WNC streams reel in visitors escaping COVID
One of Macon County’s most prized assets has gotten a surprising boost.
Between its picturesque setting, relatively clean waterways, and abundance of trout, Western North Carolina has long been considered one of the country’s foremost trout fishing destinations.
In a year in which outdoor novices and lifelong enthusiasts have been chomping at the bit to explore the nation’s wildlands, Western North Carolina is in a unique position to rebound from the pandemic’s malaise.
“Even the Cullasaja is a great fishery right here in town,” said Ernie King, owner of Franklin’s Fish Tales Outfitters. “It runs down into town, and we do guided trips on the Cullasaja up through Highlands. … The Cullasaja is a beautiful river, but the Nantahala and the Tuckasegee are some of our prime fisheries, and then we have some private water out west [in Macon County].”
For the past few months King, a lifelong fisherman, has operated a comprehensive fly-fishing resource from Fish Tales’ location on Rankin Square in Franklin. Between offering full complements of gear in its retail space and guided excursions to a variety of waterways around Western North Carolina, Fish Tales is a one-stop shop for fisherman of all skill levels.
Despite opening his shop at the very beginning of the COVID outbreak, King said he hasn’t had much trouble drawing customers in recent months.
“We started in March, but we didn’t foresee COVID-19 coming along,” said King. “We had to wait until May to really open up. … We kind of rode it out, and by the middle of the summer, people wanted to get out from wherever they lived. Whatever big metropolitan area they were in – whether it’s Florida, Atlanta, parts of Texas, Mississippi – they wanted to get out and try something new.
“Our guided trips really picked up dramatically through the summer and actually all the way through December,” King said. “Most of those people were brand new fly fishing people.”
‘People were stir crazy’
With so many people having been stuck at home this year, it’s no wonder Fish Tales has done brisk business in recent months. Other local guide companies have seen a similar jolt.
“People were stir crazy,” said Gordon Vanderpool, owner of Turning Stones Fly Fishing. “They’ve been told they can’t do anything for a while, and I think they are ready to get out no matter what. I think a lot of people felt like Franklin’s tucked up in the mountains and should be a pretty nice, safe place to be, and here they were. They were everywhere; everybody’s sales were up.”
After years of declining interest in fishing nationwide, it seems the COVID-19 pandemic, while disastrous for the industry’s 2020 bottom line, has been a long-term blessing in disguise. After months of being largely cooped up in their houses, people around the country and especially in larger cities have been eager to take up physical activities as shutdowns loosen, and the fresh air and wide open spaces of the Smokies have been a prime destination. Partly to take advantage of this newfound enthusiasm for the outdoors, Fish Tales is partnering with its Main Street next-door neighbor to create a three-day fly fishing/hiking excursion in the wild crown jewel of Western North Carolina.
“We do trips into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is huge for us, and people get to see the park like no other people see it,” said King. “We take them down into the streams, and we see places a lot of people have never seen before. We’re partnering with Outdoor 76 on three-day camping trips into the park where we’re going to teach hiking and base camp, and then we’re going to teach fly fishing half a day and compass reading. It’ll be a full service-type camping experience for people with outdoor activities and fly fishing.”
“You’d be amazed how many people have never been in the Smoky Mountain National Park, or gone to Wayah Bald that sits right here,” said Outdoor 76 co-owner and eighth-generation Macon County resident Cory McCall. “There’s all these small things that allow for people to see how diverse and unique our public lands are. This trip is going to be, in my mind, another great example of us being able to utilize a resource that’s within close proximity that offers [things] for any age range, particular skill set, or whenever somebody is interested in. Between both of us, we’ll be able to offer something that maybe sparks a bigger interest in them being able to get out more.”
Between exploring the country’s most visited national park and casting lines in the Smoky Mountains’ world-class trout streams, the joint excursions from Fish Tales and Outdoor 76 are a one-of-a-kind experience for outdoor enthusiasts. After a year in which so many have been stuck between four walls, it seems 2021 will be the year of the outdoors, and will likely bring a new crop of anglers that are hooked for life.
“I have a lot of people that I’ve been guiding for 13 years that came the first year I was in business, and they’ve been coming ever since,” said Vanderpool. “You make lifelong friends and customers out of them for sure.”