Save Tuckertown

In the Piedmont of North Carolina, there is a swath of game lands that borders and protects a series of lakes created by hydroelectric dams. The TuckerTown Reservoir and the Alcoa Game Lands are of particular focus right now. The state leases these lands for use as game lands. They can be sold at any time to the highest bidder. Thousands of acres and waterways could become tract homes or data centers (like the one currently being built on a multi-generational farm despite overwhelming public resistance). There is a campaign by the Three Rivers Land Trust to “save tuckertown” the end goal is to raise enough money to fund the purchase and transfer of these lands to the state to be kept as game lands open to the public in perpetuity. Many organizations like BHA (Backcountry Hunters and Anglers ) and even Meateater have backed this initiative

I fished the tailwater of the high rock dam at the southern end of Tuckertown Reservoir. It’s a handsome chunk of water. The sandy riverbank gives way to a rocky valley as you near the dam. I arrived shortly after sunup and hiked the trail to get to the dam from the picnic area. I spooked a herd of deer as I navigated the path made up of hand-laid quarried stone. To get to the deep pool near the dam itself, I had to traverse a rock wall, picking out handholds while holding my baited rod in my mouth.

I lost a couple of what I imagine were big flatheads with how they grabbed shiners and buried my gear in the rocks near the tailwaters. I also managed to fumble my favorite rod and snapped it in half on the rocks. In other words, catching was not great. However, the views were great—or at least some of the views. Nearly every nook and cranny was littered with trash. Beer bottles, water bottles, miles of line, and enough worm containers to start my own farm.

That’s the part that sucks. People with no regard for public places. I carried out a basketball-sized wad of discarded line along with a broken rod (beyond my own). I understand some of the debris was blown in, washed in, or uncovered by the low water, but not all of it. Worm tubs and beer bottles are LIGHTER when you are done with them. It’s apathy and ignorance, and the pair will work against access advocates. Funding for access and public support for fishing in this area will be cut off.

I suppose the biggest problem I have right now is that, as I write this, I know the people who are responsible for the litter won’t read it. The best action I have is to put in the effort and clean up after them. Don’t get me wrong, I will gladly use my “dad voice” on a grown man for littering. But as a reminder for all of us who are outside: try to grab an extra piece of trash to pack out.

For more information about the Tuckertown reservoir and the actions by the Three Rivers Land Trust. Follow here . For a deep dive podcast into the matter you can listen to my friends at Opportunity Outdoors here