Come On!!!

Let’s just say it’s Christmas in Pisgah. Hoodies, warm COFFEE, colored leaves and fired up fish! Temperatures in the mountains have been spot on for some of the best fishing of the year. This season has all kinds of opportunities for all anglers. We are on the best Fall bite I’ve seen in a while. Fish are happy, and willing to eat flies with the water we have pumping through the watershed. All you have to do is pick your poison. Everyday is involving nymphing, dry flies, sight fishing, and shots at large fish. You could be home on weekends watching football, or you could be here enjoying the best weather and angling opportunities North Carolina Fly Fishing has to offer. The Wild Brown Trout are moving a ton, which has resulted in some biggies hitting the net. The Rainbows are fat as they come, and boy do they pull line. Nymphing is really putting numbers in the net, but Blue Wing Olives and Midges have appeared, and it’s getting real dry fly like again. Sight fishing opportunities are perfect at the right times of day, and boy do we have some stories to show and tell. If I was single with no job, I would probably be spending the next 3 weeks in my car on the river (yeah it’s that good). Are team is growing at HEFF, and we are grateful to all who have helped us grow in the year 2020. Wild Fisheries are becoming less crowded with the Delayed Harvest Opening up, and if your looking into DH make sure you get out early. Crowds are still above average just due to the nature of the beast, but as it gets colder that will begin to slow down also. The mornings have been cool, but by 10 O’ Clock we are seeing lots of bugs and fish become very active. These fish have to feed hard right now to get through the Winter and the Spawn, and you need to be there feeding them flies!!! Spawning is close, with catches in the recent weeks showing wild fish beginning to develop eggs. We Probably have a good 1 to 3 weeks till we leave the Wild Brown Trout alone for a bit. Remember we need the wild fish to spawn successfully to ensure a better river in the future. We as anglers need to educate ourselves on spawning WILD fish, and what an important roll they have in our fishery. Don’t go target wild spawners!!! A lot of people do, (my wife told me to delete everything I typed after that last comma). Just stay away from it, and good fish karma will come to you year round. I encourage all anglers to put your waders on whether its your first time, or an avid angler wanting to get dialed in on the bite or chase a trophy. We appreciate all the support throughout the Fall, and are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Streamer Fishing A Colorful Day In Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina

The Hunt…

Hunting fish is not for everyone. That sentence should be read a few times before you read anymore. Everyone who knows me, knows I like to hunt brown trout. I’m talking about a fish that you know exists, but never “see”. When you look at social media pics of certain rivers in NC you see lots of BIG BROWN TROUT, but most of those trout are fed dog food for years to be dumped in that famous river to be called trophies. A wild brown trout is a creature that haunts me day in day out. Im talking about a fish that was born, survived predators, drought, redd bashers, pressure, and ate midges for years till he began to eat fish. A true trophy brown trout is a wild fish over 20 inches in most NC Freestone streams. Small streams have there own numbers ,but “hey this is just my opinion.” Hunting fish is a hard grind that will send you home with your head down wanting to quit fishing all together(this is me). Like I said this isn’t for everyone, and by the end of this you will understand why. Sight fishing brown trout is a technical, and very slow game. Bug selection and presentation is the key. My heart skips beats looking at that bruiser that hasn't been hooked in years. These fish are the smartest fish in the watershed. You don’t treat these fish like “dumb trout”. Im not saying they can’t be caught randomly, but yea that’s my point, it just doesn't happen often. It knows when you are around, and can develop lock jaw instantly for the rest of the day or days to come. You can’t move, talk, spit, or blink. I have looked at browns for hours on bottom, and soon as I look up at a noise I heard it’s as if he knew I would look away, POOF it’s gone. They are very picky fish that want a certain bug and certain drift. These big fish are 99% of the time sitting in the weirdest drift in the hole. Im talking weird drifts! Why is the game so hard? Why is it not for everyone? Well these fish won’t eat the perfect drift and fly somedays, sometimes they won’t eat anything at all. This is when true colors will show up on the angler. Let me keep it real here. People snag fish on purpose for a picture. Let me be the first one to say YOU JUST SUCK! You know who you are! There is no reason to snag a fish, and play him till his tail hits the net. A real sportsman will walk away, and or break that fish off instantly the moment they realize its snagged. Fish Karma is a real thing that Iv’e seen with my own eyes. Some fish are smarter than us, and we as anglers need to realize that. Brown trout is what everyone wants, but the work that goes into them is time on the water and studying their habits. Look at the guys fishing the Tennessee Tail waters. Everyone goes to fish those rivers for what’s in them, but only a few guides out of the hundred are “CONSISTENTLY” boating those fish, and I respect and admire the work those guys put in. Big fish game is a disease, and I truly believe it. My wife can tell you first hand if lost one that day by the way I walk in the door. I don’t hunt as much as I use to, but don’t think I don’t think about it everyday. It’s an addiction I always tell my buddies “you don’t want this”. Now, sometimes things can kinda magically happen when you can get in the right place at the right time. I bet reading till now was like “this dude is angry and weird”. That is all true, but I like to “HUNT”. Imagine walking up to the spot and there lies one of those fish you always heard about. Immediately the heart beats double, and breathing almost stops. You're looking at a true, big wild fish inhaling tiny bugs. Yep they eat the midges, sorry to all my streamer junkies, but sometimes they want the BUGS! Your rigging up so slow because one bad movement and its “ADIOS”. The gill plate expanding while it eats is just making the anxiety worse by the second. You see this giant white mouth that could fit lots of stockers in it just glowing on bottom. You make this long cast into the “weird drift” with a technical bug, and the perfect amount of shot. Time is slowing down big time in this moment. The closer my flies get to that fish the more I feel like I’m going to pass out. I’m a little left or right of the fish, and before I think its over here she/he comes. A Big slo-mo eat, and all you hear is fly line ripping off the water. Big slow head shakes as I pull that fish out of the depths that hasn’t seen the surface since he was a dink eating stimulators. Watching a big fish murder a fly will forever be my drug. Not the fight or the photo, but the eat is what makes all the pain go away. Once I began this hunt ,I would have never thought how detailed and obsessed I would be with it. No one should put themselves through this pain and heartache, but sometimes a little change of pace for a more advanced angler can be a good thing. We will see a big fish push in the next weeks, and after that the hunt will begin. I would be happy to guide you in this miserable hunt this Fall so book now!!

Good Friend Landing a Beautiful North Carolina Brown Trout

The Heat Wave…

The moment we begin to see very hot days, 65 degree nights, no rain in sight, are days we don’t like to see in the trout world. This is when the fishing is tough, and can be dangerous to the fish. We won’t fish wild trout in the summer unless it’s up high on the mountain due to them having cooler water, and willing fish. Small stream fishing is a different type of trout fishing for most. The rods are shorter, and the fish like to eat on top for the most part. Most fish in higher elevation streams are around 4 to 12 inches, but some creeks can pop out an occasional “stunner.” They are aggressive and wild, and usually the creek itself is secluded and quiet. Small stream fishing is what most people think of when it comes to south east trout streams. We can help you with techniques and ninja like moves to catch these suckers. These techniques require lots of roll casts and bow and arrow casts. They are smart, and usually don’t give you a second chance. Just remember it takes a lot to not fish the big water, and here at HEFF we don’t do it if water temps aren’t right. Just like people sometimes the trout need a break. Conservation will always come before money for guide trips. We can begin our hunt for Small Mouth Bass now that the cicadas are singing. We have options to catch them on fly and or conventional gear. Most bass outings consist of coolers full of ice cold waters, sunblock, hoodies, poppers all over the boat floor, and lots of laughs to get our mind off the hot sun. Bass fishing is a great way to learn how fly line and rod actions work. I’ve always said you can learn how to trout fish from bass fishing, but not vice versa. Bass fishing requires a lot of drive and willingness to stay ahead of the river and focus on the spots we are targeting that day. Your body will be sore by the end of the day, but you will walk off the boat a better angler. Things to consider over the next few months are checking water temps on a regular, keeping the fish wet, and using heavy tippet when fishing trout so we don’t over exhaust the fish. Remember folks, Fall is right around the corner, and will be here before we know it. Summer is a good time to learn new water, and target different species on fly. We look forward to more days on the water with ya’ll, and are thankful for all your support.

Rod Bender

First Day Of Summer!!!

Today marks the first day of Summer!!! We have had good cool flows due to our high water spring in the mountains, which results in better fishing for this time of year. All that’s required at the moment is a big splat on the water underneath the “RODO”. Having a few 70 degree days during June has been very good for are trout friends as terrestrial season cranks up. Inchworms and Beetles is such a fun way to fish this time of year. The eats are hard and surprising which makes it for an exciting time. We have had are busiest week yet at HEFF, and are humbled by all the support we have gotten. Thanks to everyone who has joined, and plans on joining us in the coming months. Now, summer fishing can be tough when it comes to finding cool water, but luckily we have a few tricks up our sleeves to find willing fish. It’s very important we go early and leave early when fishing the wild streams. We stop targeting large fish in these months so we can capitalize on the fall fishing. Hot days are coming which will crank up another world of fishing known as the Smallmouth Bass. Now, let me tell you its addicting, hard, hot, exhausting, and so much fun. Everyone that knows me, knows how much I enjoy watching a Big Wild Brown 8 foot deep eat a small bug, but when small jaws eats that popper its bone chilling! These fish pull hard, jump high, bury bottom, and make forearms sore. I blame my buddy Ken for this addiction. He yelled at me enough early on to really enjoy this type of fishing. It’s not easy, and requires hitting the “spot” and continuing to to make good long casts all day to reap the rewards. All in all just like trout fishing with clients, the angler has to want it. If you want it bad enough in this game you will be rewarded by the ultimate freshwater fish. We have added another boat to our fleet and are looking forward to getting it out on the water with are clients for bass and trout. We appreciate y’all keeping us busy, and hope everyone is staying safe out there during the 2020 madness.

Reading the water with a first time angler.

Warmer Nights=Bigger Bugs

Lets just say Spring has been amazing as far a the fishing goes. Streamer fishing has been great even in clear water. We put a 24 (wild) in the net a few days ago on a blue bird sky (RARE). High water has many baitfish scattered and scared, as the browns have pushed near tailouts close to the banks looking to pick off some extra calories. Some hatches were early, and some were late. As we enter into the early Summer pattern, things are getting really juicy as far as size of the bug. The Golden Stones have arrived and we have enjoyed watching fish begin to hammer a giant stonefly pattern. Make sure to have plenty size stones at all times because they are here till the end of the hot season. The bugs to be on the look out for are the Drakes. Yep, its happening now and they’ll be long gone unless you know when and where to be in the next week. A guide buddy of mine calls it chasing the “ghosts”. Last year I found them once with my buddy Ron during a spinner fall and it was amazing. The size of these bugs will cause you to watch them instead of fish sometimes. When you start seeing Dragon Flies and birds show up before the sun goes down, just know you may be in the zone. These bugs are big!!! They range from a size 2 to 8, and they make a whole bunch of disturbance on the water, and when they get eaten, you will know. The birds, dragon flies, fish, bats, and humans get pretty excited when these bug show themselves. Let’s just say you won’t be able to see what’s actually going on when it is. They aren’t on all rivers so it’s best to do your research, or just book a trip! This is what trout guys like ourselves love. You may blank out some days chasing these wild fish, but the good days outweigh all those in an instant when you find them. Yea, we could go throw Drake patterns at stockers and probably catch them, but why not try to stick that fish that “DOESN’T RISE EVER”. Fly fishing is a sport of hunting and putting pieces of a puzzle together, that’s what we enjoy about our guide trips. Yea watching a bobber is part of it, but why not challenge yourself and go “hunt” for the answer to the puzzle. I’m not talking trophy fish here, its more like the work you need to put in to be successful. We want you to work for your catch, because at the end of the day it’s nice to watch a hard worker reap the rewards. Don’t worry if you miss the “ghost” hatch, because after these bugs the fun of terrestrial fishing and Small Mouth Bass will begin to really crank up!!!! I want to say thanks to everyone who’s supported this company since I started it and will continue to be grateful to all my clients and friends.

Good Times

Here we are in a weird scenario full of fear and WTFs. Things haven’t gotten much better in the world other than the fishing. Let me just say thanks to everyone who has reached out and shown support for my family and I. Starting this guide service was a great idea 2 months ago, but shit happens, and we are still here. I know we’re going through the same things like everyone else out here in the World of Covid-19. The fishing on the other hand has been lights out! Bugs are everywhere, above and below the surface (SO ARE THE PEOPLE). When fishing for the wild ones it’s key to have all the bugs in your box due to the crazy timing of hatches. The hatches have been amazing so far, and are getting better by the day. We’ve had some special days on the water with all this time off. Sulphers and Yellow Sallies are on the menu, but we’ve also been seeing Cahills, Giant Stones, and Hendricksons are still hanging around. Nymphing has been amazing as well as the streamer fishing. Some large trout (wild) have hit the net over the past month, so that’s always a plus. This is one of the best years of fishing I have seen, even with all the people out and about. We are still practicing social distancing here at HEFF. Trust me when I say we are ready to be guiding again, but right now is not the time. What people should really do is support all local fly shops and restaurants. We hear everyone say this, but we need to do instead of agree. We like to cook dinner every night for the most part, but we are spending money we don’t have to support local shops and businesses. Karma is a real thing, doing the right thing right now will eventually pay off. Fishing is one of the only things one can do at the moment to remain calm and enjoy these “Good Times.” Get out there, and get after it. We will see you all again soon.

Social Distancing

We are in a crazy little time here in the world, but luckily as anglers we can find a little bit of comfort in the mountains. One thing about trout is that they don’t have the “Corona”. Which means we can throw the 6-foot rule away when it comes to hitting the water. Days on the water right now are not just the best fishing of the year, but a place we can “hide” for a few hours outside and enjoy the elements. Fly tying is at an all time high this week, and probably for a few more weeks to come. Time to hit those special creeks and throw dry flies to willing fish, and enjoy this hobby which allows us to distance ourself from the stress of the media and hysteria. I’d much rather have my toilet paper in the woods on a trout stream full of mayflies, than at home next to a toilet. Now is the time to fish, get away, and enjoy the outdoors. The March Browns have arrived and let me tell you it’s lights out! May fly season is one thing I wish anglers would have promoted more to me as a beginner, but we (at Hare’s Ear) would love to show you the ins and outs as the different bugs come in. Now the midges are thick right before the hatch, and if you’re seeing lots of them be ready for the “BIG” bugs. Strikes are violent and most of the time they will push the bug before they can eat it. Distance yourself from the mayhem and go stick a fish or two. Time will pass you by out on the water, but we can make “Social Distancing” a thing to do even when all this is over. At times like this it is important to support small and local businesses. Don’t forget to support your local fly shops and guide services, they all rely on anglers and customers to keep the doors open, and it’s really hard to do so if the traffic isn’t coming in, especially after winter. Enjoy your families, secret creeks, and fly tying in the weeks ahead, and we thank you for all the local support at Hare’s Ear Fly Fishing.

Don’t worry we can eat all the stockers after all this is over.

The Birds Are Chirping

Spring has finally arrived. Who doesn’t like spring? Its like some type of mood stabilizer for some of us. I pass the forest entrance sign and all of the sudden stress levels leave my mind, and all I can think about is how the fish are acting. Bills, jobs, phone service, anxiety, politics, and all worldly problems stay behind that sign entrance. Its time to fish and it is that simple. I suit up with the normal gear because its still chilly but the sun is high and bright. We put on our favorite fly and hit are favorite run (As long as our favorite hole hasn’t been posted all over the internet). I get to the hole and giant bugs are flying around and not a fish rising in that deep hole. So I make a few casts just to see what’s happening in the fast water then bam! After fishing streamers and nymphs all winter in deep, slow pools, its pretty sweet seeing it all transition. The birds are going nuts trying to eat your fly because they also know its time. You have the angler, the fish, and the birds all waiting on that one thing, the hatch. When this happens hang on because for months these fish have been anticipating these bugs. When you have all 3 critters looking and waiting on a size 12-16 bug its just one of those moments you learn to respect. We are in our favorite months here at Hare’s Ear Fly Fishing and we encourage you to get out on the water and book your trips. Whether you are new to the sport or a veteran, spring time is what makes fly fishing bad to the bone. Its all about the bugs and the temps. Mayfly season is here to stay for a few months. Pretty exciting things tend to happen if you know where and when to be with the right bugs. Don’t miss out on some of the best fishing of the year. 

Putting It In The Right Spot

It’s the time of year where fish are out and about ready to eat the “big bugs”. This can be the most rewarding time of year as far as finding quality fish in those “Fishy” spots. Its about being at the right place at the right time, and knowing which bug is coming off. The Blue Quill being the one that gets these fish fired up for the spring bite. Yesterday we hit the river knowing that, with temps rising to the uppers 50’s. We knew getting out of the car that it could happen today. We suited up and started wading up stream looking for action. When presenting these bugs its very important to not just cast your fly into “fishy spots”. Look at the river bottom and and decide which seam to start with. The most important part of these drifts we need to make is seeing what’s under the surface, and will it hold a fish? This is what a lot of fisherman forget about when fishing these tough rivers. Presenting the bugs in that beautiful bend ahead that you have been waiting to get to since you saw it from the road, is when the fisherman has to show up to be successful. Now, we can say we aren’t out there to just catch fish, but I like to “rip lips” some days. When you see 60 degrees on the weather app, that’s a green light to make it happen and be successful on the water. Structure is an important part to the first hatches of mayflies we are starting to see, because the fish aren’t quite ready for the shallow pocket feeding, but if you can read above and below the water, you will increase your chances. Wood and rocks is the name of the game, and if you have both, you got fish. Some of us get super excited about fishing all to be let down with a skunk or lots of mishaps, but you have to take it all in and take your time. We continued up stream as we approached the tail-out of a fishy run with lots of wood near the bank. “Thats the drift” I said after he makes a huge upstream mend. The indicator goes down, and and low and behold its one of the biggest browns I’ve ever seen. What happened next? Book a trip soon because its all about “putting it in the right spot”.

Winter is Here….

by John Conits

OK y’all, its cold!!! As I sit here looking at when the high will be today. Will the bugs come off? I tend to enjoy the cold days on the water not because the river is fishing well, but how quiet it will be. Blue Wing Olives have arrived and most likely won’t come off, but that won’t stop me from driving up. The cold I will feel on my feet today can best be described with my low vocabulary as painful. We as anglers know it will be, but still go (some of us). I enjoy days like today just to observe the “gin” clear water winter normally produces. It’s a good time to observe the river bottom and structure throughout the watershed. A fish today is only a bonus but the running water and leafless trees surrounding is all I need. Layering up is important for these days. Over- layering clothes can ruin a cold day on the water. Stay close to the car and keep your core temperature up to refrain from getting hypothermia. It is dangerous, and people don’t need to make the same mistakes I have, rushing to the river with the heat blasting hoping for an “awesome day of fishing”. Don’t just jump in the water. Take it all in and take your time. The trout aren’t moving 4 feet to eat your fly. The trout may not even eat. Days like this consist of lukewarm coffee and boogers dripping down your lips. Yea it’s gross but I can’t stay away. I’m a firm believer in studying water and not missing out on something. I always feel like this since I started fishing. I feel if I stay home and tie flies (which I should), that i’m going to miss that one ‘riser’ or “Megalodon” that going to pick this day to eat. After typing that sentence, I’m starting the car and coffee and heading up.