VALLEY RIVER -- ANDREWS, CLAY COUNTY
A longtime friend of mine, Marty Maxwell, actually brought both the Valley River and the Talulah River (see below) to my attention. The Valley River has its headwaters near Topton, and by the time it reaches the sprawling flatlands from which its name is derived, the stream is fairly good-sized and relatively slow moving. What first piqued my interest was when Maxwell, whose place of work in Andrews is located at streamside, mentioned going out to a nearby pool during his lunch break to fish. “It’s full of wild rainbows,” he said, “and its deep pools also hold some dandy browns.”

The Valley River meanders through the rich, flat farm fields surrounding Andrews for miles, and there are any number of access points to it from state and county roads that branch off the main highway (U.S. 19-74). The stream is a slow-moving one for the most part, given more to a series of large pools than to riffles and runs, but in the heart of the summer, you will find that the faster moving water, especially in the heart of the day, can be most productive. More information can be found online at www. andrewschambercommerce.com.

TALULAH RIVER -- ROBBINSVILLE, GRAHAM COUNTY
Graham County is my favorite of all North Carolina trout destinations, and I must admit that it offers so many top-level trout streams, among them Big and Little Snowbird, Slickrock Creek and Big Santeetlah, that it is easy to overlook the Talulah River. The Talulah is actually more of a creek (and so designated on some maps) size wise, when it flows through downtown Robbinsville. It is readily accessible right in town from places like the Ingle’s parking lot, and it is seldom more than a long cast or two from the main drag, U.S. Highway 129.

This is truly in the heart of town, and although the road gets a bit farther away, Highway 129 from Robbinsville toward Topton parallels Talulah Creek for many miles as you move toward the headwaters of the stream. Any number of side roads will take you to crossings where you can park and begin fishing.

The Talulah is at best a medium-sized stream in downtown Robbinsville, but it holds very solid populations of both browns and rainbows. Most serious local anglers prefer to spend their time in other Graham County streams, most of which are bigger and better known, yet this stream holds just as many trout as the more remote locations and, perversely, may actually get less fishing pressure.

ALLEN CREEK -- WAYNESVILLE, HAYWOOD COUNTY
When our paths crossed at a fly-fishing show, I mentioned some of my thoughts on and experiences with urban trout fishing to Roger Lowe, a veteran outfitter and the owner of Lowe’s Fly Shop in Waynesville. I shared my tale of a splendid 100-fish day on Jonathan Creek and he chuckled.

“Yep,” he said, “we sometimes get all caught up in fishing in the park or national forests, and forget what we have at our back door. I grew up fishing Allen Creek right here in Waynesville, and it has always been full of fish -- not just stocked trout but plenty of wild ones.