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Bryon Anderson

Asheville, NC area in November?

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I will be staying in a rental house in the Asheville NC area the second week of November. Can anyone familiar with the area tell me if it's worth the effort to bring some fishing gear? I know that NC has some great fly fishing, I'm just not sure what it's like in November. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks - Bryon

UPDATE - after some Googling, it looks like the Nantahala is close to our rental and has good fishing in the fall, so that will be on the list. I'd still be curious to hear what others have experienced in the area though. :)

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Byron I'm a professional musician on Weekends.  A few years back we got hired to play a wedding in Ashville and from what I saw on the ride in from the airport I was kicking myself for not packing a fly rod.  Cold mountain streams and rivers we're everywhere.   I didn't see one but I'm certain there must be a fly shop in the area that can put you onto a river with fish.  Definitely bring a rod.

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Your referenced River shows up as way west of Asheville so I can't comment on it. But you have a lot of great options in the Asheville area from the Pigeon near Canton.  I fish the west fork south of Lake Logan which is Stocked and delayed Harvest at that time of year to other options including the French Broad. There are numerous fly shops and good guides in the area. Short answer is bring your rod.

The embed is one of the maintained pullouts along the Pigeon that provides easier river access.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.3824977,-82.9401911,3a,75y,93.56h,91.8t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVXl0PDLajRchY9zjNBMYuw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

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Thanks guys -- Noahguide our rental is actually a little west of Asheville, so the Nantahala should be in decent drive-to range, but I will give the Pigeon a look as well! Thanks for the Google pin. :)

We are driving down, so I will have the capacity to bring several rods and assorted gear. I'm thinking I will bring my 8'6" 5 wt. glass and a 9' 5-6 in case I need to throw some small streamers or something. 
"

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It's been probably 15 yrs...but I flew down to NC to fish with a buddy many yrs ago and there are some great trout streams in Ashville. When I was there I flew into Charlotte, but we drove over to Ashville and stayed/fished there. We fished the Davidson river in Ashville. Beautiful mountain style stream, extremely clear water, about 20-40ft wide in most the spots we fished. And lots of 12"-15" fish with some a lot bigger. 

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There's some great fishing around that area. You have the Tuckaseegee River, which part of it is Delayed Harvest. A short ride away is rivers in the Cherokee area, another great fishing spot. You have the Davidson River, Nantahala River and the Mills River. I would definitely throw in my gear.  

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Thanks to everyone who replied! It looks like I will definitely be taking the waders and a couple of rods along on our trip. Trout fishing in November, woohoo! :)

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I live in Charlotte and have been fishing that area for over 45 years.  The Hunter-Banks Fly Shop is located in Ashville and is a good shop.  It gets poopoo'd by some but they have always been cool to me.  They can give you the best local fishing info.

Most of the streams that are near Asheville will be pretty hard hit by fishermen.  If you're willing to drive 45 minutes you can get on some really good water near Cherokee and even better waters in Bryson City.  Some of the finest fishing in North Carolina, heck in the Southeast can be found on Hazel Creek, Eagle Creek and Forney Creek all near Bryson City.  These are all streams that flow through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

My favorite place to fish on this earth is Eagle Creek.  Contact the Fontana Marina on Fontana Lake and arrange for them to ferry you over to the creek.  Once there you will literally be on your own, pack accordingly.  You'll be miles from any help at all; however, when you get about a mile or more up that creek it starts to look primordial.  It's some of the best, most pristine Wild Southern Appalachian Brook Trout fishing anywhere.

Hazel Creek is great to though and actually gets all of the accolades but also more fishermen.  Fontana Marina can drop you off there also.  So, if you're in to fishing stocked trout then by all means fish around Ashville, still very picturesque and you'll probably catch some fish too.  However, if you want to experience the legendary Smokies, then opt for Eagle Creek.  Take a camera, you'll want it.

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Thanks DrLogik, that sounds awesome! As it happens, the place we're staying is actually right outside Bryson City, so the waters you mentioned will be on my list. :)

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On 10/25/2022 at 9:39 AM, Bryon Anderson said:

Thanks to everyone who replied! It looks like I will definitely be taking the waders and a couple of rods along on our trip. Trout fishing in November, woohoo! :)

They don't start the stocking programs in OK and TX until November. Years ago the wife and I rode my motorycle from Asheville Bike Rally back to Kingsport, TN. That area has fantastic motorcycle roads and it seemed like every twist and turn got next to a beautiful stream on the whole ride on whatever roads we took. Like DFoster said, mountain streams everywhere and all cold and from what I'm told full of trout. I think they do a lot stocking but I'm sure there's wild fish in there too.

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