Fishing regulations taking effect this week
Beginning Oct. 1, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement delayed harvest regulations on 33 trout waters in 18 counties in Western North Carolina.
Under these regulations, anglers can only practice catch-and-release fishing. No natural bait is allowed. Fishermen can use only single-hook, artificial lures that were not treated with any substance to attract fish. The seasonal regulations will be relaxed again June 6.
The commission stocks delayed-harvest waters from fall until spring with thousands of trout to increase anglers’ chances of landing a fish. The delayed harvest trout waters are posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs. This year, the commission added sections on two creeks and a river, in Ashe, Clay and Graham counties, to its delayed harvest program.
