“This is the ugliest fly I have,” says Mike Kesselring, pulling a battered-looking brown-bodied, black-feathered fly from a box marked “18. Antiques.”

The box is just one of the many filling the back of Kesselring’s red SUV, the fly just one the roughly 9,000 in his expansive collection. The flies run the gamut from the long, flowing streamers designed to resemble flashy-colored minnows to tiny but intricate creations mimicking the river’s smallest insect nymphs. Nearly all are prettier, more pristine than the 20-year-old thing Kesselring, 64, now holds up to the sunlight.

Great Smoky Mountain Railroad officials say they will make their deadline for getting a steam engine back up and running in Bryson City.

In a long-awaited strategic move, Nantahala Brewing in Bryson City will soon be putting the final touches on the purchase of a nearby bottling company.

While November is usually still a busy time for downtown Bryson City merchants, Paige Christie said her sales are down a third over last year.

While the former Hawthorn Heights teen shelter presented a number of challenges, the only challenge for teens moving into the new shelter will be calling dibs on their favorite room.

As the municipal elections were coming to a close last Tuesday night, it became clear that the race in Bryson City would be too close to call. 

Bryson City’s town election may be too close to call given that there were eight provisionary ballots left to count on election night.

About halfway between Bryson City and the Nantahala Outdoor Center, a small, unassuming building sits alongside the road. The structure is only a stone’s throw from the bustling intersection of U.S. 64 and N.C. 28, and inside Elise Willa Pincu Delfield is at her potter’s wheel, silently spinning magic.

The five newcomers running for the Bryson City Board of Aldermen and mayor have made it clear they want to see some new faces on the board and some much-needed change to the town.

Monica Brown, Innkeeper — Fryemont Inn, Bryson City. Chairperson – Smoky Mountain Host. Board Member – Swain County Tourist Development Authority. www.fryemontinn.com