Cold water therapy

chiefjason

chiefjason

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Well, this is about the time in archery season that I stop seeing deer. And I was getting tired of just sitting in a tree stand. So I decided to take a trip up the mountain and chase some brown trout. I think the cool snap the last couple days may have slowed them down a bit, but I had a few that were cooperative. Nothing too big this time, but they are in there. I've tangled with a few in the past.

The hike in.

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Picked one up on the second run I fished, then things slowed down for a while before I hooked up on another. Water was clear but running a bit higher than normal. But that's probably a good thing. I just don't think it warmed up quick enough to get them active.

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Best fish of the day.

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And browns tend to not like the bluebird skies either.

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Not a bad place to spend the day.

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That's beautiful enough to ALMOST make me take up fishing. :)
 
Bailey Boat said:
Really nice country, now see if you can convince us you didn't take a little nap???
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I seriously thought about brining my hammock. I've done it before.

Slacker said:
In my mind, trout = square tail.
Those are beautiful fish. Are they native or stocked? Or no way to tell?
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Pull up a chair.

The only native "trout" in NC is the Brook Trout. Except it's technically a Char. All the rainbow and brown trout descend from stocked fish at some point. This particular stream used to be general trout water above the bridge, and wild trout below. When I was younger you would catch a few rainbow's in there too. A couple of the biggest rainbows I've ever seen were in this creek. I have not seen a rainbow in this creek in a long time. The browns have taken over the lower sections. I've not fished the upper parts of the creek since college, but back then the brookies were doing well up high. They have not stocked any trout in that area for years. So what we have now is a stream bred population of brown trout that is self supporting. And the trout they do stock now in other areas are sterile so if they do run up into a wild section they cannot reproduce.
 
chiefjason said:
I seriously thought about brining my hammock. I've done it before.



Pull up a chair.

The only native "trout" in NC is the Brook Trout. Except it's technically a Char. All the rainbow and brown trout descend from stocked fish at some point. This particular stream used to be general trout water above the bridge, and wild trout below. When I was younger you would catch a few rainbow's in there too. A couple of the biggest rainbows I've ever seen were in this creek. I have not seen a rainbow in this creek in a long time. The browns have taken over the lower sections. I've not fished the upper parts of the creek since college, but back then the brookies were doing well up high. They have not stocked any trout in that area for years. So what we have now is a stream bred population of brown trout that is self supporting. And the trout they do stock now in other areas are sterile so if they do run up into a wild section they cannot reproduce.
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Great info.
NC brook trout are square tail?
 
Slacker said:
Great info.
NC brook trout are square tail?
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No. Still have a split tail. This one is most likely the real deal, southern Appalachian brook trout. Caught in the smokies on a west draining stream. He was a little over aggressive for his size. Lol


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Hmm...
I guess Brookies in the Northeast US are different. I'm going to scan some brookie pics from my youth in central Maine.
18" native bruisers were not uncommon.
We took it for granted!!
 
Here is a native brookie from a tiny mountain stream & a large stocked brookie from Wilson's creek
 

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Slacker said:
Hmm...
I guess Brookies in the Northeast US are different. I'm going to scan some brookie pics from my youth in central Maine.
18" native bruisers were not uncommon.
We took it for granted!!
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Biggest NC wild brook I've ever caught was about 14". And that was 20 years ago. They do exist but they are few and far between here. Fish of a lifetime. I know a guy that caught one within the last 5 years. The biggest one I've caught in the last few years is about 9". But keep in mind we are catching these in creeks where you can get across them in 2 steps or less.
 
MLS2 said:
Nice pictures, Jason. What type of fly were they taking?
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I was throwing a chartreuse mop fly. Basically a upsized green weenie or inchworm tied on a small jig head.


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Know those falls well. My wife, dating at the time, caught her first trout on a fly there. I had been telling her not to expect to catch anything and then one of those trout decides to commit "little trout suicide" on her line. The fly must have been #14 caddis. It's mouth wasn't that big. I have never heard the end of it.
 
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You leave that last one on for very long and the warden will bust you for using live bait.

Few people know it, but that is how brownies get that big protruding lower jaw!!!!!

ha ha.
 
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