Just a little more than 50 miles north of Myrtle Beach on the coastal plane of the North Carolina/ South Carolina border, there is a small rocky stream that is just slam full of rainbow trout.

      Yea, that's right, rainbow trout.    It is not a big stream, in fact it is not even a natural stream.    If you were to "pull the pug" on the 1,000 gpm water pump, the stream would stop flowing.

      Never the less, I still think it is fantastic that you can catch rainbow trout in the very southeastern corner of North Carolina.   I am not the only one that considers this to be remarkable.   In 1999, Daddy Joe's operation was named, by Progressive Farmer Magazine, the most innovative stream/pond in the United States.

      Stream design, construction, and operation is deceptively simple. So simple yet effective, that it has drawn inquiries from fisheries biologist and farmers from across the country.    A ditch was cut down the side of a small hill, and then lined with rocks.    Rocks and small boulders were then positioned to form pools, riffles, and runs.   Water is pumped from the bottom of an adjacent farm pond to the top of the artificial stream.   Gravity does the rest.  There is a screened drain at the lower end of the stream that returns the water back to the pond.   This configuration allows this stream to maintain healthy trout only during the cooler half of the year

      I am ashamed to admit it, but, the very first rainbow trout I hooded in Daddy Joe's stream broke my tippet about two seconds after I hooked it.    I was expecting to hookup with a ten to twelve inch trout, like those I  have typically found in other "trout farm" operations across the country.    I quickly learned that this stream was full of 2 ½ to 3 ½ pound rainbows.  Another big surprise came to me when mayflies and midges began to hatch on this stream.  

      I had been informed prior to my first visit that because these fish are given floating "trout chow" that they would rise to a dry fly.   I was even more impressed that these trout were actually selective when they were rising to a mayfly hatch on this manmade stream.   On the day of my first visit the rainbows were rising on emergers, and most of the duns were ignored.

      The edges of the pond featured downed trees, large stumps, and some strategically placed brush piles.   On this warm February morning there were 2, 3, and 4 pound largemouth bass suspended over the top of every piece of submerged structure.   In less than 100 foot of shoreline I counted nine fish that would easily push the scale past four pounds, and two monsters approaching eight  pounds.

      Trying to keep one eye on a six pound largemouth as I rigged up for the first cast, but before I could thread my fly line through the last few guides I was distracted by a commotion in mid pond.   A school of Bodie bass (striper/white bass hybrids) tore into a pod of shad (golden shiners) and proceeded to chase them into the southeast corner of the pond.

      I did not catch a Bodie bass on my first visit to Daddy Joe's.   I did however, catch and release half a dozen largemouth bass, a dozen or more nice crappie, and a handful of fat Georgia Giant Bream; all on the same fly.

      Like most places, the big fish are the smart fish.   All of those monster bass I saw suspended over the structure ignored all my offerings.   When blind casting I did hook two very large bass that whipped me bad on that 8 wt fly rod.    Both big fish broke me off in the cover.   One of them pulled almost 30 feet of my fly line through a brush pile.

      All in all not a bad half day of fishing for late February.   There is something for everyone at Daddy Joe's.   You can fish for fun (catch & release) with a half or full day fee.   You can fish by the pound for catfish, crappie, bream, or rainbow trout.   All largemouth bass and all striper hybrids (Bodie bass) must be released.   There are ponds that are stocked only with catfish, and there are ponds that have a mixed bag.

      If wing shooting is your game, there is a sporting clay range on the property. The range fee is $5.00 for 25 clays.   For the hunters they have a "teal" stand, and a "crazy quail" stand.   It is best to call ahead to make sure the range is not full for the day.  The facilities are open year-round Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM till sunset.

      The log cabin club house features a stone fireplace and antique pine flooring is available for meetings, private parties, family reunions; and can accommodate 75 guests.  If you fly your own light plane, there is a well maintained grass strip at Daddy Joe's. For more information call 910-653-2155.

Harry Hall   

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