Rocky River Chapter Trout Unlimited
Charlotte, North Carolina
We Conserve, Protect and Sustain our
Coldwater Natural Resources
See RRTU on Facebook
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Our thanks to our recent speaker at Hopfly Brewing, Alen Baker, past-president of RRTU and one of the chapter's founding members. Alen covered his recent book, Southern Fly Tyers: Life Stories of Those Who Tie Flies, which he wrote with Gretchen Griffith. The book discusses the pioneers who laid the foundations of this timeless craft to the current tyers who continue to innovate and inspire. Each narrative is a testament to dedication and passion. This book promises to inspire and educate, leaving the reader with an appreciation for the craft of fly tying. The book focuses on our mountain streams, key events, fly tyers and some of the most significant fly patterns created in the region.
Alen also discussed his work with the Patterson School near Lenoir including the Cap Wiese Fly Fishing Center.
Alen is also the author of the award winning book, Our Fly Fishing Heritage: The Making of the Fly Fishing Museum of Southern Appalachians (2016). Alen is most widely recognized as the founder and visionary behind the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City, NC. Alen has recruited ongoing support (pledges), volunteer hours and content initiatives from all southeastern states. Alen also authored My Fly Fishing Playbook (2019).
Conservation & Leadership:
Alen has been in trout and cold water conservation for over three decades particularly within the Charlotte community. He served as President of the Rocky River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (RRTU). He helped RRTU achieve National Gold Chapter status in 1986. He also held national leadership roles including National TU Vice President of Trout Unlimited.
Wildlife Federation: He is a former Chairman of the North C arolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF), which was named National Affiliate of the year during his tenure.
Authorship and Contributions:
As an avid tyer and historian, Alen has authored or co-authored at least nine books detailing the heritage of the sport. See, Rocky River TU: The First Twenty-Five Years.
Alen along with Allen Rucker teach our intermediate fly tying classes.
Upcoming RRTU Chapter Events: Enjoy your Summer!
On Saturday, July 18th, we will be demonstrating fly tying at Sitka Charlotte located at 1930 Camden Rd. Sitka recently launched a big spread of new apparel devoted to fishing. Several other fishing related non-profits and vendors will also be represented at this afternoon event. Come join us and check out the Sitka gear!
We will be offering three stations of expert fly tyers. Tom Adams, RRTU past president and current lead for our fly tying schools will be leading this educational effort. Our chapter is very fortunate to have quality instructors like Tom for our classes. You can see the digest of flies along with recipes on our Chapter webpage.
Saturday, August 22nd in the morning (probalby): Fly Tyers -- Hold the date as we are planning something special for you
The photos below are from our April outing at Alarka. Our next Alarka outing will be in October. Hope you can join us for fellowship, fun and fishing. Our outing in April was enjoyed by many of our members and a few folks from other North Carolina Trout Unlimited Chapters. Ray Suggs of Trout Bum was our guest speaker on both nights and provided expert advice on local streams and how to fish skinny water. He was a great addition to our scheduled activities. Ray, please accept our thanks for a fine job! We are scheduled for Fall Alarka on Thursday, October 15 to Sunday, October 18. Please save the dates!
Some of the photos are from the recent Trout In Classroom release at Stone Mountain State Park. Bill Thomas, past-president of RRTU again organized this fun event for families. Bill also serves as chair of the NC Council ofTrout Unlimited's TIC program for the entire state. We had over 100 folks including the families of the students.
Thursday, September 17th, Next Chapter Meeting will start at 6:30 PM. Details to follow as we get closer to the date.
Thanks to all our chapter members and friends who attended FORR in mid-February. We raised monies for the programs we support: Trout in Classroom, Casting Carolinas, Project Healing Waters and more! We deeply appreciate the work of John Powell in leading our fundraising efforts!
Congratulations to Dr. Dana Hershey as we celebrated his fantastic tenure as our Director of Trout in Classroom. His years of service speak to the true meaning of being a volunteer! We look forward to working with Skip Lovejoy as he transitions into becoming the next Director of Trout in Classroom for the next academic year.
We also wish to thank Bill Bartee of Jesse Brown's Outdoors for his skill as an auctioneer and for his donations from his fly shop. Jose Rosado won the big prize with 2 days of guided fishing and 2 nights of lodging at the Watauga River Lodge. We wish to thank both Jose and the Watauga River Lodge for their donations. Jose - we want some photos!
We look forward to his 20th Annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) on Thursday, March 19th at the Visuaite Threatre in Charlotte.
To get your tickets, please go to this link. In lieu of RRTU Chapter Meeting in March, we urge you to attend this fine event. It is usually sold out, so get your tickets early. RRTU will have a table at the event, please stop by to visit!
Congratulations to Dr. Dana Hershey as we celebrated his fantastic tenure as our Director of Trout in Classroom. His years of service speak to the true meaning of being a volunteer! We look forward to working with Skip Lovejoy as he transitions into becoming the next Director of Trout in Classroom for the next academic year.
We also wish to thank Bill Bartee of Jesse Brown's Outdoors for his skill as an auctioneer and for his donations from his fly shop. Jose Rosado won the big prize with 2 days of guided fishing and 2 nights of lodging at the Watauga River Lodge. We wish to thank both Jose and the Watauga River Lodge for their donations. Jose - we want some photos!
We look forward to his 20th Annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) on Thursday, March 19th at the Visuaite Threatre in Charlotte.
To get your tickets, please go to this link. In lieu of RRTU Chapter Meeting in March, we urge you to attend this fine event. It is usually sold out, so get your tickets early. RRTU will have a table at the event, please stop by to visit!
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Friends of Rocky River TU 2026 Fundraising Drawing
Congratulations to all the winners and especially, Ronnie Vagnone, Board Member of both RRTU and Casting Carolinas as she won the grand prize - a trip to Hubbard's Yellowstone Ranch in Montana! As we all of our fundraising, the monies go back to the community! Ronnie is pictured below providing us with an update on the work of Casting for Carolinas. Also in the photo is John Powell, our fundraising chair and his wife. Trout in Classroom (TIC) Release Dates in South Mountain State Park: Volunteers Are Welcome:
Note: Delayed Harvest Schedule for most of the streams in our area and Jacobs Fork (South Mountains State Park) is March 2 to March 6 and the first week of May. One can go fishing before and after the students release the trout. The parks open at 7:00 A.M. Members are invited to join NC State Park Rangers on the listed dates to work with the students to release the fingerling trout into the stream. Volunteers help net the fish from a cooler and place the fingerlings one at time into a plastic cup or container. The student gets the cup/container and releases the fish gently into the water. During the aquatic macro invertebrate investigation in the stream, volunteers wearing waders and using a wading staff get in the stream with the students and assist them in rolling rocks to kick up bugs for identification. The state park rangers usually do the heavy lifting on this part of the program. For releases in South Mountain State Park, we generally arrive at the park headquarters around 9:30 A.M. to meet the bus(s) with the students and teachers. After a restroom break, we proceed deeper into the park to a large parking lot with a covered pavilion adjacent to Jacobs Fork Stream. The students are divided into three small groups and proceed to an assigned station. Station A is the release of the fingerling rainbow trout into the stream. Station B is the investigation of aquatic macro invertebrates in the stream to identify stoneflies, caddis flies, mayflies and midges, etc. Station C is a talk in the pavilion with the state park rangers reviewing creatures in “skins and skulls” — wild creatures found in the park. Each station is a hands on learning activity for the students. After a lunch and if time permits, the students go for a short hike along the stream. Here is the 2026 Trout in Classroom schedule for South Mountains State Park (Jacob’s Fork) J.T. Williams Montessori School March 23 Sedgefield Middle School May 4 Merry Oaks International Academy May 8 Whitewater Middle School May 12 Here is the schedule for 2026 Trout in Classroom for Stone Mountain State Park (East Fork Roaring River) We can show you where to meet the students - it is downstream of the Church. It is the biggest parking lot on the stream and it has a pedestrian bridge over the stream. Coddle Creek Elementary May 2, (Rocky River Trout Unlimited will also run a streamside on this date from 7:00 A.M. until 10:00 A.M. A streamside event the participants get divided up between experienced and inexperienced anglers. Instruction is provided along with an orientation to the stream. Anglers are responsible for their own equipment. From 10:00 A.M. until noon, we work with the students in the stream. We will serve lunch starting at noon for the volunteers, the students and their families. (Last year we had about 120 attendees. Carolina International School May 5 Davidson Day School May 7 Davidson Community School TBD Please advise if you can join us. We can provide you with additional logistical information which is date specific to the individual school. The release of the rainbow trout fingerlings is a capstone event for the students - learning science in a hands on environment. For many of these students, this is the first time they have visited a state park or waded in a high quality, mountain stream. Streamside Event for Trilogy Twin Mills Fishing Club to target trout: Fly of the Month
Fly of the Month 6.26 - Panfish Fly
In North America, the panfish tradition has been long established, but fly fishing for a species which are not gamefish has slowly developed a following in the UK and the rest of Europe as an accessible form of sport fishing. A panfish is likely to be one of the first fish caught while growing up. They are traditionally not considered to be a gamefish but rather a fish for the pot or pan. Currently, fly fishing for panfish using catch-and-release is equally acceptable to catch-and-eat - where regulations allow harvesting. Some traditional panfish might be protected (and not available to cook and eat) or have strict catch sizes or limits for conservation reasons. Panfish Species - Panfish are not a single species but a branch of fishing for small edible fish that fit in a pot or pan. Here are the most common target panfish species: Bluegill, Flier, Green Sunfish, Longear, Pumpkinseed, Redear, Warmouth are the larger seven species of sunfish that are most sought after. In North America, Bluegill sunfish are most abundant and the prime target species. Black Crappie, White Crappie despite the name, is regarded as the best-tasting panfish for those that stray from catch-and-release and seek a meal of fish from the fry pan. White or Yellow Perch in America and Canada and European perch are considered panfish as well. Some anglers might include rock bass, carp, catfish and sucker on the list. Locally, anglers call carp a Carolina bonefish and a white sucker a mountain bonefish, though for sport. In Europe fly fishing for Chubb is increasingly popular though for sport, not for the pan. Panfish Fly Choosing the best panfish fly patterns requires a little bit of knowledge on where and what these species of fish feed on. A panfish will take almost any reasonable fly pattern but not all flies are practical panfish flies, so choosing the right patterns will definitely help improve the odds of catching more of these fish for releasing them or for feeding everyone. Panfish will certainly take many of the traditional fly fishing fly patterns and the usual life cycle of aquatic food will form part of their diet. Mayfly Dun, adult Caddis, Damselfly, Dragonfly, egg laying aquatic insects, spinners, emergers, waterborne pupa, larva and nymphs all form part of the food chain. Yet because of the smaller mouth, many trout fly patterns will catch panfish but the release may be difficult and harmful to the fish. Best Terrestrial Flies for Panfish: Terrestrials include non-aquatic flies such as dead wasps, spiders, caterpillars which have fallen from waterside vegetation. These fly patterns stand out: Foam Hopper - A green or brown grasshopper with rubber or plastic legs appropriately sized. Foam Beetle - Sizable and most abundant along highly vegetated banks along the edges of water. Foam Ant - Successful for panfish as well as trout. Best Wet Flies For Panfish: These fly patterns are also classic trout wet fly patterns. The McGinty Wet Fly is nearly 150 years old. The McGinty was developed in 1883 by Charles McGinty. The fly pattern was originally intended for bass fishing, yet over time has gained popularity among trout anglers as well. This fly pattern is highly visible in murky conditions. With a striking black and yellow chenille barred striped body this is waspish or “bumblebee” in its looks, has a red game cock tag, and soft brown hackle for some movement. The Black Spider is a superb and simple “best panfish fly” pattern – another one which will catch trout too. A black wool or seal’s fur body, soft long black hackle for movement. This fly has caught fish for probably well over a hundred years. The dense black profile performs as well as some of the more brightly colored dressings when fished in rather colored water. Red Tag Wet Fly originated from the UK and is highly used in the “land down under” as a beetle imitation for trout and panfish. It is tied with peacock herl and a red wool tag end and with soft long brown hackle for some leg-like movement. Best Streamers For Panfish: Opt for smaller sizes to accommodate the tiny mouths of panfish: The Clouser Minnow is a versatile streamer pattern, especially effective when fishing for perch and crappie. Its shimmering underwater movement, large buggy eyes and a flexible hair wing body makes it an irresistible lure for bluegill and other sunfish. It is a tried and trusted pattern for many species of fish. The Woolly Bugger fly has a bit more movement and effective for catching most fish. The Zonker is a “best panfish fly” and a fly pattern that offers a super-mobile action in the water for catching most fish. Just like fishing with worms or corn, panfish are opportunists that tend to suck and swallow very quickly any fly that attracts their attention. So, selecting flies that hook panfish but are shaped or sized to not be swallowed should be considered. The sunfish family in particular have very small mouths which make it difficult to remove the fly that has been sucked in deep. Since all fish are cannibalistic, fish fry fly patterns and streamer fly patterns are on the list of best panfish flies. Streamers - Provided these are correctly sized then streamers should be a good panfish offering. Remember panfish are generally going to be a bit smaller than some other target fish for the fly fisher so need to represent something they would wish to eat, can get their mouth around (and let you put a hook in). Panfish are relatively small carnivorous aggressive fish typically. So a fly pattern with a bit of action and wiggle and looking alive and perhaps trying to escape will more likely be taken. An imitation of a food source can be good but does not need to be a precise copy. Anything that at a quick glance looks like something a panfish would eat will be in with good odds. These are smaller fish so hook sizes will tend to be smaller too. Elements of attraction will be an effective component of many, perhaps most, of the most effective panfish flies. Flash, sparkle, bright colors or sound effects such as ripples and plops all have a place. Whether a beginner or a seasoned angler, here are the 12 Best Panfish fly patterns, overall: The Elk Hair Caddis is exceptionally effective in shallow water or near water structures. Once you use it, you’ll be in awe of the number of fish it helps you land. This phenomenal dry fly was first crafted by Al Troth, a pioneer in fly tying, in 1957. The Prince Nymph with copper wire ribbing over the body, and optionally a copper, brass or tungsten bead head is one of the most effective panfish fly patterns and is suitably heavy to get down to the level of deeper feeding fish. J’s Grinchworm is a vibrant and flashy pattern and guaranteed lure for bluegill, perch, and even trout. With an eye-catching chartreuse color and lifelike movement, this fly pattern is irresistible to panfish. Its jointed body and rubber legs create a convincing sense of motion underwater that fish find hard to resist. The Creature is a deadly subsurface pattern for many species of warm water fish. The Creature is tied with dust mop/bath mat material. “Mop Flies” as they are generically called are loved by some anglers and shunned by others. The Soft Hackle Wet Fly is a must-have for any panfish fishing expedition. Once you master your presentation, you’ll be amazed by the number of fish you catch with this versatile fly. The Woolly Worm is the precursor to the Woolly Bugger and an incredibly versatile fly pattern that mimics aquatic insects like hellgrammites and stoneflies, making it a favorite choice for fish. The Panfish Wiggler is an adaptation of the Spring Wiggler a Michigan Steelhead nymph pattern resized to fit into the small mouth of a panfish. This bead head fly swiftly reaches the strike zone and is a highly effective streamer for bluegill, perch, crappie, and more. Green Eyed Damselfly Nymphs are common across U. S. waters, making them an ideal fly for panfish. Usually tied with chenille or ostrich herl or seals fur body to provide some movement and replicate gill action. A larger nymph pattern on a size 8 or 10 hook to match the natural. The F-C Mackie Bug, despite its odd appearance, is an excellent pattern that consistently nets results. Its flashiness and plumpness make it an irresistible lure for fish. Note: F-C is an abbreviation for Feather-Craft. Poppers have a simple design but are highly effective. The satisfying plop onto the water’s surface instantly attracts nearby fish. Correctly retrieved, the air bubble formed in the head cavity ‘pops’ and should arouse some interest when nothing else will. And for the final top two, we present the Gypsy King and the Triangle Bug, both are swallow resistant. Gypsy King - Warm Water Variant Foam Spiders are a fantastic choice for panfish. The lifelike movement attracts fish of all kinds. Cast one near submerged structures, follow with a twitch and pause. A guaranteed catch awaits! Fly of the Month 6.26a Panfish Fly - Gypsy King - Warm Water Variant Hook: Allen S402 or S402BL (barbless) Size: 6, 8, 10, 12 Thread: , color to match body Underbody: Peacock Herl Body: 2 mm foam, tan or black Underwing: 3 strands of Pearl Krystal flash, doubled Wing: Deer or elk hair in light or dark colors Legs: Round Rubber Hackle: Grizzly rooster feathers Panfish Fly - Triangle Bug The Triangle Bug is an effective dry fly pattern that sits high in the water. The long, rubber legs create a tempting silhouette for fish, making it appear like a juicy morsel. The unique design makes it easy to remove from the tiny mouth of a, making the angling experience smoother and more enjoyable. - Tom Adams, Alen Baker For MUCH more information Select the button below :
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Winter 2026 -- Lots Going on at RRTU! Please join us! The Public is Invited
February: Alarka Fall Trip: October 16-19, 20egistration is Open
Spring Alarka is Back ! April 16 to 19th, 2026 In October, we had a group of 32 folks - one of the strongest registrations in recent times! Everyone caught fish and we all enjoyed some great food. Many thanks to Greg Norman, RRTU Chapter President for all of his efforts to coordinate this outing. We also had folks from other North Carolina Trout Unlimited Chapters. Save the date on your calendar and we will publish registration materials as we get closer to the date. RRTU Supports Kelly McCoy of RiverGirl Fishing Company in Todd, NC Following Helene Damage At our Friends of Rocky River event, we announced we would provide support to several local guides adversely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Below see former RRTU Chapter President, Bill Thomas dropping off a check to Kelly McCoy of RiverGirl Fishing Company located at 4041 Todd Railroad Grade in Todd, NC. Bill also serves as the Trout In Classroom coordinator for North Carolina Council of Trout Unlimited. RiverGirl is located on the banks of the South Fork New River in Ashe County. RiverGirl provides fly fishing and spin fishing guide services along with boating, tubing, biking and eco-tours. It was flooded in Hurricane Helene. RiverGirl is one of our supporters of Trout In Classroom (TIC). Kelly hosts a fish tank of trout eggs, raises the eggs to fingerlings. Kelly teaches youth about the importance of cold water conservation. This is how RRTU gives back to our community.
Kelly is a wonderful fishing guide and can take you to delayed harvest sections, hatchery supported and wild trout. For another recent video on RiverGirl and the recovery post-Helene, please see this video. Kelly also serves as the Fire Chief for the Todd Volunteer Fire Department.
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