PBS Feature on the Pigeon River

PBS VIDEO FEATURE

Pigeon River Water Quality

In summer 2023, PBS contacted founder and owner of Asheville Fly Fishing Company, Galen Kipar, to discuss the aftermath of the paper mill in Canton and its impacts on the Pigeon River. Galen along with several others met up with PBS to share their knowledge and passion for the Pigeon River. The video was produced by PBS and released in Spring of 2024. Since the paper mill shut down, biologists are already reporting positive signs of water quality and aquatic life. Check out the full video below.

The Pigeon River or “dirty bird” begins its descent in NC, and flows northwest into TN, where it terminates into the French Broad River. (The section of river downstream of Canton, NC, has a tannic water quality, hence the nickname.) Several miles upstream in Pisgah National Forest, its headwaters are pristine with large boulder gardens and dramatic elevation change, making for scenic waterfalls and plunge pools. Throughout its headwaters downstream to Canton, anglers will find both wild and stocked trout. Below Waterville Dam, the Pigeon is a tailwater and considered a trophy smallmouth bass river with fish averaging 1-4 lbs. This section of river has it all and historically holds the most diverse fish species of all the Tennessee rivers. During summer months, Duke Power regulates a recreational flow schedule. These regular high flows increase oxygen content and decrease water temperature, which provide ideal conditions for abundant aquatic life. The Pigeon River is a year-round fishery.  ~ Galen Kipar

Targeting Trophy Trout near Asheville, NC

Targeting Trophy Trout

It’s late winter in Western North Carolina. Although the days are getting longer, the spring sun has not fully rounded out the edges of winter nor brought with it its day-long warmth igniting early spring hatches. Those awaited emergences will reach fruition a few weeks in the future, but for now conditions leave the current’s quarry clinging in their nymphal states to the submerged rocks and riverbed, patiently awaiting the gentle chide of warming water. For most trout enthusiasts, there is nothing quite as satisfying as watching a well-placed dry fly being eagerly swallowed by the cresting beak of an engaged trout. This spectacle coupled with the authoritative bend in the rod, the twisted intermingling of line and chattering reel, prompts anglers to get up pre-dawn on the weekends after enduring a five-day laborious stretch of work-week sunrises. To satiate my desire for aggressive springtime slurps out of season, and pass the time before their likelihood, I regularly find myself engaging in the cold weather, high-risk, frequently unrewarded gamble of targeting trophy trout.

The Whens

I firmly subscribe to the old angling adage that, “The best time to fish is when you have time to fish.” That being said, when the odds are slanted against you, you may want to stack as much in your favor as possible. A lot of big fish are caught during the cold weather seasons, since they are more easily goaded into aggressively engulfing a streamer when they’re hoping to fill their bellies with a calorie-rich winter meal. During pre-spawn periods when larger trout become aggressive, their temperament may also encourage them to strike a large fly that resembles a smaller trout or any other egg-eating baitfish inhabiting the river. During those times of the year, it’s important to be mindful of reds and to leave any actively spawning fish alone. When I’m chasing a big bite from trout, you can assume I’m bundled up and expecting to deal with less than favorable weather. I also tend to get more streamer-happy during or following a rainstorm when the rivers are high and a bit off color. All that sediment and silt discoloring the water may help to hide heavy leaders and cover up any casting or presentation errors that are made, in turn fooling otherwise weary trout . Also, the increased flows may force a fish to decide without hesitation whether or not to attack a bait before the water carries it out of reach. Large trout also tend to be a bit more snappy during low light periods, so I prefer to target them in the mornings and evenings.

The Wheres

Another angling adage, regularly recited by my father during the fishing follies and disappointments of my youth was, “He didn't get that big by being stupid.” This comment usually followed some angling chagrin, which I, even at an adult age, take very poorly. I was most commonly exposed to this quip following the loss of a large fish, after witnessing the ejection of my hook from its mouth, or after watching a fish reject my offering subsequent to a scrutinous inspection. I definitely didn’t and don’t appreciate any comment after a major fish-fail, but nevertheless, the air of the statement rings true: Big trout are smart. You’re most likely to find them stealthily stowed in the tightest crisscrosses of a gnarly log-jam, dwelling in the deepest recesses of pools, tucked underneath root riddled undercut banks, or in inconspicuous crevices and cracks beneath and between large rocks. In these environments big trout stay safe from predators, including you, and use the cover to ambush prey. At any given moment a fish can be anywhere in the river and I often deploy casts to cover lesser holding water but I focus the bulk of my time targeting the aforementioned habitats and plying those areas with extra regard.

The Arsenal

If I’m investing my time in big trout, I’m likely going to wager on a big bait to fool it, and I'm going to need stout gear to land it. Leave the delicate rods at home. I usually throw 6 through 8 weight rods, coupled with reliable reels, and sinking line or sink tips connected to 4- 9 foot lengths of 10 to 20 lb fluorocarbon. These vary depending on river conditions and sizes, as well as the size of the trout I expect to find in a particular river system. Leaders should be substantial enough to bully that trout away from cover and withstand an aggressive strip-set. The majority of streamer-eaters aren’t leader shy. I most often want my fly swimming deep near the river bottom. For situations in which I worry about the trout seeing the sinking line or sink tip, I generally employ a long leader with a heavy fly and maybe a couple nodes of well-placed spit shot to keep my offering at its desired depth. As far as flies go, there are no shortages of colorfully named streamers gracing fly shop displays or on sale online. I generally recommend finding some that match the forage fish in the river you are targeting and then grabbing a few that stand out and look a little less natural. Some streamers look nothing like baitfish but move and flash in a way that peaks the curiosity of apex trout. I also favor a slow, erratically cadenced retrieve incorporating pauses, but I regularly experiment with it and speed it up to see what presentation elicits the most aggressive response. It’s never a bad idea to head to a local fly shop for advice or to hire a guide and pick his brain for the morning.

The Outcome

Another adage that my father lovingly tortured me with after failed fishing endeavors during my childhood was, “Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.” Getting skunked is something that then and even now, in my forties, I’ve seldom taken gracefully. I’ve heard that the tolerance for it comes with age, but I’d be a liar if I claimed that I expected that to change in my 50’s or 60’s. In that aspect, I shamefully admit that I’ll be forever 12. Sadly, if you’re playing the big trout game, you're going to have to accept a stern skunking, even if you don’t like it, and afterwards somehow summon the fortitude to attempt it again and again. I think one way to endure this is to trick yourself into enjoying the process, and even if it includes a mouthful of sour failure, never give up. Rivers have been the settings for the bulk of my fondest memories. I’ve rarely fished a day in my life where I didn’t learn something new and that knowledge has usually been bestowed on me with or without fish and often unsolicited. It could be a subtle nuance in your favorite river, where a trout might hold, but somehow you’ve never noticed it. Or the way the abdomen of a specific river nymph in one river is slightly lighter in hue than in the river you fished in last week. Two lessons that I've learned in the past few decades on the water are that well-iced beer is still cold no matter how many fish you do or don't catch and that failure is made more tolerable with company. So, if you decide to bundle-up and go galumphing into a river to hunt for your trophy, it probably isn’t a poor idea to take along a friend and having a six-pack waiting at home. Besides, you’re going to need someone to snap a grip and grin when you net that 25 incher, right? Good luck out there.

BY: Anthony Lohr

Asheville Fly Fishing Company

Full Time Fly Fishing Guide

Asheville, NC

BOOK A GUIDED TRIP with Tony by clicking the button and requesting him on the reservation form or CONTACT US button.

Gray's Sporting Journal features Asheville Fly Fishing Company

AFFC featured in Gray’s Sporting Journal - January 2021

One of the most renowned sporting publications, Gray's Sporting Journal, is the world's leading periodical of sporting literature, art, and photography.

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Check out a great story on William Bartram and how we traced his travels along the Tennessee River in the latest issue of Gray's Sporting Journal, Volume 45 / Issue 7. We are honored to have been a part of such an epic adventure that will ring long in all our memories. That was fun!
Thanks to Gray's Sporting Journal for having us!

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Fall Fly Fishing on the Watauga River (TN)

A TRUE STORY:

Fog’s on the water, spiderwebs with dew,
carolina blue skies with a fall attitude.
Ol’ Leroy brown trout was hiding near the bank.
Mr. Wiz saw him last week and made a deposit in the memory bank.

Next time out he knew just what to do, slap on a frenchie and a soft tackle too.
Leroy ate when the time came to eat,
and the Wiz was sure to tell his client,
“KEEP THE LINE AWAY FROM YOUR FEET.”

With beginners in the boat the Wiz had to talk fast,
there was a rapid coming that we all call last chance.
It was too late and the chase had begun.
The Wiz kicked the boat in gear and yelled “ROD. TIP. UP!”

Down the rapid, between the trees,
they made it through
to the other guide’s disbelief.
Three cheers for the Wiz and Leroy Brown,
and the client in the front who couldn’t believe,
THAT just went down.

Anchor down, eddied out, net is out,
“okay let’s get this guy in the boat.”
Here comes Ol’ Leroy,
the star of the show.
He knows everybody loves him
and just wants to get a photo.

One jump, two jump, three jumps.
One rapid, ledge ledge ledge.
Second rapid, two trees, ledge ledge.
An epic tug of war that lasted 15 minutes
This is what we do,
This is our business.

ASHEVILLE FLY FISHING COMPANY | Asheville, NC. | 828-779-9009 | www.AshevilleFlyFishingCo.com

October 2020

Wordplay by Galen Kipar

South Holston River Fly Fishing - The fun is being had

The fun is being had

This is a true story of events during a guided trip on the South Holston River.

Gloria is a name you may hear being yelled from any number of rivers surrounding Asheville, NC. Sometimes its a coaxing whisper, sometimes a frustration yell and sometimes a chuckling cheerful G-L-O-R-I-A. My client, a dry fly purist and wonderful person to vicariously fish through is always searching for HER big fish, "Gloria." Today I heard Gloria's name being called several times from the back of the boat on the South Holston River.

The first time, I heard it echoing off the rock bluff to my 9 0'clock, glooooo-riaaaaa.
I turn around and the rod is bent over and the reel is singing. "Oh gloria" she said and I absolutely chuckled and netted a beautiful 18" wild brown trout caught on a size 18 sulfur mayfly emerger.

A few sighs and sips of water later and I hear the name again. Same deal, same fly, same chuckle. She taps her feet, claps her hands and dips them in the water for a quick grip-n-grin.

The FUN is being had.

While these were solid fish I knew they weren't Gloria. Gloria was a mile or so downstream. I saw her there in a particular location I had been two days prior with my client's husband. He and I spent about 2 hours working a big brown trout on dry flies. We trusted the process, rested the picky eater, tried again and again. We gave it our best but the stars just didn't align during that particular 2 hours.
I think many guides could say that women usually out fish men. I am not sure what magic is working there but its real and i've witnessed it time and time again. I will continue to observe and hopefully learn the magic. I say all this because when we pulled up to Gloria's doorstep she was waiting with a red dress on and passing out lemonade. We spent over an hour presenting flies and resting the fish. Of course, Gloria eventually ate HER fly. If we weren't the last boat on the water, everyone on the river would have heard Gloria's name shouted in unison by all three of us at the top of our lungs. It was such a joyful noise you'd think we were at church or a Van Morrison concert.
Cheers to all the G-L-O-R-I-A-S out there!

This is a true story of events during a guided trout float trip led by Galen Kipar on the South Holston River in East Tennessee.

Galen Kipar owns and operates Asheville Fly Fishing Company, a unique Southern Appalachian guide service offering a wide array of experiences, including immersive multi-day safari-style trips for Smallmouth Bass, Musky and Trout. For the last 15 years, he’s shared his passion and specialized knowledge of warm water smallmouth bass and trout species on the French Broad River, South Holston and Watauga Rivers with clients. He’s also partnered with regional conservation organizations to raise awareness of habitat protection and water quality. Fly fishing has led him all over the US, Bahamas, and Belize in piscatorial pursuits. Galen is a Field Advisor for Winston and Boulder Boatworks and a Bauer Reels Ambassador. On and off the water, he works with True Wealth Mentorship bringing together the life lessons of leadership and fly fishing for his guide staff and guests.

www.AshevilleFlyFishingCo.com / 828-779-9008

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