North Atlantic and North Carolina Fishing Report

Thank you for reading my north Atlantic and North Carolina fishing report. Nothing terribly exciting contained within, unfortunately.

North Atlantic Report

Tuesday 10/13 I took the Mitzi out of the Port, hoping to find some mullet along the beach. Although they were not there, plenty of other boats were. We ran north along the beach as far as the tip of the cape, the north wind discouraging me from exploring any farther. Didn’t see many mullet. Got a jack and a ladyfish blind-casting a jig. Was surprised there were no bluefish, but there you go. On my way back, I observed almost all the boats that had been there earlier were gone.

Wednesday I brought the Mitzi to Jam-Up in Sanford to get the gel coat nicks fixed.

North Carolina Report

Friday Susan and I got in the van and rolled, eventually arriving Sunday at the Davidson River campground in North Carolina, on a first test of the mini-camper. (Read about that at https://johnkumiski.com/sienna-mini-camper-van-the-first-trip/) We stopped at Davidson River Outfitters, where they sold me a couple of the “hot fly,” a #16 soft hackle pheasant tail.

My best fish of the trip.

Monday morning Jim Tedesco showed up to take us fishing. He graciously gave Susan fly casting and fishing lessons while cutting me loose. I got a single trout on the soft hackle, a seven inch rainbow. I changed the fly, opting for a streamer, on which I got nothing. In the process I dropped and lost the soft hackle.

Jim and Susan work a pool.

We stopped for lunch and compared notes. Jim had gotten a 12 inch rainbow on a dry fly.

In the afternoon I tried the other soft hackle I had. It got hung on a root. The 6X tippet parted. Love that stuff. Got one bump on a bead head nymph. Tried various other things, none of which worked. My friends missed a couple bites.

Don’t move the rocks.

Tuesday afternoon we hiked up a tributary of the Davidson. We came to a pool full of diminutive trout. I caught one about the size of a mud minnow on a dry fly. At another pool further up I had six or eight rises and pooched all of them. Then it was time to go.

Susan works a pool.

Wednesday morning John Gilbert came, and he and I went fishing the Davidson again. I know I suck at trout fishing, so to save time I’ll just say we were both skunked.

John Gilbert, on the Davidson River

I talked with another fisherman named Scott at one of the pools we fished (you will see lots of other fly fishers on the Davidson), where there were a couple fish rising occasionally. Scott said you couldn’t get one on anything larger than a #26 midge. I can hardly get the #16s tied on. I have no interest in 26s.

The Davidson is a lovely stream, but it is very heavily fished. The fish have highly developed hook avoidance behavior. I don’t wish to fish it again. Ever.

More locally, the Mosquito Lagoon gauge is still reading 2.0, and the Econ gauge is at 6.5. In my opinion, both are still too high to fish effectively.

Life is great and I love life!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go Fishing! or travel!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide
Purchase Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2020. All rights are reserved.