After a week off due to Helene, our UO fishing report returns! Let’s call this week’s theme, “Access After Helene.” Our region streams are in great shape, but many of the remote roads and camgrounds are not. We’ll do our best to decipher the issue for you, based on the best available intel today from the US Forest Service and GA Wildlife Resources Division.
First, let’s all be thankful. We’re thankful that the worst of the storm bypassed north GA. But we do pray for our neighbors south, east, and north of us who took tremendous hits. Please consider donating to the recovery efforts in south GA, upstate SC, and the Appalachian ridge line in NC and TN.
Over here, it’s a matter of forest road clearing and engineers assessing major structures (bridges, buildings campgrounds, etc) before deeming them safe for the public. Priority has likely been given to major Forest roads, especially with private residences along them. We will just need to be patient regarding our minor roads, hiking trails, and campgrounds, which are lower priorities for agency staff and their equipment right now.
Tune into the Chattahoochee Forest Alerts page to see daily updates to its open/closed list of properties.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/conf/alerts-notices/?aid=90885
The good news is that much of the forest is open, especially west of Highway 129. Compare that to the complete closure of the Sumter (SC) National Forest on our eastern border and the terrible destruction north of us. Be thankful that we do have some opportunities to get outside this weekend.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/scnfs/alerts-notices/?aid=90929
Ponds and lakes should fish well this weekend as the surface temps cool off. Just throttle down, especially, in the headwaters, to avoid the storm trees and debris washed down the rivers.
As always, we have very specific intel and other fresh fishing reports from our UO gang here:
http://blog.angler.management/
It includes my forest recons of last nite and this morning, so tune in before taking off for the mountains this weekend. Good luck and be safe. Stop in either UO shop for advice and supplies on your way up.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
www.unicoioutfitters.com
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
Dries: micro chubby Chernobyl, yellow stimulator, parachute Adams, parachute black ant, tan elk hair caddis.
Nymphs & Wets:
CDC pheasant tails, Duracell, hares ear, squirmy worm, chartreuse mops, zebra midges.
Streamers:
Sparkle minnow, buggers & leeches, micro dungeon.
(Bass) jerk changer, Con man, wiggle minnow, boogle bug popper, Kent’s stealth bomber.
(Panfish) amnesia bug, small chubby Chernobyl, bluegill spider, dry and wet ants
Headwaters:
They got a really “good flush” last week and are down to normal flows and clear water. Headwaters above Helen ran 62F at 8am today. Most should fish well til midafternoon, and all day once these 80-degree afternoon highs depart.
Those loose stream gravels, polished clean of fine sediments, should be great spawning habitat for wild fish this fall and winter.
The major issue is safe road access. Watch the USFS alert page and aim for creeks along paved roads and major USFS roads that are open. Just about everything west of Highway 129 has been reopened. Farther east it becomes spotty. The Hooch on the WMA appears open, at least uphill to Low Gap Creek. Last nite I drove the Tallulah as
far as Tate Branch and the main road was open. All rec areas I’ve seen on our east side this week remain closed.
What’s open? All the west side streams, on the other side of RT 129, should be accessible. You’ll likely have to negotiate some new, downed trees on trails and stream banks. Some local, accessible creeks around here are upper Smith, Spoilcane, Soapstone, Russell Highway crossings, the upper Chestatee and Toccoa tribs, and maybe the Tallulah tribs. It sounds very tough east of Clayton. Aim west this week. Single, fluffy dries and short dry/dropper rigs are still scoring well.
UO Helen manager Wes: “I ran a wade trip with a trio of anglers on national forest land yesterday. By covering water we were able to find some wild fish and quite a few holdover stocker brown trout as well. The fall fishing is starting to heat up and anglers who are willing to cover water and fish off the beaten path a bit should still be able to find plenty of fish. We ran dry dropper rigs all day and caught most of our fish on droppers like Pheasant tails and green weenies, but were able to catch a handful on top using #14 chubby Chernobyls and stimulators.”
Stocked Waters:
WRD said it’s stocking some fish, mainly browns, to complement the youth hunts this week. Watch todays stocking list or see their hints at the bottom of their new fishing report:
https://georgiawildlife.blog/2024/10/04/georgia-fishing-report-october-4-2024/
Tailwaters: No recent reports. Watch the generation schedules carefully, since dam operators have been trying to bring lake levels back down for some time. Be careful!
Trophy Waters:
We will re-open our private waters next week and are taking reservations for fall, winter, and spring fishing trips. We are at 706-878-3083. Art at Smithgall (706-878-3087) said Dukes has opened angling to reservation holders on 10/2. Call soon to reserve your slots for prime fall dates.
UO buddy Spangler: “My unofficial custom the last few years is to fish Dukes Creek the day it opens and the day it closes…and at least once or twice in between. Dukes is not the place to learn how to fly fish, it’s cruel and unforgiving teacher but for me has been an effective one. Since I first fished it in 2020, it’s the place that prompted me to learn to fly fish to begin with, and I’m still learning. Moving on…I fished a stretch I had never fished before. This stretch is very unlike the upper reaches as it has very deep sandy bottom holes between large boulders and few shoals. Opening day 2023, I fished the upper end and caught 40+ tiny fingerlings and a couple 15 inchers. This time, no fingerlings and just 6 to the net, but all fish were 10-15” (along with a bunch of chubs and one horny-head). When I was there on closing day in May, I caught a 22” rainbow but no such luck this time. The most interesting catch was one I didn’t get a pic of since he released himself on the way to the net was what I am 90% sure was a Chattahoochee bass.
Water temps were ok until around 2pm when I did get a reading of 68. As far as fly selection and technique, every fly I tossed got hit, the fish were eager as long as it was presented well.
This required me to adapt a lot…I euro nymphed pocket water as usual with an egg or perdigon, and as I came to deep holes, I either jigged a streamer along the bottom or slapped on a bobber and extra weight and just lobbed it out as best I could and let it drift slowly through. Not an ideal rig with a 10’ 3W but I like how the thin tippet and leader will get vertical under the bobber very fast. What mattered more than the flies was this little tin of tungsten putty. I love this stuff because you can adjust your weight almost infinitely. I put it on my tippet when nymphing further up from the fly, 2/3 of the way to the sighter, since the water flowing at the surface is faster than the bottom, helps my sighter get vertical quicker in a fast run.”
Warm Rivers:
No recent reports. They’ve been flooded out!
Ponds:
They should continue to fish well with this cooler weather. Jimmy’s grandson, Crosby, nailed this 8-pound trophy from his subdivision lake before the storm. He said the hot bait was a “Trench Hawg from Googan.”
Reservoirs:
They’re on the fall rebound. Just watch out for floating debris. Slow down!
UO manager Jake is fishing a mountain lake today and called this in from his boat. He did real well on a fluke and some small swimbaits. Bass are schooling on bait in the creek arms. Surface temp 71 to start and 74 now (3pm).
UO staffer Joseph: “Bass fishing on Lanier has been on fire lately. Lots of action near or on the surface. Temps are still a tad warm for stripers but that should change sometime within the next two weeks. For bass look for schools of fish on or near brush piles.
Serpentine style swim baits and walking style top waters have been producing some nice fish for me. For fly flingers stick to intermediate lines and lighter presentations like clousers or finesse game changers.”
See today’s GAWRD report for more reservoir intel.
https://georgiawildlife.blog/2024/10/04/georgia-fishing-report-october-4-2024/
Afar:
Travel north of us has been sketchy at best. As roads reopen, check with the local resource agencies and local tackle shops for timely intel and legal access. Here are two good sources:
- Tuck Fly Shop in Bryson City
https://www.facebook.com/share/sYS8Mm75ebXo2AXo/?mibextid=WC7FNe
- Little River Outfitters in Townsend
https://littleriveroutfitters.com/
UO buddy RonW: “The Trio is currently out west exploring Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. So far we have fished the Madison (inside and outside of the park), the Lamar, Soda Butte, Firehole, Gibbon and Yellowstone Rivers. This has been an amazing trip filled with incredible views, good food, bourbon, lots of laughs, plenty of windshield time and of course some fishing.
So far collectively we have caught Yellowstone Cutthroat, Brown Trout, Rainbows, a Cuttbow and a Montana Bonefish...aka Whitefish.
Today 10/3 we are heading out to check out the Gallatin River. We have 3 more days until we have to go back to reality, we are going to savor every second left .”
10/4 update: “Third cast this morning. Ate a size 16 purple Duracell. Folks if you haven't been out here....get out here as soon as possible!”
UO buddy MD: “Made a trip North to my old stomping grounds in the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. My father, brother, and I criss-crossed the Bay between Deale and Tilghman Island, MD. Beautiful weather, great conversations, tough fishing. I showed the gear fishermen how it was done and pulled in a nice striper on a big half-and-half Clouser to save the trip. Also ate my weight in fried oysters.”
Kudos:
UGA 5Rivers exec Matt: “”Cooper Harlan and I hosted a fishing 101 presentation for our members of the 5 Rivers Fly Fishing Club here at UGA. We went over the what, when, where, and how’s of fishing for trout and bass across all of Georgia. We were extremely grateful for Outpost Oconee and Bushcraft Georgia for hosting this event. We believe this presentation properly equipped our new members to be able and go out and feel confident when they go fish! We are doing some great work down here of introducing new members to the world of fly fishing across Georgia!”
UO buddy Will, the Yellow Jacket: “The GT 5 Rivers club recently had its first official outing of the school year, where we took 23 participants out to Piedmont Park and taught them how to fly fish! After a quick casting clinic, we paired up our new fly fishers with mentors and headed out to catch some bluegill and crappie. Despite the low water and sunny conditions, many fish were caught, including most anglers’ first fish on the fly! It was the perfect way to start a lifelong addiction.”
There’s your post-Helene intel. Be careful in the woods if you go. Good luck!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
www.unicoioutfitters.com
