At least one other stream deserves treatment in some detail, and that’s the Eastatoe River. Set at the easternmost edge of the spectacular Jocassee Gorges area, once it gathers strength from countless springs and rivulets and builds its strength, this stream flows through a deep, wild gorge that eventually ends in a beautiful valley. Most of the valley section is posted private land, but that is not the case with the gorge. It is arguably the Palmetto State’s best destination for wild rainbows.

To reach the Eastatoe Gorge, you hike in from a parking area in the Laurel Valley region off U.S. Highway 78 immediately south of the North Carolina border. From the parking area, walk a short distance down a logging road and then take the trail directly to the river. Once there, the maintained trail ends, but you will find a readily discernible angler’s trail that gives you options to maneuver once at water side. It is a modest walk of about two miles that can be accomplished in an hour or less traveling at a moderate pace. There’s plenty of elbowroom here, but keep in mind that special regulations specifying artificial lures only are in effect. Also, the limit is seven fish instead of the standard 10 trout in the upper section known as Heritage Preserve lands.

Returning for a moment to the process of exploration, don’t forget that maps can be mighty fine friends. All of South Carolina’s trout water, except for the special situations created by tailwaters, is found in the northwest corner of the state above Highway 11. Take a gander at any detailed map (USGS topo maps are best), check out the proximity of streams, and dive into the Regulations Digest published by the Department of Natural Resources. There are several streams where special regulations are in place, such as catch-and-release only at certain times of the year, and as the saying sometimes goes, “There’s your sign.” Well, one of them anyway.

Another “sign” comes with experience in reading topo maps. Study the length of a drainage, the closeness of the contour lines, and the proximity of roads. Collectively these factors can tell you a small stream just might merit a half day’s exploration. I’ll have to admit I’ve done relatively little of this in South Carolina, although I think I can confess that some of the guides to waterfalls can have an unexpected and welcome fringe benefit (check out Waterfall Hikes of Upstate South Carolina, by Thomas King or The Waterfalls of South Carolina, by Benjamin Brooks and Tim Cook). These books were not written with the fisherman in mind, but there’s no reason the curious angler shouldn’t benefit from their pages.

Similarly, trail guides, again written with non-angling audiences in mind, can be fine friends. You will find Alan de Hart’s Hiking South Carolina Trails, which is now in its fifth edition, helpful. Similarly, since the Foothills Trail crosses so many promising streams at watersheds, any of the several guides to it, such as Guide to the Foothills Trail from the Foothills Trail Conference or Johnny Molloy’s Long Trails of the Southeast, can be beneficial.