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New Cherokee Trophy Section.

5K views 36 replies 11 participants last post by  rusty50576 
#1 ·
Has anyone heard of a new trout section in Cherokee Reservation. It is supposed to be a catch and release section only. I also heard it was fly fishing only too.
 
#2 ·
Has anyone heard of a new trout section in Cherokee Reservation. It is supposed to be a catch and release section only. I also heard it was fly fishing only too.
I can't say for sure but it seems to me that when I was in PF a couple of weeks ago I either heard someone at one of the flyshops or read in something about this. Maybe the guys at LRO could enlighten us on this.
 
#3 ·
Well im gonna answer my own question. I found this some where else so I copied and pasted it. It sounds pretty good and im gonna go when I get a chance.



The Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Fishing Competition will kick off the opening of the new Catch and Release section in Cherokee October 18th.

The section will be fly fishing only, catch and release. and will be open year round. Rules are specific that you must be using a fly rod, fly reel, fly line and leader, with a fly made from natural and synthetic material. This will eliminate guys using a fly and casting bubble on Zebco or the guy using a cheese worm on a fly rod.

It is a 2.5 mile stretch of the Ravens Fork starting at the confluence with the Oconoluftee River and running up the Ravens Fork for 2.5 miles to a place known as Stoney Curve, which is close to Myer's store.

The section will be clearly marked with plaques with regulations posted.

To fish this section you will be required to purchase a Special Use Permit which is good for one year from the date of purchase, and a daily Tribal Fishing Permit for each day you wish to fish the Tribal Enterprise Water.

The water will be stocked with a mind boggling amount of fish. Everything from Rainbow, Brown, Brook, Donaldson Strain Rainbows, to Golden Trout. And yes there will be plenty of trophy proportioned fish. With what I know about the section, I wouldn't step in there with nothing short of a 5wt.



The water will patrolled around the clock by Tribal Game Wardens particularly assigined to just the Catch and Release Section, so would be poachers beware.



This is a monumentous effort by the Cherokee Fish and Wildlife Managment. They are offering to the public something that would normally be completly private, or cost $100's a day to fish for a fraction of the cost. They are very serious about conservation, preservation, and stream restoration. They are currently conducting studies on many levels with their fisheries and surrounding tribal waters. The things they are currently doing, and have planned for the years to come is truly amazing.
 
#5 ·
The team that won the Rumble in the Rhododendron caught over 113 fish in just a 3 hours. The winning team got 3000$. Here is a pic of the palomino or golden trout they are now stocking in the Trophy section.

 
#9 ·
I spoke with a guy that actually helped in stocking the trout for this new section. He is on the NC fly fishing team. He told me they stocked literally a ton of fish, mostly brude stock. He said 90% of the fish where over 20in.
 
#10 ·
Yeah, getting to help stock was a blast! Alot of work though. If you have never road on the back of a stock truck with 2000 gal of water 1000 pounds of fish and a couple members of the eastern band of cherokee idndians, blasting thru mountain curves at 70+mph ,you have never lived. NO KIDDING! It was alot of fun. The cherokee have put alot into this section and have assured us it will be policed to keep out the poachers. If so this will be an amazing 2 and a half mile of public water. All you need is a day permit($7) and a special reg section permit ($20) its good for 1 year from time of purchase. I have 10 miles of stories from this event but Ill just drop in some pics. ENJOY And those goldens are a little picky. We caught over 870 fish during the 6 hours of fishing and only 8 of those were paliminos!!!





















 
#12 ·
Here is a few ELK grazing around while we were stocking and a pic of an Elk horned tree I found while carting fish to the river!! WOW













Sorry for multiple post it kept telling me to many pictures. I thought that was the best part of a report!
 
#13 ·
Good gosh, those are some monster looking trout. The last time that I saw those golden trout was years ago out in Colorado Springs. That will be one heck of a section to fish in. That would definatly be worth the $$ to pay for the permits and gas to go and fish that. Hope it works out as they are planning to to do it. Thanks for the post and the pictures.
 
#15 ·
Great pics! We always go over there for the opening day and i have mixed feelings about that. I mean it's great that they finally have designated a section a trophy fly fish only water, but did it have to include my personal "honey hole?" Oh well, guess i'll have to really work on my fly fishing. It was just so much easier to throw a jerkbait than it will be to throw a size 22 midge pupa parachute brown adams or whatever the heck they are called.
 
#21 ·
Man im gealous Adam. What did you get them on? And the first trout on a fly rod to be 15 in is awsome I bet he's hooked now! We all need to plan a trip over there SOON!
 
#22 ·
We went over there today. Didnt catch as many as usual there. Caught three over twenty and around fifteen smaller fish between the three of us. I think theyre wising up. I'd go soon before it gets hard fishing over there. If you need any advice or anything shoot me a PM.



Most were caught on BH woolly buggers and red copper johns (#14)
 
#23 ·
All of my buddies have been reporting much of the same as you guys have. One guy said he missed the hookset on a fish that looked to be 30 inches with a caddis. He said he just put his rod down after that. Ive seen thousands of fish hit my caddis before, but never a 30 incher. Id say I would have missed him too.
 
#25 ·
I talked to some guys at gander mnt who had been over there and they said it was like they would run away from lures. I'd say if you get that bugger working good they'll crush it. Seems like the first four or five casts in a hole usually get bit but after that its hard fishing. Hopefull they'll get spread out too.
 
#26 ·
Id say your right Adam. If you can even get on the river now, I have also heard it has been so crowded people where waiting in line to get on the river. I would love to take off work on like a tues or wed and make the trip.
 
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