Cold Hands and Icy Eyes

Written by Mark Carroll, Land and Farm Specialist

Owning land is more than having a place to call your own.  The joys of landownership are vast and one’s own property should be utilized to experience them to their fullness.  Sharing your land with others can bring joy through the experiences of others which they may not have the opportunity to realize without the generosity of a landowner.  A few weeks ago, I spent a day off with a colleague enjoying someone else’s property in North Carolina.  We came and went as we pleased.  Heck, we treated it like it was our own.  We parked, walked, and fished for hours with few interactions from other folks doing the same.  How did we do this?  We weren’t trespassing or indulging in illegal activity, we were simply utilizing the generosity of the landowner of NC who cooperate with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Department.  

A few months prior to this trip, my good friend Jay and I were talking about making a trek to the mountains of North Carolina to fly fish.  We planned several days that looked promising, but we were never able to line our plans up with the weather forecast.  Finally, we decided that we were going fishing come rain or shine.  We woke up to a brisk 21 degrees here in South Carolina.  The cool temperatures didn’t hold us back this time, we struck out with all of our gear and optimism in tow.  

We arrived to a roadside access point located along a small stream in Western North Carolina.  The debris and recent roadwork were reminders of the devastation that had visited this area just a few months back in the form of Hurricane Helene.  Our optimism remained high for a great day on the river.  We assembled our gear and hopped into our waders and down layers.  We were ready to spend the day casting and removing ice from the guides on our fly rods.  

I hopped in the river next to the truck and Jay moved down to try a nice-looking run about fifty yards below me.  We casted and drifted, casted and drifted, and casted and drifted some more.  After five or six casts, we would have to stop to remove ice from the guides of the rods.  After removing ice four or five times, it was time to unthaw our cold hands in pockets lined with the famous Hot Hands brand handwarmers so many sportsmen have come to love.  I eventually walked down to where Jay had been fishing for about twenty minutes and noticed a couple of stocker-sized rainbows hanging out in a deep pool just below where he stood.  “Cast a little to your left and let it drift a bit further”, I said.  He did just that.  No takers this time.  The fish held tight to their positions.  Chilled and sluggish, these fish had no interest in our plans for them.  We moved on down the river and tried every “fishy looking” spot we could find.  With no fish to show, we decided to hop in the truck to warm up and drive back up to another spot we had passed on the way in.    

With temperatures reaching a blistering thirty-four degrees by this time, we slid down the steep bank to a narrow section of river with some good-sized boulders channeling a rock swift run for about thirty yards.  Our persistence paid off.  With two tight lines and two fish released back in the chilly North Carolina waters, we decided to pack it in and head for home.  As I drove home, I thought to myself about the generosity of the landowners that allow sportsmen to access this section of the river.  These landowners didn’t only provide an opportunity to wet a hook.  These landowners provided all of the conversations, laughs, and the quality time spent with a good friend while enjoying a peaceful day on the river.