Catch a “Grand Slam” on the East Fork

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Once a closely guarded secret, this roadside stream near Rosman has emerged as the region’s most popular Delayed Harvest stream. The state stocks 17,735 trout along 4.75 miles of East Fork Rd. downstream of the Glady Fork. Catch-and-release regulations apply from October to June. All streamside land is private, so please respect posted signs. There are three cascades that dump into frothy holes brimming with rainbow, brown and brook trout. Catch all three species and claim your Grand Slam!

Directions from Asheville: Take I-26 E to Exit 40/Airport Rd. Turn right onto NC 280 towards the airport and continue to Brevard (19.2 miles). Take US 64 W through Brevard to the Rosman exit. Take a right on Hwy 178, then take a left on East Fork Rd. Cross two bridges, then look for the black-and-white Delayed Harvest signs.

Float for Smallmouth Through the Biltmore Estate

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For those who want to play Huck Finn for a day, a float by raft or drift boat through the Biltmore Estate is the way to go. Drift past forests and vineyards, casting crease flies and poppers to feisty smallmouth bass that lurk along the rocky shoals. A few musky are caught every year throwing big streamers with wire leaders, but the phenomenal smallie fishing and the scenery is the big draw. You can wade the Bent Creek area when water levels allow.

Directions from Asheville: Take I-240 W to I-26 E and get off on exit 33, NC 191. Turn left and head south on NC 191 until you cross under the Blue Ridge Parkway overpass. The Bent Creek river access is the first left.

Hook a Hawg On The Oconaluftee

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Most mountain trout average 9″ - 10″, but not on the heavily stocked Oconaluftee, where trout are measured in pounds, not inches. A 2.2-mile stretch near the Blue Ridge Parkway offers catch-and-release fishing for hatchery-raised brook, brown, rainbow, golden and Donaldson trout, some of them weighing more than 6 pounds. Streamers and nymphs are the biggest fish here, but expect lots of company.  A tribal fishing permit is required.

Directions from Asheville: Take I-40 W to Exit 27 (the Great Smoky Moun- tains Expressway). Continue west on US 74 past Waynesville, Sylva and Dillsboro to Cherokee, Exit 74. Follow US 441 onto the reservation.

Tussle With a Trout On The Tuck

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Located near Western Carolina University, the Tuckaseegee is a tailrace formed by two dam-fed forks. From the Hwy 107 bridge at Love Field to the Dillsboro dam, the Tuck is regulated as Delayed Harvest, which is catch-and-release from October until June. The river here is as wide as many western rivers, offering plenty of room for backcasting and the 49,000 trout stocked each year. Best floated in a drift boat, the Tuck can be waded when only one fork is running for power generation.

Directions from Asheville: Take I-40 W to Exit 27 (Hwy 74 W). Follow Hwy 74 W to Exit 85 in Sylva. At third light turn left onto Hwy 107 S. Before you reach WCU, turn right onto River Rd. Look for the black-and-white Delayed Harvest signs.

Challenge Your Skills On the Davidson

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Named as one of Trout Unlimited’s “Top 100 Trout Streams in America,” the Davidson is a very productive freestone river that supports many trophy-class fish over 20 inches. About 14 miles of the river, from its headwaters to Avery Creek, are managed under catch-and-release, fly-fishing only regulations. The lowest mile is hatchery supported. The C&R section can be technical, requiring small flies and light tippets. Midge flies rule here.

Directions from Asheville: Take I-26 E to Exit 40/Airport Rd. Turn right onto NC 280 towards the airport and continue to Brevard (19.2 miles). At the intersection of 280/64/276, turn right onto Hwy 276, which parallels the Davidson through the Pisgah National Forest.