[derekp]

Parked the car below Woodfin somewhere a mile or 2 (maybe more) below the prison at around 8am and fished till around 3pm.

Air temp was cooler than expected and a heavy mist covered the water which was warmer than the air. Must have had a cold front move in that night up there. Water was real low and clear. Waded some areas that under normal flows would have been impossible to access without a boat.

Used fly rods. Threw pooping bugs, woolybuggers, clousers, deceivers, and muddlers. Fished on top, fished deep holes, and fished shallow riffles. Tried every trick in my book.

Spooked a lot of fish that were in shallow side areas. There are a lot of fish in there.

Landed 5 good ones, 2 around 14-15 inch and 3 around 12 inch. Caught 6 about 10 to 6 inches. My buddy only caught one around 12 inch. Took pictures on disposible camera and haven't developed yet.

Talked to several guys floating down on pontoons and kayaks fishiing with spinning gear. They were all doing about as good as my buddy and I.

All of my good fish were caught on olive wooly buggers. Some in or on the edges of deep holes. The small fish were caught in pocket water that was 1-2 foot deep.

If any of you guys went, I hope you did better.

Derek

 

[Topsail Angler]

Sounds like a decent day to me -you caught some nice ones and spent the day on the water! Thanks for the report.

 

[Marty Owens]

I have not fished the river in a couple of years. I need to go, sounds like a good day to me. What kind of fish did you catch.

 

[NCtrouter]

Hit the FB last weekend, Sat I parked at the Antique place just upstream of graingers the guy there is good about letting you park, worked straight across and back a co8uple times hit plenty of pockets and saw some fish but had no luck at all on top using poppers , sliders , coup-le hits under water using crawfish and wooly boogers but did not land a single one.
sunday went on down to oak island below Alexander, did pretty well there used poppers and sliders again best luck was around 8:30-10:30 with a white and green slider on the long piece of slick water on the upstream side of the island , caught 6 good size sm and a crapload of little ones, the drift guys said navigating downstream was like working your way through a minefield with the water so low they wer having to get out and tug the boat along at least half the time.