South Mt State Park- NC Fly Fishing

[Erick]

Finally got my act together enough to make a trek to the closest area for trout fishing near Charlotte. It is about 100 miles away and a very easy drive. Got to the park when it opened at 8:00 am. Met by the NC Fish and Wildlife Officer at the Park Office, and he gave me some good information to help me with my first time. Really nice Park Office and a very good park from the little of it that I saw today. The "road" only goes a couple of miles, but there are hiking trails all over and you can go for miles back to areas where others rarely tread and fish wild trout streams. There is primitive camping and I saw many people out hiking the trails today.

I had forgotten how small trout flies are compared to my usual saltwater lures and how thin 7x leader material is compared to 20 lb flurocarbon. Trying to thread the eye of the small hooks was difficult at first but after changing the fly 5 times to find something that would work, it got a little easier. But tying on with that thin of tippet was difficult. I was able to rise 5 fish on dry flies, hooking 2 which broke me off. After losing the second one, I decided I might need to check my leaders and tippets since they have been packed away for about 5 years now. I didnt want to lose any more flies in a trouts mouth. I also need to find out if I needed to use a heavier tippet than 7x, which should have been adequate, although most of these fish were bigger than those that I would catch in the Chattahoochee.

I fished a delayed harvest area on the Jacobs Fork portion of the steams, which is stocked. The wild waters are off the beaten path and a couple of miles hike, but there are tons of places to explore at this one park. When I pulled into the parking area and looked over the bank to the water, there were probably 8 trout swimming around right there. The water levels are low due to lack of rain, so the fish are stacked up in any pools they can find. Also saw a banded water snake swimming around, the fish would get out of his way as he moved around.

See the fish? There are 5 in this photo.



Two other guys were there before me since I had stopped off at the park office. So they made there way down and I got my stuff together.

Which by the way is a lot less stuff, than when kayak fishing:



So I took off down one of the hiking paths. There are many place to access the water from the paths and this is one of the areas that I tried:



It was really a nice area and I really enjoy this type of fishing. As much as anything else that I have done. It is very peaceful and even though the fish are much smaller than our species in Florida, you are using much light/smaller gear, so it is all relative.

Anyway, one more....can you spot all 6 fish in this photo:



Hopefully next time I will land one of these and get you some FISH pictures.

[FishingDL]

Pretty area. That is a peaceful way of fishing. I hope to be doing some of that myself soon. Totally different but lots of fun.

[BearsFan]

7x Good Lord. I was using 5x this weekend. I didn't remember it being so thin. Then I remembered I used to carry a spool of 11x in my vest for this one tricky bend on one of my spring creek beats. How did I ever tie knots or land fish with that stuff?

Great to see you made it out on the water. Always calming to throw little dry flys and forget about the rest of the world.

[Chief1600]

Nice, when you can get out for the day and toss some dry flies, the catching isn't as important as the doing. I can't wait, should be going back to the Little Pigeon River in about three more weeks. Last time I was there I kept snapping nymphs off when casting with a 7X, switched to a 5X with drys.

[Erick]

Well my leader tapered to a 5x, I lost the first fish on the 7x tippet and then tied directly onto the leader after that. So I got broke off on that as well. I think it was too old. The line companies will tell you that line last forever, but this stuff is over 5 years old. I gave it a few good tugs and it didnt snap. So it should have held. Any suggestions? Water level was low and gin clear.....everyone I talked to said they were having problems getting the fish to eat, I think because their leaders were too big.

I wouldnt even be able to see (or feel) 11x. It is amazing how difficult it is to work with materials that are that thin at home when getting ready for a trip, but standing on slippery rock with the wind blowing, your excess line falling in the water and being pulled by the current, sun glaring through the trees, hearing trout sucking down insects and then trying to re-tie....now that is tough. But worth every frustrating minute.

Watching the trout come up and investigate the fly is really cool. Watching them come up and take it is even better. A couple actually came up took it in their mouth and spit them, other bumped it with their nose didnt like the offering and moved aside. Others would just let it drift right over their heads or move out of its way. Being able to see that was amazing.

[Mako]

that's a very interesting report, especially coming from you.....I guess I'll have to get used to it

Hopefully, the pics of fish won't take long

Now, that thing with beads on the tackle pic...is that a hippie roach clip?

[Redfisher]

Thanks for for the neat report Erick.

[Todd]

Is that bait you were trying to catch? Just use a cast net next time.

[Erick]

Mako, I know a little bit more about fishing than I let on, and various kinds of fishing including fly fishing. I let all the other "experts" on here share their words of wisdom. Hope to get some more reports up here, even thought they arent PADDLE FISHING related. But when this is the only fishing website you visit, you have to post your reports somewhere. Although I have found a fly fishing website for the NC Mts that I have started to visit. Yeah, that is bait Todd.....when are you going to come up here and give it a shot...I do have a trout size spinning rod you can use, we can get you some corn for bait! Or just bring your Scooby Doo rod with you.

[Topwater]

Reread my post meant what I said but sounded a bit sappy so.

Keep posting those trips to the mountain streams that’s where I learned to fish.

Catching fish in the creeks is an amazing experience, probably most challenging but rewarding type fishing I know.

This was always my favorite fly set up:
On top #16 Parachute Adams with a dropper.
The dropper I like to use is #22 Midge Larva in Cream or Olive.

The length of the dropper should be determined by where the fish are feeding in the water column. If trout are taking right below the surface, a 6-inch dropper will put the fly in the right zone.

Again, Thank you for the trip home.

[BearsFan]

Hookset = lifting the rod tip. When the fish takes it say "God save the Queen" or count to three and then gently lift the rod tip.

p.s. Feel free to say it to yourself, you do not have to say it out loud. The timing takes a while to get but your hook-up ration will increase. If the fish are putting it in ther mouth and then spitting it out right away the fly is probably too big.