[Chiefly Fly'n]

River conditions were reported as very muddy last Thurs and the the speculation was doubtful they would clear by the weekend. So we cancelled plans for a float and I made a list of chores. But...But....driving over the New at Mouth of Wilson, VA late Sat afternoon proved the river predictions wrong. The water was quite clear. I convinced the wife the chores could wait and I called and left a message for a shuttle upriver on Sun. morning.

Shuttle from Riverside Canoe picked me up promptly at 8:30 and I was paddling the 15' 6" canoe downriver by 9, aiming for deeper chutes and dodging rocks that were now obstacles due to lower water conditions. The topwate bite started almost immediately. I had two fly rods rigged, one with a white #4 Sneaky Pete and the other with a chartreuse stealth bomber and was alternating between them. It seemed that white was the color choice initially. But, by the end of the day, chartreuse seemed the preferred color. Had a little rain in the afternoon but storms kept their distance...but caused me to keep an eye out for some good spots to hunker down...just in case.

The topwater bite continued thru the day and it may have been the best day I've had on topwater "bugs." I saw 3 other canoes early afternoon...but the only other "fishermen" had wings...2 eagles and 1 osprey. Most smallies ran 11-14 inches and were full of fight and acrobatics. Best period was almost to the takeout....4 fish on 4 casts. Some pics are posted on Facebook pages for Carolina Mountain Sports and Carolina Fly Fishing Club.

By midday Monday, the river was red mud again from storms Sunday evening.

 

[papadave]

Excellent report! Got me hankering for a float!

 

[Chiefly Fly'n]

It can be a good time on the river...maybe. I talked with a guy yesterday who lives up there on the N. Fork in Crumpler.. It rained a half inch at his house but across the river on the other side he said it rained 3"....now we know where the mud came from.

However, it has again cleared quickly but the level this morning on the S. Fork gauge is 1.8. I think that's the lowest level this season. That's getting pretty doggone low for easy navigating and paddling. If it doesn't come up by the weekend, it can be right "scratchy" so wear good wading shoes and have a high threshold for the annoyance of constantly bumping rocks and running aground...and a few more scratches and gouges in your hull.

But, there are still plenty of deep stretches, pockets and runs....and the fishing might be really good...

 

[michaelg]

We just got home from our annual trip up there as a family. We tent camp at Twin Rivers Campground right before the North Fork comes in to the South Fork. Been going up there since 1991 and still love it.

We caught plenty of smallmouths, redeyes, suckers (too many), and bream. We go swimming during the day and catch hellgrammites and crawdads that we fish with in the mornings and evenings. We caught better sized fish this year with several in the 14-16" range and all caught in the rapids there at the campground. Watched an osprey catch several right near our campsight, but didn't see any eagles this year. The water was so low we didn't even get the kayaks off the trailer. All fishing was done wading.
Mike

Take a kid outdoors!

 

[Bass McMasterson]

Saturday was a great day on the New. They got some rain on Friday, but water was still low and clear. Was tough to find spots deeper than 2.5ft where I was at. Special thanks to Mountain Man, Mikeski, and EvBlue for the input and tips on the area. I might have been driving all day to find these spots. Lots of kayaks, canoes, and tubes out on labor day weekend. As well people sitting in beach chairs in the middle of the river having a cold one in some spots.

8 fish in all, 7 on a 4" zoom lizard and 1 on top water popper. The biggest one was a good fight, pulling drag hard on my medium light with 8lb test. Still had a craw claw in its throat and a bulging stomach when caught. This fish bit at the warmest part of the day with the sun out; while most of the day was cool and overcast. All fishing was done wading. I'm definitely ready to get the kayak on there to cover more area. The M&G heading out next weekend should be in for a great trip; I wish I could make it. I'd expect 20+ fish on a float trip. A few pics attached...

 

[EvBlue]

Eric- that first fish is very respectable for the S. Fork. I've been tying up some jigs mostly in brown and rust colors. Based on the claw sticking out of that fishes mouth I need to do some red as well.