For most purposes though, rainbows and browns form the focus of the fisherman’s quest for wild trout in South Carolina. Both are imports, with the original browns coming from Europe and rainbows from California. Long ago, though, both species found some Palmetto State streams to their liking and established breeding populations. Once the first stream-raised fish survived and grew to the point where they produced another generation of trout, you had what is generally agreed to be a “wild” trout. In other words, one which hatched from eggs laid in a stream, grew from a fingerling to an adult, and has never known anything but the cold, clear waters it calls home.

While it is almost certain that some of the brown trout that call Lake Jocassee’s deep, cold waters home are wild, we’ll confine our excursion into the world of wild trout to streams. All of the major feeders of Lake Jocassee have wild trout, but you need to be a careful student of geography before you say, “Oh boy, that’s where I’ll go” and rush off to trout fish.

A small portion of Lake Jocassee actually lies in North Carolina, and two of its largest feeders, the Horsepasture and Toxaway rivers, have their entire flows within the Old North State. Since the two Carolinas do not have a reciprocal licensing agreement, you can get into trouble in a hurry if you don’t know where you are or don’t happen to possess licenses for both states.

However, two other significant feeders of Jocassee do have South Carolina flows. Roughly a mile of the Thompson River, downstream from the so-called “Blue Wall” (the immense escarpment or fall line running along the border between the Carolinas) is in the Palmetto State. It is home to many brown trout, some of them of trophy size, and their numbers increase even more when browns make spawning runs starting in late autumn.

The Thompson is no place for the faint of heart or unfit of physique. Its hallmarks, at least in the South Carolina section, are deep plunge pools and drops which can present appreciable problems as the angler works his way upstream (the preferred approach, although one of the two ways to get to the Thompson places you right at the line between the two states).

Access is about as difficult as the terrain is demanding. One approach is to boat across Lake Jocassee to where the Thompson enters it and work upstream from that point. The other is to hike the Foothills Trail — no Sunday jaunt in the park, but a walk of several miles — and work downstream. Either way you’ll be doing some scrambling. You’ll find it necessary to get out of the stream at times to move from one deep hole to the next, and be in what, frankly, can be some potentially dangerous terrain. Anyone venturing to the lower reaches of the Thompson River should only do so with a fishing companion, period. The great advantage, of course — and one not widely found in South Carolina — is that these characteristics guarantee the Thompson will never be overly pressured.

Somewhat similar to the Thompson, at least in terms of fishable water, is the Whitewater River. A portion of the Whitewater lying between the upper and lower falls, a distance of some two miles, is in South Carolina. Again, you’ll be dealing mainly with brown trout, and access is easy. Once you are there (go to the Bad Creek Project just off S.C. Highway 130, then follow a spur of the Foothills Trail from the parking lot there to the stream — it’s a short, easy walk), the wading and maneuvering make for simple, smooth going.

For all their appeal, and particularly in the case of the Thompson it is considerable, these short stretches of water take distinct back seats when compared with the Chattooga River’s upper reaches. For mile after mile, you have fine fishing on the Chattooga. From U.S. Highway 28 all the way upstream to Ellicott Rock, there are wild fish. To be sure, the lower section, which is stocked by helicopter, mixes wild and hatchery fish, but from the access point at Burrells Ford Bridge upstream, you will find nothing but wild trout. It might be noted that there are other entrance points as well, with a good network of trails serving the stream. Trail access is available at Burrells Ford by hiking in from any of several points, including the Foothills Trail from Highway 107, or you can start at the Walhalla fish hatchery situated on the East Fork of the Chattooga. The trail is on the South Carolina side of the stream. The stream itself forms the boundary between the state and Georgia for many miles — but conveniently, the two states do have a reciprocal licensing agreement.

You’ll find both wild rainbows and browns in this water, with rainbows becoming more plentiful as you work farther upstream. Nor should the feeders of the Chattooga’s East Fork be overlooked. Part of the enduring joy of fishing for wild trout is the process of discovery, and there are most certainly discoveries to be made here. I’ll mention two or three and then maybe just give some hints that can lead readers to others. Certainly, Bad Creek, King Creek and Indian Camp deserve some attention, and the higher up these streams you go, the less likelihood of encountering another fisherman. The reverse holds true for encountering numbers of trout, provided you understand small- stream techniques such as bow-and-arrow casts, dappling, or precise roll casts if you are a fly rodder, along with delicate and accurate little flips for the spin-caster.

Once again, you’ll find wild fish during all seasons, but don’t overlook the spawning runs of browns. When the eternal urge of reproduction draws them from big waters into much smaller ones, it’s a mighty fine time to be astream.