In 1956, a fishing enthusiast Dr. Phillip Green spoke to the Southern Pines Rotary Club about the economic implications of fishing by measuring the amount of licensure, equipment, and miscellaneous costs associated with fishing trips. Eugene Starnes of the N.C. State College Extension mentioned
the Sandhills potential for hunting was not fully realized at a Moore County Wildlife Club fly casting contest hosted in 1960 at Mileaway Farm. Perhaps the Sandhills potential in offering local spots for fly casting to hone a fly anglers’ skills has yet to be fully realized.
The art of fly casting may be refined right here in the Sandhills. Bear Creek Trails in Robbins provide access to a midsize stream with flow to fly cast shoals for bass and sunfish. The local conservation organization Three Rivers Land Trust provides Bear Creek Paddle Trail information at URL https://threeriverslandtrust.org/oc-moore-county/.
The neighboring Hoffman Lakes provide a serene spot for the fly angler. In 1957 the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) opened various lakes in the Hoffman Sandhills Wildlife Area to public fishing as described by Bob Humphries in Wildlife of North Carolina. The WRC continues to manage McKinney, Broadacres, Kinney-Cameron, Scotland and other lakes in the Sandhills Game Land. Refer to NC wildlife at ncwildlife.org to ensure proper licensing and public access.
There is no need to travel to the mountains.
Practitioners of fly casting may appreciate local opportunities within the Sandhills, which sports a climate encouraging one to venture outdoors. Pick up a fly rod or a fishing kayak and fly cast nearby.
Mary Orvis published Favorite Flies and Their Histories in 1892. She was the daughter of the fly fishing aficionado Charles Orvis, founder of the famed sporting goods retailer that specializes in fly casting tackle. Southern Pines had Patch’s Tog Shop that carried fly fishing tackle, and was near the location of the current River Jack Outdoor Trading Company which carries kayaks and outdoor gear of all sorts.
According to William C. Prime the 19th century editor of the Journal of Commerce, “angling is an art worthy the knowledge and practice of a wise man.” The WRC enables anglers to make wise decisions in planning a fishing trip with access maps online. The Sandhills has lakes to shoot-out and strip-in long lengths of fly line, or streams with current to practice the skill of avoiding branches, while drifting riffles and working a fly across an eddy.
The Southern Pines Reservoir Park offers local fly fishing opportunities, and the reservoir presents its best fly casting opportunities from afloat. Kayaks designed for fishing provide excellent fly casting platforms. The kayak enables the fly caster to avert shoreline vegetation in the back cast, and is easily transported and launched. Kayak fishing is perfect for protected watershed conditions such as Reservoir Park which has always prohibited motor boats. The non-WRC affiliated Reservoir Park offers public access as a convenience to anglers or other park visitors. The reservoir was formerly known as the Southern Pines Water Works Lake, and the town council permitted fishing in 1954.
The fishing regulations of the period did not allow bank access, only manually propelled boats acquired from the Supervisor of Water Purification, with a permit granted from the City Manager. Today Reservoir Park is fantastically maintained by the Town of Southern Pines Recreation & Parks, providing access along the David R. White Greenway Trail, with a kayak launch area and dock at the main parking lot off Reservoir Park Road.
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