December Fly Fishing 2016

December Fly Fishing action has been incredible. To say we have had the best season on record for December is an understatement! Good weather and stream conditions have contributed to great angler success rates for big trout. Bryson City, and Cherokee North Carolina have been at the top of the list for big fish locations to visit. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge streams inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have seen their share of good fishing for wild trout.

Tuckasegee River Float Trips

Tuckasegee River Float Trips have been outstanding for consistent action and some massive trout. More season appropriate temperatures have turned the trout on big time as we’re seeing lots of massive Brook trout become very active. Cloudy days, even some rain have made for the best times to be out to catch a big fish! We are catching some very nice Brown trout now as well. The biggest December news on the Tuckasegee River has been fishing with dry flies! Yes you read that correctly, dry fly fishing in December. Crazy right!? All month long we have witnessed literally acres of rising fish on the Tuckasegee River starting mid morning and continuing all day until around 5:00pm. Hundreds of fish at times all on the surface sipping dries. It’s a been sight to behold.

Rainy days on the Tuckasegee River have also seen some Steelhead running upstream from Fontana Lake. Stocked in the early 1970’s by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource commission, Steelhead just like those stocked into the Great Lakes thrive in the lakes and rivers in Bryson City. These hard fighting acrobatic fish will give you a fight like no other!

Cherokee Trophy Trout

December fly fishing on the Cherokee Trophy Section on the Raven Fork and Oconaluftee River is excellent. We are seeing good numbers of big fish hooked all month long. We’ve also seen lots of broken tippet and bent hooks! These big trout are notoriously hard fighters and will rip the guts out of a reel and have been known to break rods on many occasions. These aren’t the easiest fish to catch as they see some of the best anglers and flies on a daily basis. They will however leave a smile on your face that takes weeks to wipe off! Of course cloudy days and rain are best, but big fish can be caught on pretty days too.

A few more days are left in the month and we can’t wait to see what our guests will catch next!

Tight Lines y’all!