Pleasant surprises await you on the Tuckasegee River (the Tuck) despite low water levels and the trout’s sudden bizarre tastes in flies. Early in the week, these fish had us digging deep into the tackle box for something to interest them until finally our Rainbow Warrior and Sexy Walt’s Worm landed us scores of rainbows. All of this action was on the bottom of the river, so we stuck to nymphing, creeping along at 450 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Another Tuck adventure found the river boiling with bows, smacking the surface amidst an unidentifiable flotsam that didn’t match anything in our fly collection. Plodding along at 450 cfs, we rifled through our tackle, attempting to dredge up any single-hook lure that might distract the hungry horde from their frenzied feast on the Unnamable (apologies to Mr. Beckett). Just for kicks, we threw out a buddy’s custom fly—a Jumping Jack Flash—and landed a hungry rainbow. But in the end, a Blue-Winged Olive (#18) was the momentum shifter that granted us the dry-fly action we so desperately craved. All of these fish were within the 11- to 13-inch range.
West Fork flow releases should increase our floating speed this weekend. With daytime highs ranging from the mid-sixties to mid-seventies and the fall foliage at its peak, many anglers will enjoy unforgettable experiences.
Now that squirrel-hunting season is underway, we’ll be building those memories, too! We’ve already taken several squirrels with the assistance of 2020 Thunder, our reserve world champion Mountain Cur, and our crew looks forward to a weekend feast of fried hindquarters! Be sure to book trips with us soon to get a piece of this action!
Have wonderful weekends!
