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Tyler Legg
Charlotte, NC, United States
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Welcome to THFF.com! Kick your wading boots off and stick around for a while. You'll find content ranging from NC fishing reports, videos, pictures, fly fishing news from around the state/country/world, humor, and even some irrelevant, yet interesting posts.
Have a question, comment, fishing report, or a few suggestions regarding THFF or fly fishing in NC? Feel free to e-mail me at wncflyfishing@gmail.com
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I thought Al said the earth was warming. At this rate, we'll be turning nomadic, constructing igloos, and hunting caribou before you know it. This winter has been harsh in western NC. The winter was harsh last year. It was harsh two winters ago as well. The mountains, while they receive decent amounts of snow from late fall into early spring, have been the big winners thus far. If I'm not mistaken, snow started falling in late October in the higher elevations along the NC/TN border. By late November, snow was relatively wide spread in the high country. Upslope snow has been tremendous this year. With that being said, a welcome, but temporary relief has arrived for today. Especially outside of the mountains. Here in the Piedmont, we're sitting in the mid 50s. Most mountain communities have been in the mid to upper 40s. Not bad given the persistent cold we've experienced over the past 3 months. Not interior Alaska cold, but cold enough. If it makes you feel any better, Fairbanks, AK is sitting at a toasty -33°F. No fly fishing up there right now! Enjoy the weather right now. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a significant icestorm is on the horizon early next week for the Piedmont of NC. The meteorologists are already mentioning it. Nowhere near a lock, but that would certainly hamper any plans of getting out to fish if it were to happen. Snow is much easier to drive on. Ice is everything but easy to drive on. Keep an eye on the forecast. It very well could come to fruition. It could also disappear and we see sunshine. Let's hope for the latter.

Fishing is still slow, despite the sudden rise in air temperatures. It will take a prolonged period of warm temps to bring the water temps up. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon. If cabin fever is really setting in, try fishing DH waters. Wilson Creek, Stone Mountain, Mitchell River, Nantahala, the Tuck, and the rest of the popular DH waters are fishing much better than the wild streams are. In order to catch fish, make sure you're nymph gets down to the bottom of the river. Trout are responding to the cold water by staying down deep and moving slowly. A larger nymph or streamer with a smaller nymph such as a soft hackle, Copper John, or Pheasant Tail Nymph is an ideal setup right now. The heavier nymph, or the point fly, will get the smaller nymph, or the lead fly, down to the bottom. The larger fly will usually attracts the fish. A lot of times the fish will settle for the smaller fly instead. Dries are of very little use right now. Nymphs are outfishing them by a wide margin. In the winter, trout that are hunkered down in a deep pool don't want to rocket to the surface, expending a sizable amount of energy. It's simply not worth doing so just to sip a small adult insect (or dry fly), when there are plenty of nymphs close to the river bottom.

Hang in there, spring is not too far away - okay, spring is more than 2 months away, but doesn't it make you feel better knowing spring has to come? Eventually? I recommend writing "Spring is not too far away" 1,000 times. Heals cabin fever.  All jokes aside, there's a better way to get through the long winter. Currently, Outdoor Blogger Network and Montana Fly Company have teamed up to present fly tyers a rare opportunity. It's likely a once in a lifetime opportunity. How does becoming the next paid fly designer for MFC sound? Yeah, sounds pretty sweet. If you've created a bug that is the talk of the town under the water's surface, this contest might be for you. Check out the qualifications and info here. If you do enter the contest, good luck! I'm planning on participating. Should be a lot of fun.

5 comments:

Mark said...

Looks like the trout of the Southern Appalachians will survive one more year before global warming kills them all off. I hope to make it up there this weekend ahead of any foul weather and get some fly fishing in for a change. Been quite awhile now.

Anonymous said...

Al who?

Anonymous said...

I love your blog. that is all. :)

Michael Agneta said...

Al probably doesn't have to shovel his own snow.

Good luck in the MFC contest.

Tyler Legg said...

@Mark- I'm crossing my fingers and toes it's just a speculation and not a true phenomena. Unfortunately I think it really is true...

@Anon- Exactly!

@Owl- Thanks! It was fun upgrading it!

@Mike- Get him out in -50 temps, with 5 feet of snow on the ground. He'll change his mind.

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