The trout streams are back up, and are a lot better than yesterday's readings. Fly fishing will be prime over the next few days, so get out on the river and enjoy.

Here are the USGS water levels in NC.....

• Davidson River @ Brevard... 113 cfs
• Tuckasegee River @ Cullowhee...280 cfs
• Watauga River @ Sugar Grove...115 cfs
• Cataloochee Creek @ Cataloochee... 70 cfs
• Nantahala River @ Rainbow Springs... 177 cfs
• Oconaluftee River @ Birdtown... 488 cfs
• Linville River @ Nebo...76 cfs
• South Toe River @Celo...140 cfs

• Davidson River @ Brevard...38 cfs



• Tuckasegee River @ Cullowhee...313 cfs



• Watauga River @ Sugar Grove...58 cfs



• Cataloochee Creek @ Cataloochee... 26



• Nantahala River @ Rainbow Springs... 82 cfs
  


• Oconaluftee River @ Birdtown... 130 cfs



• Linville River @ Nebo... 60 cfs



• South Toe River @Celo... 67 cfs

Now, lets see what the flows reach by tomorrow... I'll post tomorow evening.

3.) This weekend looks very interesting. I just now was able to review the new model data, and the GFS, European, and Canadian models are suggesting a BIG snowstorm to roll on through the western Carolinas. Let me stress, way up in the air, and purely hype as of this post, but hey, good conversation starters around the water cooler/trout stream this week. NC is one of the if not the hardest place to predict snow with the mountains to the west, the ocean to the east, and the Gulf of Mexico a good ways off to the south. The Gulf is where most of our good snowstorms originate, and if there are strong thunderstorms associated with the cold front down along the Gulf states, the moisture transport is cut off, thus, less moisture and less snow. There are countless ingredients that all have to fall in line perfectly for snow to fall in the Piedmont. Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, the Plains states don't necessarily suffer from the same lack of snow as we do, because the geographic layout isn't as diverse. With that being said, let me ask you one question...what other state has a mountain region, a Piedmont, a coastal plain, and the ocean?

4.) More tomorrow after the Carolina-Greenbay game.

This are 5 great tips on preparing for Winter fly fishing by Kevin Howell--owner of Davidson River Outfitters, Pisgah Forest, NC.

5 Tips For Staying Warm on the River
by Kevin Howell of Davidson River Outfitters

Well, winter has finally arrived in the mountains; the fishing however is still decent. But you can get into real trouble, if you are not dressed properly. Here are some things that I do for winter fishing that will help you stay warm and safe.

1.) Dress in layers. this way you can take layers off as the day gets warmer and you will still be warm in the am.

2.) Wear fleece or wool. that way if you get wet they will retain your warmth.

3.) Always carry matches or a device to start a fire. I typically carry a railroad flare, even when wet it can start a fire. If you fall in the winter you have roughly half as long as the water temperature before hypothermia sets in. So if you or your fishing partner falls in, get out on the bank, start a fire to stay warm, and dry your clothes.

4.) Keep you head and hands warm. Most of the body’s heat is lost through the head, so wear a toboggan, watch cap, or Elmer Fudd Hat (bombers hat). Use fleece or wool gloves with only the fingers that you need to use cut out. Most people leave the stream because their hands are cold, a little preventative measure will enable you to fish that much longer!

5.) Keep your feet warm. wear heavy wool or fleece socks under neoprene boots, but be sure that they wick moisture away from your feet. If not, the moisture will make your feet cold. Also be sure to wear loose fitting boots, boots that are too tight will cut off the circulation to your feet resulting in cold feet.

1.) Panthers didn't pull it off yesterday....what can you do. I'm still a big fan, but it's games like this that don't exactly make you proud of being a Carolina fan. Sigh, maybe next Sunday when we play Green Bay. Oh yeah UNC Tar Heels lost BIG TIME to NC State Saturday. Score was41-10. Another sigh. They're currently sitting at 7-4. UNC's taking the 10 minute trip over to Durham from Chapel Hill to play Duke.

2.) It has been a dreary cool/cold day here in the Piedmont. A cold front is creeping into the area as I type and with it a pretty healthy amount of rain.... If we only had cold!! Speaking of cold and rain, the first half of December looks very interesting...I'm not going to go much farther...but, precip and cold air in December...a few bouts at some Wintry Precip here in the Carolinas possible. We'll see, as the GFS is almost always forecasting some unbelievably weird things 15 days out. Until the NAM and EURO agrees the GFS, it's all HYPE right now.

3.) Not much to report fishing wise, rivers will rise a little, nothing major, and maybe a few BWO's will hatch out, but given the cold temps, stick with those nymphs. BH nymphs won't hurt either, as you need to get the fly down to the trout's preferred feeding lane. Thanksgiving looks nice, temps will be on the chilly side, but sunny skies will allow for a decent day on the water. Just remember to layer up, and don't fall in.

4.) Everyone have a good day, and more tomorrow.

1.) Well, well, well, snow did in fact fall overnight...not much, but like mentioned yesterday, the Iredell, Rowan, Triad, and Triangle folks did get their first ACCUMULATING snowfall. Yup, you read right. Triad and Triangle received upwards of an inch to an inch and a half of the white stuff. As for Charlotte and the immediate areas, just a few flurries and a couple isolated heavier snow flurries/very light snow fell. I noticed the roads were wet, but no accumulating snow for Kannapolis, but fun to see if you were up early this morning.

1.) It's now our turn to see our first flakes here in the Charlotte area. When you might ask? Well, tonight maybe, to tell you the truth. Nothing significant, but there will probably be some flurries, with possibly a few short heavier bursts of snow. If we do get the burst of heavy snow, a few communities may wake up to a light dusting. Mr. Crum, Chief Meteorologist over at News 14 Carolina says the same thing, adding that areas like North Cabarrus, Iredell, north Stanly, and Rowan will be especially conducive for a little taste of snow. It will be perfect Again not a lot, and no need to sprint to the grocery store for the bread and milk. The bread and Milk run will have to wait for a few weeks. If you see snow, feel free to report it in the comment box below.

Pic courtesy of the Blue Ridge Blog . Excellent picture of light dusting of snow in the WNC mountains...

1.) I want to start off by mentioning the snow flurries and light snow showers the folks over in the Triangle have received. Of course the snow wasn't heavy enough to support accumulations, but it really is cool to see, especially this early in the season. Average first snowfall for non mountain/lower elevation areas in the Piedmont is usually December 31st on out...not the case this year. Again nothing big, but a few flakes may fly around in the Triad and Triangle areas. I have seen reports of a few flakes close to the Fayettville area. Snow flurries have not made it into the Charlotte vicinity, but, not completely out of the question to see a few of what I like to call "flattered flow snurries". If you see any snow, please feel free to report it in the comment box. The main weather theme today is the COLD air that has dropped out of Canada. As of 4:00 Charlotte's temperature is at 39 degrees! Most spots struggled to make it to the 45 degree mark today. Tonight...you think today was cold...21 is the low for tonight. A few areas may make it down to 19 early tomorrow morning. We did not make it down to the lower 20's last night, because the winds were to strong to allow for any major radiational cooling, thus, frost wasn't an issue this morning. Tomorrow morning will be a whole different ball game, as the winds die down. Get used to the cold weather, looks like Old Man Winter has taken his shoes off and is staying awhile. Thanksgiving looks cold, and virtually, the rest of the month into early December looks below average temperature wise.





2.) Well, the GFS has really loosened up on the whole snowstorm thing this weekend...yeah...most likely not going to happen. It's the GFS' fault...it always plays with our minds. Maybe it's still in hibernation, waiting to release it's energy? Maybe it's just wrong, and we get dumped on? Who knows, I'll watch it. Early December may be the one, again GFS may just be playing tricks. We'll see.





3.) If you decide to go wet a line in the mountains, put on those breathable waders, and layer up, that water's literally freezing! Also make sure you wear that wading belt at all times in the water. If you fall in, and the water goes over your waders, it will take only 45 seconds for the first signs of hypothermia take place. Take an extra pair of clothes with you. The good thing about fly fishing in the Winter months (well, fishing in cold weather), is that the stream is usually deserted. There won't be any tubers, or swimmers, and a few die-hard local fisherman may be around, but in general, not many.





4.) Have a great day, and more tomorrow.

1.) There are some nasty looking storms down in SC as I type. The cell farthest west prompted a tornado warning a few hours ago just south of Atlanta. Weather folks don't think tornadoes are a danger here in Charlotte, but one has to wonder, these storms are agitated, and they have the southern Piedmont in their sights. Make sure you turn on that NOAA weather radio tonight, and make sure the batteries have enough juice in them...I have to find batteries for mine, I mean I've got tons of radios, but a majority of them are deprived of a power source.

2.) Congrats to the Endeavor crew as they lifted off at 7:55 eastern time. Everything looked good except for the white room door that wouldn't close ( I tell ya doors never seem to close the way you want them to nowadays)....still, the crew made it up into space and are now en route to a rendezvous with the ISS. I noticed that Mission Control wished the Crew a happy Thanksgiving above Earth. I sincerely hope the crew can catch the turkey in space without gravity.

Sporting Fly and Bob Jacklin - Funny bloopers R us

Kev W Fork Rel Hero Shot - Watch a funny movie here

1.) Here comes the rain today, sometimes heavy. There has been several heavy pockets of heavy rain across the Charlotte area as the day unfolded. Thunderstorms look to be possible later this evening through the early part of Saturday morning...say through 6-8. The rain has really helped in terms of the drought, and streams will be up a little once again (also dropping once again very quickly).

Here are a few selected USGS water flows for streams/rivers in NC.

• Davidson River (the D) @ Brevard NC...39 cfs
• French Broad River @ Rosman NC...84 cfs
• Tuckasegee River (the Tuck) @ Cullowhee NC...88 cfs
• Watauga River (the 'tauga) @ Sugar Grove NC...76 cfs
• Nantahala River @ Rainbow Springs NC...58 cfs
• South Fork of the New @ Jefferson NC...384 cfs ( average 344)
• Jacob Fork @ Ramsey NC...13 cfs (average 34)

To sum it all up, the water may be muddy in a few streams, but the water is higher, and the temps are optimum for the trout.

2.) After the rain clears use PT nymphs, Lightning Bugs, Copper Johns, and small BWO nymph (using BH's may be your best option, so that fly will stay on the bottom of the stream, where the trout are feeding at.) You may get away with a small adjustment in tippet sizes, but let me stress, I would not advise anything heavier than 4X, unless the water is low in clarity because of the mud. Stop by the nearest fly shop and ask about the rivers recommended in the area, and if they're worth putting those waders on.

Check this out, another great article with great maps for this Winter...once again another impressive outlook for cold and snow across the Carolinas. I think that with the number of Winter outlooks showing a snowy, old fashioned Winter, we may be on to something. Another thing, is the increased potential for a major ice storm somewhere in the southern Appalachians, through Atlanta and here in the Piedmont, which includes Charlotte. Snow is what we want. Snow good, ice not so good, (anyway you look at it, you can't have snowball fight with ice, unless you want to be in the hospital). Of course this could all turn to the worst and we see but only one snowflake or something along those lines, but for now, keep hope alive... we should have at least a few good Winter weather (snow) events....I hope. Again, check out the link and see what you think.

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/weatheramerica-2008-2009-winter-season-forecast

1.) It is finally the first day of November. Leaves are really starting to become fire red and orange thanks to the very chilly nights lately. Highs here in NC have been pleasant with upper 60's and low 70's today. Tomorrow, we will be in the upper to mid 60's, so a little adjustment in the temps. But hold on.... cold air will charge into the lower 48 sometime late next week, and with it, we'll have a flashback of what we saw a few days ago. If we could just get some rain.... I mean we already have the cold, so where is the rain?!?!