Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Rainbow Trout (wild)
Brown Trout (wild)
Size
medium
Location
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park
Nearest Towns
Maggie Valley, NC
Season
Year-round
Access:
Moderate
Special Regulations
None
Non-Resident License
Either the State of Tennessee or the
State of North Carolina
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Season:
The season is open year-round and you can catch trout on the fly year-round.
Spring:
Spring is the best time for fly fishing Big Creek. Most aquatic insects hatch during the spring.
Summer:
The lower part of Big Creek can be tough to fish during the hot summer but the headwaters always fish great.
Fall:
Some anglers would argue that Fall is the best time to fish Big Creek. Autumn is certainly the most scenic time to fish GSMNP.
Winter:
You can catch trout on the dry fly some days during the winter.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Big Creek North Carolina
(GSMNP)
Big Creek is big time pocket water fishing. This stream falls at a rapid decline and the water only slows down to swirl around in the eddies. It flows from its headwaters
from high elevations in the Northern Section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and eventually into the Pigeon River.
Large boulders, deep pools and fast water make access difficult in some places. There are several angler made tails that allow access in some areas. The main trail leading out of the campground on the lower end of the stream provides only moderate access. It is often high above and some distance from the creek. Remote backcountry campgrounds are available in the headwater sections of the stream. Brook trout fishing is very popular there. There are several smaller tributary streams most of which have the native brook trout.
Big Creek probably has the least anglers fishing on any given day of any similar size stream in the park. It is located in a remote section of the park but it is fairly easy to access from Interstate 40.
Fly Fishing Guide to Big Creek
Fly fishing Big Creek varies from fishing the big part of the stream for rainbows where huge boulders, fast pocket water and deep pools exist, to the small, tightly enclosed brook trout tributary streams of the higher elevations. Each requires completely different
techniques.
Big Creek may not have as many aquatic insect hatches as some of the other streams
in the park. This is probably because of its steep decline. When heavy rains occur in
this part of the national park, flooding often occurs and the streambed is almost
cleaned of everything that gets in the way. Most insects are either stoneflies or clinger
mayflies. There are not many crawlers, swimmers and probably no burrowing mayflies.
There are few caddisflies. The trout feed opportunistically most of the time.
The rainbows probably only average about seven inches long but they are fast,
aggressive and fairly easy to catch if you stay hidden from them. The one on your
upper right is much larger. It is close to 12 inches.
As mentioned in the introduction, this stream is big time pocket water. The huge
boulders make some big pockets and holes. While dry fly fishing can be good at
certain times, all in all this stream fishes much better with nymphs. As you will see in
the hatches section, most of the aquatic insects are stoneflies. There are some clinger
mayflies but they usually stay well hidden until they hatch. We suggest you use a
stonefly nymph and especially during the times prior to a hatch of a particular species.
The “high stickin” method of fishing a nymph works great in this stream. There are
many boulders that allow you to get close to holes and pockets without spooking the
fish. Some of the runs are deep and fast and it also works great there.
The headwaters provide some excellent brook trout fishing. The streams there are
typical small, brook trout streams but they are usually very steep. You must climb up
the streambed in most cases and that can be tough going in some areas due to the
boulders and steep decline of the stream.
There are many of the tributary streams. Swallow Fork, Gunter Creek, Mouse Creek,
McGinty Creek, John Mack Creek, Yellow Creek and Deer Creek are the larger ones.
Of course, all of them are actually small. Swallow Fork is one of the larger one. It has
its own trial which starts about five miles above the campground.
Brook trout exist quite low. In fact they can be caught within two or three miles
upstream from the campground at times. Most of them are much further than that.
Most all of the main tributaries have brook trout. These small streams will produce nice
brook trout during the hottest days of summer.
There is a large trail that follows the main stream up from the campground at the lower
entrance to the park. It is located high above the stream in most cases. Getting down
from it to the stream can be rough in many areas. Anglers have managed to make
their own trail along the opposite side of Big Creek. It is shown in the picture at the top
right of this page. The trail goes right beside the campground area next to the creek. If
you are planning on hiking into the headwaters, then you would probably want to take
the formal trail. There are several remote campsites on Big Creek.