There has been quite a bit of video and blog content lately from the “hog farms” of Appalachia—private stretches of carefully managed water planted with ginormous trout that literally turn heads and make one wonder if that’s what trout fishing was really like along the Eastern Seaboard before it was completely and totally colonized.
(Hint: It wasn’t.)
But it was likely pretty spectacular. And, in a few select places, where we’ve managed to protect some public lands habitat for the enjoyment of all, it still can be.
The video above is a not-so-subtle reminder that shrinking access, the ever-present threats to our public lands and habitat degradation all add up to lost opportunity. And, of course, protecting that opportunity is vital, both for today’s anglers and for generations to come. Sometimes, in order to protect opportunity, we have to share our “secrets,” and this video certainly does that. If you’re ever around Boone, N.C., you might want to put that bass rig down and go chase some wild and native trout in a pretty spectacular place.
Watch the video. You’ll see exactly what I mean.
— Chris Hunt