Above is the best fly fishing film I've seen since A River Runs Through It. Period. Worth every 47 minutes. Anglers and non anglers alike, this film will captivate you. Check it out...
 

Doesn't get much better than that...

Welcome to the Southeast. Bitter cold one day, sun and unusual warmth the next. We've seen it all this winter. Snow, ice, rain, single digit temps (negatives in the mountains), and now temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. We're sitting at 70 here in Kannapolis. I, along with many others, don't know how to react to this brief, but very much welcomed warm spell. This winter is going down in the books as the coldest winter Charlotte has experienced in 69 years. Temps in the 60s is a welcome sight. Especially this year. Now, because it's short lived, you won't see Quill Gordons and Blue Quills hatching. In past years a warm second half of February triggered premature spring hatches. Hopefully that won't happen this year. It very well could though. Meteorologists are now advertising the idea of a warm (or not as cold) February here in the Southeast. We'll see what happens. Still, it takes a serious warm spell to warm the water enough for the first major hatches of the year to occur. Usually a water temperature of about 50 degrees is the magical number. Time will tell...

Despite the warm weather, snow and ice can still be found in the higher elevations. It has become compacted from all of the past snow and ice and will take a while to melt. Regardless, the warm weather this weekend has produced some of the best fishing we've seen in a long time. If you managed to get out this weekend, tell us how you did in the comment section below or over on the forum!

Enjoy the remainder of this heat wave! We'll be back down to normal tomorrow.

Unless you possess a fly rod to this caliber (discovered after recently finding this blog), you wouldn't stand a chance! Casting duck and beaver flies made to scale has never been easier!

Some of you guys may have seen Thomas' work. If you haven't I recommend doing so! Thomas founded Carolina Fly last year and ever since, his flies have been the talk of the town bass pond. He's produced some of the most incredible poppers I've ever seen in my life (and I've seen a lot of poppers in my lifetime). He has an uncanny ability to produce poppers that leave you feeling guilty for fishing them!

Here's some of his work. All photos snapped by Thomas Harvey.

Fish approve 100%...

Now that you're probably drooling and gasping for breath, here's Thomas' Facebook page where you can contact Thomas and view the rest of his collection. Word of caution, more drooling will ensue..
 

Click the picture for a larger view.

The mountains and foothills will likely see some pretty decent amounts of snow with a storm system moving late Tuesday into early Thursday. Looks like mostly a soaking rain here in the Piedmont with some snow towards the end not out of the question. This year, we've seen more snow than rain. Actually, here in Charlotte, we've seen almost all snow so far this winter. Not many rainstorms. February and March (maybe April in the mountains) will likely hold more snow. The more precipitation we can rack up now, the better off we are come spring, summer, and fall. Streams typically start getting low in June unless we see persistent rain. Snowmelt will keep the rivers in good shape for awhile, but after that we start relying on thunderstorms and showers for the most part to keep the rivers from drying up.

With the snow, rain, and cold conditions, fishing will be tough. Especially the wild streams. The Davidson, Tuck, Stone Mountain, Wilson Creek, Mitchell River, and the east Tennessee tailwaters (just to name a few) are fishing the best. Most DH waters are fishing the best. Stocked trout respond to cold temps much better than wild trout do. Tucker Horne and Paul Bourcq, both members of the NC Fly Fishing Team, posted over on the THFF Facebook page. Tucker said the South Holston (SoHo) in east TN was fishing well. Paul said the Nantahala and the SoHo are fishing well. He added that olive has been the color of choice for him lately.

Catching fish will be somewhat of a task. Unlike a trout's behavior in the summer, they are sluggish and will not move very far to grab a morsel of food (or your fly in this case). If you are not getting to the bottom (either hanging up every now and then, or catching fish), add another split shot on. I recently read an article written by WNC guide Than Axtell. In the article, he says this:

Years ago, I was creeping up the gorge on an overcast spring day when I looked over my shoulder and saw a camouflaged man fishing about three pools behind me. His rod was bent from the weight of a nice trout that somehow had eluded my presentations. I fished a couple more pools with little success, while camo guy continued to slay trout in the water I'd just fished. Finally, I stopped and waited for him to catch up. "Looks like you've got the magic fly," I yelled to him over the white water. "What are you fishing with?"

He looked at the stonefly dangling from my tippet. "Same thing as you," he said, grinning. "You know, sometimes the difference between an average fisherman and a great fisherman is just one split shot."

Sometimes we tend to think only certain flies work and trout will not have anything to do with other patterns. While this is true on heavily pressured waters, or during certain times of the year, trout are generally opportunistic feeders. If it looks edible and ultimately acts like food, they'll attempt to eat it. The key to catching fish is the presentation. It's like human food. If a sandwich is moldy and reeks with an unpleasant stench, most people would pass it up in an instant. If you can get that fly to look as natural as possible, you shouldn't have any problems catching fish. Generic patterns such as a Pheasant Tail Nymph, Hares Ear, or Prince, should catch plenty. Click on the "Fly Fishing NC" tab at the top. Click on "Recommended Flies". That list, while not complete, will give you a general idea. Again, as long as your presentation is ideal, fly selection becomes less important.

I'm hitting the tying bench! I've got some fly orders to fill and ship to Casters Fly Shop tomorrow. With the cold, rainy, and possibly snowy conditions approaching, I'll be at the bench constantly. If I produce a worth while fur ball, I'll post if over at CFT. If you've been out on the water, we would love to hear the report!