N.C. weekend (fish porn)

[fishtaco]

After hearing many good things about the Nan DH, me and my spinfishing, wader-less buddy headed that way on Friday. It was our first time there and it was love at first sight, for me at least. The air temp was warm, the water was cool, and the river looked magnificent. After parking and watching the river a little I noticed a large trout population, which made me salivate. I tied on a big yellow humpy and a Y2K dropper and it was on.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0116.jpg
After catching a few of these guys...

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0120.jpg
some of these guys...

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0114.jpg
and more of these guys, I noticed that the humpy wasn't doing anything, everything took the Y2K. So I tied on an olive WB with the Y2K dropper, talk about a deadly junk fly combo

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0118.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0136.jpg
The catch on Friday seemed to be about 75% brook, 25% rainbow trout. Most fish brought to hand were 10-14 inches. I did hook into a couple big ones, but they took my dropper/tippet with them. I lost the 2 Y2K's I hadto the big ones, but ran into a guy from Dunwoody who was very nice, he gave me a couple peach eggs that he had tied and those worked very well also. In fact the best fish of the day was landed on it, so I am eternally grateful to the gentleman from Dunwoody.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0123.jpg
A monster of a brookie, got me grinning like a schoolgirl

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0124.jpg
He taped out at 17.5"

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0125.jpg
His jaw was probably bigger than mine

That ended Friday on a great note and I decided that I should come back on Sunday after my buddy left. He ended up catching 3-4 on some single hook joe's flys, he said he lost a ton though, he's kind of a noob to fishing though.

Saturday we biked Tsali in the morning then headed to Deep Creek in the afternoon. We hiked up to Indian Creek Falls...

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_10_2007_GSMNP/IMGP0140.jpg
and fished below it with no luck. We also didn't have any luck fishing Deep Creek downstream from its confluence with Indian Creek. It was big water for me and something I'm not comfortable in. My buddy had no waders so he was limited. Not wasting too much time we decided to head on out. It was a very pretty creek though and I'd like to hike further in and fish it where it gets a little skinnier.

Sunday I went back out to the DH to get the skunking I had at Deep Creek off of me. The air temp was even warmer than on Friday. Everything was caught on copper johns and wooly buggers, I was fresh out of Y2K and egg patterns.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0146.jpg
Started off catching some of these guys...

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0147.jpg
then caught this guy and thought, hey I have a chance for my first triple...

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0148.jpg
sure enough I got it

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0149.jpg
Last brookie of the trip, managed to get him to rise to a little black stonefly

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Fishing/North%20Carolina/March_09_2007_Nantahala/IMGP0150.jpg
Last 'bow of the trip

All in all I had a great birthday weekend. I will definately head back to the Nan DH before it ends, it was so much fun and there were so many other great looking areas I did not fish. Next time I'll try to take more scenery and underwater shots.

[Chris B.]

I guess the one thing I learned from your post is that you don't want to lip a brookie that has a kiped jaw. Ok well I guess two things.....the Nan. DH is a place I should really give a try. Thanks for the report.

Chris B.

[Hawkeye]

Great report and beautiful fish......

[FitFisher]

That was a bad, fat brookie. You're spoiled and I hate you. No I'm not jealous, I'm just a little upset right now. ::ke: Great catch!!

[atlninja82]

wow that brookie was HUGE! do they stock that place with brookies? im guessing they do. and i fished the nantahala once and it didnt look like that. weird maybe i went up to far i donno. but thanks for the report i might have to go up there again soon.

thanks,
-eric

[skibum]

Nice pics.. Makes me sick I cant get back up there till later in the spring.

Oh, your brookie looks better than mine, but I still think mine ate more chow ;)
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e26/troutnskibum/Wolf%20Laurel%20Shelton%20Laurel/smallbrookie.jpg

Is it just me or does it look like there are two different types of Brookies up there??? Or is this a male/female thing. Some of those guys look just plain mean ;)

[fishmonger]

C'mon,that's just a painted up football!

FM

[boezie]

By the looks of it I have to head up there at some point soon! Awesome fish, and a great report! Thanks!

[TroutTackler]

We need more posts like this one.

I hate my life!! Why am I in an office??? WHHHYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!

[finless brown]

Dang..... that thing is UGLY!!! Nice fish.

[Fire Walker]

Heres another fat brookie from North Carolina

http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Brookie_NC_DH.jpg

[crick addict]

I don't want to sound like a pompous a%*, but I had rather catch dinks, or not anything at all if I have to turn to a spinning rod. Nice fish,though.

Sorry guys, got confused while trying to read too many post(s). Wait to you get 50! Great fish.

[fishtaco]

What are you talking about crick addict? All those fish were taken on a 4 wt fly rod.

[baldea]

Dennis is that part of your sock coming out of the fish's gills. No wonder its so dang fat. ;)

Nice fish....anyone doing a road trip before the DH ends?::ke:

[skibum]

I dunno what you mean:huh: That fish came on shore and said "who you call'n fatass??"...lol

:cheers:

[Aquadump]

I think I know that big brookie, and I bet I know which hole he lives in. He likes brown boogers with green flash.:cheers:

[Lambster]

Firewalker:

Dang son nice Brookie!!! How was the water? Haven't fished the Tuck this year........ we landed some nice Brookies last year...... great photo!!:D