Fishing the Cape Fear River
And nearby Fayetteville , North Carolina
© Gary L. Benton
For those of you that live in North Carolina , you are surrounded by some the best fishing in the nation. Being a coastal state, you can fish the on the beach, go out on a deep sea fishing boat, or just fish the many lakes and streams that run through the state. I lived in Fayetteville , North Carolina a few years ago when I was in the military. I was surprised by how good the large-mouth bass, crappie, perch, and blue gill fishing was. It seemed as if every neighborhood in the area had a small pond or lake that the locals would fish. And, I found the locals were more than happy to share their fishing spots with me.
Often I would join a co-worker, named John, and we would do a little crappie or bass fishing. I had never done much crappie fishing and had a difficult time catching the small fish. I almost always pulled the hook through the paper-thin mouth and most of the time I went home without a fish. However, when we bass fished, I did well. Growing up in Missouri , I had been born bass fishing. John, though knew nothing about bass fishing, so we taught each other. The friendship paid off in more than one way!
Some of the places you can fish in the Fayetteville area are, Glenville Lake , Hope Mills Lake , Lake Rim , or Lakeview Park . These are not the only places, but only a few I suggest for you to try. If you are in the military, you may want try one of the thirteen lakes that are open on Fort Bragg . While these lakes are open to the public, those of you that live on Fort Bragg or nearby Pope Air Force Base you will find them easy to access.
Also, you can hike the Clark Park Nature Center or the Pauline Longest Nature Trails. Additionally, there are a number of nature sites in the local area, to include the Cape Fear Botanical Garden , the Fayetteville Rose Garden or the Rasland Herb Farm. I won't even address the countless parks that seem everywhere in the city. If you are bored in Fayetteville , it is your own fault. I strongly suggest you visit a visitor's center and pick up a few of the maps they have available. At the end of this article, I have a web address that will allow you to contact various centers.
Late one afternoon John and I drove to the Cape Fear River . It was very easy to access; we simply drove to the junction of US 301 and old North Carolina 87. I had long been interest in the Cape Fear River . It has a rich history and as a history buff, I found it fascinating! It is suspected that the first visitors to the river were the Spanish, at about 1515 or so. Then, the English visited and I think you have an idea of what happened at that point. Once explorers honestly started moving on the river, the abundant wildlife, beauty and natural resources opened the whole area up for settling. The rest, and no pun intended, is history.
One of my favorite studies in college was the American Civil War and the period just before the war. I discovered that most of the economy on the Cape Fear and surrounding areas, was stimulated by using the river as a means of transportation to and from Wilmington , North Carolina . At Wilmington , which is on the coast, lumber, produce, naval stores (turpentine and pine pitch products) and the like were sold to ships docked at the city. In turn, things from the ships were brought back up the river and sold inland. It was a very easy mode of transportation, compared to an overland route, once the many fallen logs had been cleared from the river. Commercial river men, some earning more than three hundred dollars a year (an unheard of amount in those days), soon moved up and down the mighty Cape Fear River . The river traffic between Fayetteville and Wilmington must have been brisk during this growing period.
But, the river has an unhappy past as well. There are countless stories of ghosts and spirits that haunt the river. Often, slaves were delivered to Wilmington , and then forced to walk the 90 miles of so to Fayetteville (along the Mount Misery Road ). Many died along the way, and it is still said that late at night you can hear the moans and cries of these unfortunate souls. There are also stories told by the locals of Civil War battles and fights along the river. It is no wonder many people think the river is haunted by those who lived and died there.
Well, any way, John and I got to the river at about dusk and we soon floating on the river doing a little fishing. The wind was slight and the moon was full as we floated. The fishing, nonetheless, was poor. To me the river had a strange feeling as we meandered with the current and occasionally a water moccasin snake was seen moving over the top of the water toward a bank. We were cat fishing and it was a slow night. I would like to say things picked up and we caught a group of fish but we didn't. We did, however, have a very interesting conversation about the River; it's past, and possible future. I enjoyed just being on a river that had such a rich history. Only one certain thing about fishing; the fish don't have to bite to make for a good trip. Mostly it was a time of simple friendship and comradery. We honestly had a great time.
At one point, the wind seemed to change and a slight noise was heard as it moved through the trees. If you had a vivid imagination, you almost hear a moaning or groaning in the night air. I knew it was only the wind moving the branches of the trees, but it was unnerving all the same. We stayed until way after midnight , and yet failed to catch a single fish.
All the way home the two of us talked about the river and our lack of luck. Like most fishermen, we knew that fishing runs in circles. You may be unlucky this trip and max out on the next trip. We were not discouraged at all. We both had enjoyed the lazy drifting of the boat and the complete lack of stress. The trip had been relaxing for us, if not successful (The next trip turned out to be very productive). We made plans to get up early and do some crappie fishing the next day.
The next morning we were up early and catching crappie at a nearby lake. By nine that morning we were done for the day. We headed back home with fish for dinner and smiles on our faces. Like fishing everywhere, there is never a guarantee you will catch fish, but as any fisherman knows, half the fun is just being there and enjoying nature. We had experienced a very enjoyable weekend.
If you live in North Carolina , or plan to visit, it is well worth the effort for you to visit the Fayetteville area. I suggest you visit the official city of Fayetteville web site, at http://www.cityoffayetteville.org and check out the contact numbers they have for you. (I did just one search engine check and Google has over 742,000 sites associated with Fayetteville ). There are many things for you and your family to do that will be talked about years later. My family and I still talk about the things we did when we lived there! You can fish, hike, horseback ride, or find countless other activities to pass the time. Like most places in the south, the people are friendly, the average cost for these activities is more than modest, and the food is great. And, while you are in the area, stop and see the mighty Cape Fear River, as much a part of the history of North Carolina as its' beautiful beaches.
