Mar 04, 2008 interestingly, west discovered three things, only the second of which he was expecting. The tuckasegee river hookers fly shop and guide service. Youll also catch walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout, carp, and the occasional muskie. Easy to moderate access on us hwy 19 from whittier to below bryson city. This river is hatchery supported and is seldom fished. Tuckasegee river guided fly fishing in cherokee nc. A very educated pick for river fishing enthusiasts. The smallmouth bass is highly concentrated in the frenchbroad river, nolichucky, tuckasegee and little tennessee rivers. While our specialty is fly fishing, we do offer spin trips for both trout and smallmouth. Tuckasegee river fly fishing guides smoky mountains. Fly fishing guide float trips for trout delayed harvest. Tuckasegee river tuckasegee river fly fishing guides.
The fish just needed to see the lure, so bright flashy or dark colors worked the best. Tuckasegee river fly fishing the tailwaters river begins in the higher peaks of western north carolina from several tributary streams and unseen branches which merge into two forks that are dammed by cedar cliff lake and bear creek lake. Unlike the largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass has an upper jaw that extends only to the middle of its reddish eyes. Lets go fishing on the tuckasegee river in the great. The little tennessee river is one of the best smallmouth bass. Jackson county has one of those rare watersheds that flows to both the atlantic ocean and the gulf of mexico. Over the last few years he has specialized in fishing the tuckasegee river with clients.
The tuckasegee river is similar in size to many larger rivers found in the continue reading. Float down the french broad, nolichucky, tuckasegee or north toe river with a professional guide, while casting flies or lures for hungry smallmouth. Smallmouth bass favor rock ledges, eddies, grass beds and log james. We guided anglers on wade and float trips on the tuckasegee river, little tennessee river, and fontana lake.
Fishing for smallmouth bass is also an excellent option in the heat of summer when trout fishing really slows. Located in sylva, nc, alex bells guide services accommodate professional anglers, as well as beginners. The day started out overcast and in the mid 50s which was really nice. The tuck is roughly 50 miles long and is a beautiful river. Tactics for summer river smallies bass fishing resource. The tuckasegee is similar in size to many larger rivers found in the rocky mountain west. Tuckasegee river float trips hookers fly shop and guide. I think a bobber might work, but i find the bigger bass very close to the bottom on the tennessee river. It combines into two forks, the east and west, each of which is dammed. If you are planning to fly fish the river, poppers and streamers will be your best choice. We target smallmouth bass on our wade and walk fishing trips between the months of april and october on the tuckasegee river and little tennessee river. The tuckasegee river starts high in mountains above cashiers nc. Species brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, kentucky spotted bass, walleye, steelhead, muskie, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, white bass, catfish. Reading this oneofakind collection of practical advice is like.
It begins life high in the mountains as many small tributaries that converge to form an east and west fork, both which are dammed in their upper portions, finally converging to producing one very cold tailwater fishery that contains. Below are 15 fishing spots along the western north carolina fly fishing trail, complete with gps coordinates. The little tennessee river from sanderstown road, franklin, nc to lake fontana and the tuckasegee river from us441 bridge, dillsboro nc to lake fontana. River smallies are perhaps the most aggressive of all black bass, and the size of a bait does not matter to the smaller specimens. The winter raft trip down virginias james river was noteworthy for its cold rain, leaden sky, and the dozenandahalf or so 14 to 18inch smallmouth that either capn jack west put in the boat himself or instructed a client and me how to do so. Anglers can wait or float the little tennessee or tuckasegee river or fish one of the several area lakes that hold smallmouth bass. We went north of dillsboro, off highway 74, yesterday to try our hand wading for smallmouths in the tuckasegee river. Smallmouth bass fishing guide trips guided smallmouth bass trips are one of the most popular trips requested in asheville, nc. This river is one of the most incredible places to fish if you love to throw a streamer. I kept this post to have a few archived on the blog. Family fishing in bryson city nc on the tuckasegee river. Anglers fishing this river have caught smallmouth bass topping 6 lbs this summer.
The cold water discharges combine into one river that provides a suitable habitat for trout for most of the year. The tuckasegee river is similar in size to many larger rivers found in the rocky mountain west. Tuckasegee river west fork of the pigeon river nantahala river book a guided fly fishing trip today. Fly fishing tuckasegee river north carolina the tuckasegee river begins in the north carolina mountains from several tributary streams. These coordinates direct folks to the general vicinity of each fishing spot. When fishing for trout seek out higher elevations streams or tailwaters with consistently lower water temperatures than our larger rivers and lower elevations streams in the area. On the other hand, if smallmouth bass are what you are after, turn no where else than the little tennesse river, or. Jack has fished every mile of many of the streams in western north carolina and has been guiding the local waters for more than twentythree years. We provide float trips on the tuckasegee all year long.
Today, i guided clarence and john from pensacola, fl on a half day float trip. Summer smallmouth river fishing can be very productive for catching our favorite gamefish. Drifting the tuckasegee river for smallmouth in kayaks. Turned out we put in at a very shallow portion of the river and did not have a lot of luck. The problem is that in most of the areas we think to fish, a lot of young, smaller bass dominate the scene and it can be difficult to find that lunker. Mention this post when you book and receive a 10% discount on any wade or float trip in october 2012. They arent designed to be specific fishing locations. For reservations call 8284887665 or book securely online from our website. This progressed into fishing the local trout streams with a fly by the age of twelve. With numerous fish species, and a delayed harvest section with 12,500 trout per mile, the tuckasegee river is a complete year around fishery. Guided fishing trips north carolinas brookings cashiers. He also landed a couple of bluegill and several nice smallmouth. The dam discharges cold water to provide trout with a perfect ecosystem throughout the year.
We floated a section of the tuckasegee river between barkers creek and whittier. Aug 12, 2017 took our kayaks on the river to look for some river smallies. Mar 05, 2011 sample of the new book, river smallmouth fishing by tim holschlag. Smallmouth bass are native to the upper and middle mississippi river drainage and have been introduced throughout north america. Fly fishing trail map river and stream access points. Tuckaseegee river smallmouth bass fly fishing the smokies. It will provide excellent fall trout fishing convenient to bryson city. The majority of jackson countys waterways flow toward the gulf.
The tuckasegee river is a fantastic western sized river that offers plenty of diversity in fishing options. Clarence started off the day landing several red eye bass in the first five minutes of the trip. Our fly fishing float trips on the little tennessee are in the spring, summer and fall. Many class i to iv rapids daunt the new throughout its course. The tuckasegee is very beginner friendly but offers shots at some truly large fish during the winter months. July fishing report from reo rivers edge outfitters. Fishing franklin north carolina sarasota fishing charters. Running through the oldest, most biodiverse mountains in the temperate world, the tuckasegee is the perfect place for fishing, paddling and kayaking. Sep 10, 2012 today, i guided clarence and john from pensacola, fl on a half day float trip. The tuckasegee river delayed harvest section has been fishing great still for the month of april 2016 in bryson city and webster. Oct 17, 2005 i think a bobber might work, but i find the bigger bass very close to the bottom on the tennessee river.
This map is an excellent way for licensed anglers to find public access to the river and streams. Jun 15, 2009 smallmouth streams follow, while the largemouth rivers will be revealed in the next issue of bassmaster. Wading the tuckasegee river jim porters guide to bass fishing. Sample of the new book, river smallmouth fishing by tim holschlag. Lunch and all equipment are included in the price of the trip. Fall fishing for smallmouth on a river smallmouth bass. Alex is a cocreator of the western north carolina fly fishing trail, the nations first of is kind, as well as a certified adaptive fly fishing instructor. Oct 15, 2019 smallmouth bass are much less fussy than are trout, and this is a good thing.
With also a guide to the top 102 rivers in united states and canada, river smallmouth fishing is filled with graphs and photographs. Jul 21, 2016 when fishing for trout seek out higher elevations streams or tailwaters with consistently lower water temperatures than our larger rivers and lower elevations streams in the area. Fishing report fishing guide western nc tuckaseegee river. As it flows off the mountains to valley below, it picks up many smaller streams and gains in size and flow until finally emptying into fontana lake just below bryson city. Map of access points for trout fishing on the tuckasegee river and delayed harvest. Then you will love to go fishing on the tuckasegee river, in the great smokies of north carolina. Their reputation is built on stamina, acrobatic fights, and aggressive top water strikes. Fly fishing the lower tuckasegee river offers solitude from other anglers and river users, there are many days that youll never see another person on the river. One recent client boated a trophy smallmouth bass within the first ten minutes of the trip. Smallmouth trip on the tuckasegee river hookers fly shop. Tuckasegee river tuckasegee river fly fishing guides, wade. Map of access points for trout fishing on the tuckasegee. Tuckasegee river affectionately known as the tuck, the tuckasegee river flows almost the entire length of jackson county. The best time to book a float trip on the tuckaseegee are the months of october through may.
This is the same river trace where we visited bear, wolf creek and cedar cliff lakes earlier. They ended up catching a bunch of smallies, i think we lost count around 50 fish. Anglers have the chance at catching lots of fish, and there are big fish spread throughout. Fly fishing guide float trips for trout in north carolina. Covering seasons, watercraft, wading, reading the river, big. During your smallmouth guided trip you will fish for smallmouth using light spin tackle andor fly fishing. The tuckasegee river is commonly fished between the town of dillsboro and sylva in jackson county north carolina. One of the most popular floats in the area include the delayed harvest section of the tuckasegee river. These predatory fish will hammer your fly or lure, and when they do, hold on because you are in for a fight. River smallmouth fishing is the most complete book about smallmouth ive ever seen. Western north carolina rivers may be be best known for trout, but during the warmer months of the year there is exceptional smallmouth bass fishing.
This river is a favorite among fisherman both locals and visitors due to. For those who like excitement with their worldclass fishing for smallmouth bass, few rivers, if any, are better than the new. License requirements nc fishing license with a trout stamp. The river s name comes from that of a cherokee village, tsiksitsi meaning crawling terrapin, for the slower moving waters. Smallmouth streams follow, while the largemouth rivers will be revealed in the next issue of bassmaster. Fishing the river below the dam is far more productive around here than fishing on the lake for smallmouth bass. Oct 9, 2017 map of access points for trout fishing on the tuckasegee river and delayed harvest. Lets go fishing on the tuckasegee river in the great smokies.
The tuckasegee river flows through the towns of sylva, webster, and dillsboro in jackson county, north carolina. Tactics for summer river smallies tactics for summer river smallies few things top a float down a meandering river on a hot summer day with your toes dangling in the water, especially if theres feisty smallmouths tugging on the end of your line by mike gnatkowski. Tactics for summer river smallies the ultimate bass fishing. White bass starts it all off in late march, followed by smallmouth and rock bass in mid may, while large mouth, and spots bring it all home by late may.
Tuckasegee river float trips guided fly fishing float trips on the tuckasegee river. Family fishing in bryson city nc on the tuckasegee river for. Book a guided fly fishing trip on the tuckasegee river and enjoy a day in the smokies with on of our expert fly fishing guides. Recent trips have produced good numbers with a few bigger 1718in smallmouth bass thrown in. The tuckasegee river is another amazing trout fishery. At 350 pages the most comprehensive book ever on river bass angling. Fly fishing guide float trips for trout in bryson city, nc use either clackacraft or nrs boats for all trips depending on water levels.
Be sure to check on the updated info under fishing reports which is monthly. Smallmouth bass are widely regarded as one the hardest fighting game fish in freshwater. Tactics for summer river smallies tactics for summer river smallies few things top a float down a meandering river on a hot summer day with your toes dangling in the water, especially if theres feisty smallmouths tugging on the end of your line. Took two clients for a halfday float trip in asheville even with the river color being slightly stained. Location the tuck runs the full width of swain county. The waters of the tuck are cold yearround and gleam with a deep emerald green hue. However, at this point, the river is getting wide and, at times, 56 feet deep. Summer trips are primarily run on the french broad river out of asheville, but we have other close by rivers to explore if the french is super muddy. If you are interested in floating the tuckasegee delayed harvest book now to secure your date. Smallmouth bass are much less fussy than are trout, and this is a good thing. On the other hand, if smallmouth bass are what you are after, turn no where else than the little tennesse river, or cheoah river. The rivers name comes from that of a cherokee village, tsiksitsi meaning crawling terrapin, for the slower moving waters. First, no matter how large a lure he went to, sub 12inch river smallmouth would still occasionally hit it. If you plan to spin fish the tuckasegee river during the summer, bring spinners, rapalas and mr.
The rivers name comes from that of a cherokee village, tsiksitsi meaning crawling terrapin, for the sluggish movement of the waters. Fly fishing the tuckasegee river get ready for streamer fishing. It was recently featured in american angler magazine. Summer smallmouth river fishing everything smallmouth.