Fishing Report for November 14th, 2024
A little over a month after Hurricane Helene, most state parks have now opened back up and are allowing people into most fishing areas. We have been exploring many of these areas, trying to relearn the waters, and have found that many of them still look really similar to how they looked before the storm, with a few slight variations. If you do plan to go fish these lands, please be cautious of down trees and possible landslides in the area. We are starting to have our first couple of cold nights, bringing on many wintertime bugs in the rivers. Water temps and flows are all about average for this time of year. With the temps being in the low 50's and flows around 60 cfs, there should be plenty of happy fish that are willing to bite all day long whenever you can get to the river. Most Delayed Harvest streams have been stocked after the storm, which has given lots of life to local streams such as the Little River in DuPont and the East Fork of the French Broad.
Davidson
The lower Davidson is fishing well with the fish left over after the storm. Terrestrials and other sub-surface flies are going to be a safe bet this time of year. While the water is very clear from all of the runoff, the trout are aggressive and willing to bite even with 4x and 5x tippet
Flies: Girdle Bug 12-14, Tripsaver 14-16, Texas Piss Ant 16-18, Orange Stimulator 14-16, Mop fly 12-14, Memory Maker 14-16, Pheasant Tail 14-18
Wild Trout
When you can get to the Wild Trout they should be more than happy to take a fly. Getting to the higher elevation streams could be a challenge and you should use extreme caution on all roads and trails leading to these places. Be cautious of landslides and down trees that might have come down during the storm.
Flies: Chubby Chernobyl 14-16, Stimulator 16-18, CDC Flying Ant 16, Soft Hackle Hare's Ear 14-18, Memory Maker 16-18, Pheasant Tail 20-22
Smallmouth/Warmwater
After the storms we are not sure of the state of the French Broad, While fish might have survived the flood, we are sure that there are many down trees, flooded cars, and small debris that is in the river and will not move for a while. With DuPont State Forest recently opening now would be a prime time to hike back into a small lake and throw small streamers for bass and bluegill.
Flies: Boogle Bug 4-8, Meat Whistle 6, Wolly Bugger 6-10, Sparkle Minnow 8, Near Nuff Crayfish 4-6
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
DAVIDSON RIVER & AREA RIVERS
DELAYED HARVEST
SMALL STREAMS
SMALLMOUTH
Would you be interested in more? Check out our Regional Rivers & Streams Overview and Hatch Chart with Fly Recommendations.
Learn about the rivers and streams of WNC
Regional Rivers and Streams Guide
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Seasonal Hatch Chart and Fly Recommendations
What's biting in Western North Carolina?
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Avoid the crowds. Fish our private waters.
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Stream Report
Seasonal Hatches
Stream Guide
