North Carolina Small Stream Trout; Part Two of Two

Fishing small streams may necessitate the need to cast over boulders, under tree limbs, over fallen trees or any number of other obstacles. With that said, be prepared to have times where you will have slick line in order to get a proper drift of your lure. This can make it extremely difficult to set the hook. What I do in this situation is lift the rod and pull the line simultaneously in one fluid motion, this increases the odds of setting the hook. Try to avoid at all cost slapping your line on the water or becoming entangled in a tree limb above the hole you are fishing. Small stream trout are unforgiving and if you spook them you may as well move on to the next hole. Places that are very difficult to cast to such as a hole with tree limbs hanging out over it are ideal places to find a lunker. Learn and practice roll casting it can be a most beneficial weapon in your arsenal of small stream tactics.

When fishing small streams in the N.C. Mountains, there is no need for a long leader. I use a leader 6-7 ft. - 4x-6x, and sometimes shorter, anything longer and you are just asking for trouble. You’ll most likely catch more trees than fish. Using a short leader requires a soft touch, by soft touch I mean laying your line down on the water gently, otherwise you will spook the fish and then you might as well move on to the next hole. In low water conditions you may have no choice but to use a longer leader. A short fly rod will also be of great use I will sometimes use a 6ft. rod on these miniature watercourses.

Hatchery supported and undesignated waters season is from, July 1,2001through February 28,2002 with a creel limit of 7 and there is no size limit. Wild trout waters are open year-round with a daily creel limit of 4 and a 7in. minimum, artificial, single-hook lure only. There are special rules and regulations on some trout waters. Be sure -as when venturing into any unfamiliar place- to check the regulations and licenses requirements before you fish.

For more information on rules, regulations, and licenses, check with the, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

By: Lee Ennis