SOME GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE PROCESS OF DISCOVERY
One of the favorite sayings my Grandpa Joe, who was a sure enough fishing fool, regularly uttered was: “A man’s got to have some secrets.” I wholeheartedly agree, but in order to have secrets, you first have to make some discoveries. Frankly, with its limited geographical terrain when it comes to desirable trout habitat, South Carolina doesn’t have an over-abundance of these for trout fishermen.

In essence, you are most likely to make “finds” in the form of smaller streams that feed well-known trout destinations, and if by chance, they lie off the beaten path or have no trail system serving them, so much the better. They may be small, but just remember that a stream only 5 or 6 feet wide can and usually will hold trout. I’ll mention a few examples, and then leave it to your investigative genius and abilities as an explorer (after all, Grandpa was right -- one has to have some secrets). Check out Cheohee Creek, Corbin Creek, Limberpole Creek, Reedy Cove Creek, and any of the South Carolina feeders of the Chattooga River.

Also, and this is as good a tip as you’ll get from yours truly, if you can endure digging through the bureaucratese, take a careful look at the Water Classifications and Standards from the Board of Water of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). This document (Scdhec.net/eqc/water/regs/r61-69.pdf) lists every stream in the state and classifies the waters in each. If a stream carries the designation “TN” (trout-natural), it deserves your attention. If, in addition, that stream is remote and difficult to reach, it merits your undivided attention.

SOME SUGGESTED DESTINATIONS
Most of South Carolina’s most desirable, off-the-beaten-path trout destinations are accessed off the Foothills Trail. Fondly referred to in hiking groups as “South Carolina’s Appalachian Trail,” the trail’s entirety encompasses some 86 miles, and with its connectors, there are close to 200 miles of maintained footpaths. They weren’t built with the trout fisherman in mind, but the fact that the trail crosses many waterways and is accessible exclusively to hikers is significant.

One note of caution: The Foothills Trail wends its way along the North Carolina-South Carolina line, and the streams it crosses, almost without exception, originate in North Carolina’s Transylvania County, sometimes called “the land of waterfalls.” With that in mind, it isn’t a bad idea to have a fishing license for both states in your possession. It simplifies matters a great deal and removes any necessity of worrying about just which state you are in at a given point.

Also, keep in mind, if you plan on camping (some of the best fishing requires that you backpack in and spend several days in the wilderness), that camping regulations vary according to the portion of the trail you use. It runs through the Sumter and Pisgah national forests, wild and scenic river areas, designated wilderness areas, and state parks, and they have differing regulations for campers. No backcountry camping is allowed in either Oconee or Caesars Head state parks, and the same is true for the Whitewater River Gorge.