It was still pretty early, and the mountains were quiet except for the sound of a small stream running through the woods below the road.
We walked down to the water and followed it upstream for a bit. The stream was narrow and clear, the kind that winds through rhododendron and rocks with lots of little pools and runs. Perfect water for native trout.
He stepped into the stream and started fishing, taking his time and casting into the deeper pockets behind rocks and along the slower edges of the current. I stayed along the bank nearby, just hanging out and watching while he worked his way upstream.
The first few casts didn’t bring anything, which is pretty normal in these small mountain streams. After a little while though, his line paused in the current and he lifted the rod.
A fish was on.
It didn’t take long before he had it close. When he brought it up you could see the bright colors right away—a native Brook trout. Small, but really vibrant with the orange belly and speckled sides they’re known for. He kept it in the water for a moment before letting it swim off.
We kept moving upstream, stopping at different little runs and pools along the way. Fishing in water like this means covering a lot of ground and trying different spots where trout might be holding.
Later on he dropped a cast into a narrow run between a couple rocks and the rod bent again. The second trout fought a little more but came in pretty quickly. Another native brook trout, just as colorful as the first. Like before, he released it right away and watched it slip back into the current.
After that we just kept working our way upstream, talking a little and enjoying a relaxed morning on the water.
Two native brook trout, both released, and a pretty good morning fishing in the mountains around Boone.