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Fly Fishing on the Plateau
Written By: Chris Wilkes - The Highland Hiker | Issue: 2018/08 - August
A lot of times people will ask me where they can fly fish “in Highlands or Cashiers.”
The truth is that most of the best fishing in Western North Carolina resides at least 40 minutes away from the Plateau, but since a lot of folks don’t like the idea of driving so far from here, let’s run down the truly “local” options that can provide an adequate albeit challenging experience.
The Cullasaja River: Beginning at the Lake Sequoyah dam on 64 East and stretching all the way down through the gorge into Franklin, this river is the closest in proximity to Highlands. It is stocked at certain times of the year with rainbow and brown trout. There are a couple of good access points along the river, the most popular being the bridge at Goldmine Road about halfway between Highlands and Franklin. The bad news is, these access points are fished often, resulting in a lot of pressure on the fish. Your best option is to get in the water directly below the bridge and wade upstream to fish between Goldmine and Turtle Pond Road where fewer people may have already been that day.
The Chattooga River: Most people in Highlands and Cashiers will find it by driving to the Iron Bridge where the Chattooga Loop trail begins. The river is easily accessible from the trail which runs parallel with the river for about half a mile. Again, we run into the problem of easy access, meaning high pressure on fish, so your best bet is to hike in until the trail breaks away from the river and then bushwhack your way down to where it is more difficult to access. Please note: This section of the river is not stocked, so the trout you will find in here are native and spook easily. You’ll not only want to use a lighter leader, but a lighter weight rod (1-4wt) if you have one. This river can also be difficult to wade due to the bottom being a lot of shelf rock and potholes. So use care.
Good luck and tight lines!
