South Mountain DH

[flyover76]

Wondering if anyone has been to south mountain dh stream since the stocking and how the water levels are.  Is it worth the 2 or 2 1/2 hour drive to there or are the water levels too low?

[Alltangledup]

Fished the 'Jake' today.  Man did it rain!  NONSTOP!  From drizzle to downpour to drizzle again!  The good news is that the water levels have come up.  The better news is that the water is STILL clear (as of 4:00 pm Friday).  The bad news is that the amount of fish stocked is A GREAT DEAL less!  I fished from the front grate to the horse trailer lot and then up 'top' from the pavilion to the confluence of Shinny Creek.  They definately stocked up on 'top.'  I don't think the lower end got any fish at all.  I guess with the new road, at lot of those lower holes are too far to lug fish :(

But is was a great day to be playing in the 'petting zoo.'  I caught over 14 fish, all on Woolly Buggers, either olive or black.  I tie mine with white rubber legs for a little 'kick.'  (Works great!) I caught two brood stock monsters; one brook and one brown, both well over 16".  The brookie was shaped just like a football.  The brown felt just like a cinder block.  I WISHED I HAD MY CAMERA! 

I saw a couple other of the 'bretheren,'  all said they had caught about a dozen fish, woolly buggers, EHC's.  But only a handful of guys out in the rain.

I hope they stock more in November.

Tight Lines,

'Tangled'<><

[moodytrout]

Hit SMSP on Saturday the 8th   Between the lower end of main parking lot to just above the old washed out foot bridge- landed around 20 and broke off one really huge hog

[flyover76]

I am planning on going up there this saturday.  I am just wondering how the water is now with all the rain.  Look like chocolate milk or clear??

[pinu2]

Moody, I mighta talked to you on Saturday.  Do you drive a yellow pickup?  I brought my family up late in the afternoon to get a break from cabin fever (we had the grey van).  My son ended up having too much homework (fluid dynamics or thermal dynamics or one of those darn dynamics), so he just enjoyed doing his homework outdoors.  But my daughter and I fished for a couple of hours.  We caught some wild ones in with the stockers, and my daughter had a huge stocker break off right at her feet waiting for me to get to her so I could net it.  The wild ones had to have washed downstream.  That's about as high as the water's been when I've fish Jacob's fork before.  I promised the Mrs. we would go for a hike, so just when the fishing started getting good, we got out of the water and went for a family hike.  Overall, it was a much better day than I expected based on the amount of rain and what it had been like in our neck of the woods for the past two -three days.

[moodytrout]

Hey  :)Pinu2  yea it was me Good meeting you - wish I knew it was you. Maybe next time we will get to fish together and share notes.

[copperjon]

Where is South Mtn DH ?

[Woolly Bugger]

Where is South Mtn DH ?

On Jacob's Fork South Mountain State Park south of Morganton.

http://www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/somo/home.html

[cmiller51h]

I fished there today and it sucked!!!! The few fish I saw were in no mood to bite anything. The water is clear and it's even come up a bit. But they did'nt any fish in the lower end and damn few up top. Looks like the start to a dismal year of DH.

[Alltangledup]

They are getting EDUCATED!

This past weekend they have seen every Wooly Bugger, Bead Head Nymph, and Elk Hair Caddis from Charlotte to Gastonia and over to Marion.  Easy fishing turns into technical fishing.  That's when the fun ends and the frustration starts.   I have fished three weeks after a stocking and seen PLENTY of fish in the 'Jake' and gotten SKUNKED!  Yes, they did not stock as 'normal.'  Don't worry fresh fish will be in the stream soon after November 1.

Tight Lines,
'Tangled' <><