If you’re itchin’ to land that trophy trout, drop a fly into the Tuckasegee River (the Tuck) soon. On the two-county stretch from Locust Creek to Bryson City, we’re catching rainbows and browns measuring over 20 inches! To target these lunkers, we’re throwing hefty articulated streamers, and although our strike counts are lower, we remain focused on landing the biggest trout possible. To keep these fish honest, we’ve switched to spinning gear on occasions, using single-hook rooster tails to chase rainbows. This precious mix of warm weather, cold water and ideal floating will be over once the summer heat is upon us, so make plans to hit the Tuck soon while delayed harvest is in full swing!
Last month, a desolate, Washington, Georgia deer camp offered us a rare outdoor experience. No one had hunted the land since deer season closed, and the air was so thick with squirrel scent that Thunder, our World Champion mountain cur, couldn’t get fifty yards without treeing several of these critters. This flat land of leafless hardwoods and pine trees found a special place in our hearts, and by the end of the day, we had bagged 27 squirrels and saw 35—not a bad way to close out squirrel season!
With goose season in the rearview mirror, we’re left with so many memories hunting these birds. For some of us, this was our first time pursuing waterfowl. When the fish weren’t biting, the geese kept us on the water and attentive with a new-found thirst for action. We fell in love with the rich, earthy taste of goose meat and discovered several different ways to prepare this delicacy. We already miss our buddy Matt’s scrumptious goose jerky—a unique treat that’ll sustain us on many future adventures in the woods and on the water. Now, it’s time to clean and oil our shotguns in preparation for turkey season in April!
At the moment, the Tuck is rolling at 6570 cubic feet per second (cfs), much too dangerous for floating, but we expect conditions to improve in the upcoming week. In the meantime, please book a fishing trip with us! And keep in mind that Katala Outdoors offers gift certificates, too!
Keep your oars and hooks in the water while the trout are still biting!
