By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks, Old Man Winter has finally arrived and the warmth from a hot hickory coal bed feels awfully good but, for the sportsmen that is willing to brave the cold and hit the water, there are plenty of fish to be had, even some monster trout. One of my favorite places when the cold sets in and slows the dry fly fishing in The Great Smoky Mountains, is to put the drift boat in and hit the Tuckaseegee River. The Tuck has always been home to big Rainbow and Brown Trout as well as Walleye, Bass, Catfish, and Bluegill but a few years ago, the Wildlife Commission made the great call to designate different sections of the Tuck as Delayed Harvest water where there would do supplemental stockings, with some of the fish being really large Rainbow, Brown, and Brooke Trout, from October till June. During this time, trout can only be taken with artificial lures, with a single hook, and must be released. On Opening Day in June, where the rule changes to the same as hatchery supported rules, from sunrise till 12am, only anglers 16 and under are allowed to fish, which is a great way to get a youngster hooked on fishing because they can always catch a good number of hungry trout.
The upper section on the Tuck that runs above the old Dillsboro dam gets a stocking of all three trout species while the lower section that runs through Bryson City only gets the Brown and Rainbow stockings, since the Brooke tend to run up Deep Creek in the hot summer months, to get in the colder park waters. Both sections can be accessed by either wading or a drift boat. I’m partial to the drift boat since there are a lot of pools that it’s just not safe to wade and also you can cover more water with the boat. If I’m guiding a fly angler on these sections, I usually start with bright colored egg patterns if the fish are recently stocked but, as the fish get accustomed to eating more wild bugs and minnows, I will start fishing more wooly buggers and streamer patterns. Some days, the fish seem to want a smaller fly and, at those times, I usually fish either hare’s ear nymphs or prince nymphs as well as rainbow warriors or the all time go to- squirmy wormy. Some of my clients just want to catch a big trout and are not into fly fishing so for these trips, it’s hard to beat a good Rooster Tail Spinner with the single hook, or a Rapala with the extra hooks cut off. No matter what your fishing style or preference, there are always plenty of willing fish, in the Tuck, to make your heart beat faster, if your willing to brave the cold temps, so stock up the stove, put on your warmest cloths, and as always take a kid fishing.
Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, North Carolina, heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. (www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com) (828-488-9711).