Davidson River
Cataloochee Creek
Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina
The Davidson River has long been the flagship of freestone fisheries in the southeast. Over the years I have seen dozens of native brown trout greater than 28 inches (eight pounds) caught from the river. The Davidson was the first stream in the southeastern United States to be designated as catch and release fly fishing only. It has produced the North Carolina State Record Brown Trout three times.
Surrounded by the 6000 foot tall towering peaks of the Balsam Range, Cataloochee Valley is one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Due to its remoteness and the protection offered by the GSMNP, the river shed did not suffer the deforestation and heavy logging that was so rampant in the Southern Appalachians in the early 20th century. To this day the extreme remoteness of the valley and creeks still helps protect it from major crowds of people. Anglers should be prepared to spend a minimum of 45 minutes to travel the 12 miles from Interstate 40 to the valley floor.
Part of the reason for the Davidson‘s success is its insect population. The insect life in the Davidson has remained strong, with the exception of the Green Drake. The green drake population was one casualty from the 1995 flood that swept away the bridge at the Fish Hatchery and destroyed parts of Forest Service Road 475. The Drakes were just beginning to show back up when our friends Hurricane Francis and Ivan came rolling through and flushed all of the Drakes away again. Today the Green Drake population is slowly starting to rebuild. Even with the absence of the Drakes the Caddisflies, Stoneflies and other Mayflies like Quill Gordons, Hendrickson’s and Cahill are doing well and offer consistently reliable hatches. The Davidson receives a lot of angling pressure, especially from May through early October. In the late summer months of July and August anglers will also encounter a large “bikini hatch” (tubers for those of you unfamiliar with this local river resident!), especially on the lower sections of the river near the Davidson River Campground. While the Davidson offers good fishing year-round the best fishing will be from late February though late June and again in the fall from mid-September through late December. For those that prefer some solitude then the cooler shoulder months of March and November offer some of the best fishing of the year and a lot fewer people. Anglers fishing the Davidson want to come prepared with a good five weight fly rod with a matching floating fly line. Most fishermen prefer leaders from nine to twelve feet in length and that taper to a 5x tippet for the majority of the year and 6x for the summer months. Spring fishermen will want to have a good selection of nymphs along with some dry flies. During the summer months the river is a great terrestrial fishery with beetles being the fly of choice. During the fall a bright colored dry with a bead head dropper will usually find some good fish. Streamers will work especially well during times of high water or off colored water. During the winter months midges and small heavily weighted streamers will produce a lot of fish.
22
Spring 2019
Cataloochee Creek runs for 7 miles from the confluence of Palmer and Caldwell forks to its confluence with the Pigeon River in Waterville Lake. The majority of the river has very limited access. Anglers will be able to access the river where NC 284 crosses the river. From the 284 bridge downstream to Waterville Lake is accessible only on foot and there are no known trails for the majority of the distance. From the 284 bridge upstream to the group camp area offers nearly 2 miles of stream, again with no trails. It is possible to fish this section in a day if anglers are diligent and manage their time wisely. From the group camp area upstream to the confluence of Palmer and Caldwell Creek the river is followed by Cataloochee Valley Road. In addition to Cataloochee Creek anglers should also spend some time fishing Rough Fork, Caldwell, Palmer and Little Cataloochee Creeks, all offer excellent dry- dropper opportunities. Again most of the sections of these creeks will require some bushwhacking and walking back downstream to get to the access points. For the main river, anglers will want an eight to nine foot fly rod preferably in a 4-5 weight. Long leaders and an accurate cast will be needed also, not due to pressure but because of the crystal clear water and all of the time the fish have to inspect your fly. Cataloochee Creek will offer anglers opportunities to catch Brown, Rainbow, and Brook Trout. For those that venture below the 284 bridge, they will also encounter small mouth bass some of which will reach 3 pounds or better. Anglers targeting the smaller streams will want a six to eight foot rod probably in a three weight. The Brook and Rainbow trout in the smaller streams will take almost any well presented dry on 5x tippet. While Cataloochee seems to be the place an angler would want to be in the summer time, low clear water in the months of June, July and August can make for some very difficult fishing. The best months for anglers to venture into the valley are March-May and September- November. Anglers visiting in the fall need to be mindful of the Valley’s ever growing Elk herd. While no one has ever been harmed by an elk in the valley, they will sure startle an unsuspecting angler.