Carolina Mountain Sports

08/02/2026

08/02/2026

River was high, muddy and movin’!!!

08/02/2026

River has risen about 3 feet😳overnight. Hmmmm….perhaps it’s a good day to tie a Stealth Bomber or three …

07/27/2026

Since no long floats were planned on the river this weekend, it seemed a good time to dust off a 30+ year old Mad River Independence canoe. At 15' 6" and low and narrow, it is a light (50 #) sleek and fast craft (unlike the guy paddling it). And, just in case, I tossed in my favorite 9' 8wt smallmouth rod and a couple of freshly tied Stealth Bombers. I launched on a slow moving, rock free section of the New, a tad dingy, with about 3' of visibility. The morning started with some light taps from sunfish. Then about 10 am, a fat, very angry smallie smashed the Stealth Bomber about 5 ' off the bank...and immediately I regretted not bringing the net. At 18" it was the best fish of the year so far. A few minutes later a 16" smallie was hungry for a topwater offering. A few more and I called it a morning. Curious about the Rabbit smoking a pipe logo....google it for the history.

07/24/2026

Whip finishers, hackle pliers, threaders, denier, bodkins, bobbins, beads, dumbell eyes and more... All key ingredients to wade into the enjoyable and satisfying realm of fly tying. But, does it all seem to be a tad "challenging" when you are getting started? Keep it simple and expedite the learning curve. Sign up for an introductory session at the store. We're happy to help you get moving in the right direction with minimal anxiety and frustration.

07/22/2026

Smallmouth fishing got you interested? There are plenty of opportunities in NC and VA. Posted here is a map of some of the streams and rivers that have smallmouth. Certainly the New River has miles of smallmouth water in NC and VA and part of it along the NC/VA state line has a reciprocal license agreement. Check the website for New River State Park for a map and access areas. Floating in a canoe, kayak, raft or tube will get you to some great areas. Wading is also a good option in some areas. A guided float trip is an excellent way to figure out the basics. Fishing should be very good through September, with either a fly rod, spinning rod or bait caster. It's hard to beat fly fishing for these aggressive, hard fighting bass and a variety of flies prove successful. Questions?...stop in the shop for more info.

07/20/2026

Sunday was an excellent day to be floating the New River. Weather (for the most part) and smallmouth cooperated. Storms passed us by and smallmouth and red eyes hit topwater, soft plastics and Red Eye Spinners, off and on all day. Three eager anglers arrived at the river about 6:45am after "dodging" deer and rabbits on the roads. (wildlife out and about means the fish are eatin'...as least that what we tell ourselves) River level on the S. Fork gauge was about 1.66...kinda low and scratchy but there was plenty of water if you focused on your navigating and a gust of wind didn't catch you at critical moment, when maneuvering through rocks.

07/06/2026

Hot...dam hot! But it was a little cooler in in the mountains and on the river. In between cutting up two dead trees...I did manage to sneak the canoe down to the New River on Sunday morning. The river is low and slow in this section...an easy paddle upstream against a slow current. The water is very clear so I started with a longer leader, longer casts and a micro swivel to eliminate leader twist casting topwater "bugs" on the 8wt. Surprisingly, the area was devoid of paddlers and I had it all to myself for about 3 hours. Most of the bass seemed to be taking the weekend off...but the other panfish were just a tad hungry.

07/01/2026

Floated a short section of the New for a couple of hours on Monday. Slid the canoe down a steep bank in the river and paddled upstream for a few hundred yards...working spots on the way up and the way back "down." Managed a couple redeyes and smallies on top water. Also dusted off a casting rod and a re-educated my thumb, casting a big Musky spinner from Red Eye Lures. A tow rope and 4wd helped get the canoe back up the bank 😅 FYI...the store will be closed July 3 and 4....and July 10 and 11...