By James Marsh
Fly fishing the South Mills River requires some hiking to access its remote waters. The river begins just below the Blue Ridge Parkway near Ashville, North Carolina. It’s a tributary of the French Broad River. The South Mills River is listed in Trout Unlimited’s “Guide to America’s Best 100 Trout Streams” Book. Its trout are all wild brown and rainbow trout and the state of North Carolina manages it under its “wild trout” regulations.
This area is a popular hiking, horseback, mountain biking, camping and hunting area as well as a fly fishing destination. The lower part of the stream flows through private property. The South Mills River has one major tributary, Bradley Creek, which is also a good wild trout stream to fish.
The South Mills River runs for about twelve miles through Pisgah National Forest land. It can be accessed from several points but basically, it amounts to the lower end of the stream that’s on public land, or its upper end near the Forestry Discovery Center. You can access the stream from the lower end from the Turkey Pen Gap Trailhead at the end of the Forest Service Road #297, which is off Highway 280. You can also access it from the end of Forest Service Road #476 in the Pink Beds area. You have to ford the stream several times (or use suspension bridges) through its entire length. There are other ways to access the stream but they require long hikes. You wouldn’t get very far during high water. The trail is also a very popular horseback riding trail and that takes its toll on parts of the trail.
The stream consists of one deep pool after another, all at the ends of relatively short plunges. The decline of the stream is moderate and the trail is fairly easy to hike. It has both wild rainbow trout and wild brown trout that grow rather large. The trout probably average about eight inches, but they get much larger. Only single-hook artificial lures/flies are permitted on the South Mills River.
Bradley Creek is also managed as a wild trout stream and it flows entirely on public land. About three miles of its uppermost waters can be easily accessed from Forest Service Road #1206 and about three miles must be reached by hiking. Trails follow its entire length. Fly fishing Bradley Creek produces mostly rainbows.
This stream flows through evergreen trees and mountain laurel. There are several small waterfalls and cascades along the way. You will find most of the rainbows in the fast water plunges and short runs. The browns hide in the deep pools and in crevices underneath boulders and rocks. The trout stay active during the hot summer because the stream stays well oxygenated.
The South Mills River has an aquatic insect population consisting of a large diversity of insects, but only a few of them exist in large quantities. As with any small stream with wild brown trout, the larger brown trout are difficult to fool. They tend to hide throughout the day and feed only during periods of low light conditions. The rainbows are easier to approach because they tend to hide under the fast water surface turbulence. None of them are easily fooled and you must make sure you’re not spotted.
Season: The season runs year-round.
Winter: Trout can be caught on warm days during the winter.
Spring: Spring is the best time for fly fishing the South Mills River because of its hatches.
Summer: Summertime is okay but some of the water can get too warm for good fishing on the hottest days.
Fall: Fall is the best time for big browns in the lower section.
James Marsh is the Owner of The Perfect Fly online and catalog mail-order store. www.perfectflystore.com