[water whooshes] [gentle instrumental music] [wildlife chirps] - [Narrator] In Ash County, one of the oldest rivers in the world quietly cuts through the landscape.

[water sloshes] [gentle music continues] The New River offers a special connection to the region, whether you're sitting on the banks or waiting out to cast a line.

[wildlife chirps] - Coming to the Blue Ridge Parkway is amazing.

The Appalachian Mountains are a billion years old.

There's magic in the mountains.

It's interacting with an ancient world in a modern world.

[gentle music continues] [water sloshing continues] [line whizzes] [gentle music continues] [wildlife chirps] [water sloshing continues] - [Narrator] Thanks to cold, oxygen-rich mountain streams, North Carolina is one of the top trout fishing regions in the Southeast.

- The sound of the river being unplugged, not checking phones.

Fly fishing forces you to pay attention to kind of what's going on there and now.

[wildlife chirps] Reading the water, figuring out what bugs are around, where trout might be hiding.

[water sloshing continues] [gentle music continues] - [Sarah] I prefer to fly fish with others.

Having quality time and quiet time together is really special.

There's not a lot of hobbies you can do that.

[wildlife chirps] [water sloshing continues] It's the stories I have about my friends, the deep conversations I've had with my dad and my brother.

Catching a fish, I mean, that's just like the cherry on top, really.

[gentle music continues] [water bubbles] - [Dave] It really just makes you forget everything else.

You could be out here for five hours and it feels like a half hour.

[gentle music continues] [water sloshing continues] - [Sarah] Western North Carolina's already a sanctuary and fly fishing is like the refuge within the sanctuary.

[water whooshes] [wildlife chirps] [gentle music continues] When you get to know the ecosystem on such a deep level, it really deepens your love of the natural world around you.

[water sloshes] [gentle music continues] I'm like even getting like a little bit emotional talking about it.

[gentle music continues] [water sloshing continues] It is a time to reflect and it is a time to be grateful for what we have in North Carolina.

[gentle music continues] [wildlife chirping continues] [water sloshing continues] [wildlife chirping continues]