By Dan Dry
Hey everyone, It’s been a while since I’ve felt like sharing my adventures. As we’ve all experienced, life can sometimes throw you a curve ball.
Due to all the latest rains, trout fishing has been challenging, to say the least. I’ve managed to pull some nice ones out though. I took a rookie out the other day and watched her catch her first trout ever. It was very gratifying, seeing my skills used to produce for someone else. My tactics are teachable. We were fishing some of my favorite spots in Maggie Valley and they provided a great dinner. Just so happens, The rookie was also a close friend and a great cook…which is another benefit of being on the water–friendship.
After this trip to Maggie Valley, I went out west to trout fish on the South Fork of the Colorado River, and got really spoiled. The limit out there is four fish a day verses our seven fish per day limit here, but wow, it usually only took about thirty minutes to catch our limit on any day of our many trips.
When I got back to Maggie Valley, it rained every day for 2 weeks. Luckily, Haywood County didn’t flood, but Jonathan Creek looked like a class four river. I got lucky in some of the bends, where my baits weren’t surfing, and managed to pull in a couple, but it took every skill I knew plus a little luck. I don’t think I’ll move, but I do foresee another trip out west sometime in the near future.
Sunburst is still producing limits even after two weeks of rain. Jonathan Creek is calming down and things should return to normal soon. Our local bait shop in Maggie Valley is well stocked with info on what’s producing. For you tourists, a daily permit for Maggie Valley Waters can be had only at the Welcome Center on Soco Road with rods provided.
Stay safe, pack out your trash, and enjoy our valley. See ya’ll on the water and be safe!
Dan Dry can be reached on Facebook and dandry53@gmail.com.