Great place to bring young kids to fish and ensure they catch something. The adults running the…read moreplace are unpleasant and unfriendly, specially the adult woman . The teenagers helping run the place are at least somewhat pleasant. A bit pricey though at $6.50 a pound .

Alway fun to visit! I'm too old to really fish the streams anymore. When we Rv in the area Andy's…read moreis on the menu! It's fun to catch and cook your dinner in the wilds! Fish you catch and cook are always better tasting! Like most fish farms Andy's provides all the equipment you need. They weigh and clean your fish and put them on ice. They also require to keep any fish you "land".This causes a dilemma; you could catch enough fish for an army in 20 minutes. If you want to take home 4 nice trout for dinner however,your fishing time would be extremely limited.....Huh...what to do? I solved this problem by bringing an extremely light Temkara rod used to fish small streams. I also tied on barbless hooks and viola problem solved. You can extend your fighting times. If they don't throw the hook,"landing" those slippery little buggers with arthritic fingers makes it almost impossible to "land" any fish at all! I was lucky to catch those 4 rainbows for dinner. Lots of fun ....if you close your eyes you are in Montana again!

Highly recommend this spot for tourists and locals. Be prepared to catch the biggest catfish EVER…read more Staff is so kind and helpful with everything. I will 100% be back to this spot. It's a hidden gem

A good local place to go fishing for catfish…read more Catch a release only. $12 a person to get in. Cash only. No ATM on site. They sell bait and some snacks as well. Only downside at all is it semi looks like a junk yard when your driving in through the entrance. Once you get past that it's a nice relaxing place to fish.

The camp host was unprofessional, rude, and threatened to call the sheriffs department because he…read moresaid we were talking too loud. We were not loud and are filing a complaint. We have been coming here for years but will not pay to be treated this way.

Our family loves North Mills River! If you're looking to hike, fish, ride horses, picnic, camp,…read moreetc. this is a solid spot. The picnic area is very well maintained and each picnic table typically has a charcoal grill to go with it. We really love fishing out here! If you're lucky enough to outsmart the elusive fish out here... you can expect to catch rainbow, brook, and brown trout!

This is my favorite Buncombe County River Park. Even though there are no restroom facilities here,…read morethe beauty and serenity of the location more than make up for it. In addition to the various natural dams and rocks in the River, someone has created a little kiddie pool to keep the little ones from floating downstream to Marshall. The river splits with part of it going down a channel to the right, forming walnut island. That little section of the river is just absolutely gorgeous, and the county maintains an easily traversed path the Full length of the island. It could be the perfect location for a small informal wedding, with the bride coming down the path from around the bend, a natural canopy complete with beautiful gurgling sounds of the river flowing over the rocks. The park is equipped with barbecue grills and picnic tables, although the tables look pretty uncomfortable. I suggest bringing your own canvas or folding chairs & blanket if you're going to be here for a while. There is plenty of gorgeous grass, and the park seems to be pretty well maintained. This morning, I saw two people fly fishing, in their waders, as well as a couple more people fishing from a small boat on the river. Really, an idyllic scene. No one else was in the park for the entire 30 minutes we were there, so if you want a little privacy and a gorgeous spot, Walnut Island River Park is the place to go. At least until it gets discovered by the masses.

While on our family vacation, we stopped in because my brother-in-law needed bait before a fishing…read moretrip. He says this is his favorite bait shop in the Smokies, and it's easy to see why. They have a great selection of fishing bait, tackle, gear, and even some fun outdoor apparel that my sister and I enjoyed browsing while we waited. There is plenty of parking, and the location is convenient to the national park and surrounding attractions. They do not have a public restroom, but when our mom had an urgent need, the staff kindly allowed her to use one, which we really appreciated. Friendly service, a well-stocked shop, and a great stop for anyone heading out to fish in the Smokies.

On short notice, we booked a half day wade trip with Bill. We fished in-town for stocker rainbows…read more Excellent trip. The staff at the shop were very friendly and helpful. Bill knew the river well and put us on big fish the whole trip. We tried Euronmyphing . . . highly recommended. Would definitely go back to The Smoky Mountain Angler and definitely do a wading trip with Bill again.

My husband and I and my sister and her husband went on a half day fishing trip with Rocky. In less…read morethan two hours we caught our 10 fish per person limit. Rocky was knowledgeable, personable and very able in general. With four fishers we had between 6-10 rods out at a time, but when the hits started coming they kept coming. Very exciting, threw back a few small ones, but most were catch and eat size. Had a great time (and for the record my husband and I fish all over the country , virtually every time we travel, I have fished in Montana, Colorado, New York, and several other locations and grew up with ocean and bass fishing in Florida).

From the owner: Little River Guide Service offers family friendly fishing charters on J. Strom Thurmond reservoir,…read morealso know as Clarks Hill Lake. We are located North of Augusta, Ga along the Ga / SC border. Our goal is to go above and beyond expectations to ensure that our clients enjoy themselves so much that they return year after year.

This place is great especially if you are looking to catch fish and catch them pretty quickly…read more Especially if you have kids with you who want to fish and think that it is just so easy to fish in a river. Hahaha! The owner gave the kids directions on how to fish and provides all of the equipment. He is super friendly and got excited when the kids caught something. You pay for what you catch so keep that in mind especially if you go with a large group. The price is super reasonable especially since this is the freshest trout. He also has a few animals and sells local honey too. The owner will clean your fish for an additional tip. DO IT!!! Also, BRING a COOLER with ICE Between our 4 kids and 1.5 hours, we left with over 27 lbs of trout. We had all but 4 filet. The other 4 were cleaned, but left intact with heads so we can bring them home to smoke. We cooked some the same night we caught it. 2 filet in a brown sugar butter sauce and the other two in a fresh garlic, salt, and pepper blend. All cookies on foil over a charcoal grill. Everyone gave 2 thumbs up!

At first I was hesitant given the unconventional presentation of the trout farm. A small hand…read morepainted sign told us to honk and look left. We complied and saw a young lady sitting on the porch across the street. She smiled big and waved! We pulled down the gravel road to what appeared to be an empty lot...However the owner, Alex, rounded the corner, stood on the bridge with a tattered hat, dark glasses and long white beard. I questioned if we were in the right place.......so I walked up to him and immediately he made my family and I feel right at home with engaging conversation, anecdotes, and explanations. Instead of explaining things directly to me, he sat down and took the time to explain things to my 8 year old son and held his attentional phenomenally.....while still explaining the process to all of us. Poles and bait were provided!!!!! Alex has an amazing way with kids and LOVES explaining things! My son caught 3 trout in under 15 minutes!!! A fish was on the line as soon as it hit the water!!! This really boosted my son's confidence in fishing! Alex took us into the cleaning trailer and gave my son a biology lesson while gutting the fish, talking about the heart, gills, spleen, liver, ect. My son is still talking about how amazing it was! We purchased the trout and tipped Alex for cleaning them for us! Needless to say, my 8 year old is walking tall knowing that he caught our dinner tonight. Plus the picture grotto makes it looks like you've been on a mountain river catching wild trout! #LongLiveFishingLies I HIGHLY RECOMMEND OTTER CREEK TO THOSE WITH CHILDREN OR THOSE WANTING FRESH TROUT FOR DINNER!!! The experience is something we will never forget!! Also, watch out for the chickens!

I booked an afternoon trip for the East Fork of the French Broad River which is 30 minutes from…read morewhere I'm staying in Saphire, NC. My guide sends me instructions the night before to meet him 1:45 minutes away in the Nantahala Gorge. I now have to coordinate a different location because the East Fork is too far for him. So we settle on the Tuckaseegee River in Webster. The morning of the trip, he texts me and says his truck broke down and has to cancel the trip. I called Gordon who tells me he thinks he has another guide who can take me, and he'll call me one way or the other within 30-45 minutes. An hour later, I still don't hear from him but reach the guide who says he can meet a bit later. Gordon finally calls and gives me excuses as to why he didn't call me. But due to all the drama caused between coordinating with his guide the day before and the day of the trip, I was no longer in a happy frame of mind. So Gordon cancelled the trip. Birthday trip ruined. Don't use this company. It's too much hassle coordinating a trip. And Gordon has no idea how to handle a bad situation.

My wife and I were excited to reserve Gordon for a 4 hour wading guided fly fishing tour…read more Unfortunately, we were sourced another guide who was nice enough, but was unable to put us on fish. Staying in Highlands, Gordon was transparent that we might be required to drive ~45 min to the fishing location, which we agreed too. I was not contacted by our new guide until 5pm the day before the trip. We spoke briefly, and he mentioned we should commute to Cherokee to fish. We agreed to the hour and a half drive. Our guide was convinced an early start was not necessary. After arriving at the fishing spot, we noticed there were fishermen already there, and walked about a mile and a half from the vehicle down stream to a different location. After getting in the water, and after a couple nibbles, my wife finally landed a couple (2) trout within the first hour and a half. Moments later, we were abruptly disrupted by a river attendant throwing net after net full of trout over a 3 story bank into the rock bed below. Half the fish hit the water hard, the other half hit the rocks....Clearly stocking the river and cruelly traumatizing and killing fish, our guide went on to comment that this specific fishing spot he would not eat the fish out of, as the trout are farm raised. This was a major turn off for my wife and I, needless to say. We did not catch a fish the rest of the trip. 2 fish across 4 hours is unacceptable. Our guide was a great guy, and certainly helped us with some technique and tying the flys, but I will never return to this specific spot to fish, let alone pay any guide to bring me there. I called Gordon and explained the situation. He was unfazed and did not offer any remedy.

Venue Smithgall Woods State Park ( Smithgall Cottages) 5 out of 5 stars…read more After copious amounts of research and several venue tours, we decided on Smithgall Woods state park, and more specifically the cottages as the venue for our wedding on June 8th. We just have to say we loved the team we worked with at Smithgall, mainly Todd, Patty, and Art. Todd at Guestservices was simply fantastic! As he will be quick to mention "the venue sells itself", however having him as our man on the inside was a pretty huge selling point on its own. He was with us every step of the way to answer our plethora of questions, work with vendors, and generally keep our minds at ease. Honestly, I doubt the wedding weekend would have gone as smoothly and been as much of a success had it not been for Todd's guidance and cooperation. The venue is magical. I know how that sounds, but it's the truth. It's tucked away deep in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, surrounded by a lush forest teaming with wildlife. This majestic property consists of five "cottages", in quotations because they are more like log cabin style mansions. The two largest being; the expansive 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom cottage called the Smithgall Cottage, and the even larger 5 bedroom 5 bathroom Dover cottage. The Creekside Cottage is 3 bedrooms, and The Laurel and Garden cottages are one bedroom cottages with hot tubs on secluded side porches. All the cottages were clean, modern, and a huge hit with our guests. We were able to house both our families, close friends and wedding party all on the same property. Which saved us a great deal on lodging. Which after factoring in the cost of rooms made this one of the more affordable wedding venues out there. Also you get it for the whole weekend!!! We used the Smithgall Cottage for our wedding location due to the large wrap around porch and decks, and also due to the picturesque, covered foot bridge under which flows a gorgeous champion trout stream. We had some difficulty deciding where on this property to hold our ceremony because it is simply lovely all over. Unfortunately, the record rainfall that weekend made the decision for us. Even though the storms limited our use of the enormous field in front of the Dover cottage, and the gardens next to Smithgall we still were able to comfortably host our 50 or so guests and dozen vendors, at the Smithgall Cottage and our ceremony and reception went along wonderfully. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone wishing to have a once in a lifetime event at a once in a lifetime location.

I came here to see the covered bridge, but discovered they have so much more…read more THE SCENE Smithgall Woods may not be someplace Georgians are familiar with, unless you are an avid hunter or trout fisherman. It was once private property that was gifted to the state by conservationist Charles A. Smithgall Jr. in 1994. A large section still remains private property for the Smithgall family, but what was gifted is a treasure trove of beautiful mountains, streams, meadow fields and wetlands. I began my solo hike around 12:15pm from the Visitors Center. There I was given a map and a few brief highlights of points of interest, like the waterfalls and gold mine. I then set off one what turned out to be a 4.5 hour adventure. Probably not the smartest of ideas since I had surgery just three weeks ago. But I was tired of resting around the house and desperately wanted to get out and do something. Besides, nature brings a calmness to my inner being and allows me to relax my mind in ways I just can't at home. It was a perfect day with perfect temperatures for hiking. In my entire time there, I only ran across one other human. ----- THE HIKE Inside the Visitor's Center is a gift shop and small wildlife museum of the nature plants and animals. I walked down the paved Tsalaki Trail towards the Cathy Ellis Trail (approximately 2.6 mile away). The trail starts off as a fairly steep incline. Along the way I saw a sign saying "caution - bees". I thought that was a curious warning until I noticed the white honey bee houses in the woods nearby. Next came the wetlands with a one mile looping trail and a boardwalk into the marshes. Here you have a strong possibility of seeing a beaver at work on a dam. I decided to save this area for my return hike and I'm glad I did. My energy on the return leg was running very low and I needed the benches here for a nice long rest. I reached the covered bridge about 37 minutes after leaving the visitors center. It was a real beauty made in the simple Town Lattice style. The memorial plaque at the entrance was titled "Bay's Bridge In loving memory of 'Bay' Elizabeth Smithgall Watts", whom died the year the land for the state park was gifted. It crosses the amazing mountain stream known as Duke's Creek. The creek from here will be a large part of your journey. The trail turns to gravel just past the bridge. MARTIN'S MINE was one of the first Gold mines in Georgia. Most of the mining occurred from 1829 to 1935. By the 1840's most of the easy gold was gone and hard mining began. Miners dug tunnels and shafts to remove ore from deep underground. You can still see some of the entrances and shafts. The trail is well marked with numbers, so be sure to pick up the Mining Trail brochure at the Visitor's Center to help you decode the locations. There is a spur trail off the Martin's Mine loop that takes you to a waterfall used for hydraulic mining, which began in the 1850's. It is an uphill hike, but the waterfall is very nice. Back on the main trail I traveled another 1/2 mile to Cathy Ellis Trail. This 1/2 mile trail starts off uphill, but once you reach the shelter it's all downhill from there. The trail ends at the beautiful Chunannee waterfall (which means friendship). Lots of vegetation on this portion of the hike. This land was once the home of Lucy Bryant, a Cherokee Indian widow whom was granted this 640 acre parcel in the Treaty of 1817. But by 1839 the Trail of Tear forced all Cherokee Indians off their land to relocate in Oklahoma. They curiously chose to name the trail after a 19 year old girl who fell over a waterfall in a different county altogether instead of the Indian widow Lucy. I don't get that, but whatever. The waterfall here is beautiful. I sat here about 25 minutes resting and admiring its beauty and feeling sad for the ancient Cherokee Indian nation. I arrived here approx. 2.5 hours after I began my journey from the visitors center. NOTE: Prior to arriving at the Cathy Ellis trail there is another steep incline, similar to the one near the Visitor's Center. ----- FINAL THOUGHTS In total I hiked approximately 7.5 miles today. I would normally have done this in probably 3 hours, but I tried to go at an easier pace since I'm still recovering from surgery. I allowed myself plenty of places to sit and rest, the most enjoyable of them being the waterfall on the Cathy Ellis Trail. Smithgall Woods State Park is indeed a wonderful place for those who love nature and peaceful hiking venues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving them a visit.