Fish Tale

September/October 2019

Fish Tale: A new aquarium in Bryson City highlights life in Appalachian Rivers

WRITER:

(Left) Bluegill; (right) Red Spotted Newt

With fresh waterways, the country’s first and only fly-fishing trail in Jackson County, and Swain County’s Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians, Western North Carolina holds a wealth of angling opportunities and resources. Since August, this abundance has grown even greater with the opening of the Appalachian Rivers Aquarium in Bryson City.

The first of its kind in the region, the aquarium is the brainchild of Alen Baker, who also founded the museum. The new educational resource gives visitors the opportunity to view some 50 species of the region’s native freshwater fish, including walleye, crappie, chub, redhorse, bluegill, and trout. Housed in a 1,000-square-foot facility containing 11 tanks—including one devoted solely to North America’s largest salamander, the hellbender—“the aquarium is a wonderful learning opportunity not only for tourists, but for locals as well,” says manager Rita Jones. It also houses a classroom with a terrarium of native frogs and lizards. “We especially want kids to learn about the natural world,” Jones says. “Learning about the fish teaches them about where and how the fish live, how their habitats are maintained, and how we can protect our natural resources.”