Western North Carolina: the North Toe and Watauga Rivers

It’s hard to drive through western Carolina without pulling off the road and jumping in a mountain stream. Unfortunately, the streams are more like trickle this summer, but I wouldn’t let that keep me from getting in my trout-fix before I headed back to Iowa.

On the way up to Boone for the weekend, I stopped into Rivers edge Outfitters, the fly shop in downtown Spruce Pine, seeking some advice in exchange for the purchase of a few flies. The store owner, Chris, recommended I fish the North Toe River near Spear. I took him at his word and headed up 19E, but passed through Spear (it’s pretty easy to miss), and found myself turning around at Plumtree. Instead of heading back, I dropped into the river next to the Vance Toe River Lodge. (The proprietors of the business were kind enough to allow me to park my truck in their lot.) I worked about a mile-and-half of the river before heading back. The few trout in the river were mixed in with over-anxious bottom-feeders. Nevertheless, I was able to pull a few small rainbows out of the deeper pools and faster water.



Sunday, on my way out of Boone I spent an hour-or-so on the Watauga River. I fished from the bridge at Hounds Ear up to the no trespassing signs crossing the river. Just like the Toe, the Watauga was extremely low, but the trout were still plentiful. With little success beforehand, I was able to hook a large rainbow out of the pool before the trespassing sign. The bow took a large black ant (I think… or an imitator), and it gave a good fight (a couple of runs) for the size of the river.

Now for Iowa.