By Ken Kastorff
Thankfully, fly fishing is one of those things that we can still do and keep social distance. In fact, the great thing is that it will keep other people from crowding you while fishing your favorite hole. It is even better than having to put a cast next to some intruder’s ear to get their attention and convince them that you are not the sharing type. A few loud coughs and some mumbling about having a little fever and you got the whole river valley to yourself.
All joking aside, the mountains of North Carolina have hundreds and hundreds of miles of remote fishing water to explore. Sure beats sitting in the house eating six meals a day and gaining weight. Best part is, you can fish alone with no mask required. Even better, there are no politics or TV, just a good fly rod and some of your favorite flies are all it takes to have a wonderful day and not have to think about the “new normal”. Personally, I look forward to being able to one day live the “old normal” again. In the meantime, getting out and breathing some good old mountain air and throwing some flies are the closest things to normal that you can do.
So, now is the time to think outside the box and get on Google Earth and explore! I have lived here in Western North Carolina for almost a half a century and still find new places each year to wet a fly. I know for sure that I will run out of time before I ever run out of fishing destinations to explore.
Ken Kastorff is a Guide and the Owner of Endless River Adventures. To book a guided trip near The Nantahala Gorge or the Cheoah River, give him a call at 1-(800) 224-7238 or look him up at www.nantahalariverflyfishing.com.