Tour the Waynesville Watershed

A young volunteer watches a bucket of trout swim off into the river. Donated photo

Help fill the West Fork with trout

Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood County beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 3.

The group will meet at the upper Delayed Harvest parking area across N.C. 215 from the gun range, below Sunburst Campground. Volunteers should bring a clean 5-gallon bucket and a friend or two. Waders are recommended but not required.

The NCWRC will bring at least 1,200 pounds of fish. The goal is to help disperse them throughout the Delayed Harvest section to allow for a better fishing experience.

The stocking will take about three hours, with at least 25 volunteers needed. tucataloochee427@gmail.com.

Get started fly fishing

Spend October honing your fly fishing skills with a spate of activities offered through Haywood County Recreation. ■ A combined beginner/intermediate fly fishing course will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 7 and 14, led by expert angler Tommy Thomas. No fishing license is required, and loaner rods are available. ■ Fly fishing excursions Thursday evening, Oct. 6, and Saturday morning, Oct. 8, will explore the West Fork of the Pigeon River. Expert angler Ray Sugg will lead these expeditions for participants who have the basic skills but want some instruction to hone it. A fishing license is required, and anglers should bring their own rod and flies. ■ An eight-week fly tying course will start Wednesday, Oct. 12, held weekly 6-8 p.m. through Dec. 7 at the Folkmoot Center in Waynesville. All supplies and equipment will be provided, with each new skill built on the previous week’s lesson. Taught by Tommy Thomas.

Sign up at bit.ly/haywoodrec.

Birding course offered by Folkmoot

A six-week course on birds and birding will kick off at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.

Taught by birding expert Don Hendershot, the course will be held 3 to 4:30 p.m. Fridays through Nov. 11. Sessions include: course overview and schedule to learn about resident birds; feeding, food, houses, yards and gardens for backyard birds; birding essentials such as equipment, resources, tips, the nitty gritty between backyard and getting out there; migration, migrants and interesting bird facts; and birding hotspots around Waynesville.

The course is one of six offerings in Folkmoot’s new Life Long Learning series. Other courses starting next month include Swedish Weaving; History - Haywood County Beginnings; The Civil War in Haywood County; Introduction to Comedy Improvisation; and Introduction to Genealogy. Enrollment is $20 per course. folkmoot.org/courses.

Rocky Branch Lake on the Waynesville Watershed property provides 6,400 Waynesville

customers with high-quality drinking water. File photo

Tour the Waynesville Watershed

An event showcasing the intersection of forest management and water quality Tuesday, Oct. 4, will include a trip to the Waynesville Watershed and beers from Frog Level Brewing.

The day will begin with a welcome and talks on the importance of forests for water quality and changing forest effect on water at a location in Waynesville, yet to be determined. The group will then learn about the history of the Waynesville Watershed and stewardship strategies used there, followed by a provided lunch and tour of the watershed. An optional social will begin at 3 p.m.

The event is hosted by Forest Stewards Guild and the Town of Waynesville, with professionals from those organizations joined by representatives of Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, N.C. State University and Western Carolina University.

The $10 registration fee includes lunch and beer from Frog Level Brewing. Sign up at foreststewardsguild.org/events.

Dive into a trout talk

Learn about what the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission does to support trout fishing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the First United Methodist Church in Sylva.

Powell Wheeler, District 9 biologist for the NCWRC, will speak during this meeting of the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited. A meal and dessert will be provided, with the program lasting through 8 p.m.

TU membership is not required to attend. RSVP to Jeff Marcum at jeff.devon.marcum@gmail.com.

Delayed Harvest waters to close through June

Delayed Harvest Trout Water restrictions will take effect in North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Until one-half hour after sunset on June 2, 2023, no trout can be harvested or possessed from these waters. Additionally, no natural bait may be possessed, and anglers can fish only using artificial lures with a single hook. An artificial lure is one that does not contain and was not treated with a substance to attract fish with taste or smell.

From fall through spring, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks these waters with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances of catching fish during the season. The waters are posted with diamond-shaped black-and-white signs.

While fishing, anglers should take steps to prevent spreading aquatic nuisance species. Clean equipment of all aquatic plants, animals and mud; drain water from boats, live wells and equipment; dry equipment thoroughly; and never move fish, plants or other organisms from one body of water to another.

For a complete list of Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, information on regulations and trout fishing maps, visit the Commission’s trout fishing page at ncwildlife.org/learning/species/fish/trout/ troutfishing.aspx.