Pretentious Snobby Bastard Fly Fishing!

Fly Fishing Reports => Local Trip Reports => Topic started by: bsud on June 21, 2016, 12:17:18 PM

Title: Davidson River
Post by: bsud on June 21, 2016, 12:17:18 PM
I was thinking about going to the Davidson in NC maybe next week and was wondering where the best places was to fly fish there?
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: revfox on June 21, 2016, 13:16:02 PM
I haven't been hanging around much lately so I will be nice and just say, hang on tight.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Woolly Bugger on June 21, 2016, 13:20:37 PM
I would try any pull off that had two or more cars parked


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Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: bmadd on June 21, 2016, 13:22:34 PM
In my experience, I've had the best luck catching trout when fly fishing the actual river itself. Now I'm not a local to the Davidson, so others may chime in with some better tips for that specific river.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Yallerhammer on June 21, 2016, 13:32:28 PM
The big hole right below the hatchery parking lot usually has some awesome big fish in it.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: The Dude on June 21, 2016, 13:37:07 PM
Only July 4th a few years ago I saw a guy pull fish after fish from the hole right below the bridge over looking glass creek. He was using nightcrawlers below a Carolina rigged sinker. He told me he had to make 4 trips to take trout from his bucket to the cooler in the back of his car. 
Ole boy had that stream figured out.


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Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Dougfish on June 21, 2016, 13:38:23 PM
I would walk into DRO, slap $300 400 on the counter, proclaim "I don't know shit. I can't find my own fish. I don't know what flies to use. Heath, take me out and humiliate me." Or stay the fuck home and pick your toes and nose.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: driver on June 21, 2016, 14:26:26 PM
God i hope you are just a troll

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Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Jfey on June 21, 2016, 14:29:04 PM
Quote from: bmadd on June 21, 2016, 13:22:34 PM
In my experience, I've had the best luck catching trout when fly fishing the actual river itself. Now I'm not a local to the Davidson, so others may chime in with some better tips for that specific river.

I'm no expert either, but I have had much more success catching them in the water.  I think Bmadd might be on to something here.   

If that doesn't work, there is a guy named Trout Pro that really has that river dialed in with pellet flys.   
Title: Davidson River
Post by: Dee-Vo on June 21, 2016, 17:41:04 PM
If I were you I'd look for the pull off with the *most vehicles*. Nothing else will suffice. This tactic will ensure that you find the most fly-fishermen to help you gain success with your endeavor.

As we all know, fly-fishermen are a *friendly bunch*, and will surely be helpful.

Just park your vehicle, gear up, and make your way *into the water* with the other guys. They're sure to point you in the right direction.

Good luck. Post a report of your findings.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: BrookieHunter on June 21, 2016, 17:57:23 PM
 These guys are giving you some good advice but if you really want to catch the big fish in there then you need to euro nymph with purple powerbait and a red wiggler dropper. it has to be purple, they won't hit anything else. 0:0
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Grannyknot on June 22, 2016, 07:11:57 AM
There is usually a great hopper hatch going on right below the fish hatchery.
I'd use a hopper with a hopper dropper.  Size 6 or bigger.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Jfey on June 22, 2016, 08:54:21 AM
Quote from: Grannyknot on June 22, 2016, 07:11:57 AM
There is usually a great hopper hatch going on right below the fish hatchery.
I'd use a hopper with a hopper dropper.  Size 6 or bigger.

No wonder you don't catch any fish.  Using a double hopper, without a double dropper is amateur hour.   Here is what I do.  Use a 7ft 3x leader to the first hopper,  then about 18 inches of 4x to the next hopper.  For the dropper use something really small like a siz 16 pheasant tail midge and use 4x tippet to tie the dropper on.  Its really important to make sure you tie the dropper exactly on the  hook bend for maximum strength.   Those Davidson fish are strong.

Damn, can't believe I just gave away my secret set up.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: The Dude on June 22, 2016, 14:41:02 PM
That ass better be using a 0-wt rod, too.


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Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: Yallerhammer on June 22, 2016, 17:32:35 PM
We are giving you a hard time, partly because it is general protocol to post an intro thread in the "Bash-a-Newb" forum and taking your knocks before asking questions; and partly because very few of us here fish crowded streams for stocker trout much unless we want a mess of fish for supper. We are more of a wild-trout chasing bunch.

In all seriousness, there are fish all over the Davidson. It's filthy with them. Big ones. A lot of them have no fins or color, but there are also some big wild and holdover fish in parts of it. There are fish the size of footballs in there. There is nowhere you could conceivably fish the Davidson where there are no trout, from Pisgah Forest to the headwaters.

Now, the bad news. You will encounter other people fishing. Possibly hundreds of them on a weekend. Many of them have no idea what they're doing, but they read in a book or on the net that the Davidson is a great trout stream. So they just wade around and flail the water and spook fish. Others think they are trout gods, and should be the only people fishing the creek, and will be quick to tell you so. Some of them are making a lot of money to take flatlanders over there to guide them to fish for pellet-fed stockers.

Take your own rock to stand on. Also, it is fished so much that most of those fish have ten holes in their lips, and can likely tell you what pattern of fly you're throwing, and the Daiichi catalog number of the hook it's tied on.

If I was gonna fish the D, I would probably come on a weekday, and head way above the hatchery and fish the smaller waters.

If I was wanting to catch big stocked pellet pigs, I would probably head over to the trophy water on Raven Fork in Cherokee.

If I was wanting to have fun, I would probably hit some of the smaller wild trout streams in the Davidson watershed instead of fooling with the masses of Simms-clad professional Facebook trout gods.
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: peter p on June 22, 2016, 20:39:17 PM
Luckily, the tube hatch  is really starting to kick off.  Just fish between 10  and 6
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: MBB on June 23, 2016, 14:29:52 PM
Is there any water in the Davidson? :o
Title: Re: Davidson River
Post by: troutboy_II on June 24, 2016, 13:47:03 PM
Quote from: MBB on June 23, 2016, 14:29:52 PM
Is there any water in the Davidson? :o

Now that is an excellent question!  'c;

And the answer is - NO - not enough.

I know there is some differences of opinion on this particular topic, but stream flow below 50 in this heat will wind up killing too many trout caught on a fly rod.  Look it up on the interweb...

That assumes that you want to release them to live for more than a little while, etc.  Which, for the catch and release section is supposed to be the rule, but I digress...

This is a great stream to fish during the week in the fall after school starts, winter, and spring before school is out.  There are many other alternatives, but that would be telling...

As for the debate on whether these are stockers or not, that would kill be in this heat...

TB