1.) Low and behold, snow started falling Friday around 3:00 in the afternoon. Meterologists were expecting the snow to start towards 7 or 8 o'clock that evening. By 6:00 PM we had and inch and a half on the ground. Eventually, the green grass (well, more along the lines of dead grass) was defeated by the accumulating snow. It snowed for the bulk of the night, varying in intensity. By 9 AM yesterday morning, there was a 20+" snow drift on the front porch, wedged up against the door. The back porch had a snow dift comprised of 10" of snow. 6-7" fell here in Kannapolis, the more south and east you go, the less snow you see. For us, this is the most snow we've seen since the February '04 monster that buried our house in 20"+ of snow. Our next round of snow looks to be next weekend. Buckle up, this February is going to be interesting...

2.) The interstates and highways are for the most part, passable. It's the secondary roads that are still iffy.Especially up in the mountains where it's colder. Take it easy if you decide to go fishing today, tomorrow, or even Tuesday. I think I'm going to get some tying done today and tomorrow. If I come up with anything interesting, I'll post it.

1.) More rain/snow/sleet/freezing rain is going to hit the western Carolinas this weekend. Of course this will only add onto the heavy rain we received Sunday. The weekend storm looks very interesting. It could be a major snowstorm. It could be a major icestorm. It could just end up being mostly a rain event. Either way you put it, it's going to be liquid at some point and it's going to eventually cause the rivers to rise once again. So, the usual high water/muddy water flies are best used. Woolly Buggers in sizes of 8-10 along with most other streamer patterns should catch fish. Girdle Bugs are also working well in sizes of 6-12. Get that nymph down on the bottom and you may end up catching a big brown. If you're near a fly shop, stop by and ask where to go and what the go-to fly is right now.

2.) The Fly Fishing Show is this weekend here in Charlotte, so if you are planning on heading over to the Park (formerly known as the Merchandise Mart here in Charlotte) have fun. I won't be there this year unfortunately, as I'll be up in West Virginia on a skiing trip.

3.) If you haven't checked out the all new Tar Heel Fly Fishing Forum, it's well worth the visit. We are starting to see more members joining and posting. I designed and put together the message board on Sunday, and since then, we are closing in on 100 posts. Discussions range from small stream brook trout fishing to DH fly fishing in NC, and even fly tying and gear talk. I've even included a category on the forum devoted to fly fishing out of NC. If you enjoy fishing in and around NC, or you want to learn more about fly fishing in NC, join the discussion!! See you over there...

After some consideration, I designed a forum for all NC fly fishing enthusiasts. It's a place for fellow NC anglers to discuss fly fishing in NC, fly tying, NC destinations (and worldwide destinations too) and virtually everything in between. Take a look and consider signing up..... http://tarheelflyfishing.forumotion.com/forum.htm

I was able to find some time to get away from the big city lights of Kannapolis, NC for a few hours yesterday. It was on extremely short notice. I knew for sure I was heading to the Davidson River late Sunday evening. Usually I plan at least a week or so ahead of an upcoming trip, but this time it didn't fare that way. I was at the Bobby N. Setzer Hatchery by 11:45. For those who are thinking "What? Hatchery? C'mon, that's too easy", it's a fish hatchery that is adjacent to the Davidson River and boasts some of the best fishing on the D. It also boasts the perfect place to get skunked. "Skunked" in fly fishing terms basically means you didn't catch anything and the fish were playing "hard to catch". I had plenty of textbook rises, followed by textbook refusals. At one point, a midge hatch broke out, which in turn, the fish started looking up (they were surprisingly active for a mid January day...the water was frigid). I tied on a #26 Griffith's Gnat, which usually brings a few fish to the surface. I made a few casts under the overhanging rhodo on the opposite side of the river. Nothing. I also tried a #20 Para BWO, but they obviously wanted a forest green colored BWO not a dark green BWO; they're picky. I then switched to nymphs/midges without success. I noticed other anglers upstream weren't catching much either. The only exception was a guy, 20 ft to my left, who managed to foul hook several fish (but, that doesn't count...). I was prepared for a skunking on the Big D yesterday. The positive aspect of fishing the Davidson is the things you learn with each outing. You can go to the nearest DH stream and usually catch a dozen out of one pool, move on to the next pool and catch a dozen more. It's different on the D. You have to work for these fish. I like the challenge of it.

If you haven't been amused with the extended cold stretch we've experienced lately (frankly, I'm ready to throw my fly into LIQUID and not onto solid ice) don't worry. Cold weather in the Carolinas usually doesn't stick around for more than a couple of days, at the most. The cold snap that is finally starting to give us some mercy is about to be replaced by some "warmer" weather or "not so freaking cold" weather. Maybe some of the anchor ice present in western NC streams will melt a little (maybe). Thursday and Friday might be one (if not the) best days we've seen in 3 weeks for fly fishing in North Carolina. Temperatures will rise into the lower 50's in the southern NC mountains on Thursday and mid 50's on Friday. The northern NC mountains will see mid 40's on Wednesday, upper 40's on Thursday, and mid to low 40's on Friday. The heat wave is coming folks!! Still, fishing during the middle of the day (11 "ish" through the afternoon) has been and will be the best approach. Nymphs are winning over dries in terms of catching fish. With the upcoming relief from the cold, you may see some Blue Winged Olives fluttering around, but don't expect a feeding frenzy from the trout (or a hatching frenzy from the Olives). Albeit the air temps will rise, the water temps will still be fa-fa-freezing. Who's ready for spring?!?!

What's working...

DRIES
#18-22 Adams
#18-24 BWO
Small midges
('bout all as far as dry flies)

NYMPHS
Prince Nymphs #14-18
Copper Johns #18-22
Pheasant Tail Nymphs #18-24
BWO Nymphs
Lightning Bug #18-24 (Especially on sunny days)
Red Fox Squirrel Nymph #14-16
Tellico Nymph #12-16
Big, ugly, stonefly nymphs #6-10
San Juan Worms
Egg patterns

Don't hesitate to tie on a streamer if all else fails. A #10 Slumpbuster might bust the slump you're in when the fish don't care for anything else.

1.) Cold temperatures have persisted from the Rockies to the east coast over the past week or two. It has been downright cold for NC. Temperatures are chilly all the way down into the deep south. North Florida might even see some light snow. You know it's cold when the Sunshine State is watching for frozen precipitation. Temperatures might rebound a bit in the next week or so, but, no 60's or 70's. More like upper 40's to low 50's. The famed "January Thaw" might not happen this month!! With all of the cold air we've seen over the past few weeks, the Carolinas have seen several runs (numerous in the mountains) at snow or some type of wintry precip. We're just adding to the runs with the next system set to arrive tonight. As the system comes from the west, most of the moisture will be eaten up by the mountains in the western part of the state. Still, scattered light snow showers should move through the Piedmont, with little to no accumulations. The mountains might see more.

2.) All of this cold air has really slowed down the fishing. You can still catch fish, but you'll have to slow down and get the fly right in front of them. They're not going to move much to grab a fly. Use enough split shot to get your bug close to the bottom. As far as fly selection goes, use smaller flies. Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, and Fox Squirrel Nymphs in sizes of 18-24 "ish" are just a few examples. Again, getting the fly down deep is the key.

3.) I was asked a few days ago if I would write an article for Blood Knot Magazine. I'm currently in the process of putting one together recollecting my summer brook trout excursions in southeast Tennessee last year...(You know, the trip where I was attacked by a nest of yellow jackets...). It's looking great so far, I'll finish it up over the weekend and send it in.