It was a rainy afternoon in October in the midst of the Pisgah Forest of North Carolina. Knowing my potential for success on any rainy overcast afternoon, I packed my fly fishing gear in the car, had brunch at Waffle House with some friends and departed Clemson University for the small town of Brevard, SC. Prior to gearing up for a fun filled afternoon on the river, I stopped in the local fly shop, Davidson River Outfitters, for a few tips on what might do the trick. I grabbed a variety of midges, size 20+ and hit the road. Once I got to spot, I threw on my waders, grabbed my rod (rigged and ready) and made my way down to the side of the stream. After about a half hour, many roll casts, and a few lost fish; my line made a sudden jerk. Much to my surprise I found myself tight to a large brown trout of about 16 inches. What happened next I will never forget, a few casts after my first brown of the day, I cast my line into a tight nook just in front of a log and let my fly drift by. The strike nearly took the rod from my hand and the ensuing fight was one I would not soon forget. The rainbow made jumps and runs I’d never experienced with my 5wt fly rod. Around 15 minutes later, I got the monster to the net and was beside myself with my new record rainbow trout.I estimated that this trout was about 26 inches and definitely weighed a pound or two! I was on cloud nine and will be for quite sometime! Large trout and a rainy day on the river are truly the essence of my devotion to this beloved sport of fly fishing.Hope you enjoyed this tale and I look forward to reading many of yours! Tight Lines! Stay Posted though, as my friend and myself will be heading to Naples, FL soon. We hope to return with a few new personal bests! Beware Snook, Reds, and Baby Tarpon!
Nice fish! And, your personal best rainbow trout .. that is killer! From the picture, it looks like a pretty “trouty” kinda day. I have never fished for trout in North Carolina, but through this site I have seen a few fish tales about the state and the davidson river. Looks and sounds like a pretty cool place to fish for trout. You mention the “Pisgah Forest” .. is that a national forest or national park? Are there pretty good populations of trout and is the fishing fairly consistent? Anyway, congrats on the new personal best! Good luck in Naples Florida, hope you get into some nice fish down there too! .. welcome to flies and fins.
Nice fish that is a bomber….especially on a size 20. They are not easily landed on flies that small. good luck in the south. Don’t be afraid to chuck some flies at night under the lights.
Joey, glad you liked the story man! It was really a wonderful afternoon and you’re right, the smaller the fly, the more challenging it is to get those big boys in. We had some great success in Naples and I may post another story soon, I’ve also put together a little video of our trip. The only kicker is that the fish weren’t on flies, bummer…But oh well, fish are fish, I’d rather have them than not!
Jeremy, Glad you liked the post. By the way, I must add I love your tunes on here man. They get me pumped to fishing everytime I listen. But, the Davidson river is a very challenging river to fish, I don’t go often because many times I come home with my feelings hurt. Not that day though.
The Pisgah forest is a national forest is Western North Carolina. It is only about an hour and a half drive from Clemson, SC. Beautiful place to find some big trout! The local fish hatchery does an excellent job of preserving the fishery, the only problem is that the entire southeast has been under a severe drought and the water is low. Also, many sections of the river have lots of over hanging branches to lose your flies in.
All in all, Western NC is a beautiful part of the Southeast and definitely worth your visit. If you ever come down, let me know. I’d love to go fishing with you. Also, you should know we met your friend Marshall down in Naples, great guy/excellent fisherman and wish we had more time to fish with him!
Hi Larry, what a gorgeous Rainbow! No small feat on a tiny fly. I very much enjoyed meeting up with you and AJ and fishing the Trail. Hope to get together again.
Marsh
Great story Larry I’ve spent some time in South Carolina but never once did I go trout fishing!!! Fly fishing for red fish and other salt water species but trout? I never thought of it as the climate seemed to warm. I have a friend I visit there and this time I’ll bring my 5 wt., thanks for the eye opener and congrats on your fish
Larry, great job bringing that beautiful fish to hand on such a small fly.. look forward to seeing more posts from you .. Alex
Hey Greg,
I believe there are some South Carolina Streams that may hold trout, but a majority of the fishing done for Trout in SC is on the coast for the Speckled Sea Trout. However, if you want to chase the “Salmonids” you need to go to either the Chattooga (On the Border of SC/GA, either license is allowed) or a short drive into the Blue Ridge Mountains (Western North Carolina) either way, South Carolina is less known for it’s river trout but well known for Bass and Salt Water Species. I do highly recommend bringing your 5 wt though when you visit. You’re only a short drive away from some wonderful trout angling.