By Louie Pardue
All my life I have wandered the mountains and streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have been constantly filled with wonder and excitement as I find new places and experience all that this beautiful area has to offer.
I took up fly fishing when I was about 12 years old. My father gave me a Cabela’s Genesis rod package for Christmas. I remember thinking that it was a very different looking rod than anything I had ever seen before. He took me many places around the Boone, NC area. Small wild streams with big trout in them. I always used a Royal Wulff, and still do.
Dad would say, “This fly has caught a lot of fish”, and it certainly has. I have been hooked on fly fishing ever since. It is a wonderful way to truly experience the natural beauty that the Blue Ridge has to offer.
I grew up in the foothills of North Carolina in Wilkes County, NC. The state has really done a good job in the last ten years to promote fly fishing. They have been very successful with their fish hatcheries and stocking the streams to offer more fishing opportunities for the angler.
My fly fishing guide service is called Brushy Mountain Anglers. I guide on all the best streams in Ashe, Allegheny, Wilkes and Surry counties. Give us a call at 828-400-4247 or visit BrushyMountainAnglers.com and book a trip for the coming year. We enjoy working with anyone who wants to fish! Start a hobby that will last a lifetime!