By Aaron Motley
Wilson Creek, from top to bottom, is a wonderful place to fly fish for Rainbow, Brown, or Brook trout. The various prongs of Wilson Creek have both wild fish and hatchery-stocked fish. Also, Wilson Creek allows outdoor users to access many acres of National Forest land. Camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting are allowed during the appropriate time of year for deer, bear, turkey, and small game.
National Forest verses National Park. The difference lies in the mindset of each organization. National Forest’s use of wise practices of Conservation verses National Parks are a mindset of Preservation. Hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, OHV, campers, waterfall enthusiasts, anglers, hunters, and the animals that call that land home, are all subject to the wise use of our resources. The better we manage the resource, the more benefit it will have to all groups.
The pristine headwaters of Wilson Creek start at the top of Grandfather Mountain. These headwater streams house small wild brook trout. As the streams descend the escarpment, brown and rainbow trout are found instead of native Brook trout. At the Mortimer junction, you reach water that is stocked by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) cold water trout hatcheries. Delayed Harvest waters are found near Mortimer downstream, and change regulations to Hatchery Supported near the Wilson Creek visitor center. In the summer, the Wild regulated streams fish nicely with a dry fly and a dropper. Dry flies to have in your box are yellow or green stimulators, Adams female or parachute Adam’s, parachute ants, and a Royal Wulff. Subsurface flies would be squirmy worms, greenie weenie, pheasant tail, zebra midge, and girdle bugs. In the smaller streams, you may want to have a shorter 7.5 foot 6X leader or if you like to fish a long rod of 10 feet, try a 68 inch braided leader with Loon Payette Paste to help it float, and attach your tippet to the metal tippet ring at the end of your braided leader. The supple and heavy braided leader will allow you to retract your leader inside the guides of your rod, and not fall down the guides leaving your fly stuck at the end of your fly rod. If you have questions about this rigging, stop by Hunter Banks, and let us help.
There is a lot to do here so you may want to camp overnight, however, camping types vary in this area. In the Wild and Scenic designated area, camping is limited to Mortimer and near the Visitors Center. National Forest Land falls under use only established sites and dispersed camping rules. Best practice is to take only memories and leave only footprints.
There are many options for adventures in the Wilson Creek area. Come into the Hunter Banks Organization in Waynesville or Asheville, and let us show you the maps you need and the flies recommended by our staff to catch either stocked fish or wild fish. Our shops have the best leaders and tippet to land fish on your next adventure.
Aaron Motley is Operations Manager at the Waynesville location of Hunter Banks. His waterfowl hunting addictions supports his fly tying addiction. He learned his fly-fishing craft from “fishy” people and pursues large trout, bass, and musky on a daily basis. He teaches others to do the same.