I've never been much of a fisherman, but always wanted to learn to fly fish. A good friend of mine, actually my pastor, got me started fly fishing a year ago. My first trip was New Year's week of 2009. I've been on 5 trips this last year, including six days on the San Juan river in New Mexico. If you live in Louisiana, you have to go somewhere else to fly fish for trout. I've had a blast and have a new addiction.
My wife and I were on a mission trip in Boone, NC working at Samaritan's Purse packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child the first week of December. We knew we would be working two evening shifts, so I booked a 1/2 day trip with a fly shop/outfitter in Foscoe, NC on private water (no public access). Not knowing the area, I figured that was the best use of my time and money...to find someone who did know the best places to go. If you're headed to that area, I'd be glad to give you the name and number of the fly shop.
It was about 37 degrees and raining when I left the hotel and ten minutes later and the rest of the day it stayed about 40 degrees and raining all day. Matt, my guide, was a very helpful, polite and knowledgeable young man, who knew his stuff and knew where to find 'em. I learned a lot from him. This was the best day of my fishing career so far. We fished on the Boone Fork of the Wataugua, on a stretch of only about 75 to a 100 yards long....a lot of fairly fast moving water. There is a golden trout in the photos, and they were stocked. The rest of the fish were native. The pics are in the sequence of catch. I didn't get a pic of the second fish caught because I was so excited. The smallest was the first rainbow at 19.5 inches and the longest was the second of the browns at 23.5 inches. But the biggest was the last one that was 20.5 inches long but was 16.5 inches in girth. He must have weighed at least 8 pounds. I played him for 25 minutes before we could get him netted.
What a day spent in God's Glorious creation!!! Enjoy the pics.
downstream
upstream
