We had some high water last weekend, but water levels are very good right now. Water temperatures have been in the low to mid 40’s and the trout have been surprisingly active. We haven’t been out on the water in the morning, but fishing has been excellent from about noon to 4 PM.
We’ll see if this good fishing keeps up, though. Next week temperatures are forecast to be about ten degrees cooler than what they’ve been this week. If that’s the case we’ll be dredging bottom with bigger nymphs like #8 Rubber Leg Tellicos and #10 Princes.
The Tuckaseegee River continues to produce even when the water is high
The tailwater scene has been as grim as we’ve seen it in years. High flows have kept us off the big rivers for a while. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the fish, though. Flows are pretty standard and the fish are accustomed to it. Problem is that there’s just no option for wading and the increased flows keep the fish deep and spread out.
The Tuckaseegee River near Dillsboro, NC has been our destination for float trips. The river has been higher than we’d like, but we’re still managing to hook some trout. We usually focus our efforts on fishing nymphs, but lately we haven’t even brought them out of the box. Streamer fishing has been the way to go.
Streamers allow us to cover more water more effectively. Furthermore, we seem to be hooking a few more real good fish than we typically do on nymphs.
Just like the mountain streams, the Tuckaseegee has fished best in the afternoon but we’re still moving fish before lunch. Wading the Tuck really isn’t much of an option. Anglers who are extremely familiar with the river probably know of a few spots where wading is possible, but there’s not much room to move about.
