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Top October Fishing Spots
Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: October - 2022
The mountain streams are beckoning, and we’ve got a couple of sweet sites to visit.
If you’ve read The Laurel at all, you know we have a passion for fishing in general, and fly fishing in particular. Throughout our 20 years, we’ve featured columns by pros like Matt Canter at Brooking’s Anglers and Chris Wilkes at Highlands Hiker. That’s why we wanted to include Simons Welter’s listing for the Top Fly-Fishing Spots in Jackson County in this issue. Simons is a seasoned female angler with Brooking’s (that’s right, she’s an associate of Matt’s) and she says that October is a prime fly-fishing month here in the mountains. Factors like sunshine and cooler temperatures come into play and the fish are primed to strike! Simons dove into the details of the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, and she came up with a couple of terrific sites in Jackson County that are practically calling out for someone to cast a line. Grab your gear and join us at: Among the waterfalls and rapids along the 14.6-mile-long Whitewater River, fishing enthusiasts will find lively wild brook, brown and rainbow trout. Of course, any time you’re on the river, you owe it to yourself to visit Whitewater Falls. (See Ed and Cindy Boos’ profile of this majestic landmark in this issue). The Chattooga River starts at the base of Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County, southwest of Cashiers. This wild and scenic river stretches 57 miles and is a tributary of the Tugaloo River, making it a prime location for fishing. Available Fish: Brown and Rainbow. Far off the beaten path and fed by Rough Butt Creek, this scenic, 30-foot waterfall features cascading falls, a small pool, and banks overflowing with fern and rhododendron, and rocks coated in moss. This location is a wonderful and scenic spot to fish brown trout. (In the interest of fairness, despite this magazine’s impeccable history of supporting fly-fishing, I must admit that I have an anteater’s level of interest in the sport. I tend to get sleepy when I spend time alongside a rushing stream, and I simply lack the temperament for seducing a fish. My son Alex, however, learned the intricacies of the sport when he was six years old, on the banks of Harris Lake under the gentle guidance of Mozelle Edwards.)
