster is all about giving you the right tool for the pursuit of a good catch. Color enhanced, high-definition optics cut through glare on the water allowing you to see deeper and farther. Native’s premium polarized lens technology also blocks up to four times more infrared and protects against harmful UV rays, helping your eyes stay fresh even after a long day on the water. The full-wrap, X-Large frame comes with nonslip grip material along the temples and nose pads to ensure all-day comfort with a lightweight and secure fit.
WWW.NATIVEEYEWEAR.COM COSTA REMORA
Costa Del Mar was born on the water and is committed to protecting it. This summer, Costa will celebrate its tradition of conservation by launching its OCEARCH Limited Edition collection. Costa is a primary supporter of OCEARCH, a research organization that generates critical scientific data on keystone marine species like great white and tiger sharks. Its vessel, the M/V OCEARCH, is an at-sea laboratory that puts science on the side of sharks to help protect our oceans worldwide. One of the models in this OCEARCH Limited Edition collection is the Remora, a brand new frame that features all of Costa’s signature performance technologies. This particular pair features a brand new lens as well! The Gray Silver Mirror lens is great for all-day wear. It is a polycarbonate lens with silver mirror on a gray base. The frame color is called Tiger Shark, and reflects the patterns of its namesake. Think of it as the popular tortoise shell in a more shark and ocean-inspired colorway! MSRP: $169. These glasses also come with a limited edition cleaning cloth and C-MASK. For more on OCEARCH, go to www.ocearch.org.
WWW.COSTADELMAR.COM RIO RAY SEASIDE Rio Ray Optics is the best new brand and most comfortable polarized sunglasses on the market. Designed for the outdoor lifestyle, all Rio Ray sunglasses come with 100 percent optically correct polarized CR39 lenses, indestructible TR90 frames, optical spring hinges for maximum comfort and a hassle-free lifetime warranty. All Rio Ray hard-coated polarized lenses are made of the highest quality CR39 and contain nine layers of protection with 100 percent UV protection. A hydrophobic coating on the front repels water, sunscreen and dirt, which makes cleaning and maintenance easy. A vibrant flash mirror provides additional glare reduction and a superior scratch resistant coating prevents lens damage. The backside anti-reflective coating eliminates bounce-back glare. Rio Ray MaxFlex frame technology makes these the most comfortable sunglasses on the market utilizing lightweight TR90 nylon, which maintains the frame shape and offers incredible durability. Our frames were designed to be 100 percent prescription ready, and each pair comes with a full array of accessories including a hard and soft case, cleaning cloth and retainer. There are over 40 styles to choose from, an average MSRP of only $149.99, and new styles are on the way for each season. Replacement lenses are available for only $24.99. Rio Ray is always looking for high-quality retailers to partner with, and they have the best retailer friendly program in the sunglass industry. For dealer inquires, call 800-498-2104 or email jarrod@ riorayoptics.com.
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S RE VIEW2017 REVO GUIDE S AND GUIDE II Back in 1985, Revo became a global performance eyewear brand known as the leader in polarized lens technology. Their glasses were first created utilizing lens technology developed by NASA as solar protection for satellites. Today, Revo continues to build on its rich tradition of technology and innovation by offering the clearest and most advanced high-contrast polarized sunglass available. With two new frames, the Guide II and the Guide S, Revo seeks to fill the needs of those seeking the best in performance sunglasses. Both frames feature HighContrast Polarized Serilium lenses that are lightweight, shatterproof and formulated of polycarbonate. Revo’s 8-base lens technology offers a more curved fit relative to your face, and elastometric nosepads provide a more secure fit for active wearers. Sleek and modern, the Guide II adds an element of comfort to the all-activity, allcondition mentality. What carries on in the Guide lineage, however, is the confidence to exceed expectations and reach the objective. The Guide S blends all-terrain functionality with a sleek fit. They are equipped with fast-flow vents and Motion-Fit technology for optimal comfort in any condition or environment.
WWW.REVO.COM
SKELETON OPTICS RENEGADE
FLYING FISHERMAN MORAY
New for 2018, take hold and be bold with Flying Fisherman’s Moray sunglasses, a sporty frame equipped to take your fishing game to the next level. Built with durability and comfort in mind for anglers who work hard and play even harder, the medium fit, semi-rimless wrap-around frame provides generous lens coverage, helping shield the sun from all angles. Non-slip, co-injected temples and adjustable, rubberized nosepiece give this frame solid performance and comfort for all-day wear. The Flying Fisherman Polarized, AcuTint lens coloring system eliminates glare and enhances color contrast, without distorting natural colors. The enhanced visual sharpness and comfort adds to fishing productivity, and maximizes the outdoors experience for anglers and watersports enthusiasts who need to see below the water’s surface to spot fish and structure. Morays are available in matte black frames with copper-red mirror, smoke, or smoke blue-mirror lenses, matte grey frames with smoke blue-mirror lenses, and matte white frames with smoke-blue mirror AcuTint lenses. MSRP is $24.95 - $29.95, and the Moray will be in stores this September. Call 305-852-8989 or visit the website for more information or to receive a free catalog.
WWW.FLYINGFISHERMAN.COM
POPTICALS POPSTAR
Skeleton Optics high-performance eyewear delivers superb craftsmanship, trend-forward innovation and advanced technology for outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. From the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, Skeleton Optics sunglasses are designed to empower ordinary people to do extraordinary things, inspiring them to live the “No Boundaries” lifestyle. The new Skeleton Optics Renegade frames not only embrace that belief but take it to the next level. Adding to their already popular Original Collection, Skeleton Optics took the wraparound feature of the best-selling Scout model, and extended the frame width while working closely with the Zeiss Optical team to increase the lens height and create the all new Renegade sunglasses. Rugged and durable, yet sleek and stylish, Renegade sunglasses are perfect for a day on the water, on the trail, in the car, at the beach or in town. Renegades feature polarized polycarbonate lenses by Zeiss with 100 percent UV protection and advanced TRI-PEL/RI-PEL coating to enhance colors and promote clear vision in any outdoor environment. Lenses also include a premium hard coating for scratch and impact resistance. Grilamid TR-90 frames were designed and manufactured in Italy for lasting durability, comfort and protection. The in-line nosepiece is anti-slip and moisture wicking. Specifications: • Base Curve of 8 • DBL: 18mm • Temple Length: 115mm • Lens Size A/B: A65xB40 For information, call 888-564-9025.
WWW.SKELETON-SUNGLASSES.COM
Sunglasses are a necessity, but they’re also a burden. There is an ever-present possibility to lose or damage this expensive piece equipment. And you can forget about storing a conventional pair in a case in your pocket. They’re just too bulky. That’s where Popticals steps in. This revolutionary new line of portable, pop-out sunglasses has a patented design that makes storage safe and convenient. Popticals’ FL2 Micro-Rail System allows the sunglasses to easily fold down to be stored in a small hardshell case. You won’t even notice this compact design in your pocket, and the unit can be clipped to anything with an included carabiner. These glasses are high-performance, as well. The NYDEF Nylon Lenses manufactured by Carl Zeiss Vision are clearer and 16 percent lighter in weight than polycarbonate lenses. They offer complete UV protection, filtering out 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays, while hydrophobic and oleophobic technology repels water, oil, sweat and dust. The Swiss Grilamid TR 90 frames provide long-lasting durability and resistance to extreme temperatures while remaining lightweight and comfortable for extended use. Popticals are engineered in the U.S.A and handcrafted in Italy. See the Popticals website for a wide range of styles designed for any outdoor pursuit.
WWW.POPTICALS.COM
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FLY FISHING
TARPON TIME: THE TWO HANDED STRIP
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t’s tarpon time! Many of you will be headed to tarpon waters this summer looking to hook one of ocean’s greatest gamefish on the fly. When you go, consider altering your fly retrieval technique from the standard one-hand strip to the two-handed stip. If you do, you might be surprised at how effective a two-hand strip can be at catching this great gamefish. There are some saltwater fish that react to a fly that is stripped as fast as possible. Tuna, barracuda, roosterfish, amberjack and yellowtail are all good examples. These guys prefer a fly that moves like an Indianapolis racecar. If the fly isn’t imitating a fleeing baitfish, and suddenly stops, this group of gamers will turn and swim away. The two-handed strip is also a wonderful technique for feeding a well-presented fly to a tarpon. But there is a difference. The twohanded strip is slightly different for tarpon than it is for offshore and nearshore species. Where offshore fish like tuna want the fly to burn through the water without pause, a tarpon often wants to see the fly move through the water at a slower pace while still keeping the fly’s continual motion. An advantage of the two hand strip technique is the angler has total control of the fly’s pace through the water, making it possible for the angler to speed up or slow down the fly depending on the reaction of the tarpon to the fly. For example, if a tarpon reacts aggressively toward the fly, the angler might speed up the retrieve to initiate a strike. If the tarpon’s reaction is less aggressive, almost passive, the angler can manipulate the fly’s speed and try to turn on the tarpon’s “light switch” to instigate a strike. Another advantage to using the two-hand retrieve is that the rod is placed under the arm rather than in the hands, making it almost impossible to lift the rod tip on a strike. This combats the urge of freshwater converts to set the hook by lifting the rod, a big no-no
in tarpon fishing. With the rod under and arm, the only way to hook the fish is with a solid stripstrike. For a successful twohanded strip do the following: • After the fly has been cast, place the rod under the arm (right or left). • Point the rod tip down, keeping the tip on the water at all times. • Begin the strip by pulling the fly line with your hand at the first stripping guide. Repeat this with the other hand. • There should be a continual motion, changing hands with each strip. • Vary the speed of the fly as you strip it through the water. • Strip the fly all the way to the boat and repeat. If you feel a strike, give your line a solid strip-strike. Use the two-handed strip, and I guarantee you will never go back to the one-hand strip again. Good luck on the tarpon grounds this season!
For Tackle Box Essentials from Bowman, go to
CAMFLYFISHING.COM
High Performance Eyewear
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SOUTHEAST
By Nick Carter
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orth Carolina’s Oconaluftee River has a multiple personality disorder. Its headwaters fall from an elevation of more than 5,000 feet via a little creek called Beech Flats Prong high in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Beech Flats gains flow from multiple tributaries and becomes the Oconaluftee in a more than 8-mile run through the national park. With the influx of Bradley Fork at Smokemont Campground, the “Luftee” is one of the larger flows in the GSMNP. Above Bradley Fork, the river is small and steep and home to small and beautiful wild trout. Below Bradley Fork, it is one of the most easily accessible and overlooked opportunities in the park. Downstream of Smokemont, a buddy and I once stood on the elevated bank and watched a pod of a half dozen 10- to 12-inch rainbows in a flat blue pool feeding calmly on caddis. That was enough to get us excited. I dropped in downstream of them and began a slow approach, gently moving into casting range to avoid spook-
ing fish in glass-slick water. I was stripping line to cast when my buddy, who was still spotting from above, began pointing and making strange muffled sounds. I didn’t find out until later that I had kicked up a very large brown trout, which moved to the head of the pool and then disappeared. It had scattered the smaller fish in the process. It taught me that it pays off to be patient and watch the water before making a move in the Oconaluftee. U.S. 441 is hard on its banks, making for extremely easy roadside access, yet big fish live there. They are smart due to the fishing pressure they receive, which is pretty limited considering how easy it is to get there. The ’Luftee flies under the radar for a couple reasons. A lot of anglers drive right up the river in search of more secluded destinations. And, the Oconaluftee within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Qualla Boundary draws attention away from the Oconaluftee on the national park. The river takes on its next personality when it is joined by Raven Fork and enters Cherokee lands. By this point it is a big river. Cherokee maintains some of the highest fish densities in the east through extremely heavy stockings of rainbow, brook and brown trout. The fishing pressure can be enormous. Still, fishing can be good, and it’s a great place to introduce a youngster to trout fishing. Flyfisher’s Guide To North Carolina & Georgia is 218 pages of extensively researched information on the area’s best trout fishing. It includes more than 40 full-color maps, driving directions, GPS coordinates to access points and tips and tactics. It is available on Amazon, and signed copies are available by contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com.
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Get The Blues By CAM Staff • Photo courtesy of Hightower Marina/Facebook udging by the size of this bruiser’s belly, it’s not too hard to imagine it eating a lot of McDonalds. The story of this Texas largemouth has been making the rounds on the Internet lately. At 10.802 pounds and 24.5 inches in length, it is certainly an awesome fish. It’s a new record for 3,138-acre Lake Bardwell, just south of Dallas near the town of Ennis, Texas. But the reason this fish went viral has to do with the bait. Mathew McNellis and his girlfriend caught the bass in May on a McDonald’s Chicken McNugget. They were jugging for catfish, which is a technique that involves setting out numerous floating plastic jugs with lines, hooks and baits suspended beneath them. They weren’t having much luck, and that’s why McNellis’ girlfriend suggested they try the nugget, according to KDFW Fox 4 News. After boating the fish, the couple took it to Highview Marina, where it was weighed, photographed and declared the new record by the marina. The fish was then released. It bested the previous Lake Bardwell record of 10.44 pounds. The previous record, held by Artee Lewis since February 2006, was caught on a more conventional bait… a minnow.
By Carlos Hidalgo
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SEA SCHOOL - WHERE THE SAVVY FISHERMEN GO TO GET THEIR CAPTAIN’S LICENSE SINCE 1977
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“Everyday, everyday, everyday, everyday I have the blues” — B. B. King
I
’m pretty sure B. B. King was not a fly fisherman. Had he been, I’d like to think that, like his guitar Lucille, his fly rods would have been named after women. His delicate 3-weight, small stream rod might have been called Celeste. His 12-weight tarpon stick… Beulah, or maybe Gertrude. I hope you don’t have the blues. But if you are a trout angler, I do hope you have some blue flies in your boxes. You will be hard pressed to see any blue trout flies in the bins of your local fly shop or in many fly pattern books. This is understandable, since so many trout anglers are strict “match the hatch” believers and trout do not feed on any blue prey items. Despite this, blue flies are very effective. Here are a few you should consider. John Barr ties a blue version of his very effective Copper John nymph. Just replace blue copper wire for regular copper wire in the fly’s abdomen. A few years ago, Atlanta guide Dave Johnson requested that his friend Scott Abernathy design a blue nymph for his clients. Abernathy said the fly, which became known as the Blue Assassin, is based on the Rainbow Warrior nymph but with a really bright touch of blue. He speculated that its effectiveness might be because blue is the most visible color in deep water, as scientific studies have shown. This nymph is an extremely hot fly for Georgia trout. Pennsylvania angler Charles Meck included two blue dry flies and one blue egg in his book, “Fishing Tandem Flies.” Meck wrote that he began tying blue flies because of studies that showed that blue and purple flies “are the last to disappear as the fly sinks deeper in the water column.” The Blueberry is an egg pattern Meck ties with a brass bead and white or cream Glo Bug yarn, which is dyed with Rit evening blue dye. Meck swears by his two dry flies, the Patriot and the White-Winged Bluebird. Although uncommon, blue is a very effective color for trout attractor flies. Give them a try.
Blue Assassin – Scott Abernathy
(available at The Fish Hawk in Atlanta, Ga.) Hook – Tiemco 2457, size 14 -20 Thread – blue Bead – silver (tungsten or brass) Tail – light gray Antron (originally, Scott used pheasant tail fibers) Abdomen – pearl Lateral Scale Thorax – hot purple SLF dubbing
White-Winged Bluebird – Charles Meck
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ONLINE Courses!
Hook – dry fly, size 12 – 14 Thread – 6/0 medium blue Tail – blue hackle fibers (Meck uses white hackle dyed Rit evening blue) Body – smolt-blue Krystal Flash, with red thread mid-rib Hackle – blue Wings – white calf tail -To tie the Patriot, substitute brown for the tail and hackle, everything else stays the same.
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6/19/17 2:38 PM
NORTH CAROLINA
S
tarting in the 1970s stocks of Atlantic striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and the Roanoke River experienced unprecedented spawning failures. The cause of these annual spawning failures was overfishing, severely altered water flows during spawning time and poor water quality caused by pollution from numerous sources. In an effort to support striped bass stocks and fisheries until successful natural reproduction could resume in the Roanoke, Tar/Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission initiated striped bass stockings into these coastal systems in 1980. Since then, hundreds of thousands of striped bass of various sizes have been released annually into the Tar/Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers on a rotating basis. Q: What are the goals of the striped bass stocking program? A: The goal of the stocking program is to augment the striped bass spawning populations and fisheries until self-sustaining populations can re-establish themselves and stocking is no longer necessary. This goal has already been met in the Albemarle/Roanoke system. Q: Are the goals of the striped bass stocking program being met? A: Yes and no. To evaluate if stocked fish contribute to the spawning population and fisheries, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries places internal anchor tags into 3,000 stocked fish in each river every year. A total of 9,000 fish are tagged annually. Tag returns have always indicated that stocked fish contribute to the spawning populations, but
the exact contribution of hatchery fish to the total striped bass population cannot be determined from tagging alone. Starting in 2010, genetic techniques were employed to better calculate the contribution of stocked fish to the total striped bass population in all three systems. Results so far indicate that nearly 100 percent of the fish returning to the spawning grounds are of hatchery origin. Beginning in 2016 and continuing this year, fin clips will be collected from fish harvested in the fisheries. The results will show a more complete idea of the hatchery contribution. Things are different for the Albemarle/ Roanoke stock. With stocking beginning in 1980, the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock began successful natural reproduction by 1993. After several years of successful spawns, stocking in the Albemarle Sound ended in 1996. In 1997, the Albemarle/Roanoke stock was declared recovered. Q: Why did the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock recover and not the Central/Southern striped bass stocks? A: North Carolina coordinated with Dominion Power and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a water-flow plan that provides conditions as close to natural as possible in the Roanoke River during spawning season. Sufficient water flow is necessary to allow striped bass eggs to successfully hatch and be transported down the river to nursery areas in western Albemarle Sound. These changes increased the likelihood of successful reproduction of striped bass in the Roanoke River. The same flow regime agreements are not in place for the Tar/Pamlico, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers. Q: Would the Central/Southern striped bass stocks recover if harvest was not allowed? A: Although harvest is a critical component in the abundance of any fish stock, it is often not the most important factor in the cause of stock declines and poor annual spawning success. This is especially true for fish like striped bass that rely on coastal rivers for spawning habitat and the estuaries for juvenile nursery habitat. There has been a harvest moratorium on striped bass in the Cape Fear River since 2008. While the total stock abundance and the abundance of older fish in the Cape Fear has increased, there have been no signs of improvement in annual spawning success. Important factors in the decline of Central/Southern striped bass stocks include loss of spawning habitat due to dams, poor water quality from residential pollution, industrial and agricultural development and severely altered water flow regimes during the spring spawning season. Q: When will the striped bass stocking program in the Central/ Southern river systems be reevaluated? A: The most recent North Carolina Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan was adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission in 2013. A review of the plan is scheduled to begin in 2018. Future striped bass management strategies in the Tar/Pamlico, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers, including the striped bass stocking program, will be a critical issue during the review process.
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A.K. M Callum C
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N.C. Trout Anglers Contribute Significantly to Economy
N
Photo by WIDTTF/Flickr
orth Carolina recreational anglers holding a current Coastal Recreational Fishing License may receive a survey conducted by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in the coming months. The survey is a follow up to a previously conducted data collection in 2009. It seeks information on the economic characteristics of coastal recreational anglers’ fishing trips, as well as social and demographic characteristics. The information gathered in the survey will be used in fishery management plans and in developing economic impact models to help fisheries managers make informed decisions. Anglers, who receive the survey through random selection, will be asked a variety of questions such as what species they commonly target, average fishing trip expenditures, demographic information such as education, age and household income, and their opinions on fisheries management and user conflicts. Individual responses to questions will be kept strictly confidential. Results from the study will be aggregated to present an overall view of the economic status of the recreational fishery and published in a report that will be made available to the public. For the survey results to truly represent those who fish in North Carolina waters, it is very important that anglers participate and answer as many questions as possible. By completing the survey, anglers help ensure that fisheries managers receive the best possible information. The survey is being funded by the Marine Resources Fund, which seeks to manage, enhance and protect the marine resources of North Carolina based on sound science and strategies.
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rout fishing opportunities provided by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have substantial economic effects on North Carolina’s economy, according to a recent study conducted by Responsive Management and Southwick Associates. Nearly 149,000 trout anglers fished approximately 1.6 million days in 2014, and the effects these trout anglers had on North Carolina’s economy totaled an estimated $383 million, according to the study, “Mountain Trout Fishing: Economic Impacts on and Contributions to North Carolina’s Economy.” The study also found that money spent on trout fishing in 2014 supported approximately 3,593 jobs. In addition to answering questions pertaining to expenditures and numbers of days fished, survey respondents answered questions related to their opinions of access to Public Mountain Trout Waters and their satisfaction with trout fishing in North Carolina. Overall, 76 percent of anglers surveyed were satisfied with their trout fishing experience. Other survey findings included: • Hatchery Supported Trout Waters were the most frequently fished waters (710,665 days), followed by Delayed Harvest Trout Waters (390,085 days) and Wild Trout Waters (276,804 days). • The estimated economic effects of specific classifications were $141,273,525 for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters; $108,355,161 for Delayed Harvest Trout Waters; and $60,765,562 for Wild Trout Waters. The Commission funded the study with money from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration program. To download a copy of the full report, visit the Commission’s trout fishing page and click on “Mountain Trout Fishing: Economic Impacts on and Contributions to North Carolina’s Economy.”
Restore Our Battleship!
What is a Cofferdam? • • • •
A cofferdam is a watertight structure built to allow the enclosed area to be pumped out, creating a dry work environment. The Battleship cofferdam will enable workers to repair and restore the ship’s corroded hull, which is paper-thin in places. The Battleship’s last major dry docking and repair work was done in 1953. The cofferdam will be constructed over 18 months by Orion Marine Group of Norfolk, VA.
The SECU Memorial Walkway • • •
•
Under construction simultaneously, the SECU Memorial Walkway will be a half mile long, 10-foot wide timber walkway surrounding the Battleship. The walkway will be above the waterline but below the main deck of the Battleship. It will allow visitors to see the ship’s entire hull for the first time. The walkway will include five bump-out areas to honor each of the five branches of the military – Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. The Merchant Marines will be honored by flying their flag on the quarterdeck. The walkway will be open to the public and free of charge.
4 NORTH CAROLINA
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All Hands on Deck! • •
To view construction updates, visit www.battleshipnc.com. For more information on the Generations Campaign, contact Marty Feurer, Development Director, at marty.feurer@ ncdcr.gov.
Text “Battleship” to 41444
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BLUE RIDGE
By Nick Carter
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hile rock hopping and prospecting with dry flies for brightly colored brown trout, it’s easy to imagine the upper end of Wilson Creek as it was more than 250 years ago. But the forest is younger than it was when Native Americans likely pulled native brook trout from the creek. Logging began in the 1750s, when pioneers settled this remote area of western North Carolina’s Caldwell County. For nearly two centuries a timber operation and the communities that grew around it thrived in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain. Mortimer was the largest settlement on Wilson Creek. It was home to the Ritter Lumber Mill Company sawmill as well as a small textile mill. The ruins of Mortimer lie near what is now a stretch of prime trout water. The story of Mortimer is one of nature reclaiming itself. Beginning in 1916, and probably exacerbated by the clearance of the land, a series of fires and floods twice destroyed the narrow-gauge railroad used to haul out timber. A final massive flood in 1940 swept away both the sawmill and the textile mill, and without industry the surviving residents abandoned their homes.
Since that time, a good portion of Wilson Creek’s more than 23mile corridor from its headwaters on Grandfather Mountain down to its confluence with Johns River has regenerated to a mostly wild state. In 2000, the stream was designated a National Wild and Scenic River, which provides special ecological protections. Trout anglers should delight in the transformation. On its upper end, Wilson Creek plummets cold and clear as a small to medium sized stream through a steep wooded valley on Pisgah Game Lands. There is access by foot to miles of creek that offer anglers one waterfall and plunge pool after the next. Small but bright stream-born brown trout dominate the fishery. In this stretch it is managed under catchand-release, artificial-only regulations. Downstream, after flowing through roughly 4-miles of private property, Wilson Creek emerges again to the public as a larger flow. The mouth of Lost Cove Creek is the upper boundary of delayed harvest waters. October into June each year, this beautiful 3-mile stretch is managed under catch-and-release, single-hook, artificial-only regulations. The state stocks it heavily. And for anglers who’d like to keep some trout for the table, Wilson Creek is open under regular hatchery supported trout regulations for another 5 miles down to the remains of an old lowhead dam near the Adako community. This section is big water. It is punctuated by a gorgeous rock gorge. Wilson Creek falls from North Carolina’s high country around the towns of Boone, Blowing Rock and Linville. Fishing it would make for a good day trip or weekend adventure from Winston-Salem, Asheville or any of the towns on this eastern edge of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. For GPS coordinates to access points and detailed maps of Wilson Creek and all of North Carolina’s and Georgia’s best trout water, check out “Flyfishers Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available at fly shops, on Amazon, and signed copies are available from the author by emailing nsc8957@gmail.com.
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MURPHY AREA MOUNTAIN LAKES Hiwassee & Apalachia July Forecast, and How to Choose a Guide By Aaron Kephart
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his is probably going to be the quickest fishing report I have ever written because the fishing on Apalachia and Hiwassee in July will be even hotter than the weather, and also because I have something a little different I would like to write about today. We are blessed to have such incredible fisheries in the Murphy area, and believe it or not, July can be an extremely productive month on these bodies of water. Now, let’s move on to the other thing I wanted to talk about this month. I recently booked my own guided trip for redfish in the Gulf for later this summer, and that experience got me thinking about how I personally hire a guide. There are so many of them nowadays, and the process of weeding through websites and Facebook pages (all guides seem to have both nowadays) can be a little daunting, and sometimes completely unproductive. Every good guide has their strengths and weaknesses, and a good one isn’t cheap. With that in mind, here are my 3 tips for choosing a guide. 1. Ask local tackle shops for recommendations. This is the old fashioned way of doing things, but these folks can tell you more than websites and Facebook pages. I personally contacted a few in the area I plan on fishing this summer, and the same name continued to come up.
I hired that individual. If the guide is a good fisherman and respected in the local fishing community, the local tackle shops will know about, and recommend, him. Two great resources for recommendations in Murphy are Murphy Building Supply (they have one heck of a tackle store) and Howard’s Bait and Tackle (really close to the lake and a convenient place for picking up live bait). 2. Make sure they actually catch what they say. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak. If someone advertises trophy smallmouth, make sure they can provide you with recent pictures of real, true trophy smallmouth. If they advertise trophy trout, I want to see pictures of some trophy trout. If they claim to catch
boatloads of walleye, show me a picture of a bunch of people holding up a bunch of walleye. It’s the same for any other species. I personally requested pictures from a year before my trip to see what I could realistically expect to catch. 3. Listen to what the guide has to say, even if it isn’t necessarily what you want to hear. This one has cost me a lot of money over the years. I personally lose a lot of trips because I am always going to be upfront and extremely honest with my potential clients, particularly new ones. As an example, I lost a couple trips last August because I had people calling wanting to go walleye fishing, and I told them that time of year was really tough for walleye (basically just
hours of deep trolling and hoping), but that I could put them on some big smallmouth, stripers, or trout instead. They declined, and went with someone else who told them “sure, I can put you on walleye.” They called me back after their trip to tell me that they hadn’t caught any walleye, and that I was right. On the other side of the coin, I had a client a couple weeks ago who wanted to catch a smallmouth on a fly rod. We had the trip planned for quite some time, but a couple days before we went the weather took a turn and the smallmouth were not going to be on a shallow bite, so instead we went striper fishing on a different lake and had a ball catching 8 to 14 pounders on topwater plugs that morning. Know what you want to do, but remember that flexibility can be key. If you are interested in the smallmouth and spotted Bass, brown trout, stripers, crappie and walleye of a lifetime, or just “whatever is biting”, please give me a call. Hiwassee, Apalachia, and Chatuge are all red hot right now. I have fished these lakes for over 30 years, and I love showing them off. Please call me at 865-466-1345 or email me at mtnlakesguide@outlook.com
Aaron Kephart is the Owner of Mountain Lakes Guide Service serving Murphy Area Lakes.
Murphy North Carolina’s
premier trophy smallmouth and spotted bass guide service
SMSS has all the essentials for hunting, target shooting, home defense, reloading and more Call for date & time of monthly concealed carry class. 53 Peachtree St, Murphy, NC • 828-837-7677 Beside the Courthouse
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2 WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
JULY 2017
Mountain Lakes Guide Service
Hiwassee - Apalachia - Chatuge Aaron Kephart 865-466-1345 mtnlakesguide@outlook.com
Crappie, Trophy Trout, Stripers, and more available
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The Fever Comes Full Circle
I
By Joe Woody
’m not sure when the fever took over. Could be, it was instilled early in my life while listening to my father and grandfather talk about trout fishing in the mountains of Western North Carolina, but that is not the fever I’m talking about. Back then, their idea of trout fishing was a can of corn…a lounge chair…a Zebco and a deep hole. I remember sitting in the same spot all day waiting for a trout to come by. Don’t get me wrong…I loved doing that, but that type of fishing could at times be torture to a young boy full of energy. I remember thinking, “why don’t we walk to the next hole and try our luck there?” Even then, I was a hopeless explorer. The urgings of a young son to walk down the river fell on deaf ears. I now know it was because my grandfather was suffering from the initial stages of Parkinson’s. My father wanted me to experience fishing with him while I still could. After all, my Grandfather could catch fish in a mud puddle. His stories were rich… hilarious and peppered with a few too many expletives for my young ears to hear. They often involved the “bumblings” of his two fishing buddies…Ralph and Lee Roy. I could not get enough of them and would beg him to tell me the stories over and over. I knew I wanted to live that life. I wanted to experience what my grandfather experienced…and one day tell my own stories to my children, grandchildren or anyone that would listen. My fishing stories took on a life of their own. They often involved walking long distances in order to catch small brook trout. I have very few other hobbies. Don’t take
that as me being single minded and narrow in focus…I’m not. I love sports, especially when they involve the SOCON, the ACC or the Atlanta Braves. I love to play golf. However, if I have to make a choice, I will walk the 8-9 miles up Hazel Creek to where the Brookies come to play. It’s on those long walks where adventures happen. I have encounters with bears and coyotes. I track animals that aren’t “supposed to be there”. I catch large trout in small streams. I run into interesting people who have the same fever I do. I’ve broken bones and I I’ve run into serial killers. I’ve spent long nights in the rain without a shelter and on and on and on… T h e fever…the adventures…all those small streams have led me here… The publisher of a fishing magazine. I don’t get to fish as much as I used to but I do get to meet interesting people and listen to stories that are rich, hilarious, and full of “bumbling fishing buddies”. I guess you could say, I’ve come full circle. I know many of you reading this are full of the same stories I’m talking about. We are always looking for them. So if you feel inclined…type them out…write them on a napkin with a crayon and send them into us, we would love to publish them. Share your “fever” with the readers of The Angler Magazine Western North Carolina. Joe Woody is Co-Publisher of The Angler Magazine WNC with his wife, Debra. Email him at woody@ theanglermagazine.com or give him a call at 828-768-9663.
Pontoon, Kayak and Paddle Board Rentals Visit our website at
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JULY 2017
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 3
LAKE CHATUGE
July—Lake Chatuge By Darren Hughes
I
n July, fishing on Lake Chatuge, which borders Western North Carolina and North Georgia, really gets fired up. With warmer water temps, the hybrids and bass school up, which means we are able to load the boat with tons of trophy hybrids, spotted, and largemouth bass. Currently, Lake Chatuge is at full pool. Water temps are in the low 80s, and water clarity is clear throughout the lake. Hybrid fishing is great, as the fish are schooling in large numbers, and we are catching some big quantities. Most of our hybrids are averaging 8-12 pounds. These are some of Lake Chatuge’s hardest-fighting fish, and we’re having a blast wearing them out. The early morning bite has been prime. Look for schools of fish off shallow humps along the main channel, clay banks, and off points. Downlining live
blueback herring has been the best technique. Search out your areas and watch your electronics. When you mark fish, drop your lines. Fish will be slightly shallower in the early morning hours and will move to deeper water by mid-morning. Top-water bite remains very good as well. When these fish start busting on bait, it’s always a good idea to have a plug, spook, or red fin at the ready. Spotted bass fishing remains excellent, too. We are still catching some huge spots throughout the day, and it’s not uncommon to put 30-40 of these feisty fish in the boat in one trip. Early morning top-water bite has been strong. Top-water plugs, spooks, and jerk baits have worked well. Our downline bite has also been very productive, especially in the mid-morning hours. Look for fish to be schooled up on shallow clay banks, humps, and off points. In terms of location, the upper end of the lake has been producing slightly better numbers than the lower end. July fishing on Lake Chatuge is always exciting. Remember, live bait on this lake can be the difference between a successful day of fishing and a horrid one. For all of your bait and tackle needs, come visit us at Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA--it’s the best place around for quality live blueback
herring. We also carry ethanol-free gas and have some of the best hot, made-from-scratch biscuits in North GA. For guided fishing trips on Lakes Chatuge, Apalachia, Hiwassee, or Nottely, or questions about the bait shop, call me, Darren Hughes, at Hughes General Store. And whether you’re a seasoned angler or just starting out, give Chatuge a shot for some of the best spotted bass and hybrids in the area. Good luck, and get hooked!
Darren Hughes is the Owner of Hughes General Store & Bait Shop and a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team. Look him up at www. bigolfish.com or give him a call, (706) 745-6569
4 WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
JULY 2017
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LAKE HIWASSEE
Lake Hiwassee Striper Explosion… with Murphy, NC’s Only Fulltime Striper Guide!
S
By Shane Goebel
ummer is finally officially here– the weather is beautiful, the water is warmer, and the striper bite is insane! We’ve been averaging 30 to 50 fish per morning out here. This is the perfect time to hit the lake and experience some extreme striper fishing, and what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with Murphy, NC’s #1 and only fulltime striper guide: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. Currently, Lake Hiwassee is at full pool. Water clarity is clear and slightly stained in the rivers, and water temps are in the mid to upper 80s. Striper fishing has been excellent. We have been loading the boat with some big fish in good quantities, and I mean loading the boat. These Lake Hiwassee monsters are schooling up big time and are hammering baits. The early-morning and evening
bites are your best times to see action. In the early-morning hours, we are still pulling some free lines with live blueback herring along with our downlines. Keep your free lines 100-150 feet behind the boat. As the sun comes up in the later morning hours, start to focus on deeper water and switch to all downlines. This is the time you’ll want to pay close attention to your electronics. While searching for schooling fish, target creek mouths and rocky points along the main channel. As the top-water bite has also been good, keep a spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag those surface-busting fish. Smallmouth and spotted bass fishing has been outstanding, too. The bass have really started to school up. Work shallow humps, creek mouths, and clay banks. Also, target brush piles throughout the lake.
Downlining blueback herring has worked best for us, but we are also picking up some quality fish on jerkbaits, flukes, and spooks. Look for these bass to continue to school through the rest of next month. July is a fantastic month for catching some big fish on this lake. From smallmouth bass to hard fighting stripers, there are many great opportunities to catch a number of fish species on Hiwassee Lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1 rated guide service put you on some of Lake Hiwassee’s best trophy fish. We are Murphy, NC’s only full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lake Nottely, Chatuge and Blue
We Run Trips 365 Days A Year. Book Your Trip Now!
Ridge. And for all your live blueback herring and tackle needs, check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!
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Serving Hiwassee Lake, Lake Apalachia, Lake Chatuge and Lake Nottely STRIPED BASS • SMALLMOUTH • LAKE TROUT
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JULY 2017
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 5
Get Your Feet Wet Fishing Blue Lines By Justin Mickens
T
here is nothing better than the sound of a rushing stream. As you stand in the water, listening to the sounds of Mother Nature’s symphony, calming your mind and body, while hearing no man-made noise. At this point, you could even forget your everyday life exists…This is the effect fishing for wild trout has on me. Wild trout streams are often referred to as “blue lines”. This is a reference to them appearing on a map as a blue line. In Western North Carolina, when fishing for wild trout, you will come across two different regulations: Wild Trout Waters and Wild Trout/Natural Bait Waters. Wild Trout Waters season is open year-round, and you may only use artificial lures having one single hook. You may only keep four fish, and the four fish must be at least seven inches long. Also, it is unlawful to possess natural bait on your person while fishing in these waters. Wild Trout/Natural Bait
Waters Season is open year-round. You may use a single hook artificial lure, or you may use a single hook with natural bait, except live fish. You may only keep four fish and the four fish must be at least seven inches long. According to NC Wildlife, an artificial lure is defined as “a fishing lure that neither contains, nor has been treated with, any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell” and natural bait is defined “as any living or dead organism (plant or animal), or parts thereof, or prepared substances designed to attract fish by the sense of taste or smell”. A lot of people are intimidated by wild trout, or think you have to hike miles and miles to catch one. I think the longest I have hiked into one of my favorite streams is 20 minutes. Most places I have discovered are almost beside a road. They haven’t been written about in any book or magazine, and I only found them by searching new areas of Forest Service. www.ncwildlife.
org has a great interactive map, that shows all of the trout streams in NC, and they are color coded according to designation. I have used this resource, many times, for my personal research. Wild trout can be very spooky at times. This fact has almost become folklore among anglers. The belief has even crossed over to any trout, in any water. Don’t get me wrong, trout can be super spooky in low water, or heavily fished areas. Trout see better, when sitting on the bottom of a deep hole. In low water, they do not have this luxury. Limited vision makes them scared of anything out of the ordinary, including shadows, splashing, and underwater vibrations. During these times, stealth is your friend. Keep a low profile and limit your false casts, so you don’t scare fish
with your shadow. During busier times on stocked waters, consider fishing for wild trout. There are many streams in WNC that don’t see much angling pressure. This will give you an advantage, because the trout don’t see many flies. I have found that many attractor patterns, presented the right way, can have better results than trying to match the hatch. Wild trout are usually only found in beautiful areas with clean, clear water, and very few people. Blue lines might not produce a lot of big fish, but they can provide many great memories.
Justin Mickens is Co-Owner and Manager of Appalachian Outfitters Fly Shop in Murphy, NC
Fly Shop Full Service Fly Shop Fly Fishing • Fly Tying Paddle Sports • Guide Services Your #1 Destination for Outdoor Activities in Western NC, Northern GA and Eastern TN
104C Tennessee Street, Murphy, NC • 828-837-4165
www.appalachianoutfittersnc.com
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NANTAHALA
Destination…Smallmouth In The Rivers of WNC
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good back cast leading into a low forward cast, placed up under the cover of overhanging branches along shore. The popper lands perfectly within a foot of shore and in that instant, the water explodes. A good hook set… and the game is on. You’ve just hooked into a bronze back fighting machine. Pound for pound, it will jump twice as high out of the water and fight twice as hard as any other comparably sized freshwater fish species. Welcome to smallmouth bass fishing! That is what fly anglers have to look forward to throughout the warm summer months here in Western North Carolina. As warmer and lower water conditions of summer approach, great trout fishing opportunities can still be found hiking into the high elevation streams of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, or on the phenomenal cold trout waters of the Nantahala River tail race. It’s one of the only rivers that offer outstanding trout fishing throughout the summer months. However, some of the most enjoyable fly fishing will take place on our local warm water streams. Small mouth bass, spotted bass, brim, and red eye are all waiting to take a well-placed fly. This is a fun time of the year, where fly anglers can get out on big water and challenge themselves with long “River Runs Through It” style casts. It’s fun to get the heavier rods out and throw bigger streamers and crayfish imitations. This is the time of the year when it’s not unusual to land fifty or more fish a day on top water flies, like poppers, wiggle minnows or gurglers. You never know what you will hook up on. A few years ago, a friend of mine was fishing for small mouth and hooked into a huge musky. There are several different streams in our area that are great options for bass on the fly. The Tuckasegee River from Dillsboro to lake Fontana has miles of good fishing water. The Little Tennessee,
By Ken Kastorff
vest will allow you to just continue fishing while you float along until your feet come in contact with the river bottom again. The vest will also protect you when you suddenly find your feet up over your head and land flat on your back. Welcome to the Cheoah! If you are wet wading any of these streams, I highly recommend buying a decent pair of wading boots. A lightweight, felt soled boot that comes up high enough to protect your ankles, is a must. This will make wet-wading safer and more enjoyable. We carry a great felt soled boot in our shop made by Chota that is comfortable, durable and won’t “break the bank”. Other than that, a good pair of polarized sunglasses, a hat, plenty of sunscreen, and you’re set to enjoy a fun day of fly fishing action. Good luck!
from Franklin to Lake Fontana, is another good small mouth destination. While there are some good wet wading options on both of these rivers, the best fishing is from a drift boat or raft. We offer float trips on both of these rivers. Another, not so well known small mouth destination, is the Cheoah River near Robinsville, NC. While this is a great small mouth river, it is hands down, one of the hardest rivers to wet wade. I do not recommend fishing it alone. You want to be in good shape and durable if you are planning a trip to the Cheoah. When I am after smallmouth bass, I use a nine-foot, five weight rod most of the time. This is a great weight for throwing poppers. I also carry a heavier rod, up to 7 weight, to cast weighted larger flies. Make sure you have a good weight forward line on the reel. Scientific Angler makes a great weight forward line that is a half a weight heavier than the listed weight. It’s great for casting longer distances in windy conditions. I will usually use a ninefoot 2X or 3X tapered leader, if I am fishing poppers in clear water. If I am fishing weighted flies, like
streamers or crayfish imitations, I shorten the leader to a maximum of six feet. Save your used 4X and 5X tapered leaders that have gotten down to around six feet, they work great for streamers. A few words of caution are in order. No Waders! Leave them at home. It doesn’t hurt to wear a life vest. I like the Stohquist fishing vest, that I use on float trips on the Nantahala River, it is comfortable with lots of adjustment and has zippered pockets to carry some essentials. If you wet wade enough, you will eventually step in over your head and the
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Ken Kastorff is a Guide and the Owner of Endless River Adventures. To book a guided trip near The Nantahala Gorge or The Cheoah River, give him a call.
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 7
SWAIN COUNTY / BRYSON CITY
Never Give Up By Ronnie Parris
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n life, there’s only one thing that is guaranteed, and that is that we are never in complete control of what’s going to happen to us. You wake up one morning thinking everything is great, and then life drops a bomb on you and your whole world is turned upside down. You have only two choices: you can lay down and cry over it, or you can dust yourself off, pick up the pieces, lean on family and friends, and move on and get back to living. Well, the same thing is eventually going to happen to you with fishing. You plan all night on where to go and what strategy is going to catch you the most fish. You leave early, get to the bait shop, buy your bait of choice, arrive at the launch, put your boat in and hurry to that special point, or section of rock, that always holds good fish…only to find another angler that needed one less cup of coffee has beaten you to your spot. What are you gonna do? Give up and go home? Sulk all day knowing he’s catching fish that should be sliding into your net? Or are you going to use everything you know as an angler to save the day? One thing that separates good fishermen from great fishermen is their ability to adapt to new places and new techniques. I hope in this article, you can find a few tips that will help you next time things don’t go as
planned. First, and probably most important, is your fish finder. There are a lot of them on the market these days and most are good for finding fish. Best advise I can give on that is, don’t spend a ton of money. Just get a good one and spend lots of time learning it and trusting what it tells you. Not everything that marks as a fish, is a fish, learn to differentiate between fish and structure, or clutter, on the screen. Sometimes fish are right where you’re at, but you wont see an arc on the screen. I like to observe the patterns a fish makes on my fish finder after I’ve released them. Don’t be afraid to play with the settings on your sonar, and don’t worry about messing up. You can’t do anything that you can’t get back. If you have problems, all major brands have technicians that will be glad to talk you through your issue. Better yet, if you know someone who has the same unit, get them to go with you and help set yours up. Next, have a full tank of gas and start checking different spots until you find fish. It’s always a safe bet that main lake points surrounded by deep water will hold fish. Look for downed trees or slides where the whole bank has went under water. Fresh new cover always seems to hold more fish. Any fresh water coming into the lake is always a good spot that holds both bait and predator fish.
When you do find some fish, be observant of where you caught it and what’s around. Was there some kind of structure? How deep were the fish holding? Were you working your bait aggressively or letting it sit for a few seconds? Notice how deep the fish take a certain color or bait type when you’re trying different lures. This will tell you their preference that particular day. The main thing to remember is, whether it be something in life or your next fishing trip, if you get thrown a curve ball, don’t give up.
Fontana Lake Fishing Guides – Ronnie Parris, Owner & Head Guide LAKE, CREEK & RIVER FISHING • FLY FISHING • CAMPING We offer both full and half day trips with the most competitive rates available. All tackle and supplies you will need while you are on your trip is covered by our listed price.
1012 East Alarka Road, Bryson City, NC • 828-488-9711, Cell: 828-736-9471
smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com
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Just keep on swinging until you find what works for you. If you have a lake in your area you have tried and can’t seem to get a handle on, give me a call at (828) 488-9711 and I will be glad to set up a trip or help you in any way I can. As always be safe and have fun fishing.
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Carolina, heart of The Great Smoky Mountains. (www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com)
Swainglers
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By Tammy Parris
wain High School’s first-ever co-leader and bus driver, Samantha fishing club, The Swainglers, McFalls, school nurse, and Pat Smiconcluded their first year of ley, teacher assistant and bus driver. fishing! I had the privilege of lead- Without them, our fishing excuring a great group sions would not have of students. Many been possible. fish were hooked I look forward and LOTS of laughs to next fall when we were had. Several start our second year waterways, includof this popular club. ing the Tuckasegee Our graduated seRiver and Fontana niors will be missed, lake, were invaded but I wish them well by two dozen teenin their future. Now agers each month. that summer break Our fishing time Samantha McFalls & Tammy Parris is here, I gave the was limited, but Swainglers some that didn’t stop the summer homework, number of fish on which is to go fishing! the lines. These experienced anglers were always preThe Swainglers pared and managed appreciate your s to reel ‘em in! upport and input. You Trips couldn’t have can contact Tammy happened if it Parris at tparris@ Bus driver, Pat Smiley weren’t for my great swainmail.org
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WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 9
SWAIN COUNTY/FONTANA LAKE
Forever Changing Patterns Of Fontana
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By Capt. James McManus
hile writing these articles every month, I look back over pictures from previous years to see what
the coming month may bring. Sometimes, what I review brings back trips where I loaded the boat. Sometimes, it’s just that “one fish” that was picture worthy. Other times, it’s the folks in the pictures, and wondering, where and what, they’re up to now. With folks you know, sometimes it’s even painful to look back because they are no longer with us. More often, it’s a reminder that even with similarities year to year, a lake is a constantly changing beast. Weather changes, and no, I’m not talking climate change, its called seasons, water conditions, reproduction rates, stocking,
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both legal and illegal, harvest regulation differences - all can change how a lake fishes year to year. With that being said, Fontana, like some of the other lakes I fish, seems to be a month behind this year. It was a good spring, but not really a fantastic one for the usual bank fishing, where you could run down almost any bank and throw jerkbaits with fish after fish. There were good days for sure, but just different. We are now past the bass spawn, when the bait should be out in open water and trolling the channels, and big open flats is usually the top method for putting fish in the boat. Don’t know if the lower water temps its still in the 70’s as I am writing this - or late shad spawn, but the fishing here in June has been a little off. My thought is that July will “flip the switch,” and there will be great action for us trollers. Typically, we troll downriggers with small baits, or Alabama rigs for walleye, and topwater diving baits for all the bass species. As we troll, someone is at the front of the boat throwing to breaking fish, which to this point, hasn’t happened either, but hopefully will soon. My best advice is to keep looking you never know where the
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bait and fish will congregate year to year. When you do find some fish as the summer progresses, they will usually stay in an area ‘til the otters get wind of them and drive them to a new spot [thanks park personnel], but rest assured they will be back to their hungry ways at some point. There is always the old “tried and true method” of crickets for bream along the banks, if all else fails. Maybe a late start means a longer finish and we will avoid the August slowdown. Enjoy what God has given us, stay safe, take kids with you, and give me a call. Later Capt. James
Fly Selection
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By Ken Kastorff
robably the most confusing thing about fly fishing is fly selection. Anytime someone asks me what fly is working best, I am reminded of one of Pat McMannis’s story’s. Pat McMannis compiled several books from the stories he wrote for the back page of Outdoor Life Magazine. His story of The Purest comes to mind. He was fishing a stream and another fly angler came up and noticed he was catching one trout after another. The new angler snuck up to get a closer look at what fly Pat was using. Just at that time, Pat set the hook and missed a fish. The hook came flying back behind him and hung up in a tree limb right in front of the other fly angler. The hook dangled there with a worm on it and Pat quickly smiled and explained that that was the problem with those number 16 pheasant tails, they kept catching worms. Simplifying things as much as possible, you can break Fly selection down into three catagories: Streamers, Terrestrials and Flies. The fly catagory can be further broken down into four sub-catagories. Streamers – Anything that is stream bred that is a food source for fish. Minnows, leaches, crayfish, sculpins, etc., are examples of streamers. Some of the popular streamer patterns include the old “tried and true” wooly buggers, zonkers, muddled minnows, and all of the Clauser minnow patterns. Newer patterns are coming out daily. Probably the most interesting thing is the use of new materials. A very good streamer pattern is Todd’s Wiggle Minnow. This is the fly angler’s version of a rappala. It is made entirely out of foam. Another recent improvement is making jointed streamers, like the Game Changer. Both the Todd’s Minnow and the Game Changer are copies of bait fiching plugs that have been modified so they can be thrown with a fly rod. Terrestrials – Anything that is land bred that falls into the water that is a food source for fish. Here, the list is almost endless. Grasshoppers, crickets, worms, beetles, spiders, and the list goes on and on… Some of the popular patterns will
include, hopper patterns like Dave’s Hopper, worm patterns, like the San Juan Worm, and beetle patterns, like the Japanese Beetle. Interestingly, one of the more popular terrestrials is also the Wooly Bugger. Here again, new materials have improved old patterns. One of the best terrestrials is the Squirmy Wormy. It is tied with rubber tubing, giving it life like action. Many of the new hopper patterns are utilizing foam to make the fly float without having to use liquid floatant. Flies – Okay, here is where things get a little more complicated. First, what are flies? There are four basic types of flies: Mayflies, Caddis Flies, Stone Flies and Midges. Mayflies can be identified easily as their wings stand up over their backs and their tails are upswept with 2 - 3 thin filaments. Caddies flies carry their wings over their backs like a pup tent. Stone flies carry their wings flat over their backs. Midges are a mystery for most fly anglers. They include, black flies, mosquitoes, gnats, etc. I usually explain midges as those flies that you need a magnifying glass to see.
Let’s take a look at the life cycle of a normal fly. Day one, they fly around and mate. After mating, they will set down on the water and lay their eggs. Once they’ve laid their eggs they take off and fly around for a while and then die. During this part of their life cycle, they are referred to as spinners. When the fly dies, it goes into an erratic death spiral and spins down eventually falling back into the water. When the flies are laying their eggs, they float along at the surface at the speed of the current. The fly patterns in this part of their life cycle are referred to as Dry Flies. After they die and fall back into the water, you will hear them referred as Spinners. So how do you decide what fly to choose? The secret here is match-the-hatch. The two most important things to look for are size and color. Simplifying things further, you can generally expect that the flies will be black in color in the winter, grey moving to white through spring, yellow and
light grey in the summer and going back darker in the fall. Day two through up to three years. Remember those eggs that the dry fly laid? They sink to the bottom of the river and hatch out into nymphs. This is the pupa stage of the life cycle. These nymphs will crawl under rocks, or in the case of the caddies fly, will build a cacoon out of sand particles and small sticks. Occasionally, these nymphs break free and tumble along the bottom of the river. They are, arguably, one of the most important food sources for trout. There have been lots of books written on how to effectively fish nymphs. Here again, there are different nymph patterns for different seasons. Some of the more popular nymph patterns are: Pheasant Tails, Hares Ears, and Copper Johns. Some nymphs really don’t resemble natural insects, but are still very successful patterns. One of the classic and most popular is the Prince Nymph. Some of the newer patterns include the Mop Fly, which is tied using the strands of material cut from a bath mat. Another very popular and successful fly is the Turd Fly. This is a simple pattern that looks a bit like a Wooly Bugger, except there is no marabou tail and, instead of wrapping a hackle around the body, rubber legs are added, making the fly look alive in the water. his is a killer stonefly imitation. The last part of the life cycle of the fly are the emergers. At some point in the life cycle, due to water temperature or angle of the sun, or just timing of the season, the nymph will begin to float back up to the surface of the river, or in the case of the stone fly, will crawl up out of the water on the side of a rock or log. The mayfly and caddies nymph will float to the surface and, on its way up, will have developed a
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wing case. Once the fly reaches the surface of the water, it will unfold its wings, let them dry, and eventually fly off to start the whole process all over again. The only difference is with the stonefly. Once it crawls out of the water, it does an “alien” and the top of the thorax cracks open and the new stone fly emerges and flies off to start its mating process. There are lots of emerger patterns. Most are fished just under the surface film. Many nymphs can be fished as emergers simply by letting the nymph come to the surface after the dead drift along the bottom of the river. So there you go! It sounds complicated and if you want to delve deeper into entomology, you can certainly make it as complicated as you want. If you really get bored one winter, you can even take it to the point of learning the tongue twisting scientific names of all the insects. Me, I am satisfied with color and size and taking a moment to look at the river before I start fishing. If I see surface activity then I get my dry fly box out and try to match what the fish are eating on the surface. If there is no surface activity, then I will get the nymph or streamer box out and experiment a bit until I hit upon the right fly. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll go back to basics. Fish like worms. So a Squirmy Wormy might just do the trick. Ninety-nine percent of the time, that is all you need to know.
Ken Kastorff is a Guide and the Owner of Endless River Adventures. To book a guided trip near The Nantahala Gorge or the Cheoah River, give him a call at 1-(800) 2247238 or look him up at www. nantahalariverflyfishing.com. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 11
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Summertime Fishing GSMNP
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et’s face it! July, August, and September can make for some difficult fishing conditions. Hot weather, matched up with lower water conditions, force the trout to seek out colder water, in remote locations, away from predators and humans alike. This time of the year can be a great time to fish some of the 2,900 miles of streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to Rainbow, Brown, and Brook Trout living in beautiful locations that are not that far from Sylva N.C. I grew up fishing and camping in the GSMNP on a regular basis and for many years, this is the only place that I fly fished. I feel at home in the Cataloochee Valley or Noland Creek, with a fly rod and a #12 Charlie Whopper and a #12 Yellow Palmer, drifted in that perfect spot for an opportunistic feeding trout. The GSMNP offers day fishing opportunities as well as many overnight backcountry fishing opportunities. The GSMNP offers more than one hundred backcountry campsites as well as several large campgrounds that can accommodate tents to RV’s, as your fishing base. Be sure to read and understand all camping regulations and reservation information before planning your adventure. I enjoy fishing many streams in the North Carolina side of the
By Shannon Messer
GSMNP. These include, but are not limited to, Cataloochee Valley, Straight Fork, Oconaluftee, Deep Creek, Noland Creek, Bradley Fork, Big Creek, and Kephart Prong. All of these fisheries are reachable via an easy drive, with little or no hiking, although hiking an hour or so can be a major game changer. All of these fisheries offer excellent backcountry camping that can make for a great basecamp as you explore the area streams for a few days. Most of these fisheries hold rainbow, brown, and brook trout but you will get into areas where one fish species will be more dominant than others. According to a magazine clipping I got a few years ago, park biologists state most trout in the park grow very fast, live only about 4 years, and die to a lack of food resources. Now, the kicker for me is that the park offers a great diversity of aquatic insects but the density is low. According to the report, only 4% of brook trout and 30% of rainbow trout reach seven inches. Less than 1% of brook trout and 17% of rainbow trout reach eight inches. Now, brown trout can reach up to thirty inches as they switch to a fish diet around eight inches in length. I have always told people “trophy size” is relative to the fishery you are in. For instance, while in the GSMNP last week, we landed and released three rainbows that were over 14 inches, each with the largest
hitting slightly below 18 inch mark; however, most of the rainbows that day were legal keeping-size of seven inches. We also landed several brook trout and Ken rolled a very large brown on a #12 Purple Parachute. The point is that opportunities exist, if you get out and find them. I like using my Orvis Recon 8’4” 3wt with a WF Floating Line and a braided leader with 5x, 6x, and 7x tippets, depending on circumstances. I love throwing dry flies and I stick to a basic collection of traditional patterns, such as the Yellow Palmer, Green Palmer, Charlie Whopper, Thunder Head, Adams Variant, and my version of a Purple Parachute. I use sizes from 10 to 14 often taking my largest trout on the largest fly. I highly recommend wearing camouflage clothing as you fish
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the GSMNP. These trout can pick up every movement, shadow, ripple of water, and foot vibration as you make your move to them. Give yourself every advantage that you can. Fish smarter, not harder, and fish were the fish are. Limit false casts and focus on sections of the water that actually hold trout. Pick up a map of the GSMNP and starting planning your next adventure. I think that you will find easy access fishing as well as many places to escape for a few days in the backcountry. Expect to see and experience many beautiful things that a lot of people never see or experience. Wildlife will be everywhere, so respect them and remember we are guests in their homes. Shannon Messer is the Manager of Blackrock Outdoors/Orvis Fly Shop located in Sylva, NC.
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Jackson County Chamber Turns Festival Into Philanthropy Hook, Line & Drinker Festival gathers volunteers for Scotts Creek Cleanup Sept. 9 By Kelly Donaldson
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he Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, WNC Fly Fishing Trail and N.C. Trout Capital organized the inaugural Hook, Line and Drinker Festival on Saturday, May 20 in Sylva, N.C. The free event featured music by two bands, 17 fly fishing guides and clean water vendors, three food trucks, and 10 craft breweries. At the host tent, festival organizers gathered the names of more than 50 volunteers to participate in a river cleanup on Scotts Creek later this year on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. “The goal of the festival was to bring like-minded individuals together to spread the word about the great fishing, music, beer and food we have right here in our backyard,” said Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Hooper Spiro. “But most of all, we wanted to have a vehicle to do something positive for our community. There has never been a cleanup of Scotts Creek and we thought this would be a generous way to give back in a creative way that benefits what we’re all about as well.” American Rivers and the Tuckaseegee Chapter of Trout Unlimited are partnering with the chamber to organize the Scotts Creek Cleanup. The effort is planned to begin at 8:30 a.m. at Monteith Park in Dillsboro and move south along Scotts Creek into downtown Sylva. Life jackets will be provided, along with breakfast, water and lunch. There will be door prizes for the most trash collected by an individual and the cra14 WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
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ziest piece of trash removed from Scotts Creek. Anyone who would like to sign up for the Scotts Creek Cleanup can contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828586-2155 or e-mail Spiro at julie@ nc-mountains.com. The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and community partners created the WNC Fly Fishing Trail in 2009. The chamber spearheaded an effort in 2016 to have Jackson County proclaimed the N.C. Trout Capital. In June of 2016, the N.C. House and Senate designated Jackson County as the Premier Fishing Destination in the state. The official designation of N.C. Trout Capital is making its way through the N.C. General Assembly this summer. The state record for the largest rainbow trout ever caught was in Jackson County. Jackson has 31 public access points for fishing; supports fishing classes for children, is home to the nation’s largest river cleanup day in the country (Tuck River Cleanup); and plays host to its own chapter of Trout Unlimited. For more information contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 828-586-2155, visit www.mountainlovers.com, visit www.wncflyfishingtrail.com, or visit www.nc- troutcapital.com. All three entities have Facebook pages as well, as does the Hook, Line and Drinker Festival.
Seriously…Take A Kid Fishing! By Eddie Hudon
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his month’s article is a refection on a fishing trip with my son and my two grandchildren, Joshua and Aiden Hudon, who live in Pennsylvania. It’s a story about a young boy sharing his fishing experience with all of us. We always say, “ Take a kid fishing, and make a memory”. What we don’t say is, “it makes for a memory for us too”! Joshua was only 11 years old
when this story happened. As you read the article, notice how he paid attention to detail. It shows that the time spent on his fishing trip was so important to him that he chose to write about it for a class project. Today, Josh is 20 years old. He came to NC in May with a fellow college roommate and we fished the Tuckaseegee in Jackson County. They both caught trophy rainbows!! Another memory to cherish!
My Famous Fishing Trip
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By Joshua Hudon
oday was the day to go fishing with my grandpa. I had been waiting all year to fish with him. I go fishing every summer in West Palm Beach, Florida. This time, there was going to be a twist in my fishing trip. We had to wake up early for the fishing trip. It took a long time to wake up my brother Aiden. My brother Aiden, grandpa, dad, and I got dressed, ate breakfast, and brushed our teeth. Before we could leave, we packed the fishing gear into the car. My grandpa said, “Are you ready to fish?” Aiden and I said, “Yes!” Now it was time to go! It took us fifty minutes to drive to the Bass Pro Shop where we met the captain of the fishing boat. The captain drove us in his car with the boat hitched on the back. It took forty minutes to arrive in Dade County, where we would fish on canal number twenty. I was very excited to go fishing! The captain backed up the car so the boat would slide into the water. My grandpa, Aiden, dad, and I left the car and stood on the dock. We watched the boat trailer move into the clear blue water until the boat floated. The captain got out of the truck and walked back to the fishing boat. He grabbed a rope from the boat and tied it to a pole on the dock. Then, we unloaded our fishing gear from the captain’s trunk and put it on the boat. Finally, we could go fishing. We drove the boat around the canal to find a fishing spot. Then we started to fish. I put fake bait on the fishing hook and cast my line into
the water. After about two minutes, I felt a tug on the fishing line. My dad helped me reel in a medium sized peacock bass because I asked him to help me. First, we took a picture of me with the fish. Then, I threw it back into the water. My grandpa helped Aiden catch a sheep head. My dad took a picture of Aiden with the fish and then he threw it back into the water. Next, we drove the boat to a different fishing spot. While we were under a bridge, I saw a big fish swimming near the shore. I was thinking that I wanted to catch that big fish. I had to put the live minnow on the hook before I could cast the line into the water. I stood at the front of the boat and quickly cast the line into the water. The Fish saw the minnow and it bit the minnow’s tail and then the head of the minnow where the hook was. The fish started to swim left to right trying to get away. I reeled in the line and pulled the fish out of the water and onto the boat. The fish was 22 inches long and looked like a catfish. It was flopping around on the deck of the boat. The captain said, “That’s a Big Mouth Sleeper!” I said, “What’s a Big Mouth Sleeper?” He said, “It’s a really rare fish and only grown-ups ever catch them.” I felt like I could catch anything. I was the first kid so far to catch a Big Mouth Sleeper. I felt famous. The captain took the Big Mouth Sleeper off of my fishing hook and put it on a bigger hook. My grandpa took a picture of me holding the Big Mouth Sleeper with Aiden and my dad. I threw the fish
Big Mouth Sleeper back into the water. After fishing, we drove back home to West Palm Beach to see my mom and grandma. I was so proud that I caught the Big Mouth Sleeper. After a couple of days, my family and I flew back home to Pennsylvania. The next week, I received a newspaper article from my grandpa. On the front cover, there was a picture of my brother Aiden, my
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dad, and me holding the Big Mouth Sleeper. I read the article about me catching the Big Mouth Sleeper and then I called my grandpa to thank him for sending it to me. My mom and dad were so proud that I was on the front cover of the newspaper. I was happy that I spent time fishing with my grandpa. I will go fishing again next summer. I wonder if the next fishing trip will have a twist like this one.
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MAGGIE VALLEY
Jonathan Creek
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Enjoy our relaxed dining experience overlooking Jonathan Creek We have something for everyone, veggie platter, fried catfish, lemon peppered catfish, or a killer turkey melt with bacon. We make all our sauces in house daily.
Catering, Large or Small • Pet Friendly Dine indoors or outside under the canapy
1584 SOCO RD, MAGGIE VALLEY, NC Visit our table at the BBQ festival in Maggie Valley July 21st
Check out the Dollar General ad for a free sandwich coupon.
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By Aaron Motley
eaded to Western North Carolina this summer and plan to be in the Maggie Valley area? Then remember to bring your fishing rod. Anglers are allowed to fish Jonathan Creek, which flows from the top to the bottom of Maggie Valley. The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) regulates the stream as Hatchery Supported trout waters. If you are unfamiliar with this designation, it means the stream is closed to fishing after the last day of February to the first Saturday in April. The stocking reports for each county can be found in the cold water fisheries information on the NCWRC website www.ncwildlife.org. Anglers should fish Jonathan Creek with smaller-size 12-14 dry flies that are able to support a nymph dropper. A 7.5ft 6X leader is also recommended for this stream. In the longer runs and holes behind the businesses and parking lots, anglers can use a 9ft 6X leader in these more open areas; otherwise a shorter leader will be better. This aids in having a greater distance from your fly line to your flies. Many accesses to the creek can be found at bridges and parking lots of businesses like, Butt’s on The Creek, which is a great place to get some food after fishing. If you need a cup of coffee before you fish, stop in at Maggie Valley Restaurant and have a cup of coffee, and see if you can get any local knowledge before heading to the creek. The fish found in Maggie Valley will be Brooke, Brown, or Rainbow trout. The wild fish in this area tend to eat early and late during the summer months. A Carolina Wulff, or
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parachute purple haze in size 16, are my flies of choice. Combine those flies with a dropper of a PMD split case 16 or 18, and you have a very productive system. One stream feature to note about Jonathan Creek is the depth frequently changes so your dropper size, length of dropper, and weight of dropper are factors to revisit often so that your fishing is as productive as possible. Recently, there have been many anglers that have been using Tenkara rods that are 10-13 feet in length. Braided leaders of 4 -8 feet with a tippet ring are most successful in this stream. I recommend attaching nylon tippet of 6X strength with a braided leader 68 inches long, and then attach 3 ½ feet of tippet, and a dropper of 14 inches to a size 16 tungsten bead frenchie. Remember that the strength of Tenkara is the length of Tenkara. Tenkara is a way the help anglers who have limited hand strength, a hard time wading, or for kids learning to fish. It is a tension based fishing system that children excel at learning, and achieving success, aka, catching fish. Presentation of flies is what makes Tenkara fishing so effective. To learn more about this style of fishing please visit the knowledgeable staff at Hunter Banks in Waynesville, or the Asheville location of Hunter Banks. Aaron Motley is Operations Manager at the Waynesville location of Hunter Banks. His waterfowl hunting addictions supports his fly tying addiction. He learned his fly-fishing craft from “fishy” people and pursues large trout, bass, and musky on a daily basis. He teaches others to do the same.
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WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 17
828.926.0425
Lake Junaluska – Haywood County’s Gem
S Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner The Maggie Valley Restaurant is Maggie's Family Eatery
Since 1952 we have pleased our customers serving southern cooking at it's best.
COME SEE US!
By Dan Dry
urrounded by beautiful homes and landscapes on one side, the Methodist Center on the other, this crystal clear stream fed lake has a lot to offer. Gas powered engines are not allowed but trolling motors, kayaks, and canoes are. Kayak rentals are available at the Methodist Center. Bank fishing is also permitted in certain areas. Let’s get to the smorgasbord of table fare in the lake. It’s loaded with Bass; largemouth and smallmouth, and the ole redeye has also been biting. Bream, Crappie, Blue catfish, and every species of trout are also present. I have fared well on artificial baits as well as live. But as usual I will be found with mostly live bait. These old bass have seen “every bait on the shelf ” and will seldom even look at it. Trust me I’ve tried. But you free line the live minnow in the
current or around the banks -get ready. The crappie or Sac~a~Lait can be caught on jigs or minnows. Sac~a~Lait …you wonder, “what is that?” In Cajun country, it is French for crappie meaning “milk of the water”. In angler’s terms; it just don’t get much better. The bream and catfish can be hammered with crickets or worms, the small beetle spin also works. Back to the Bass…my artificial favorite is the Rebel or Rapala broke back stick lure. The one with the diving lip is pretty good also. It’s time to put the kayak on the Jeep and head to the lake. Happy fishing y’all~~ Dan Dry Dan Dry can be reached on Facebook and dandry53@gmial.com
WE’RE IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB If you had advertised here,10,000 Readers would have read it! Plus New Advertising Opportunities on Our Angler Website
theanglermag.com/western-nc Phone: 828-775-9663 E-Mail: debra@theanglermagazine.com
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RIVER REFLECTIONS
Fishing In The Rain By Matt Mittan
Y
ou know the old adage, “The fishing is always better in the rain.” I don’t know if that’s entirely true or not because the most frequent catch I’ve encountered in inclement weather is a cold. The other thing I can say with great confidence about being out in the elements is that I have netted more than my share of good, whiney, martyr-vibed stories to tell to my family and friends. “So there we were, out on the high country wash, fishing the eddies, when all of a sudden May turned into March. The sun turned to clouds. The clouds turned to rain. The rain turned to snow. We could’ve died out there that day!” Half the fun of telling such stories is measuring how far you can push a person’s eye roll into the back of their head. But the real stories, not the ones meant for the non-anglers amongst us, are the ones we share when we’re among our own kind. Reflecting on gentle hushes that can only be found on a soft drizzly morning, before the sun crests the top of the clouds. The mesmerizing trance that locks your gaze when you stand upon the edge of a glass surface, watching the rain drops bounce back up from their circular water trampolines.
If you’ve been out in nature, either alone or with a friend, engaged in the pursuit of finding other living things, then you’ve no doubt got your own moments starting to stir in your heart now. I can remember floating down a slow water stream in New England during a snail’s pace, steady snowfall one winter. The silence was so heavy that you felt like you could reach out and hit it with your hand. I had a fishing buddy with me on that trip. Even though it was about 30 years ago, we both could sit back with big smiles and struggle to convey in words the beauty we found in it. And there’s the real bounty of fishing in the rain… nature reveals things to you that you won’t find on a postcard day, when so many others trek out to do their bidding against their favorite fish. You have to commit to putting yourself in that environment; you have to self-sacrifice comfort, convenience and sometimes even spending time with your comrades. But it’s almost like God Himself recognizes your effort and respect for His creation and decides to reward you for it. In many ways, I think life can be the same way. Over the past few months, I have had many loved ones deal with challenges, mostly
medical. When compared to the weather of life, this could most definitely be seen as a rainy season. But I want to tell you…I have experienced some of the most beautiful, memorable, and meaningful moments during this same stretch of challenges. And the people who walk bravely, side by side, down this river of life, create memories that will bind them in ways that nothing else can. I know that going out in the rain and exposing yourself to the elements can be scary, even painful at times, but I am here to tell you, with no doubt in my mind, that your soul will be rewarded for it. Make yourself that canoe in the snow. Be that raindrop that bounces back up off the surface after impact. Be the fool who fishes in the rain.
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(Writers Note: This column is dedicated to Trina, the wonderful home care nurse I met sitting in the surgical waiting room of St Joseph Hospital in Asheville. Her heart of service toward people that others might turn away from was truly inspiring. Plus, she said her husband is an avid reader of Angler Magazine so I figure it can score her some good brownie points for the shout out.) Matt Mittan is a long time broadcaster in WNC, an entrepreneur and USAF veteran who has fished all around the world. He can often be found aboard his classic red Old Town canoe in search of mountain Bass. Matt currently has an insurance business, partnered with AFLAC, providing benefits and tax solutions for area businesses. Email MattsFishingDiary@gmail.com with story ideas or feedback.
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ASHEVILLE AREA
Nighttime Kayak Fishing
S
ummer’s arrived in Western North Carolina and a very wet spring means mountain rivers and streams are higher and faster than they were last year. While that’s a welcome change, the longer days and higher temperatures of July and August bring challenges for anglers. Warmer water and bright sunshine drive fish into deeper cover, making for a longer and hotter day on the water. That’s what makes this a great time to explore evening-into-night fishing! A kayak is the perfect vessel for taking advantage of this opportunity as it’s more mobile than standing on the shore and bounces off rocks much better than a fiberglass hull. You’ll also find just about as many fish biting as an early morning outing. Night fishing isn’t for everyone and introduces new elements of risk such as loss of visual cues
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By Chris Bubenik
and predators that like to hunt in the darkness. It can be a welcome change for those with busy schedules and allows a fresh perspective on trips you may have taken dozens of time under the sun. Before you head into the night, take these tips into consideration.
fishing partners in case you get separated, highly reflective flag, and a good light. Light will keep you visible to other anglers, recreational paddlers, and boaters. A 360-degree light elevated from the deck of your kayak, headlamp, and floating flashlight are all good recommendations. A hand-crank flashlight or lantern isn’t a bad idea, either. You should always wear a PFD when you’re on the water, but going without isn’t even an option for night excursions. Even if you don’t plan to be out after sunset, prepare for it.
Plan Ahead When picking your night spots, stick to familiar areas. Any body of water will look brand new at night, even if you’ve paddled it many times before. Make note of landmarks and bring a buddy, if possible. Two anglers can cover more Turn on Your Lights Before It water and watch out for each other. Gets Dark Always check your gear before getGrab the Right Gear ting on the water to make sure it’s You’ll need a few basic tools, most charged. Turning on your lights of which you already have. Essen- early means less scrambling as the tials include a PFD, a GPS to steer sun goes down and less chance of clear of rocks and pinpoint fishy finding yourself night swimming water, a radio to communicate with instead of night paddling!
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The best fishing usually occurs at least an hour after the sun goes down, so don’t get discouraged if you find it dying down. The fish will be biting again soon! Of course, this advice can only go so far. You’ve got to get on the water and try it for yourself. Be sure to check local regulations about operating watercraft between dusk and dawn as they vary across the region. If you want to give several models of fishing kayaks a test drive (during the day), join Diamond Brand Outdoors on Lake Julian on July 16 and July 30 for free demo days from 10am-2pm. Chris Bubenik is the Marketing Director at Diamond Brand Outdoors. He lives in Asheville, NC and is an avid outdoorsman and kayak fisherman.
By: Dustin Stanberry
W
Kung Fu Crab
ith summer finally here, the redfish activity in the grass flats should start to pick up. With this in mind, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite saltwater patterns for flats feeding redfish. This pattern I believe is from Eddie Wyatt. Since this patterns inception, it has been tied in several variations and I believe this may be another. This pattern is a fairly easy fly to tie and very durable. It can be tied in many different color variations to imitate the crabs in the flats you are fishing. I like this fly tied in traditional blue crab coloration. I also like to tie it with a heavy hourglass eye so that it will drop through the grass. The weed guard is optional although, I tie almost all of my
crab patterns for flats fish weed less now. The most difficult part of this fly is probably working with the EP Fibers. To manage things, a very small hair clamp works great. Lastly, the eyes can either be purchased or made fairly easily with hard mono melted, painted with fingernail polish and coated with CCG Tack Free or your choice of tack free uv resin. As always, best wishes and tight lines!
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15, 1/0 Thread: UNI-Thread 6/0, Fire Orange Bead: Presentation Lead Eye, Small Eyes: Black Mono Eyes, Large or sized to fit fly. Mouth: Cactus Chenille in Hot Orange, Medium Mouthparts 1: Krystal Flash, Root Beer Mouth Parts 2: Gray Marabou Fibers Claws: Magnum Rabbit Zonker, Chinchilla. Split and coated with CCG Tack Free. Claw Tip Color: Cascade Crest Tools Creative Color System, Red. Body: Tan, Brown and Blue EP Fibers. Legs: Hareline Fly Enhancer Legs, Lt. Blue/Pumpkin.
Dustin Stanberry is an instructor at Biltmore Fly Fishing and Sporting Clays located in Asheville, NC.
Photos by Dustin Stanberry
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F
Asheville’s Newest Hot Spot
ounded in 2016, Salvage Station is Asheville, NC’s new favorite riverfront bar, restaurant, concert hall, and special events venue located in the historic River Arts District along the French Broad River. From music shows and festivals, to community and private events, Salvage Station is an excellent place to hang out and have a truly great Asheville experience. Less than one half mile from downtown, the restaurant features eclectic Southern and Appalachian inspired choices of in-house
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smoked meats, sandwiches, and lighter fare. Full bar, vegan/vegetarian options, late night menu, live music almost nightly, and a family friendly atmosphere have made Salvage Station a fan favorite among locals and tourists alike. Indoor and outdoor dining options are both available. Large sweeping open areas of grass for family outings and multiple viewpoints from the river’s waterfront location provide a unique opportunity to combine our three favorite things – music, food, and fun – into one great place.
Innovative Stormwater Control Protects Fish Populations in Western NC
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By Alex Blue and Sierra Kindley
he French Broad River Watershed is well known for its recreational fishing. When sediment and other pollutants enter the river, fish are among the first to suffer its effects. Stormwater runoff is currently the primary source of water pollution in Western North Carolina. The steep slopes that characterize the watershed, combined with a steady increase in urbanization and impervious surfaces has led to an increase in stormwater runoff that threatens water quality. One way to manage stormwater runoff is through the implementation of stormwater control measures (SCMs). SCMs are structural features that capture stormwater runoff, thus slowing its velocity and allowing the water to slowly infiltrate into the soil where sediment and pollutants are removed. Managing stormwater runoff from steep impervious surfaces in Western North Carolina is a challenge due to the shallow soils and limited level areas for SCMs in the Appalachian Mountain landscape. The nonprofit organization RiverLink has received funding from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund for a project that
could help set the standard for stormwater control in Western North Carolina. The Dingle Creek Innovative Stormwater Project will implement stormwater control measures on the Givens Estate campus in south Asheville to alleviate water quality concerns. Givens Estate is representative of the steep urbanized watersheds that characterize much of southern Appalachia. Stormwater control measures within the Dingle Creek Watershed will focus on bioretention by reintroducing native plant life, infiltration basins, stormwater wetlands, and bioswales. The goal of this project is to reduce the stormwater flow and pollution entering Dingle Creek, making it a healthier ecosystem for aquatic organisms, including the fish that are at the center of many recreational activities in the region. The Dingle Creek Innovative Stormwater Project is vital to our understanding of stormwater runoff in highly urbanized watersheds characterized by steep slopes. As development continues within the city of Asheville, findings from this project will be a critical part of alleviating future impaired watersheds in the area. Visit riverlink.org to support RiverLink’s efforts to keep our WNC streams healthy.
Alex Blue is a McCullough Research Fellow from UNC-Asheville and Sierra Blue is RiverLink’s Watershed Resources Intern.
Relaxing and Adventurous River Float Trip on the French Broad River
Enjoyable River Float Trip Don't spend your weekends doing the same old stuff. Take your family and friends for a river float trip on the French Broad River. Landscape and wildlife will give you the perfect blend of solace and adventure that you can enjoy with your loved ones for hours. Lazy River Tubing Trips Open May thru September Open 10:00am-4:00pm Seven Days a Week No Reservations Needed!
Sky Tubing
500 Lyman Street Asheville, NC 28801 skytubing@hotmail.com
828-225-3259
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JULY 2017
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 23
Is Social Media an Enemy of Fly Fishing?
S
ocial media is killing fly fishing! There, I said it. The conversations that I’ve had with fellow anglers and guides can attest to what I know a good portion of us, as fly anglers (or any anglers) are feeling. At first, I thought I was just being cynical, and that maybe I was being selfish with the fishing spots on which I learned my angling skills, but over recent years there have been a few phrases that always enter the conversation when talking about fishing: “The fishing isn’t the same as it used to be.” “I can remember when no one knew about (insert river name here) and now there are a million pictures on Facebook showing exactly where it is.” “It’s not worth fishing at (insert river name here) anymore, it’s too beat to death.” Discussions about this topic with fellow anglers have, to this
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Ethan Hollifield
point, been conducted in a hushed tone. I know that I can’t be the only one that cringes on the inside when I see the name and exact GPS coordinates of a place I worked so hard to find and learn how to fish posted all over Instagram, Facebook, or in some amateur YouTube video. Almost every spot I thought was somewhat unknown now has at least one hashtag to go along with it. This can be largely attributed to a lack of understanding on the part of the angling community. It is important to understand how fragile the ecosystems of smaller trout streams are, and that excessive pressure and improper harvest (or even release) techniques can have drastic effects on the health of a trout population. And after all, one of the joys of fly fishing is finding a secluded spot through hard work and research… instead of a social medial outlet. This is an article that I wish I
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didn’t feel compelled to write, let me make that perfectly clear. I’m also in no way shape or form some overly jealous angler who doesn’t want people in any water within 100 miles of me. I believe that everyone has a right to these places, but more often than not, that right is taken for granted. A conversation has to be started when it comes to this issue, because I know I can’t be the only one who has this in the back of their mind. Hero shots of fish really don’t bother me at all either. I love seeing other people having the same expression of accomplishment on their face that I do when I hook a really nice fish. What kills me is the location tab that I see above the photo of a fish. Social media sites are fantastic ways to keep connected and to provide educational outlets for us as anglers to use, but I think there is a fine line between using these sites wisely and the unintended consequenc-
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es to our sport that it’s producing. Places that I used to covet are now covered in footprints, trash, and the feeling of wildness lost. Reading this will surely step on some reader’s toes, but I urge those who have made it this far in the article to at least consider what has been written. No singular problem in conservation can be faced without open discussion and debate. I could continue writing pages on this topic, but I’ll end this rant with a quote from one of my favorite college professors in natural resource management: “… the best way to conserve anything in nature is to keep it from those who see it merely as a picture to be taken and not a landscape to be cherished.” I couldn’t agree more.
Ethan Hollifield is a guide for Southern Appalachian Anglers and works with French Broad Riverkeeper
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WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 25
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Farm Pond Fishing By Michael Yelton
M
y Uncle Joe had a little farm pond tucked away in the field behind his house that my grandfather and I used to fish when I was growing up. It was always such a treat to fish for the eager largemouth and bluegill that resided there. Farm ponds mean little fishing pressure so the fish were always game to play. Uncle Joe had a little johnboat stashed there that we would paddle around in. When I was young, the ½ acre pond seemed so much bigger then it actually was. The last time I got to fish it, I used my fly rod and threw poppers along the shore. The thrill of catching fish on top-water will never get old to me. When Summertime starts to heat up and the bigger lakes are getting fishing pressure and more boat traffic, small ponds offer a great place to find some solitude. With the aid of Google Earth and topo maps, these small pond jewels can be found easier than ever. Golf courses, resorts, private developments and game lands usually are the best places to
start a search. Be sure to get permission before hitting a new piece of water if it’s not public. Nothing can ruin a day of fishing quicker than a run in with a disgruntled landowner. There are lots of options for getting out on the water with all the different kayaks, paddleboards, kick boats, canoes and float tubes available now. If it’s a real small pond, float tubes or bank fishing is probably the best option. For anything that’s bigger than an acre, a sit-ontop kayak or paddleboard is a good choice. A fishing partner is a must for canoes or johnboats. Go early or late in the day for best results. I like to use a 9’6wt or 7wt fly rod for small ponds as they handle throwing bigger, bulkier flies better. You can also make longer cast more efficiently from a sitting position. Floating fly line will do the trick 90% of the time. Intermediate line can be effective to probe deeper in the water column. Usually, these ponds aren’t super deep so leave your deeper full sinking lines at home. I like to use a
9 – 10 foot leader, tapering 20lb to 15lb to 12lb or 10lb test, depending on the water clarity. When using poppers, I like to use size 6 hook because it’s big enough to catch bass and bigger bluegill and it’s a little too big for the smaller bluegill. If poppers aren’t producing, I’ll probe deeper in the water column with baitfish imitations like the clouser
minnow. If the fish aren’t on baitfish I’ll go with worm patterns and dredge the bottom.
Michael Yelton is the Owner of Grandaddy Fly Fishing. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, feel free to contact him at info@granddaddyflyfishing.com.
www.granddaddyflyfishing.com (828) 980-3554
Trusted in the Industry. Rooted in the Community.
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BREVARD
POSEY By Danny Maybin
F
ishing friends seem to, nearly always, be the lasting kind. I can’t begin to describe how much my life has been enriched by the many anglers I have come to call friend. Many I only met once or twice and many I see everyday. I doubt I have enough time left on earth to tell you about even half of them but one in particular was very dear to me. I don’t think I ever knew his given name. I just called him Posey [like Rosie with a P]. The first time I met Posey, it was obvious he had never been fishing. In fact it was plain to see he had never experienced any of the joys of the outdoor world but seemed so excited to just be in the action that I couldn’t resist taking him under my wing. As Posey slowly learned the ropes with such zeal, he soon became my favorite fishing partner. After a year or so, I rarely had
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to tell him anything except “don’t eat the bait”, “don’t pee on the boat” and “don’t chew on the rod handles”. You see, Posey was my dog. A bloodhound bred high as a woodpecker’s hole but neither he nor I held much stock in pedigrees. We just liked to go fishing. I found him in a dirt road bait shop somewhere between Charleston and Beaufort, S.C. He was the last of the litter and apparently unsalable as he was the runt, a red, three-pound fur ball, one pound body, two pounds ears! I swapped a 5500c and a Fenwick fast tip rod for him. Best trade I ever made! I brought him home and, to his delight and that of the kids, the next three months were a constant romp in the woods of frequent canoe excursions with me pursuing panfish and crappie.
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As he crossed the eighty pound mark, it became apparent our canoeing days were coming to an end when he abandoned ship in the middle of the river to chase a possum on the bank, leaving me, all my tackle and a capsized canoe quietly floating down the river. We then switched to the johnboat ,which sufficed till he reached a hundred and ten pounds. From that point on, we only used vessels of at least eighteen feet. The only impasse we ever reached was that Posey could not remain quiet while I was reeling in a fish. It did not matter if the fish was four inches or forty pounds, as soon as my rod bent he would start this excited, low pitched barking/ howl that lasted until the fish was off the hook. I didn’t mind this most of the time but in a catfish tournament where everybody knew what
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Posy’s howl meant, it oft-times resulted in a lot of unwanted company in my fishing spot! As time went on, we finally ended up with a moderate sized cabin boat, which made life easier for both of us. Once Posey discovered the virtues of a cabin, I was hard pressed to keep him on deck under fifty and over seventy degrees. Posey was aging much faster than I was but I knew he still wanted to be there. If I happened to step down into the cabin, the first sound I would hear was the thump, thump, thump of his massive tail against the bottom of the forward berth. After a many good years, in the spring, just about two weeks before the redbreast started their spawn, ole Posey played with the kids, ate a good supper and went to his bed happy but never to rise again. There was about a year of fish-
ing without Posey that proved to be odorless and tasteless but I still had my human friends to fish with. I know they are friends because, bone tired of my repetitive Posey stories, they kept going out with me. Then one day I came home to discover my wife and kids had had their fill of my moping and decided it was time for a new fishing partner. Enter the Badger. Badger is what is known around here as a bench legged feist. Weighing in around six pounds, soaking wet, Badger is mostly black with half of his head white and a bobbed tail. Puppyhood was fine but when we started fishing, Badger began to develop a sense of entitlement. He never had to ride in a lowly canoe or johnboat or even a shadeless center console. Nope he came in on top and now has claimed the Captain’s chair as his personal day-
bed. He never even raises his head when I hook up and when I need the chair to drive the boat, he bares his teeth, growls and snaps at anything that threatens to unseat him! I’ve discovered a really good use for those ugly, orange life jackets. I use one like the padded arm they train attack dogs with. Once unseated, I have to make sure the cabin door is closed as Badger will invariably pee on my bunk and find something, be it curtains or boots, to destroy. I’m just glad he’s not Posey’s size. I guess at least he is company if not “good company”. I can say his name and he growls at me from the chair and I know I’m not alone, but I’m not sure if that’s worth anything. I’m sure he would rather I jump ship just as long as I’m back in time to feed him. It’s really not much better at home. Instead of the Captain’s
chair, my wife’s lap is his chosen lair anytime she sits down, which leaves me no place to lay my weary head. I think I’ll get one of those orange life jackets for the den. He will play with the kids but gets snappy and sullen once he’s bored with the activity. He even growls at himself when he passes the floor mirror in our bedroom. I’ll always remember that look in Posey’s eyes that said “You’re my friend and I’ll always be yours”. All I get from Badger is a look that says, “I’m going to outlive you, and then all this will be mine”. I’m in quite the tight spot here and I never even saw it coming. If I leave him at home when I go fishing, the family will be upset. I can’t leave him tied to the dock, as he would surely bite someone, which would mean I couldn’t return home with him, which, in turn, would upset the family.
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I guess if you believe in the balance of life or the yin and the yang, I’m paying for all the good years with Posey. I wish he was here now, I’d sick him on the little monster. If I do manage to outlive Badger, I think I’m going to get a cat. At least I can go into the relationship with no expectations of loyalty or friendship, which brings to my mind the age-old question “Do all dogs go to heaven?” In my humble yet experienced opinion; Not all, my friends, not all.
Danny Maybin’s family has fished and hunted in the area of Lake Summit for at least six generations. He is a state firearms instructor, blacksmith, musician/luthier and his favorite, a fishin’, and hunting resort facilitator. He also does voice acting, copywriting, and short story humor.
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THE HIGH COUNTRY
A Madison County Primer By Paul Kisielewski
WNC Mountain Adventures
The quaint towns in Madison County, NC speak for themselves. Mars Hill, Marshall and Hot Springs are some of the more wellknown towns in the county, and each has something special to offer. Mars Hill is home to the historic Mars Hill University, ranked among the top 100 regional colleges in the South. The small town of Marshall is nestled in the mountains on the bank of the French Broad River, and though it may be small, it is rich in scenery, history, and unique dining experiences. Hot Springs is a quaint mountain town that is known for its healing hot natural springs. After hiking a rugged mountain trail, one can relax in a hot mineral bath before heading to dinner at one of the locally-owned and operated restaurants in the area. Hot Springs remains untrammeled by chain restaurants and department stores, and it becomes easy to succumb to the romance of simple mountain
life while taking in the gorgeous views this town has to offer. There are many outdoor adventures in Madison County, including hiking the Appalachian Trail, rafting, biking, and fly fishing. With vast rolling hills, to untouched mountains, the county is surrounded by the French Broad River, running west of Highway 26. Feeder creeks, springs, and backcountry streams all fall into the French Broad River, and almost every smaller creek provides trout with lush, native habitats. Madison County offers the perfect backdrop for any outdoor adventure, and each town offers an authentic, re- found in Big Laurel Creek. The delayed harvest creek is stocked every freshing experience. year with big brown trout, brook Madison County Rivers trout, and rainbow trout. Big Laurel The charming towns of Mars Creek, however, is unlike any other Hill and Marshall have much to of- delayed harvest section. The river fer when it comes to fly fishing. You curves through the mountains and will find water in virtually every di- smaller feeder creeks feed into the rection you drive. Some of the best Big Laurel, providing fly anglers fishing in Madison County can be with a chance to catch wild trout. Big Laurel provides anglers, of all ages, easy river access and abundant fishing opportunities.
Fly Selection and Clear Water
The gushing mountain water can be dingy at times, but it doesn’t take long for the river systems to clear out after a rain. The water is usually crystal clear, and the blessed fly fishing dictum is, “if you can see the fish, the fish can see you.” This is true for the freestone river. Tippet selection between 7x and 5x is highly recommended when throwing dries or nymphs. Fly selection can vary by month or even
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week. It is recommended to look at a fly fishing hatch chart before heading to the river to ensure the hatch is matched.
Summer Hatch
The Ephemerella Invaria – Sulphur is one of the best dry flies to match when fly fishing the Big Laurel. These mayflies hatch during the month of June and into July. As the sun begins to set, tie on a #16-#18 Light Cahill for late afternoon and evening dry fly action. You will begin to see hatches at dusk and these flies prove effective. Paul Kisielewski is a seasoned guide in Asheville, NC and owns Southern Appalachian Anglers – Asheville Fly Fishing Guide Service. He is local to the area and grew up chasing wild trout around WNC. For reservations call (828) 691-1506 or visit southernappalachiananglers.com to reserve a fly fishing destination.
The Linville River By James Marsh
L
inville River is considered one of the state’s better trout streams by some anglers. It is also quite different from many other North Carolina trout streams in some ways. The uppermost part of the Linville River starts close to Linville Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the little community of Crossnore. Fly fishing the Linville river is best during the Spring and Fall months. The first odd thing you may notice about the Linville River is that, instead of being the typical fast flowing, headwater stream, it flows only moderately in its upper sections. It meanders along as if it were going to stop; however, its upper waters are located at a high elevation and the water still stays well oxygenated. In that sense, it’s more like a Western alpine headwater stream than an Appalachian mountain headwater stream. It runs right along state highway #105
to Linville and then continues flowing moderately along U. S. highway #221 to Crossnore. The Linville River is a small to medium sized stream in the Crossnore area with plenty of water. From Crossnore, it flows onto National Park property at the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville Falls. Although the stream has plenty of wild trout, it’s stocked by the state. I guess this is primarily because of its easy access. Even when the stream gets on the park service property, it’s still stocked by the state of North Carolina. It would do well as a wild trout stream in my opinion. About three miles downstream from its intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway, the stream flows into the Linville Gorge Wilderness. The falls, and 1100 acres around them, are owned by the National Park Service. There is a visitors’ center and several trails that lead to various observation points of the
falls and gorge. The Linville Gorge changes things drastically. The river declines over 1800 feet in elevation in just a few short miles. It flows over Linville Falls and becomes a fast and turbulent stream downstream from the base of the falls. At least the easy roadside access goes away. It’s about a 1400 foot change in elevation from the ridge to the stream, so getting in and out of the canyon isn’t easy. The river can be accessed by a few very steep Forest Service trails but it’s very difficult to fish the river on a day trip. Once in the gorge, or canyon would be a better word, the Linville Gorge Trail follows the stream through the entire length of the canyon. This section of the Linville River has deep plunge pools and large brown trout. The state still stocks this section of the river, but at least they use fingerlings. I’m sure they don’t use them to make the trout
grow up to be more like a streambed trout. They do it because it’s much easier. It would be interesting in knowing how many fingerlings actually make it, if that is still the current practice. It wouldn’t be a good idea for anyone to fish this area by themselves. It would be difficult to get out in an emergency situation. As just mentioned, it is also very difficult to get into the canyon, fish any length of time, and get back out the same day. The canyon section is approximately fifteen miles long. Near the end of the Gorge the river flows into Lake James.
Reprinted by permission from James Marsh owner of The “Perfect Fly Store” an online and catalog mail order company, established to sell “Perfect Fly” fly fishing products worldwide.
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WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 31
“Where do we fish?” By Jeff Dean
F
ly fishing is our livelihood, so we put in a lot of time and energy looking for trout, and to be successful, you will have to do the same. People come into Watauga River Fly Shop everyday asking where to fish. There are so many options, but most people overlook the obvious when finding fishing spots and how to research them. Case in point: one of the main thoroughfares
going into Boone is Highway 321. If you live here, or if you’ve visited the Boone area, you’ve probably driven from Boone to Blowing Rock on 321. If you notice, there’s a stream running alongside the road and in front of Mystery Hill and various other attractions between these two towns. That stream is the Middle Fork of the New River. If you are looking for trout wa-
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ter, you are looking for good runs and riffles, deep pools, nice shade and access to the water. The Middle Fork has all of that. If you look closer, you’ve probably noticed the Hatchery Supported signs along the river. Here’s where a little research helps. Just looking at ncwildlife.org will show you that most of the Middle Fork, from the South Fork of the New River to the Lake Chetola Dam, is under Hatchery Supported regulations. Looking a little further shows that the state puts over 4100 trout in this seven-mile stretch. Now that you’ve seen what the water looks like, it should hold trout and the North Carolina Resources Commission has stocked the stream with over 4100 trout - that tells me there is trout in that water! So, we’ve driven by the stream, we’ve seen the stream is stocked, now we want to find a nice stretch to fish. Driving by the stream at 50 mph may not have given you a great idea of what you are looking at. One easy way to research that stretch of water you have your eye on is to simply pull
it up on Google Maps and look at the satellite view. This can give you a good idea of the layout of the water and what you might expect. Remember to follow all of the regulations of the mountain trout waters and just because there is a Hatchery Supported sign on a light post, it doesn’t necessarily mean the property owner allows access. If a property is posted with ‘No Trespassing’ signs, it’s time to find a new spot. If you have any questions, come by the shop and we’ll be glad to help you out. We are lucky enough to have trout waters and we often overlook the spots right under our noses. Besides, there’s only one way to find out if a stream has fish… go fish it!
Jeff Dean is the owner of Watauga River Fly Shop located at 5712 NC Highway 105 South, Vilas, NC. Visit their website at www.wrflyshop.com, email them at info@wrflyshop.com, or give them a call at (828) 963-5463.
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Bass Bugs…Bring Back the Bugs! By Paul Shell
W
hile fishing local tournaments, fun fishing, or just fishing in general, over the past four decades, I’ve noticed very few anglers with a fly rod in their hands, nor in their boats at the ramp. The usual hard baits and soft plastics do catch many fish, but bass are bombarded by these offerings and can become conditioned to some of them. Consider the deer hair bass bug. It is softer than hard bodied bugs-extending your hookset time. Deer hair bugs present a less intrusive-more quiet offering with a different silhouette with a subtle action that, many times, entice a strike, especially when bass are in a neutral feeding mode. They instinctively strike a dying food source, fortunately for us. Just as in pre-spawn, when strikes come during the pause while using a jerkbait. They cannot resist! This time of year, bluegill become a prime target for bass. With bluegill spawning several time a year, look for beds in backs of coves and-or-around some cover, with trees and weeds being the best. These beds are usually easy to see in Lake James’ usually clear water, especially on windless days. Beds can also be located in river channel main lake cuts. One of the most exciting sights in fishing, if the light is right and you have a good angle, is witnessing a bass shooting out from underneath a tree to take a bug. Points are always hot spots along with rip-rap. The deeper the rocks extend into the depths, the better. Even in pre-spawn, we have taken smallmouth, largemouth, and the
occasional white bass in staging areas. Good overall patterns include mostly white, with a red head, solid yellow, tank-brown-black, solid black and all chartreuse. Some chartreuse, either in the tail or collar is also good. A touch of red also helps. All these patterns are very good with a collar, similar to the Dahlberg diver. Try to match the bug to natural food sources, while understanding the food chain in the water, and you can mimic anything with a deer hair bug that struggle in the surface film trying to regain flight, or escape to cover or shore. To match bluegill, use a mixture of olive, blue, tan, and orange. Solid colors are okay, but a combination of two or more colors is better. Again, occasionally add some chartreuse to the pattern. Lighter shades of these colors should be used to mimic juvenile bluegill. These smaller bugs are easier to cast since they offer less wind resistance. Tie, or buy them on #2-#4 hooks larger imitations should include #2/0, #1/0, and #1 in 2X or 3X long hooks. In addition to different colors of deer hair, I utilize hen neck feathers, saddle hackles, ostrich, marabou, rabbit strips, and rubber or the tails and legs with pearl crystal flash and rainbow flashabou accent. Stick-on eyes add an extra appeal. Play it safe and use waterproof epoxy when applying eyes. Deer hair bass bugs represent an easy meal to fish. During the retrieve, which is usually a twitch and wait game, bugs simulate a dying-drowning food source. You can mimic al-
most anything with one, especially a wounded bluegill. Many times a dead-sticking retrieve is very effective. If it is not, try a jerky, erratic retrieve to mimic a bluegill’s darting movements. Though much more fun, topwater isn’t the only method of catching bass with a fly rod. Subsurface imitations such as minnows and threadfin shad are also effective. Tie or buy these slender silhouettes in size #2 through #10. The best ones have estaz opalescent white and pearl, chartreuse krystal flash chenille, or regular chenille in the dressings along with the aforementioned krystal flash and flashabout. It’s best to use a long 10 ft. clear or low-visibility green leader with a 6 lb. or 8 lb. tippet since some of these educated bass can be leader shy. It’s more exciting too, since you can’t exactly “horse” these fish to the boat. I tie my own leaders, with Spiderwire mono, because I believe
the knots help the bug turn over easier. A tapered leader is also fine, just remember to add more power to your forward cast while pushing your forearm forward, before you bend your elbow. So, consider the fly rod with bugs on your next fishing adventure. You just might have more hookups than with other lures. Plus, at Lake James, depending on where you are located on the lake, you can be hanging on to a sizable bass with a view of Shortoff Mountain in the background. At The Rod & Fly, we carry a wide variety of patterns in our store. If we don’t have it, we can tie it! Paul Shell is the Owner/Operator of The Rod & Fly located in Morganton, NC. Visit his store or give him a call at (828) 433-9747.
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WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 33
The Village of Linville Falls By Betty Huskins
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here is only one stop sign in the Village of Linville Fallsin front of the US Post Office. The locals say that they usually create their own nightlife in this little village. That consists of campfires at the fire circle over at Linville Falls Cottages, music on the deck at Spears, or heading down to Wiseman’s View to search for one of the South’s most written about mysteries...the Brown Mountain Lights, one of North Carolina’s most famous legends. Since the German engineer, Gerard Will de Brahm, recorded the mysterious lights here in 1771, thousands of scientist, UFO buffs, and just ordinary people have been showing up here to take a look. Google Brown Mountain Lights on the web or check out X-Project-Paranormal Magazine and you will see how interesting it is. Better yet, come on up to Linville Falls and maybe you will get to see them for yourself!
When you are here, don’t miss the historic Linville Falls Lodge and Cottages built in 1937 by the Huskins family. They are adjacent to the 90-foot waterfalls and the Linville Gorge Wilderness area, the deepest cut in the earth’s surface in Eastern America. You can enjoy miles of premier hiking and backpacking trails and walk to fish in the Linville River. There are several well-known Class A Trout streams nearby in the Wilson’s Creek Watershed, where Lost Cove Creek, Wilson Creek, Harpers Creek, and Craigg’s Prong will challenge even the experienced angler. Other Class A Trout streams nearby are Steels Creek and Upper Creek, which also boasts a beautiful waterfall, and spectacular hiking trails. If you are looking for small-mouth Bass you can easily access the North and South Toe Rivers from this location. The Lodge is only .5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, offering additional hiking and fishing opportunities.
The Lodge, built of local stone and yellow pine, boasts “Sweet Dreams” beds, fluffy duvet comforters, sparkling clean title baths, and in-room coffee and tea service. The Lodge has nine rooms and a breakfast nook that provides a continental breakfast for the guests. There are one and two-bedroom cottages as well as a six-bedroom Manor House with 2 baths - handicapped accessible & ADA approved with a wrap-around porch. This cottage also has a washer and dryer and all the comforts for a relaxing mountain getaway making it suitable for large families and groups. The Lodge grounds are home to many species of southern songbirds and their gardens attract their return guests as well as day-trip-
pers year after year. The restaurant, Spear’s, offers a great menu that includes slow, wood-smoked pork BBQ and ribs, hand-cut steaks, amazing seafood and a variety of burgers and sandwiches. They offer a full bar and feature many local craft brews that you can enjoy alfresco on their spacious, covered outdoor dining deck.
For rates and photos go to linvilefallslodge.com where you can also make on-line reservations.
Linville Falls Lodge & Cottages Spear’s Bar & Grill
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It’s The Little Things… By Kelly McCoy
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he unassuming town of Todd is tucked away between Boone and West Jefferson, NC. It’s a little community comprised of a General Store, Bakery Mercantile, Post Office, two churches, and RiverGirl Fishing Co. and is best described as one of those places where if you blink, you’ll miss it. But like everything else in this town, it’s usually the seemingly insignificant thing that is packed with odd surprises. Take the infamous Pink Woolly Bugger as an example. At RiverGirl, we love to utilize as many local custom made products as we can. Lee Burgess, aka Stretch, is a tall, lanky 70 year old, who has been tying flies for most of his life. Lee is our main source and has been providing us with flies for ten years. Lee came in one day and
was showing us his latest handiworks. Tucked away in the corner of his fly box was a pink woolly bugger. Lee just laughed it off and said he made it for his daughter. Lee’s daughter has Down Syndrome and had requested a Barbie fly...which of course had to be pink. So after seeing it multiple times, we were curious to try it out. Nine years later, it is still our number one seller and most popular fly with the fish. I can still remember my first fish on that fly. Very rarely would I travel more than 24 minutes from Todd to go fishing, but a friend called and said he was going up to Helton Creek and would like a fishing buddy that day. Well, this was before having my son, so I made the big 40 minute drive north to meet him. The water was a tad stained and we weren’t
having much luck with our stimulator dry flies or bigger nymphs. Almost ready to call it quits, I showed my buddy the pink wooly bugger and thought, hmm... maybe I should give this new fly a try. One cast upstream at a 90 degree angle to the current, with that bugger right on the bottom, hanging under an indicator and as soon as it made its way downstream to swing around, the biggest brook trout of my life took it! Now granted, this was a stocked fish and not the wild little brookies that I dream of...but man, this fish was awesome! As a result, you will always find my box lit up with a few of the pink flashy marabou tail flies. Since then, I have caught all three species of trout on that fly and another 20+ species on it as
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well. From bass to bream to spotted sea trout, redfish, pompano.... many more. The pink bugger imitates a fish and ALL fish eat other fish. Folks come into RiverGirl and want a unique fly, but some guys are reluctant to be seen with such a girly fly in their box, so sometimes, I will tell them that it takes a “Real Man” to fish with a pink fly, so they’ll buy one, try it and usually come back for a baker’s dozen. It’s the little things in life that create the greatest impressions. One tiny town, one tiny fly, one act of love...a lifetime of memories. Best Fishes and Over and Trout for now! Kelly McCoy is Founder of RiverGirls Fishing Company Located in Todd, NC.
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A Kayak Fishing Introduction By Scott Norton
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new sport in fishing is becoming a staple in Western North Carolina. More and more, you see people fishing from kayaks. Of all the ways to fish, why fish from a kayak? Let’s start with the different categories of kayaks. You have a sit-on-top or a sit-in kayak. You also have a peddle-driven or basic paddle kayaks. All have different weight capacities and this is where you need to pay attention. Starting out, if you decide you are going to have a lot of add-ons, you may want to consider a high capacity sit-on kayak. If you are a minimalist and you travel lightly, a sit-in kayak is the one for you. Each one has its own advantages. The siton provides ease in getting in and out of the kayak. They are very stable and most, you can stand up in. They hold lots of weight capacity so you can pack lots of gear and tackle for all day trips. The drawback is, they are fairly heavy.
The sit-in kayaks are good for short trips and are easy to carry from vehicle to fishing spot. They take little effort to paddle and are very fast. Sitting in a kayak keeps the sun, wind and rain off your legs. The length is good for tracking straight and the short ones maneuver nicely in tight places. Short ones are great for rivers and long ones are better for lakes or open water. Okay…Now let’s talk about rigging. All fishing kayaks come with some kind of basic setup, most likely with rod holders. You may have a kayak that has none of these options but you will want to set it up to fish. Lots of products are available on the market at stores like Walmart, Dicks Sporting Goods, Field and Stream and Diamond Brand. Another great place to get ideas and research is YouTube, where product reviews are available on all sorts of kayak related items. Give a lot of thought to setting up your anchor. You can buy a kit
Nature and comfort meet here at the highest KOA east of the Mississippi at an altitude of nearly 4,000 feet. Nature and comfort meet here, a spot with long pull thrus under tall trees, a pool, arcade games and even a farm animal mini zoo, all set atop a scenic mountain just 4 miles from city services.
that has everything you need to set up your system, or you can design it with a simple, cheap trip to the hardware store. You’ll find that an anchor is a must for a kayak without a pedal drive. Your hands have to be free to fish and this will remedy the problem. Now that you have everything ready to go, we need to figure out how you will transport your watercraft. This is what really separates kayaks from boats - the sheer convenience of transport. If you have a car, they have products to mount it to the roof. Trucks are even better. Just throw it in the bed and go. With SUVs, a utility trailer will get the job done or put it on a roof rack. Lots of fishermen find themselves going fishing by themselves, so the ease of transportation will make getting to the water effortless. When you have reached your destination, make sure you planned ahead and checked the rules and
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Scott Norton Scott Norton is a native to Western North Carolina. Born in Asheville, NC. He is a long time avid hunter, fisherman, and weekend warrior.
“Come see me after a hard days fishing”
Boone KOA
36 WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
laws for the area you planned to fish. Always keep a PFD or a life jacket and a first-aid kit with your kayak. You will also have state and local licensing to consider as well. All these must be planned ahead so you can enjoy your trip without having to leave when you get there because of poor planning. Kayak fishing can be very exciting and for the anglers who feel they were born to fish; this sport may be your calling. You can make it to places where boats dare to go and very few people have been, so be adventurous and explore new places. “Having fun” is what this sport is about and now you have the way to take it as far as you can go with it.
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By Dustin Stanberry
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here are few things that can ruin a fishing trip quicker than poor fishing etiquette. Good decorum would seem like something an angler would tune into and develop fairly quickly. Yet, negative and/or awkward situations and experiences are becoming more the norm for me. Maybe it’s my location or perhaps bad luck, but I feel that more anglers are affected by poor stream etiquette than let on. An angler that is new to the sport may not even recognize the effects of these actions until someone points it out. Poor etiquette on the water could be a product of many scenarios. It could be an angler with a poor attitude, a sense of entitlement or someone that just doesn’t know what the acceptable behavior is. I feel all anglers, and especially guides, are responsible for setting a good example and teaching the skills of proper fishing etiquette. There are several occurrences that come to mind when thinking about poor stream etiquette, and the majority of them are caused by anglers crowding one another. The fact that there is finite amount of fishable water is something that everyone should recognize. This is especially true for my geographical location, a place where the fish seem to be outnumbered by the anglers, 10 to one. If we are fishing a familiar river, we generally have those spots we dream of the night before. A place we feel will produce fish. We get up early; cram breakfast down, throw the bags in the vehicle and off we go. As we approach our favorite “honey hole,” we begin to get excited and nervous at the same time. As we turn the bend, we are quickly deflated as we see an angler’s vehicle, which is easily spotted by the fishing-related stickers and rod racks. It’s what happens next that will define who we are as anglers. Do we jump out in frustration and stubbornness and rush down to the water and try to jump in front of the angler without giving thought to their space and plan of movement? We should take into account the things that pulled us to the sport of fishing, mainly peace and tranquility while on the water. Let’s face it, for most recreational anglers, fishing is about being out in nature or spending time with a friend on the water. My dreams of fishing are not filled with me prying open a spot to fish in a small stream full of anglers that are glaring at one another or yelling nasty comments across the river. That’s just not my idea of fun. Giving an angler their space should always be at the forefront of good stream decorum. How much space? This is a gray area and depends on the size and popularity of the water. To make things simple,
I always ask myself how much space is reasonable for the given situation. I have fished rivers where there was an angler every 30 yards and was happy to have that amount of space. I’ve also fished rivers with a half-mile, or better, between anglers. In general, always try to give the widest berth possible when you can. Another factor is the angler’s plan of migration while on the water. Are they fishing upstream or working downstream? We don’t want to assume they are headed in any one direction before it is established. One option is to take a moment to watch the angler another is simply to ask. I am sure this next bit may ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be discussed. A guide represents more than themself. They operate at the forefront of this sport, tasked with educating upcoming and experienced anglers alike. As a guide, one may have “home water” that they feel is “their” water. This mentality often dictates the actions and attitudes toward fellow anglers in a negative way. Some guides are just blatantly rude about it. A close friend once had a “guide” approach him while fishing and explain to him that he couldn’t fish a particular stretch of water on certain days during the week because he guided there. Bear in mind that this water is on public land. That is simply unacceptable behavior from a true guide, especially someone who chose the job as his/her profession. I have kayaked several miles to fish a grass flat only to have a guide pole his boat so close to my location that I could smell the sunscreen from the anglers on board. Much of the time I believe this behavior happens out of spite. From a paying customer’s point of view, being with a guide with a negative attitude and not respecting other angler’s space is a very undesirable trait. Most importantly, it sets a bad example to someone new to the sport. There is simply too much water for a situation like this to occur. There is a flip side to this coin, one that must be acknowledged by all anglers, and that is to respect the guide’s and their client’s space while on the water. Guides are working hard to provide a memorable experience for their clients. When an angler invades the space where a guide is working, it takes away from the experience they are working so diligently to provide. If we all participate in this type of activity, where are we headed as anglers? Where is the sport headed? And most importantly, where is the sportsmanship in that way of thinking? Perhaps a few years later, you are in the river and hear that car approaching. As the doors shut, you wonder if they will ask themselves “Am I too close?”
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BLUE RIDGE
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6/19/17 2:21 PM
By Dickelsby Finn
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f you ever thought about visiting beautiful Lake Nottely in the mountains near Blairsville, Ga., and you think you might want to experience some terrific fishing, keep reading. We had the pleasure of joining The Angler Magazine fishing team a few weeks ago. The participants were our two professional fish guiders, Shane Goebels and Darren Hughes. Two other Angler Magazine officials, Bob Rice and Nick Carter were also on board. We gathered at Hughes General Store very early and soon had the big flat bottomed boat out on the water heading for Ivy Log Creek. It was spring, the mountains rose all around us, and the stripers were on the move into the creeks. We were advised to expect either feasting or fasting by the big fish, and hopes were high we would find them looking for herring and shad for breakfast.
Soon the electronics indicated baitfish and stripers at 30 feet. Sturdy rigs were baited and inserted in the rod holders. There were planer boards with blueback herring out each side and a monster gizzard shad on a rig with a bobber the size of a softball trolling behind us. It didn’t take long for the rods start bending, and we all grabbed the nearest one. Jimmy Jr. was closest to the big one in the back, and an epic battle began as he tried to land his first striper ever. This was a very big fish, and it really didn’t want to be caught, so sadly it got free somehow. We could only imagine setting the lake record with that monster that still swims in the Nottely depths. The record, by the way, is heavier than 53 pounds. Nottely is known as a big-fish lake. While this was going on, we landed four other beauties that were quickly released. Soon the kid had another one on a light spinning rod that tried relentlessly to avoid the net. Got ’em this time… a good one! This was an event and a picture memory to last a lifetime. Did I mention this was all going on at the same time? In a spree that lasted maybe 20 minutes, we had doubles and triples on. It was pandemonium. As the sun peeked through, a few more beauties were boated. Then something extraordinary occurred. The rod nearest me doubled over and we netted the largest crappie I’ve ever seen, 2 ½ pounds worth of beautiful crappie… on a blueback herring! Quickly checking the smartest phones ever invented, we discovered it was one of the largest caught in Lake Nottely. The record belongs to a lad who caught a 3.09-pounder. If you too wish to experience this wonderful action, get in touch with Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service, www.bigolfish.com or call Shane Goebel at 828-361-2021. They also run trips to lakes Chatuge and Blue Ridge. Also, if you are in the area needing gas, bait or supplies, stop in at Hughes General Store on Murphy Highway in Blairsville. Get in touch with us here at The Angler Magazine if you would like to get your message in front of a great audience. Call 404-4273286 or email Dickg@theanglermagazine.com.
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By Charlie Warfield
ier rem lide P | s oms d Water o R ed an ovat r Pool n e o ly R ndo New ant | I taur Res
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n early summer, as the weather warms and the bugs become more active, one of my favorites bugs starts jumping around and finding its way into streams where fish wait eagerly for a big nutritious meal. I am talking about grasshoppers. Hoppers are prolific around the world, and they thrive in grassy areas like the ones next to many trout streams. One extremely effective way to fish hopper flies is to rig what is called a hopper-dropper—also known as a western rig. This rig is set up by tying a 12- to 24-inch piece of tippet to the bend of your lead fly’s hook. Then attach a nymph to this piece of tippet. When fished, this rig allows you to cover a lot of water and works great as a searching pattern to locate and catch fish when there is no obvious hatch, because you are offering a large meal on top and a smaller—more sensible—subsurface nymph. The hopper-dropper is one of my favorite searching rigs for summertime fishing and is especially good during the late morning and into the afternoon. Hoppers are very active in the midday sun, so that is a prime time to fish a hopper. And, if you’re going to fish a hopper, why not tie on a dropper?
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The Angler Magazine Looks at Expansion Into the Raleigh/Greensboro Area by TAM Staff
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ith franchise locations currently in Wilmington, the Outer Banks, Charlotte and Western North Carolina, The Angler Magazine seeks to complete its North Carolina statewide coverage by opening a Raleigh/Greensboro franchise location. Ideal candidates for this franchise will have a passion for the outdoors, a strong work ethic and a minimum of two years sales or business ownership experience. Current franchisees enjoy the ability to control their own time and, to a great extent, their own incomes while being actively involved in the fishing and hunting industry as the publisher of the local edition of the magazine. With 40 locations throughout the U.S., you can be assured that the training and support available through The Angler Magazine’s franchise operations can enable individuals with no prior publishing experience to successfully launch their local editions of the magazine. According to Editor In Chief Ben Martin, “With 40 locations and over 9 years experience in developing this unique franchising publishing model,
our training and systems have created a nearly turnkey business opportunity for the outdoor enthusiast.” If you or someone you know is interested in owning your own business and being involved in the outdoor industry, contact The Angler Magazine’s Corporate Office for more details on the Raleigh/Greensboro or other available franchise opportunities.
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By Julie Richardson
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he first time I heard the term ‘shallow-water blackout’ my family had already been freediving and spearfishing for 24 years. My 19-year-old son Robert had taken a course and began describing this phenomenon of how a freediver could blackout while breath-hold diving. I waved my hand dismissively. “That happens to people who don’t know what they are doing,” I said. “We’re experienced.” Three months later, I got schooled in just how wrong I was. April 19, 2008 dawned with beautiful calm seas and clear skies—a spearfisherman’s dream. It was Robert’s 20th birthday, and he wanted to celebrate it by diving with his 16-year-old brother, David, and three other friends: Carson, 20; Nicky, 16; and Richard, 15, who were not experienced freedivers. The boys left early in the morning to freedive together, and we planned to join them in the afternoon with friends and family who were coming out with us on our larger boat. After a successful dive of 50 feet, the boys decided to do a deeper dive. They put the anchor out in 92 feet of water, and Robert headed down first with David behind him. At the bottom, they both grabbed some sand before heading back up. Robert was 15 feet from the surface when he looked down at his brother and saw David motionless 30 feet below him. Robert swam down and grabbed his unconscious brother around the chest before heading for the surface. That’s the last thing Robert remembers. Their friends on the boat suddenly noticed my sons’ bodies drifting face down in the current some 30 yards away. Carson dived off the boat and swam out to them with Nicky right behind him. They turned the boys over. My sons’ faces were blue with swollen purple lips and open staring eyes. The color of their eyes had faded. They were not breathing and were bleeding from the mouth. Their three traumatized friends— engulfed in a nightmare—worked together to bring them onboard and start CPR. And then I got the call. “Hello?” “There’s been an accident.” “Which one?” I asked as fear enveloped me. “Both.” I clung to the table. My heart felt like it was going to explode. I took deep breaths trying to ease the pain in my chest, but it didn’t work. I started praying, with Carson’s girlfriend, that my sons would be spared. My husband Walter and I met the helicopter at the hospital. The boys’ arterial blood gases (oxygen levels) were so low—32 and 54 per-
cent—the ER doctor did not believe the report and had it verbally repeated five times. The pulmonologist told us our sons’ lungs presented as drowning victims. Yet, after three days in ICU, Robert and David were sent home to finish healing. It was a miracle. Soon after the accident, concerned freedive experts contacted me and encouraged me to use my story to make a difference. I felt a strong desire to respond, and so two months after the accident, I founded DiveWise to further freedive safety education. Tracking fatality reports is vital in understanding how accidents happen and how we can prevent them. Divers Alert Network (DAN) maintains an online Breath-hold Incident Database, so divers can report fatal and non-fatal blackout events easily and anonymously. This can be accessed at DiveWise.org. Through much effort and single-minded dedication, Terry Maas has given a gift to freedivers everywhere with his ingenious device, the Freediver Recovery Vest (FRV). This unit is designed, through the diver’s preset depth and time setting, to deliver a blackout victim to the surface face up. You can read more about it at oceanicss.com. My sons now wear the FRV when they freedive and spearfish. There are other ways freedivers can mitigate the risk in this sport: 1. Dive with an evenly matched partner and conform to the level of the least capable diver. 2. Weight yourself correctly by being positively buoyant at the surface after a full exhalation. 3. Do not hyperventilate to excess. 4. Dive one up/one down maintaining constant visual contact. 5. When conditions allow, each diver should have a dive flag; if a boat is involved a dive flag should be conspicuously displayed. 6. Maintain close, direct supervision of a freediver for no less than 30 seconds after they surface, even if they have signaled “OK.” 7. Make your minimum surface interval twice the duration of your dive time. 8. Do not take every dive to its limit; maintain a reserve. 9. Review, practice, and discuss how to recognize and handle blackouts and near blackouts. Never before has more effort from more groups created a greater combined potential for saving lives in the sport of freediving and spearfishing. We are hopeful this will correspond to a lower fatality rate. DiveWise isn’t my organization. It’s yours. We are here to serve the freedive community. Please help by donating online at our website DiveWise.org, a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization, or by offering your suggestions on how we can better help the freedive community. We offer a big “thank you” to the organizations and individuals who have given generously these past nine years in support of our work. We couldn’t have done it without you. Julie Richardson lives in Miami, Fla. with her husband and their three sons. She and her family are avid boaters and spearfishers. In 2010, Julie won the National Award from the Coast Guard funded National Water Safety Congress for her work in promoting water safety. To learn more visit DiveWise.org.
To learn more on Freediving blackouts, go to
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FRESHWATER $1200 IN-HOUSE REBATE OR FREE BOAT COVER By Frank Geremski t The St. Lawrence produced a tie for the state record smallmouth last August when Patrick Hildenbrand caught this 8-lb., 4-oz. fish that was just 21.5 inches long.
T
he St. Lawrence is a majestic river that combines a world-famous historic seaway with breathtaking scenery. Countless islands speckle the St. Lawrence, coining the area’s moniker as the 1000 Islands Region. The area’s beauty must be witnessed first-hand to be truly appreciated. Most important for anglers, this deep-water channel that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean creates countless fishing opportunities. The 1000 Islands Region of Upstate New York offers world-class fishing for huge and plentiful northern pike and tasty walleye, and for as long as anyone can remember it’s been the musky capital of North America. But it’s the St. Lawrence’s bass fishing that will take center stage this summer, with the Bassmaster Elite Series coming to the 1000 Islands Region for the third time in five years. This fishery has always offered tremendous bass fishing, with countless shoals and sunken ships that create textbook structure for smallmouth bass, and myriad bays and weedy backwaters that offer phenomenal largemouth opportunities. A full day of bent rods on 2- and 3-pound smallmouth has always been the norm. In the last decade, an invasive baitfish species, the goby, has populated this and other Great Lakes. Their spread has been like steroids for the smallmouth population. The goby’s desired habitat aligns perfectly with the smallie’s dinner table. Evidence of this is the pot-bellied New York record 8-lb., 4-oz. smallmouth landed last August. This trophy smallmouth fishing has lured the highest level of tournament bass fishing to small, yet quaint Waddington, N.Y. from July 20-23. Bassmaster recently polled its professionals and found that the St. Lawrence ranks among their favorite destinations. Five fish bags over 20 pounds are expected. The Angler Magazine field expert and Bassmaster Justin Walts predicts about 75 percent of the professionals will target smallmouths. In smallmouth waters, pros often ensure a five-fish bag of 2- to 3-pound smallies before seeking out bigger largemouth. On the St. Lawrence, the dynamic changes because of the possibility of scoring huge smallmouth. Walts, who fishes the St. Lawrence often, favors drop-shotting deeper shoals in 25 to 50 feet of water with watermelon, shad or perch colored V-tailed shad or casting crankbaits and swimbaits on shoals 25 feet or shallower. Flipping weeds or tossing frogs in back bays is the ticket to score largemouth. Spectator participation is also a factor for the Elite Series return to Waddington. In 2015, the town hosted over 30,000 fishing fans, breaking an Elite Series record. Waddington hosts a four-day event to entertain and feed visitors, with music and fireworks provided by local sponsors. Waddington is easily reached via a picturesque drive from Syracuse, or via airports in Massena, Ogdensburg, or Watertown, N.Y. Visit www.waddingtonpartyinthepark.com for more details. For more on fishing St. Lawrence County, visit www.fishcap.com to receive a free St. Lawrence County Anglers Guide and information on other tremendous fisheries, specifically Black Lake which is loaded with bass, crappie and pike. 20
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FRESHWATER A Pro’s Guide To Okeechobee Bream By Steve Daniel, The Voice of Okeechobee
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ake Okeechobee is known as one of the best bass lakes in the world, but it is also a fantastic bream fishery. Every spring Okeechobee is invaded by thousands of anglers loaded down with cases of live crickets. I prefer to use artificials. For this reason, I look for them in open water instead of around heavy grass. Okeechobee bream spawn in big groups. When you find them, you can catch your limit quickly, and they’re easy to spot on the edges of the grass when the sun gets up. The only lure I use is a modified black Beetle Spin. I take a 1/32-ounce Beetle Spin and replace the arm and blade with an Arkie Jig Spinner, which is a slightly larger blade that makes the lure easier to cast and feel. I also replace the head with one that weighs 1/16 of an ounce. It is important to use a heavier jig that has the same size hook that comes with the original lure. That way you can use the black plastic grub that comes with the Beetle Spin. Cast this lure around the beds, and you won’t have any trouble filling your livewell. The limit on Okeechobee is 50 per day.
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club members are there because they are sociable and willing to help others. They remember starting out and are often willing to take you out and give advice. Just remember to return the favor by being a good buddy; help pay for the gas, bring snacks and water to share, and help clean the boat. That will hopefully get you invited back. Learning from others who already do it is probably the most valuable step you can take. If you are lucky, you will share many great experiences, have a new AJ Hally and Sheri Daye with dinner. set of lifelong friends, and maybe even find a mentor or two.
ummer is here! What better time to learn to spearfish? Many people have gotten into it because they were already “divers” and wanted to try another activity while underwater—as happened to me. A few fishermen, who weren’t yet divers, have asked me where to begin if they wanted to learn. My first piece of advice to anyone is to be sure you are comfortable underwater, whether scuba diving or freediving. One must be so comfortable underwater that it becomes second nature. If scuba diving, achieving proper buoyancy should happen without even thinking about it. If freediving, it’s best to have many dives under your belt before picking up a speargun. Fortunately, there are many dive agencies and dive shops that offer scuba certification and freediving instruction. Beyond that, I recommend at least one year’s worth of experience diving under different conditions before attempting to spearfish. It is a very good sign if you are so calm and collected in the water that fish which are normally “spooky” will let you swim near them instead of running from your presence (such as mutton snappers and black groupers). This is the sign of an experienced diver and will help you to properly hunt fish. When ready to begin, it’s important to have the right equipment— and I’m not just talking about a speargun. Get advice from a reputable dive shop that specializes in spearfishing. They will guide you toward the right wetsuit, mask, knife, gloves and speargun. Dive shops are familiar with local conditions and will give good advice. If you have a spearfishing club in the area, by all means, join! Many
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Here are a few more tips: 1. Always remember that safety comes first. Don’t do anything that is risky or beyond your comfort zone. 2. Learn what size and species to target in order to maintain quality and selectivity. Keep it honorable and ethical. Consider setting even higher standards than the law allows. 3. Spend more time observing in the beginning. Watch the more experienced hunters; you can learn a lot just by watching them. 4. Consider starting with a polespear instead of a speargun in order to refine your stalking skills, as this requires that you get closer. This is especially good for young divers. 5. Enjoy the experience, keep it fun and consider being a mentor to someone else as you improve. Sheri is a world-record holder, host of Speargun Hunter and producer of “The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo” in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Follow “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram.
For more Sheri Daye, go to
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CAM Special Correspondent Tobin Strickland
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t’s summertime, and shallow-water fishing for reds is kicking off this month. It will last through mid October on the Atlantic Coast, and to mid February along the Gulf Coast. Before you “see” your first tailing redfish, you really feel like everyone is just making this up. You see nothing during an eight hour shallow-water expedition, and others come back speaking of tails “… like a used car lot, flags everywhere,” as Capt. Chuck Uzzle of Orange, Texas would say.
But why aren’t you seeing this? There are several factors involved in seeing tailing redfish, redfish swimming in shallow water; they are not easy to see. If you are fishing shallow seagrass, marsh or even flooded spartina marsh in areas where redfish roam and you’re doing it during a season when shrimp are abundant in those areas, then there are tailing redfish there. Let’s take a look at what you should be looking for with your eyes. Both Capt. Steve Soule of Galveston, Texas and Chuck McKinney of Portland, Texas say you should be looking for the horizontal line of the redfish’s back. Everything in the marsh and on seagrass flats tends to be either vertical or irregular shaped. Grass is vertical, potholes are irregular, even oyster reef edges are irregular. See a redfish cruising the flats, and the first thing you will notice is the horizontal line of it’s back. A good pair of Costa 580g lenses is what you want for this. The only difference between a cruiser and a tailer is that the tailer is probably nose down into the mud and a little bit of his tail is sticking out of the water. You’ll probably only see a little dark triangle at the end of the horizontal line of the redfish’s back. You typically won’t see the big blue tail and black dot rising out of the water waving at you like a little red flag back and forth. So begin to look for the horizontal line, the small triangle, and the glow of coppery orange. This should help you to see what’s been in front of you all along. Let’s talk about something else here that’s also a problem for most people. These environments are very grassy, and throwing an open-throated jig head during summer low tides is asking for trouble. Might as well go ahead and throw the lunch salad on a hook, because that’s all that fish is going to see. You have to throw something weedless that you can cast accurately, no matter the wind, something that can get the fish’s attention with action or accuracy, and sinks naturally so they can’t pass up such an easy meal. The troutsupport.com lure solves many of the frustrations sight casters have to put up with. Both reds and speckled trout love it. It casts far and accurately, walks the dog, wobbles like a big slow spoon, but is buoyant enough to sink slowly right in the fish’s face. Tobin created TroutSupport.com to help anglers develop their abilities by learning what to look for on the water.
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Choosing Colors
For Your Trolling Lures By Darrell Primrose, Ballyhood Lures
“M
atch the hatch” is an old adage fishermen have used for ages. It comes from freshwater fly fishing, in which anglers seek to match, with an artificial fly, the insect life hatching off the water to fool feeding trout. The same concept applies across the fishing world. Offshore, this can mean taking the time to examine the stomach contents of the first fish you catch to see what it was feeding on. Cut that fish open and check the length and size of the current forage as well as its color. Then use that information to choose your lures accordingly. I get to talk to anglers worldwide on a daily basis. I ask them all, “What colors are most prevalent?” What I’ve learned from them goes into our Ballyhood trolling lures, and the best color combinations change from location to location. On the West Coast, where anchovies, sardines, mackerel and squid
are the most prolific forage species, the most popular trolling lure colors are used in our Mexican flag, which is green/yellow/red/white. Black/ purple is another color scheme proven to produce in a trolling spread. Squid turn purple, and that could be a reason it is such a successful color. Zuchini is also a very popular color used on the West Coast. It’s a green/ orange/yellow lure. Now, taking a look at the northeast—in the Atlantic off New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey—they catch more tuna than most places in the world. Their top must-use colors are solid green, green/yellow and black/purple. In Florida, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands, the No. 1 color is light blue. Colors known as Bally Blue and Flying Fish Blue are quite productive. I’ll assume you caught the baitfish reference in those color names. Pink/white and black/red also see a lot of time in the water, but anglers in these southern waters very rarely use anything green. Their water is very clear, which I think has something to do with it. In the Northeast, as on the West Coast of the U.S., the water is fairly dark. When you start to get farther south in the Pacific around Cabo San Lucas and down to Cancun, the colors used tend to lean toward the same choices as those used in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The southern Pacific has the same type of clear water as they enjoy off south Florida. I can tell you the most overlooked color on the southern West Coast is pink or pink/white, at the same time pink/white is the No. 1 color for albacore off Oregon and Washington. Another guideline to color choices is to use dark colors on dark days and bright colors on bright days. Now some of this information has to do with matching the hatch, some of it is based on water clarity, but all off it is gathered from onthe-water experience and reflects what produces fish the best. Color is an absolutely critical factor in choosing which lures to include in a spread. For information on Ballyhood Top Gun Lures see www.ballyhood. com or call 714-545-0196.
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The Skimmer Kayak Motor Kit
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addle fatigue getting to you? Want to motorize your kayak or canoe? There’s no need to pay $2,000 for a motorized kayak. Watercraft Technologies’ The Skimmer is a simple system for motorizing your kayak or canoe, and it costs less than $400. It ble motor that mounts snap it on when you
is a lightweight, portaeasily to your stern. Just need it. Fishing has never been easier, safer and more convenient. Go farther and save your energy for fishing! Increase your range! Catch more fish! The Skimmer weighs only 6 pounds. It’s 12v battery operated. There are easy controls for steering and motor lift. It’s environmentally safe, with no pollution, oil or gas spills. The Skimmer is made for saltwater, but does great in brackish or fresh water. It is able to propel a craft 2-4 knots and lasts two to five hours per charge. Imagine running your kayak at that speed and that long with zero effort! This propulsion system is great for people who want to get on the water and not worry about paddling hard into a swift current or strong wind. It is also great for those with shoulder, back or elbow issues. This kayak trolling motor kit carries a one-year, full parts replacement policy. See The Skimmer in action and order online at www.kayaktrollingmotor.com or order by phone at 631-848-3119.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Feds Extend Gulf Red Snapper Season
TSUNAMI SHIELD SPINNING REELS Saltwater can be a double-edged sword! It’s in our blood and it’s what fuels our passion to keep searching for that next trophy. But, it is also the great enemy of fishing tackle. The unique Tsunami SHIELD series of saltwaterproof spinning reels feature up to 13 internal seals in key, strategic locations to shield critical components from harmful saltwater intrusion. The internal seals, super smooth and strong CF3 carbon fiber drag system and five sealed stainless steel bearings are wrapped in a hybrid machined aluminum body combining protection, precision and toughness. The heavy-duty rotor brake controlled bail system and precision machined aluminum, braid-ready spool assure the best control of super braids cast after long cast. The 3000 and 4000 SHIELD models contain 11 strategically located internal seals for years of reliable use with minimal maintenance. The 5000 and 6000 Shield reels contain 13 various internal seals at all of the locations where salt water could reasonably be expected to penetrate the reel for even greater protection in these larger reels. Hybrid all metal construction includes precision machined aircraft aluminum and tempered aluminum precision stampings and heavy duty protective anodizing to keep these reels operating up to factory specifications year after year. The combination of these top-notch designs and precisely mated components are what make the Tsunami SHIELD spinning reels an all-new contender for your favorite reel for years to come! MAP: 3000/4000: $99.99; 5000/6000: $109.99
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n mid June, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that private recreational anglers would be allowed an additional 39 days to harvest red snapper in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This allowance, the result of negotiations between the five Gulf states and the DOC, comes on the heels of the shortest recreational red snapper season in history. Private recreational anglers were originally allowed just three days of snapper fishing in federal waters June 1-3. This newly re-opened season consists of three-day weekends, Fridays through Sundays, June 16 through Sept. 4 (Labor Day). The extension, however, comes with a tradeoff. State controlled waters extend out to 9 miles, and federally controlled waters are from 9 miles out to 200 miles. In exchange for the additional opportunities in federal waters, state waters will be closed to red snapper harvest for private recreational anglers Mondays through Thursdays this summer. Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas have indicated there might be additional fishing days in state waters this fall depending on the harvest estimates from the summer season. This extension does not make any changes to the quota or season length for the federally permitted for-hire component of the recreational fishery or the commercial individual fishing quota program and the 2017 commercial quota.
The all-electric Power-Pole Micro anchor is compact, virtually silent and drives the 3/4” Micro Spike at the push of a button. Add the rechargable Micro Battery Pak and you’re ready to go wherever adventure takes you. Get all the details and find a dealer near you at power-pole.com.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT INTERLUX INTERPROTECT HS InterProtect HS is a versatile, costeffective, two-part epoxy that meets the most restrictive V.O.C. regulations and helps reduce solvent emissions into the environment. It can be used above and below the waterline as a primer for all substrates. The high solids formula requires fewer coats to reach the desired dry film thickness. An underwater barrier system applied either by roller/brush or airless spray can be achieved in just 7 mils Dry Film Thickness (DFT). InterProtect HS uses Micro-Plate® Technology, which substantially reduces water migration through the epoxy to the hull surface and provides protection from corrosion for all metals. It can also be used as part of a gelcoat blister repair or prevention system and as an alternative no-sand primer on new, or never-been-painted fiberglass boats. For more information, go to www.yachtpaint.com.
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The Gator Den is a brand new, 12 room motel located at Angler’s Resort, on the Withlacoochee River, Dunnellon, FL. We have a Bait & Tackle Shop, Pontoon and Jon Boat Rentals, Airboat Tours and the Blue Gator Tiki Bar Restaurant, all on premise making this a fisherman’s getaway. 12189 S Williams St Dunnellon, FL 34432 | www.AnglersResort.us Motel: 352-489-2397 Restaurant: 352-465-1635 Boat Rentals: 352-489-2397
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT TECNIQ BOAT SPREADER LIGHTS Some of the best fishing happens after the sun goes down. For illumination assistance and safety on board at night, TecNiq offers its new P10 and P11 LED Boat Spreader Lights. Available with all white or white/red LEDs, they deliver up to 1,450 lumens with remarkably lower power draws. Offered in recessed and surface-mounted versions, they’re perfect for a tuna tower or T-top. Boat Spreader Lights feature anodized and white powder coated aluminum bodies and impact-resistant polycarbonate flood projection lenses for exceptional durability. Both TecNiq models are available with four highperformance white LEDs, or two white and two night-vision friendly red. They’re completely waterproof and sealed to IP68 standards. TecNiq’s recess mounted P10 Boat Spreader Light installs flush for an integrated appearance. The four white LED model produces 1,300 lumens, or 700 lumens white and 160 red in the combo version. Both draw a maximum 1.2 amps at 12V DC or 0.6 amps with 24V DC. It measures 4.8” L x 1.73” W x 1.26” D. It retails for $145. The P11 surface mounted Boat Spreader Light installs anywhere with its included stainless steel hardware. It produces 1,450 lumens white, or 825 white and 160 red in the combo version. Its maximum draw is 1.6 amps at 12V DC or 0.8 amps with 24V DC. It measures 4.8” L x 1.6” W x 2” D. It retails for $154. Contact TecNiq, 8850 M, Richland, MI 49083. 269-629-4440. sales@ tecniqinc.com; www.tecniqinc.com.
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What Makes A Great Pair of
Fishing Sunglasses?
F
ishing is about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right gear. One bit of gear nearly every angler uses yet may take for granted are sunglasses. But when it comes to fishing sunglasses, what separates a good pair from a great pair? First, fishing sunglasses should always be polarized. Polarization eliminates glare reflecting off of the water, to better show what’s happening under the surface. Not all polarization is equal. Some polarized sunglasses block only 20 to 30 percent of glare. Maui Jim Sunglasses feature patented PolarizedPlus2 technology, eliminating 99.9 percent of glare using high-efficiency, proprietary polarizing film. Maui Jim’s lens materials also stand out. Their SuperThin Glass is 20 percent lighter than standard glass and is saltwater resistant so they won’t peel after too much time at sea. Add it all up, and Maui Jim Sunglasses offer anglers unmatched color, clarity and detail. It’s also important to have the correct lens color to match conditions. Days with varying conditions, from overcast to sunny, are best suited for more versatile lens colors, such as Maui Jim’s HCL Bronze, Maui HT or MauiRose. For days when the sun is on blast, a darker lens color like Maui Jim’s Neutral Grey is your best bet. Another obvious reason any angler should wear quality sunglasses is eye protection. Maui Jim’s block 100 percent of harmful UV rays from the eyes and surrounding areas, and are the only premium sunglasses to have the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. Finally, because accidents happen, a stout warranty never hurts. Maui Jim’s two-year warranty and unparalleled customer service can ease fears of the occasional mishap. So, before your next fishing adventure, be sure to pack a quality pair of sunglasses like Maui Jims. The difference will be crystal clear!
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • Freight THEANGLERMAG.COM I that JULY I NATIONAL At Harbor Tools, the “Compare” or “comp at” price means the same2017 item or a similar functioning item was advertised33 for sale at *Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 11/1/17. or above the “Compare” or “comp at” price by another retailer in the U.S. within the past 180 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare” or "comp at" should be implied. For more information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate.
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REPOWER FINANCE
Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards (OAC).*
For details and the name of your nearest participating Suzuki Marine dealer, visit www.suzukimarine.com Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Cash Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Customer and participating Dealer must fill out the appropriate rebate form at time of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2017 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
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