A spectacular weekend is unfolding in western North Carolina. Highs tomorrow will climb up into the 60's with sunny skies and a light breeze. Sunday will feature much of the same, with some clouds and maybe a few widely scattered showers in sporadic spots. All in all a great weekend.

With the great weather we're seeing, you can expect fishing to be fantastic. The Delayed Harvest waters, from Stone Mountain to the Nantahala are on fire. I've been seeing a lot of successful reports from folks. Big fish are being caught too. Lance Milks over at the Trailmarker blog caught this pig on a DH stream a few days ago. Brown trout aren't nearly as common as brookies and bows on DH waters here in NC. The state doesn't stock as many browns. So, when you catch a 24", 5 pound brown, it's definitely a sight to behold on DH waters. A 24" 5 pound brown caught anywhere is a sight to behold come to think of it. These hogs can be fooled (most of the time) by using Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Princes, San Juan Worms, Lightning Bugs, Stonefly Nymphs, large midge patterns (#14-16), parachute Adams/BWOs (#16-20), BWO Nymphs (#16-20), and most other relatively generic patterns. Check the "Recommended Flies" tab above for a more comprehensive list of suggested flies. As far as leaders go, it all depends on what water you're fishing. A 9ft 5x or 6x leader will be fine on most DH waters. A 12ft 6x-7x leader is best on the Davidson River due to the smart fish and the low, gin clear water. If you want to explore some wild water this weekend, a 9 ft 6x-7x leader (depending on size of the stream) should be fine. Stealth must be used to get close to wild fish. They are unbelievably spooky with the low water. Practice your bow and arrow and side arm casts. If obstructions behind you allow, try to stay as far away from the pool as you can and make a forward cast, delivering the fly from a distance. If you can see the fish, they probably already saw you and are diving under a rock. Allowing the fly to lightly land on the surface of the water with little to no fly line floating over the fish is the key to success. It takes some practice, but it should greatly improve your catch rate. If you are fishing calm, slack water, be extra cautious. Wild brookies or "specks" prefer calm, slack water, so they are extremely spooky.  Wild fishing is tough right now! Hang in there, spring usually brings with it higher water and better wild stream fishing.

If you head out this weekend have fun! Report back!

THFF.com now has an affiliated blog! I just put the finishing touches on the brand new Carolina Fly Tying Blog. It's here that I will post most of the tying articles, pictures, tips, tricks, etc. I probably won't post as frequently as I do here at THFF, but I'll try to post as much as possible.

So, tell me what you think. Suggestions, comments, and questions are more than welcome!

The WNC Fly Fishing Expo and a little fishing made for an excellent weekend. I left town yesterday morning bound for Asheville. As I packed the truck, our golden retriever knew we were leaving. The first time he sees the fishing gear being packed, he quickly becomes excited almost to point where he can't control himself. Once you say the words "By-by" he'll break through the storm door and race to the truck. "Not this time," I said, and he eventually calmed down and realized he couldn't tag along this time. His reaction to our arrival home was "Oh... yeah... you're home". "I'll just be over here if you need me".

Greeted yesterday AM by a sad retriever. Couldn't go fishing this time.

The expo went very well. I was fortunately able to meet and hang out with a good number of friends and fellow anglers. Brad Sprinkle, Randy Ratliff, Jule and Colin McDowell, and Frank Smith being a few of them. Brad Sprinkle (teachrtec over on the THFF Forum), who owns Trash Flies.com allowed me to tie at his table. If you've never watched Brad tie, you owe it to yourself. Brad has created some of the most creative and effective flies you'll ever see. Brad incorporates copper wires from electronic cords, wire insulators, foam from flip flops, and "trash" from household items. He calls his creations "Trash Flies". They're made from things the average tyer wouldn't think of using. It's truly amazing what you can use for fly tying.

Frank Smith, owner of Hunter Banks Fly Shop, asked Colin and I if we were able to possibly tie at a smaller tying class/small convention in March, so that event is quite possibly next on my list. Don't know many specifics though. Then, Troutfest 2011 in May.

So, without further ado, here's some pictures from this weekend...

A decent North Mills rainbow.

Glover McMurray's masterpiece. Creative as all get out.

The casting pond.

Brad Sprinkle's mouse pattern made from the foam off of a flip flop.

Albeit it was cold, we still pressed on and opted to hit 2 rivers today. They didn't hit us back. The fishing was great despite cold temperatures and sporadic snow showers throughout the day. I met Jule McDowell and his son Colin at the Davidson River around noon. They both fished the North Mills that morning and mentioned that there are plenty of fish to be caught. Jule said they caught 20. He also added that the fish were feeding on BWOs in the middle of a snow shower, which tells you the stockers are starting to figure out how to be real trout. Speaking of real trout, the Davidson, which has to contain some of the smartest fish in the east, was fishing well. It was an unusual day though, as the fish on the Davidson were actively pursuing streamers, while the stockers on the North Mills seemed to prefer midges and tiny BWO nymphs. Usually it's the other way around. About 15 minutes into fishing the D, I hooked into a decent sized brookie. He chased down a small olive Zonker and inhaled it 5 feet from me. In the end, he threw the fly right when the net touched him. Colin and I agreed that it was a landed fish. We all received more strikes and misses than hook ups, but the D treated us relatively well. If you get a strike, it's a good day on the Davidson. If you've ever fished the D, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Around 3, we all decided that the North Mills would be a great place to finish the day. We were right. The afternoon was a little slow though. Colin and I didn't hook into fish immediately. It took a while to pinpoint the exact pool that the fish were congregating in. They haven't learned that it's okay to spread out on the river. After about 25 minutes we discovered the pool. Colin took off upstream in an attempt to catch a monster brookie he saw this morning and I took the pool with the congregating fish. My first fly was an egg pattern. I know, non-purist, but the stockers eat them like candy. Eggs are working well right now, as the browns and brookies are spawning. Fish will sit just downstream of the spawning fish and gorge on small eggs that get dislodged from the redd. To my surprise, the fish were not going to have anything to do with an egg pattern. After scratching my head, I tied on number two, a Hise's Hetero-genius Nymph. The fish approved of the HHGN. A trout may have a brain the size of a pea, but they can sure decide what fly they want and what fly they'll allow to pass them by. Overall a good day with some great folks.

I'm doing a little fly tying to round off a fantastic day. Preparing to head up to the WNC Fly Fishing Expo in the morning. Folks who attended today said that it was a great show. Looking forward to tomorrow. I will be tying from 12:30 until 4, so if you see a guy in an orange Simms hat speaking gibberish, say hello! Hope everyone who attends has a good time. See y'all tomorrow!

Webcam view atop Purchase Knob in the Smokies. Picture courtesy of the NPS. (it updates, so you'll have a better view during the day.

'Tis the season. Snow is starting to fall in the Smokies as I type. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for Swain, Madison, and Haywood counties in western NC and it looks like areas along the NC/TN border (mainly 3,500 ft+) will see generally 2-4" with isolated 6" snowfall accumulations. Peaks such as Mt. Leconte are possibly looking at as much as 7". What does snow have to do with fly fishing you ask? Snow is a welcome sight to see. As long as it isn't a crippling blizzard the mountains occasionally experience, it's a good thing. Unlike rain, snow usually sticks around for a while and then slowly melts, feeding water ever so slowly into the ground. The big story in most places will be the cold this weekend.

Despite cold and snow, the fishing shouldn't be too bad, but it won't be the best. Colder air is spilling into the area. Water temps will drop as the cold air settles in. Dust your waders off! Wet wading season is drawing to a close. So is terrestrial season. Any remaining terrestrials will be killed by the bitter temperatures rolling in from the north. You may see some tiny black ants though. Fishing will probably be a little slow in the morning, given the temps are projected to dive into the mid to low 20s. After the sun warms the water (by about 10 or 11) the fishing will likely pick up. Right now, it's best to fish nymphs in the morning and dries in the afternoon. A Pheasant Tail Nymph in about a #16-22 or a Tellico Nymph in about a #10-14 should produce fish as far as nymphs go. Para BWOs or Adams in #18-24 should work well for dries. Don't forget to chuck a streamer! The browns are aggressive and big. They'll chase down any potential threat (even a little streamer). Throw a Zonker or Woolly Bugger close to the bank and strip it in with short jerks and twitches. A good rhythm would be twitch, twitch, twitch, stop, twitch, twitch, twitch stop. Check the "recommended flies" tab at the top for a list of some more suggestions.

The WNC Fly Fishing Expo begins tomorrow at 9am. Judging by all of the talk I've been hearing, it looks like the show will be a hit. If you can, come on out and enjoy! Fly casting and fly tying demos, programs, vendors, clubs, and great food are just a few of the things that will be present at the expo. I'm leaving town in the morning, bound for the Davidson River. Fishing the D with some friends. I'll have a report probably tomorrow night when I get back to the hotel. We're crossing our fingers for a good day.

Just a note... If you are driving from Tennessee to get to the expo, Newfound Gap Rd. (US441) is closed due to the snow. I'm sure a lot of folks were hoping to take the scenic route via Newfound Gap Rd, but the snow won't allow. I-40 will be your best route. Don't hold back from coming. The snow is confined to the higher elevations. Asheville, Brevard, Hendersonville, Waynesville, etc will be fine. No worries at all. Snow showers are in the forecast but not much in the way of accumulations at elevations below 3,500 ft.

Hope to meet and talk with some of you guys Sunday. Looks to be a great weekend. If you are planning on attending, have fun! Now, back to packing and organizing the fly tying stuff...

1. Thanks to a stalling cold front, the bulk of NC was replenished from the abnormally dry to moderate drought. Super cell thunderstorms roared across the Tennessee Valley and eventually into the Piedmont of North Carolina. An EF2 tornado was confirmed in the small town of Vale, NC unleashing 135 mph winds and destroying everything within its 3 mile path. Vale isn't too far from South Mountains State Park. Click here for some pictures of the damage. Haven't heard of any casualties. That's definitely good news. Folks were trapped under rubble as buildings collapsed. Tornadoes aside, the cold front was beneficial. It really helped the short term drought conditions. Behind the front, colder temperatures are encroaching. Most places will drop down into the lower 30's with higher elevations likely reaching the upper 20's. If you're heading out to the river, dress in layers, as mornings will be chilly and days will be in the mid 60's. Wet wading, while some anglers are wading wet, is probably not going to be necessary from here on out. Breathable waders will be far more comfortable.

2. The fishing here in western North Carolina is not bad at all. With DH season in full swing, water levels up (at least for now), and great weather, we're looking at some excellent conditions. If you're a wild waters kind of angler like yours truly, you'll discover that the wild waters are on fire. The wild brookies are decked out in bright orange and green, spotted with yellow and blue spots. You haven't lived until you've held a wild brook trout in your hands. The colors are beyond spectacular. It looks as if someone took 50 canisters of paint and randomly splashed the colors all over. The pictures above and below were taken in late September. High elevations (5,000 ft) allowed for the brookies to start displaying their colors a little early. Grab a map, a GPS, and your adventurous side and start searching for a blueline!

3. The higher water has given a some leeway on stealth and small tippet sizes. Stealth is still advised, but you don't necessarily have to use 7x and 8x tippet. 5x and 6x (4x should be fine on DH waters) is perfect. Fly selection is not nearly as important, unless of course you're fishing the Davidson. DH fish will take just about anything. They're probably growing a little weary of egg patterns in some places, but you should still catch fish on them. Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Princes, Lightning Bugs, Copper Johns, Giant Vinyl Rib Stones, San Juan Worms, Woolly Buggers, Slumpbusters, Parachute Adams, and even smaller #12-14 Stimulators will produce fish. DH waters are loaded with fish, so finding them shouldn't be too much of an issue.

4. Recently downloaded "Blogger Droid" onto my Droid phone. With that being said, I can now post from the river as long as signals cooperate. I'll likely use it next weekend at the expo. Should come in handy. Highly recommend it for any Android users out there.

So, if you're heading out to the water, have fun and enjoy it! You'll be glad you got out.