North Carolina musician Austin McCombie talks fly fishing, songwriting, and the common ground in between
If you’re looking for Austin McCombie, you’ll likely find him in one of two places: strumming on stage as half of the North Carolina Americana duo Chatham Rabbits or standing waist-deep in an ice-cold creek, fly rod in hand.
“Besides playing music, fishing is my favorite thing to do,” Austin says. “But I may like it even more than music. If not more, then it’s definitely a close tie.”
One thing is for certain: Both passions have been fixtures of Austin’s life since childhood, when he spent hot, humid days listening to 90s country and fishing off the coast of North Carolina.
After high school, the Wilmington native headed inland to study at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, where he met his bride-to-be at a concert in 2013. Sarah, a student at Peace College, was performing with her band, The South Carolina Broadcasters. As soon as she started picking her clawhammer banjo, Austin was smitten.
“Long story short,” he says, “we got married.”
Not long after tying the knot, the 20-somethings decamped to northeastern Chatham County, where they officially formed Chatham Rabbits. Around this same time, Sarah surprised Austin with a guided fly-fishing trip in Brevard, N.C. That trip changed everything.
“I had never been fly fishing before and didn’t know much about it, to be honest,” he explains. “I remember telling the guide, ‘I don’t care if we catch anything. I just want to learn how to do this.’”
From that moment on, Austin was hooked. Back home in the flatlands, he bought gear, read up on techniques, and spent hours perfecting his cast. He loved the challenge of the sport.
“Trout are such a tender species,” he says. “You have to observe exactly what’s going on in that section of the river and present a fly that matches the conditions perfectly. That level of oneness with the river system is just so incredible.”
Austin isn’t the only musician to think so.
In 2018, Chatham Rabbits had the chance to open for the Grammy-winning bluegrass group Steep Canyon Rangers at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.
“It was a huge deal for us, and I honestly feel like we were underqualified,” Austin says with a laugh.
At the time, the nascent band was traveling in a small white Sprinter van outfitted for both touring and fly fishing. As Austin was getting ready for the show, Steep Canyon Rangers founder Woody Platt walked by the rig. An avid fly fisherman himself, Platt couldn’t resist checking out all the gear.
“We just hit it off,” Austin remembers. “We talked for over an hour and became really good friends. We’ve done tons of shows with him since, and Woody has been a huge influence on us as a young band.”
When their schedules align, Austin and Platt fish together along the East Fork of the French Broad River in Transylvania County. It’s one of Austin’s favorite honeyholes, second to a little spot along the North Fork where his parents own a cabin.
These waters have shaped Austin’s songwriting, serving as the inspiration for several tracks on Chatham Rabbits’ upcoming album “Be Real With Me.” Set for release on February 14, this fourth LP marks a turning point for the duo.
“With the first record, we were just having fun. Music was still a hobby,” says Austin. “With the next two records, there was a lot of shakiness. We were questioning if we even belonged in music—if we were really artists.”
But “Be Real With Me” is different. “It’s the most confident record we’ve made—a real look in the mirror,” says Austin.
That said, the album’s lyrics offer a refreshingly vulnerable glimpse into the couple’s lives, particularly on tracks like “Facing 29.”
“It’s about turning 29 and realizing it’s your last year of pure youth,” says Austin, who wrote the opening line—“You caught my eye like the glare on Helton Creek / Looking down to find the native brookies”—while angling in Ashe County, N.C.
The song is one of many moments when Austin’s two worlds—one defined by the rhythm of music and the other by the quiet flow of water—seamlessly intertwine.
“Fly fishing is all about nuance. Small things, like putting a split shot on your line to get down another six inches in the water column, can change your day from catching nothing to lights out,” says Austin. “Songwriting is very similar. Taking the time to do something that’s just a little harder or more complicated can yield the best, most impactful song.”
Chatham Rabbits will hit the road on February 12 for the “Be Real With Me” tour. Visit chathamrabbits.com/tour for details.
Cover photo: Austin McCombie angles on the French Broad River. Photo by Samuel Cooke
