Small streams can yield some pleasant surprises in addition to their inherent charm

By L. Woodrow Ross


Life’s experiences can be viewed from many perspectives. The events that can make one man happy can be lackluster to another. It is a matter of expectation and appreciation. On the one hand, one can allow himself to be absorbed by the most trivial experience and derive a profound amount of pleasure from it, whereas another might feel that the time invested was a total loss.

Consider as an example flyfishing in various situations. It is good to be able to fish the famous places with the names that roll off the tongue with almost mystical, hypnotic power to inflame the mind with visions of grandeur. None of our fraternity of fanatics would turn down such an opportunity! I have been fortunate enough to wade a few of those hallowed water such as the Yellowstone and Madison., and hope to repeat those trips. The only problem with such trip is that reality does not always live up to expectations.

On the home streams, the expectations are more realistic due to being tempered by past experiences. There is also a comfort in having an intimate knowledge of the water that you fish. The memory of a nice Rainbow taken from a deceptively small stretch of pocket water, the key elements of a pool that you know like the back of your hand because of having seen it a hundred times at different water levels, the bathtub sized pocket where you are always surprised to get a rise: all are bits of knowledge that make you a better fisherman at that location.

I have an appreciation for the small streams that goes beyond the size of the fish that are found in them. The jewel-like colors of a small Rainbow or the rich orange and black of the Brook Trout are sufficient reward to make a day of fishing on these streams a memory worth saving. A ten inch Rainbow on such a stream is similar to taking an eighteen inch fish on a larger, more famous river. Sometimes, there is the pleasant surprise of the taking of a larger specimen from the small stream which makes it even more special.

As my experience increases, I have tried to fish more rivers that offer various types of fishing and larger specimens of the trout that we seek. The large streams with the big reputations are great and the challenge is there since the water is often pounded hard and the fish are very educated. Bill Penland at Foothill Fly Fishing says that, ” some of these fish know the names of every pattern and can even tell you who tied them”. I think he is right! After a few trips such as this, it is always good to get back to the home stream, such as the Middle Saluda at Jones Gap and work on the small Rainbows with a degree of confidence gained by familiarity.

It might be said by some that fish in a more remote setting or in some of the smaller streams are “stupid”. I prefer to say they are “naïve”. They are not as sophisticated in the small, freestone streams. The lack of fertility, scarcity of dependable hatches and the swift currents causes them to be opportunists in their feeding habits. The requirement of “matching the hatch” is minimized. The hatches are small and sporadic, and the fisherman is just as likely during a BWO hatch to catch a fish on an Elk Hair Caddis or a Beetle pattern. There is a comfort in this naivety. Not so much in being able to catch more fish, but in the lack of sophistication required to do so. There are still the requirements of making a good, drag-free presentation of the dries, and “high-sticking” the nymphs in order to fool them, but if the basic rules are followed, they will readily take a wide variety of offerings.

It is a little easier to read the water on a small stream. The good holding places are limited and it takes less time to search them out. There is however still an advantage to be had by the more adventurous angler who will try to fish the pools from a different angle. Most streams are more heavily fished from one side or the other and the trails will follow a certain side. Merely by crossing to fish from the more difficult side may result in taking fish that would otherwise be missed. Also, hiking down into gorges that are by-passed by others may yield large dividends. A little extra effort is all it takes to break away from the crowd.

Streams that require a long hike or access by boat are often overlooked. I have a couple of small rivers that feed into a lake in upstate South Carolina that are on my list to visit this Spring. They are very difficult to access by land, but a friend and I plan to take our kayaks and paddle up the lake and camp near the river access and fish for a couple of days. This should be a real treat.

There is another stream that requires a 2 ½ mile hike to access and it has limited pressure. There is an excellent camp site near the stream and it is a great place to camp and fish. It is in a deep gorge, but there is a flat table along the bottom of the gorge that is an ideal campsite. We have camped and fished there and the fishing is good for small to medium Rainbows and Browns. There is a slight siltation problem, but it is not severe. Natural reproduction is limited and there is stocking upstream at a bridge crossing above the gorge and the fish migrate downward to the lower reaches of the stream. Due to the limited pressure, there are some nice hold-over trout that reach a nice size for the small stream. Fall fishing is very good on this stream and is better than Spring when the silting is more of a problem and colors the water significantly. A couple of hours here can yield 5 or 6 decent fish, primarily Rainbows, but a few Browns occasionally. I missed a real trophy in a small pool where the current undercut a huge boulder. I could see the fish as he rose to an Elk Hair Caddis as it drifted under the overhanging rock, but he flashed at it and turned away at the last instant. These are the things that bring us back again and again.

I love the small mountain streams that you can almost jump across in places, yet they have pockets and pools that are home to some of the prettiest trout that you can imagine. It is almost unbelievable that a decent sized trout can even exist in some of the places that you catch them. At the time of the strike, I have been as surprised as the fish, but I have learned not to pass up the spots that appear too small. Small potholes, undercut banks, dealfalls and plunge pools can harbor some real surprises.

In our part of the Southern Appalachians, we have a few areas that hold a reproducing, wild population of native Brook Trout. These areas are remote and usually above waterfalls that restrict the movement of the imported Rainbows. These places are a delight to fish and you will not be bothered with the crowds. It is not likely that you will see anyone fishing. Most everyone is more interested in bigger waters and the bigger fish. These natives struggle to reproduce and maintain their populations and we almost always release everything we catch. Most are small, but they are a delight to pursue. This is a very different kind of fishing on the small streams. It is almost like fishing in a tunnel with the trees arching over the water and touching overhead. Casting is primarily sidearm, roll casting or bow and arrow casts. Sometimes a drag free, long downstream drift is the only way to reach a spot with a fly. I have never met Joe Humphries, but I have one of his books and a video tape and he is a master at this kind of fishing. It would be worth anyone’s time to view his video to pick up pointers of his techniques. It is necessary to kneel at times to reach a spot and stealth means everything in these situations.

Go ahead and plan those trips to the revered and legendary rivers that are so highly touted. Everything has its’ own season. I would admonish you to not forget the places of your youth and experience and to seek out the isolated and peaceful places of the mountains that offer a unique experience and have the power to restore a peace that is the product of the solitude and beauty of the small home waters.