Hatchery Supported Water
Hatchery supported waters are heavily stocked by the NCWRC throughout the fishing season, giving anglers an excellent chance to catch, and if they’d like, take home some fish for the dinner table. The season is open year-round, except March 1 through 7:00AM on the first Saturday in April.
- No minimum length limit
- Seven (7) trout per day creel limit
- No bait restrictions
There is no closed season for fishing on power reservoirs and city water supply reservoirs designated as trout waters
Important: Most of this stream is managed as a catch and release, artificial flies fishery from the headwaters down to Avery Creek– below that to the USFS boundary, it is a hatchery supported stream.
The Davidson is North Carolina’s destination trophy trout stream and is full of large trout that have frustrated even the most experienced anglers. Don’t venture into these waters unless you are mentally prepared to be skunked by some very experienced fish. The secret to catching fish here is either sight fishing with large streamers to wary browns or repeatedly drifting #22 nymphs past the noses of waiting fish.
One of the most popular places to fish is near the fish hatchery shown on the map. Because the hatchery releases a lot of nutrients into the stream there is a large supply of food for the fish and they get large. Also because of the nutrients, the stream has a large midge population which calls for using very small midge nymphs in the #18-22 range. If you are not skilled in very technical nymphing methods then it is worth it to hire a guide for a least a half day to improve your skills and reduce the frustration.
Reems Creek is located in northern Buncombe County, where it begins just below the Blue Ridge Parkway, and flows from east to west through the town of Weaverville before emptying into the French Broad River. The stream east of Weaverville is stocked regularly and managed as a hatchery supported stream.
Access is along Reems Creek Road off Merrimon Avenue in the southern section of Weaverville. Fish only where hatchery supported signs are posted and do not trespass on private propert
I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution.