As Hurricane Helene fomented in the Caribbean, it seemed likely that Great Smoky Mountains National Park would take a direct hit. The storm reached Category 4 before slamming Florida’s Gulf Coast, then headed north toward the Smokies. 

The Macon County Commission decided this month to delay consideration of changes to its watershed and floodplain ordinances until at least the new year, in part due to the organization of a Water Quality Advisory Committee and its new report on the state of Macon County waterways. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 34 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.  

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is welcoming anglers to the Qualla Country Fishing Tournament.

With a $15 entry fee and a two-day fishing permit ($17), covering both tournament days, anglers will be competing for a share of $20,000 in the pristine freestone streams of Cherokee (excluding the 2.2 miles of catch-and-release waters). 

Most folks who get into fly fishing do it despite the fish, which seldom cooperate and sometimes get in the way of an otherwise perfectly enjoyable morning standing out in the creek. 

Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Community College invites the public to discover the amazing aquatic life living in the West Fork Pigeon River on July 19. 

Haywood County Recreation is hosting various fly-fishing expeditions throughout June. 

Cherokee is hosting a fishing tournament this weekend that offers competitors the chance to vie for $10,000 in tagged fish. 

1. Get an Ingles Advantage card. This helps you save every time you buy groceries. You’ll also have fuel points loaded to your card from your grocery trip and by filling prescriptions at your Ingles Pharmacy and this saves when fueling up at Ingles Fuel Centers. 

TU-Cataloochee’s next trout stocking event is coming up Monday, May 6, along the delayed harvest section of the West Fork of the Pigeon River.