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Alligator River 2017

Started by tomato can, June 19, 2017, 14:07:00 PM

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tomato can

Every year I go to the Alligator River in Eastern NC with my cousins.  We stay at the Raleigh Honker's Club near Swan Quarter.  We pass through Lake Mattamuskeet and put in at Gum Neck.  We always see bears, turkeys, osprey, Alligators all all sorts of wild life.  My cousins went the week before and caught a ton of big ol' bream.  We always get a 1000 crickets and fish with bream busters.   Well I bring the flyrod to confirm the odd duck suspicions of my cousins.  Here is where we put in at Gum Neck.

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The tannin stained water is amazing in the morning.  Surronded by dead trees, cypress knees, spanish moss.

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Here is where Gum Neck opens up into the Alligator River. 

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Here is where all the bream were bedded last week.  As you can see snags every where.

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Unfortunately the fishing was sloooooow.  Either the bream were done bedding or all the rain blew them off the beds. 

I did catch a few.

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All meals were cooked by my cousin Jimmy.  We had rabbit and rabbit gravy with mash potatoes and biscuits one nite and a country supper one night that consisted of new potatoes, butter beans, corn, fresh cabbage and hush puppies also.  Because the fishing was so slow, we switched to Lake Mattamuskeet.

Cousin Jimmy, trying to catch a catfish with a pole and crickets.

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We were fishing the culverts

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I caught this NOT ON A FLYROD.  But on a bream buster and a cricket we caught some catfish until the wind stopped blowing. 

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Quite a fight on a bream buster.

Because the fishing was so slow, I took some pictures...

grass orchid

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Them things grow every where right next to the pitcher plants.

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Some of the PP were at least 2 feet tall.

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That water was as cool as spring water. 

I have no idea what flower this is.  I remember we had them on my Granddaddy's farm in Franklin  County.

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A bluet

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In the end, we did not catch a whole lot of fish, but spending time with your cousins in a area that is like what NC used to be talking about farming and family is time well spent. 

Dee-Vo

Pitcher plant - cool. I've never seen one. Good shit.

Dougfish

Good stuff, TC.  'c;

Passionvine, Passonflower, Maypop. Passiflora incarnata.
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

Michael Toris

Cool trip for sure. See any gators?

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tomato can

Only one but a decent size one about 6 feet. 

Michael Toris

Quote from: tomato can on June 19, 2017, 16:09:59 PM
Only one but a decent size one about 6 feet.
Nice.

How many cottonmouths? I've always thought that area seemed thick with them

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tomato can

I saw a cottonmouth catch a catfish and eat it about 10 feet from where I was fishing.  It twernt no water snake.  When I wade through the swamp taking pictures of those orchids and pp its all I think about.  I have talked to people who used to FF Lake Mattamaskeet back in its heyday and they said the snakes would swim right up to them as they waded.  the whole lake is 2-3 feet deep.  Too bad the Feds ruined the bass fishery. 

Onslow

Yes!

May I propose an East NC, or SC cast & blast bake early Nov..  Boats, flaming cypress trees, bass, crappie, duck, deer, bear?.  I will find some gameland with some good bassin, and and terrestrial prey.


tomato can

that would be a good time.  I ain't never hunted no ducks. 

Woolly Bugger

go back and get some pics of cottonmouth action! I've only seen one close up and personal....
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

driver

You guys should check your Lake Phelps, it has excellent bass fishing, especially on the fly. And the pumpkinseed spawn is awesome as well. I haven't been in a few years. But always had a blast except for losing a pint of blood to the mosquitoes.

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JMiller

Quote from: tomato can on June 19, 2017, 14:07:00 PM

A bluet

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Good stuff TC.
Always wanted to visit there.

The first dragonfly is a Blue Dasher. Male.
Did you adjust the color on the second one? Female blue dasher, I think.

The butterfly a Zebra Swallowtail.
"The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence."


― Charles Bukowski

Yallerhammer

Coolness. I love the swamplands.
Women want me, doughbellies fear me. - Little Debbie Prostaff