Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 12/30/21

Happy New Fishing Year!  As we end ‘21 and enter ‘22, your best friends this week with be your weather app, local fly shops,  and the online USGS stream gauges. Why?

Mother Nature will provide us with quite a variety.   We’ll have a few remaining days of warmth, a couple of stormflow spikes mixed in, and then a big cool-down. Savvy anglers will be flexible.  

Be ready to match your techniques and flies to the water flow, temperature, and turbidity (stain) conditions you face. Come up here armed with your 1) low&warm water, 2) high flow, and 3) winter water games and hit the flow curves with the right game. Our hitting tips, once again, are in the October 2020  edition of The Angler Magazine. 

https://coastalanglermag.com/e-magazine/atlanta/

Check the long version of this report and Wes’ hot fly list on FB or by clicking on “fishing reports” at unicoioutfitters.com, which will take you to our blog. You’ll see how our angler gang adapted their techniques and patterns to the stream conditions they faced.

We’re open 8-1 tomorrow, closed on New Year’s Day, and finally back to regular business on the 2nd.  May your new year start off great and stay that way. Send us your fish pics and stories! Good luck.

Wes’ Hot Fly List:

Dries: parachute Adams, stimulator, Griffith’s gnat.

Nymphs & wets: soft hackle partridge, red dart, tungsten pheasant tail, little black stone, simi seal leech, bead head hares ear, Pat rubberlegs and squirmy worms in high water.

Streamers & warmwater:

Kreelex, muddy buddy, clouser minnow, sweet baby cray.

GA public waters:

Bluelines:

Sautee and his photographer hit a high Hooch trib yesterday (29th) afternoon. The water was a balmy 55F at 2pm, slightly stained, and up just a bit from the very low fall base flow from the recent rain. Sautee had a big time on little wild bows to 7 inches. They preferred his #16 beaded hares ear nymph over the #14 Adams dry by a 3:1 margin. “Dries in December” was still a lot of fun during his brief local trip.

Smith DH:

It was running clear and 52F when I checked it at 10am today.  Only two anglers were there.  Shop and online fishing reports suggest it’s still fishing well for experienced anglers with a good drift. Since the stockers have now been in there a while and have seen a lot of flies, we suggest a “something different” strategy. Still toss a tiny egg or squirmy, but be ready to try some small (#16-20) nymphs and wets that have been forgotten in your box. If it’s new pattern or color, it might get more attention and takes.

Dukes:

We had two great reports from Smithgall vets taking advantage of yesterday’s storm surge.

Foothills TUer BobL:

“Only fished it for 2 hours yesterday, but did well. Micro squirrel leech, #14 BWO (2 on this and the big one) and the baby mop were my hot flies on 6x - 6.5x tippet.”

UO buddy Mo:

Rain in the forecast for Wednesday and we were up at Smithgall Woods before 7am,  hoping to walk on. We pull up and there are 4 others before us looking to do the same.   Not looking good.  Luckily we all got to walk on, as many reservation holders didn’t show up for fishing on a rainy day.  

Kurt and I started with a double nymph rig and we were into fish right away. The water was high and dirty, with a lot of debris and leaves,  but that didn’t matter. We picked up fish in every likely hole. We both lost a huge fish each in that first stretch of creek. And I mean huge!  Our 5x tippet just didn’t hold up. 

By about 2pm the water cleared up and started dropping. A Peach egg worked all day, and an olive walt’s worm and Ron’s purple ronco were effective, too. It was another great day at Dukes.”

Chattooga DH:

Sautee’s duo gave it a shot on the 27th and said:

“Monday on The River found the water low, low, low and clear. We thought it was gonna be tough but we brought 15 to hand in the afternoon sun using a brown squirmy trailed by brown soft hackle. Stripped buggers only got a few follows. Our key to success was high-grading the honey holes (deeper water).

Hooch Tailwater:

UO buddy Mo:

Hey Jeff, I hope all is well. Here’s a little fodder from the hooch tailwater. 

Kurt and I fished the lower pool below the dam today (26th). Ron was busy  resting and digesting and couldn’t join us. It was a hot day for December and the river was still a little dingy from lake turnover, but the fishing was on fire.

Euronymphing with a two-fly rig produced over a dozen browns and just as many rainbows. They were eating small bugs today and a size 20 frenchie on a long (10ft) 7x tippet worked all day. We didn’t need to change flies at all.

Midges were hatching throughout the day but fish were not chasing them on the surface. You had to be on the bottom if you planned on catching any fish today. If you got it down to them,  they ate!

The river is still clearing up and it will only get tougher to fool them when it’s gin-clear again at lake turnover. The little cloudiness in the water definitely helped today. 

NC:

Dredger ran up to the national park on the 26th and had a decent day on small wild rainbows and one brown that might have hit 10 inches. The water was still low, but a bit higher after recent rains. A few midges and some tiny (#22) black stones buzzed around, but they only rose a few fish in a flat, glassy pool. He struck out on them.

After the slow start, things got better when he moved up to faster pools and changed his anchor fly from a silver sexy Walts to a black-beaded hares ear soft hackle, while keeping the hares ear nymph dropper.  A roadside elk herd topped off his warm day in the Smokies. His pics and tips were posted on 12/27.

He went north again on the 28th and had good luck on a bunch of Nantahala DH bows and two stray browns. Water temp was 52 at noon and flows were a bit better after recent rains. The abundant stockers were partial to his sexy Walts anchor fly, while the four pretty wild bows preferred his peeking caddis dropper. Bugs were scarce (only a few tiny stones) and risers were nonexistent, so he stuck with Euro for the afternoon.

Here’s a pre-Xmas report from RonW that I forgot last week:

“Kurt, Moe and I hit Cherokee on 12/18 and 12/19.  We arrived around 9:30am to a light but constant rain. We had a few hours of fishing before the rain really picked up.  The water came up pretty fast and was stained to zero visibility. We still landed a fish a piece and each hooked into a goodun but couldn't seal the deal. The day seemed to fly by and was over before we knew it. We checked into the hotel and grabbed a quick bite to eat before hitting the rack.  

We hit the water about the same time on Sunday and were pleasantly surprised to see the water came down a little and cleared up considerably.  The bite was slow again to start but we all managed some fish. The guys caught some in the 14- 16" range and hooked into some giants as well but couldn't get them to the net. I only managed about a 12" rainbow but did have a nice brown smash my fly right at the end of my drift while I was lifting my rod to make another cast. He literally jumped right at me about 6' away and spat the hook back at me. 

Around 3pm we ran into a Upstate NY transplant who was slinging streamers via a Trout Spey Rod. We talked with him and watched him work the 2-handed rod for a good 30 minutes. Pretty dang cool and I must say I need one ASAP.  The ease in which he could toss a streamer across the whole River  while hugging the bank was pretty impressive.  While talking with him,  we witnessed 3 very large trout come up and swipe at his streamer, one  committed and commenced to breaking him off instantly.  After seeing that, it was time to throw streamers.  Kurt and Moe started wacking them instantly. Kurt was catching them on a game changer; Moe on the Kreelex.  I had a couple really nice follows and one hookup who broke my whole rig off. 

All in all, it was a  fantastic weekend on the water with mah' brothers and I can't wait to do it again.  Time to go watch some more spey videos! “

Private Waters:

UO Helen manager Wes:

I did a couple of trips on the Bend this week. With the warm water temps and the low flows, the key was to fish in fast water. Pheasant tails, soft hackles,  and streamers produced well in the swift water where resident rainbows  had to make quick decisions. In slower, deeper flows we were able to fool a few fish on small natural nymphs and eggs flies.

Hopefully we will see some increased flows with the rain throughout the rest of the week. That will only help the fishing!”

UO guide Palmer called in a report. He also had a good week guiding clients at Nacoochee Bend. His best bugs were egg flies, small dark nymphs, and even some small buggers in the faster water. His clients even scored a couple of doubleheaders!”

Flat Water:

HenryC says nothing is new on Lanier.  He’s out there now, as I write this at 2pm Thursday.  Some of the birds are heading father back in the coves, so that’s worth a look during your dawn recons. Just beware of muddy water way back in those coves as tributary streams dump their stormflows.

Henry did share a nice pic from his recent FL trip.  An albie from the beach was a nice holiday gift!

www.henrycowenflyfishing 

UO buddy Darren:

“We got out on Lanier for a few hours yesterday with my friend Michael. Unfortunately, fishing has been terrible for stripers as water temps are still too high. We did find some spots busting bait and fooled four.  Cowen’s Somethin’ Else was the hot fly.”

Afar:

UO friend RonW:

“My wife and I made a day trip today (12-29) across the border into Tennessee to scout out the Tellico River.. After a quick stop at Tellico Outfitters to pick up some goods, a fishing license, and some local Intel, we were on our way.

 We found the river up and stained upon arrival. I spent the day trying to find any soft water I could, looking  behind large boulders and along the banks. I hooked into a nice 14" or so rainbow on the Ronco in the 2nd spot I tried, only to come unbuttoned  shortly after. Not soon after that I got snagged and broke my whole rig off. I went to swinging streamers after that and that proved to be the ticket. I only managed two snits to hand all day, both on a streamer. I did however raise 3 larger fish, which were pretty cool to see. One was a brown pushing 20". He came up chasing a black Slumpbuster as I was stripping it back to me. I got a little too excited on the take and pulled it right out of his mouth.  The 2nd one was a rainbow about the same size and about 10 yards downstream from the missed brown. He swiped at it a few times but couldn't get a hold of it.  The 3rd chaser was about a 16"  rainbow that came up out of nowhere right in front me. He went in for the kill,  but it was almost as if he saw me at the last second and turned away. 

All in all, it was a great day to spend in a new area with my wife and our dog Zoe. Considering the water conditions and the fact that I didn't expect to catch anything at all, I’ll take 2 fish and smile about it. I can't wait to get back there for a weekend trip and explore some more.”

We hope our intel helps y’all to ring in the new year in style. Call, stop in, or check us out online if we can help you further.

PS: go Dawgs!

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

A Guide to Guides

Some of you may soon be “fishing” for a fishing guide in the new year. Whether it’s a local trip or long-awaited vacation to a bucket list destination, a good guide can make your day -  - and make memories that will last your lifetime.

A recent Orvis podcast gave some great tips on finding the right fishing guide and enjoying your trip.  Tom Rosenbauer interviews Colorado fishing guide Erica Nelson. Check it out here:

https://orvisffguide.libsyn.com/erica-nelson-on-finding-the-right-fishing-guide

A little bit of homework now will prepare you for your time together and help make those memories great!  Good luck fishing for your perfect fishing guide.

Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 12/23/21

Welcome to the UO holiday fishing report. While our region streams are still very low and clear, we have a warm week ahead to make our trips more enjoyable.  Even the overnight lows will be warm!  Pack a raincoat in case of a shower and bring your best low-water game up to the mountains.

Forecasted warm days may spawn a few extra hatches, so keep those BWO, midge, and little black stonefly dries at the ready.  If they’re too tiny to follow, try floating them behind a bigger bug that you can see.  My aging eyes can spot an elk hair caddis or Adams as my strike indicator.  I then drop a small tungsten nymph or soft hackle 3-4 feet off the back to start my day. If bugs fly or trout rise in the afternoon warmth , I’ll shorten the dropper to 2 feet and change to the matching, tiny dry.

Fresh DH stockers may still have an appetite for streamers, so try swinging and stripping buggers or leeches in these warm winter waters. Aim for cover, as it is very limiting right now in these droughty flows.

Headwaters should also fish well for you blueline fans on the warm days ahead.  While few fish  may rise to your dry, you should have luck on your nymph or soft hackle dropped 18 inches under it.

Private waters have continued to fish well, especially after the sun hits the water and warms it after an icy night.  Go with the flow. If it’s a deep, fast run, you can get away with thicker tippet and bigger bugs like a rubberleg stone. Skinny and slow water should lead you toward lighter tippet and small, natural nymphs and soft hackle wets.

Henry C reports that not much is new on Lanier. Watch the birds to find the bait, hope for some shallow shots, but be ready with a spinning rod and spoons to aim for deep bait balls, spots, and stripers.

Wes’ trio traveled north, got some follows, and put a muskie in their boat for a successful trip.

Check the long version of this report on FB or by clicking on “fishing reports” at unicoioutfitters.com, which will take you to our blog.  As always, Wes’ hot fly list will up your odds for success.

Keep our holiday hours in mind and have a great time yourselves with family and friends. We hope you have a chance to make some new fishing memories with them in the days ahead. Good luck and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays  from our angling clan to yours.

Wes’ Hot Fly List:

Dries: comparadun BWO, cream midge, stimulator (wild trout)

Nymphs: Micro egg, pink tag jig, lightning bug, Mighty May Sloan baetis, WD-40, pheasant tail soft hackle.

Streamers & warmwater:

Sparkle minnow, muddy buddy, hot cone bugger, clouser minnow, black leech.

Many of our regular reporters were preparing for the holidays and off the water last week. But we still have a few fresh reports to share.

GA public waters:

Web reports show Smith DH fishing okay for experienced folks. Light tippet, eggs, and tiny nymphs are producing. Find the holding water first! Hint #1: try Wes’ micro eggs. Hint #2:  Given the warmer water, you might try bushwhacking and untangling a few trout from the trees and debris jams. They’ll be less pressured than the residents of open pools.

http://blog.angler.management/2021/03/untangling-trout.html

Dredger hit the Chattooga DH yesterday (22nd) and had a slow day. The water was super-skinny and fish-holding spots were few and far between. He worked hard to land only a small handful of rainbows up to 13”, despite a great 50F water temperature at his noon start.

There were no hot flies. He picked off a few afternoon fish on drifted eggs and  a few more on a stripped black leech. A couple bonus fish hit a brown Pats rubberlegs after the shadows fell on the water at 4PM. Last fish came at 5.  It was still a very pretty place to take a beating.

Anglers should try another spot til Tooga’s flows pick up, or be ready to cover a lot of ground in search of holding water. A hike into the upper backcountry for some November copter-stockers might be a nice holiday adventure.

A river, and lots of helicopter-stocked trout, runs through it — South Carolina Natural Resources

Chattooga River Fish Stocking - Fall 2013 - YouTube

WMA streams:

These are still worth a try for solitude and a few wild fish or holdovers. See last week’s report for fishing tips. Hint: at a deep pool, add some shot to sink your dry/dropper rig.  Then remove the shot, false-cast to dry your dry, and continue your upstream wade.

NC:

Dredger traveled north last Sunday to catch a higher flow on Nan DH. The runoff resulted in better habitat and healthier fish appetites. The water was warmer (51F) than the air (46) upon his noon start. The afternoon sun warmed the air a bit more, but it was still cold with the breeze.

He stuck with Euro and did okay. Catch was all bows, with 2/3 stockers and 1/3 wilds.  That same ratio preferred his heavy, sexy Walts anchor fly to the tungsten bead, soft hackle pheasant tail dropper.

A bunch of tiny (#26?) BWO’s came off at mid-afternoon and a few small fish rose to them. With cold fingers, aging eyes, and not enough noses poking up, ole Dredge decided not to rerig for dries and still enjoyed his day bumping the bottom.

Private Waters:

They continue to fish really well!

UO-Helen manager Wes:

“UO private waters fished excellent this week with the warm temperatures and slight boost in water flow, thanks to a bit of rain over the weekend.

I had a fantastic trip where we were able to catch most of our fish on streamers like sparkle minnows. For the picky fish that didn’t want to hit the streamer, a red dart nymph produced well.”

UO buddy, finatic RonW:

“Thanks to some early Chrismas Elves:  My cousin and I fished Unicoi Outfitter's private section of the Hooch at Nacoochee Bend on 12/21 and it was a stellar day to say the least. My cousin has never fly fished and certainly had his reservations going into the day. I was equally as nervous being I was "playing guide" for the day.  All I could think about the last few days was I just want to get him tight on a fish. He's a heck of a bass fisherman so I figured he'd be a quick study....he certainly validated my suspicions! 

We had overcast skies and about 40 degrees air temp at our 9am start time. I opted for us to do a little Euro Nymphing... it's a highly effective method of fishing nymphs, not too hard to learn, very forgiving and you don't need to lay out nice, sexy loops...just lob it up there and get a good drift and you may just get bit.  We steped in the water and on about the 4th or 5th drift while showing him what to do, I was tight on nice fish who later broke off my dropper when he got downstream of me. 

Within 15 minutes or so my cousin was hooked up only to come unbuttoned. It was kind of slow after that. I caught a few more, nothing big but nothing for my cousin to hand just yet. We moved downstream a bit and on the 3rd cast he was hooked up. A nice 12" rainbow to hand and his first fish ever on a fly rod. It was great being there watching him get his first on the fly and equally as great being able to share that moment with him.  He proceeded to catch about 6 or so more out that run and pretty quickly too. Things slowed up so it was time to move again. 

We got in the truck and drove down the road to our next spot. The rain started coming down as a steady drizzle and that really fired up the fish for us. We caught several more fish each there, some up to 16",  before we decided to go back to our starting point hoping to tangle with a big boy and end the day.   We fished another hour and a half, each catching a handful more each and some niceuns' too. I finished the day showing my cousing how to fish a bugger. Caught another 1/2 dozen on that. I had one nice fish chase it 12' or more before he slammed it and I watched it all unfold right before me. Really love when it happens like that. It turned out to be my best fish of the day at around 20". 

Flies that worked: My Purple Ronco Fly, green CDC nymph, Hares Ear in green and natural,  pheasant tail and olive woolly bugger. 

Today was a really special day on the water for me and one I'll never forget! Thanks to the Elves that made this possible.  I have planted another seed that will inevitably plant more seeds itself down the road! Pass it on, pay it forward and keep the cycle going!  

Call Unicoi Outfitters and book a day for  yourself or someone you care about.  You won't regret it!!!”

UO owner Jimmy:

“There's a new hotshot young guide in town.  He helped Kathy land this nice rainbow. It’s our grandson, Crosby, and our trio had a great time together on the Bend, thanks to Wes’ intel and hot fly list.”

Flat Water:

See Henry’s update at the start of this report. Also watch Mack Farr’s reports for intel on striper whereabouts: lake locations and productive depths. Take both fly and spin outfits with you. And note Mack’s advice last week: “run and gun the lights.”

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Fishing-Store/CaptainMacks/posts/

Afar:

Wes: “ David, Jackson, and I were able to sneak away for a few days last week and go fish for musky. The conditions were great and we moved lots of fish. After many boatside close calls Jackson was able to get one to eat on the figure 8 and put one in the net for the team.”

There’s our gift to you: another stockingful of fresh intel to aid your own adventures. May your holiday season be full of blessings. We at UO are thankful and blessed to have all of you as friends and followers. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays  to our fellow fishers.

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

Detour Signs

Here’s a follow-up to last Thursday’s post, “Tread Lightly.”  Enjoy the brief video of “nature in action” and remember to give those large ovals of polished gravels a wide berth. 

 Why? They might be holding your future fishing memories!

https://vimeo.com/658816864

(Forgive the brown tint. My sunglasses allowed the IPhone camera to cut through the glare and catch the subsurface action.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from our gang at Unicoi Outfitters. We hope you have a chance to wet a line during your vacation time.

Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 12/16/21

Let’s call this week’s report “tread lightly.”  Last week’s rain has already run off toward the coast and we’ve returned to low, clear, and cool conditions. Our angling advice will resemble the tips we’ve shared over the last few weeks. Your best bets will be to bypass the shallows, hit the trail until you discover a drought refuge (deep pool or run), TREAD LIGHTLY to its edge, and drop some small bugs on light tippet into its depths.

You may also have an hour or two of dry fly action on warm afternoons before  the cool-down hits on Sunday, so watch for buzzing bugs and some slow risers in quiet eddies or bankside pockets. Hunt before you fish.

Strong evidence suggests that the GAWRD elves got an early start this  week. Watch their Friday fishing reports and trout stocking lists. You might see your favorite stream on it. In fact, Smith DH received finned gifts today. 

In those cases, dust off your junk flies, add some movement, and have fun educating the new arrivals. They’ll smarten up and be more challenging right after Christmas.

TREAD LIGHTLY around polished gravels, too. Those washtub-sized patches of shiny rocks on stream bottoms are probably trout redds. Stay off them so the eggs can incubate in the clean water flowing through the loose gravels. Brooks and browns spawn in the fall, while past GA research shows that our bows can go from December to mid-March.  Their ancestors had hatchery origins, where temp and photoperiod were manipulated in broodstock barns so eggs were produced in any month needed.

(Sincerely, report author)

Most lake predators are still deep, but slowly coming into range. HenryC just called in his Lanier striper report that has great tips for your holiday success. Hint: “birdwatching.”

As always, peruse the long version of this report on FB or by clicking on “fishing reports” at unicoioutfitters.com, which will take you to our blog.  Pay attention to Wes’ hot fly list today, and the “addendum” that we shared with you via yesterday’s social media post.

Good luck. Keep our Helen and Clarkesville stores and our online store in mind for your last minute shopping. Thanks very much for your patronage.

Wes’ Hot Fly List:

Dries: parachute Adams, Griffith's gnat, parachute BWO, gray elk hair caddis (dry to float your dropper).

Nymphs: peach egg, hotspot jig girdle bug, squirmy worm, baetis perdigon, Bead head prince, pheasant tail, zebra and root beer midges, hares ear, and a Y2K for fresh stockers.

Streamers & warmwater:

Finesse changer, sparkle minnow, triple double rainbow, small black or olive wooly buggers or mohair leeches for fresh DH stockers.

Headwaters:

No angler reports, but the high Hooch tribs looked real nice today during my county recon with fluffy daughter #2. They are still low and super-clear, but have great temps due to our warm spell. Spoilcane ran 53F at noon today.  Tread lightly upstream to a nice pool and toss that dry/dropper rig, quietly, with zero or one false casts.

Other GA Public Waters:

No recent reports from our UO bench. Web reports still show these streams fishing decently for experienced anglers. They’ll fish better if redosed, like Smith was today. I watched one angler land two in the five minutes I was there. Enjoy the pic/video. Smith was 51F at noon.

Dukes:

Smithgall fish are piled into the pools and very spooky. Bring your summer stealth game.  Don’t push a wake up to them.  Better yet, cast from the bank.  If it rains, bring 3x tippet, squirmies, and rubberleg stones.  Enjoy the pic/vid I shot today.

Chattooga- walk the trail, detour, and hit the pools. Try Euro or an Indi rig with an egg and then a small dark nymph dropper. There’s always a chance the Walhalla elves will visit, so strip and twitch small buggers if you spot truck tracks.

Toccoa:

Check out Jimmy J’s brand new article:

https://ontheflysouth.com/

WMA streams:

The drought will help you out!  Try the biggest streams in each of the WMA’s. The skinny water will force wild fish and scattered holdovers from summer stockings to congregate in the drought refuges. Cover some ground until you find a nice pool and dredge a double nymph rig.  And you’ll fish with no company, as summer stocker fans are long gone and current sportsmen and women will have a hiking staff or a gun instead of a rod in their hands.

Metro Hooch:

Splatek:  “The Hooch tailwater was hot again this week. I picked up about dozen and half in hour to ninety minutes. Deep and slow was the ticket, with the Euro technique or a trout magnet indicator equally effective. Hot flies for the day were a  frenchie and a dark caddis nymph.  I kept a few stocker rainbows for the smoker. The river is starting to clear, as Lanier turnover usually happens near Christmas.”

NC waters:

No recent reports, as most of our reporters evidently took the week off from fishing to prepare for the holidays.  Stream gauges show them running low and clear, too. Try Euro when it’s cold (mid 40’s) and some dry/dropper combos if the water temp noses up toward 50 or if noses poke through the surface foam.

Private Waters:

They’ve fished really well for our experienced guests with a good drift and for our new anglers with a good UO guide. 

UO’s special friend, Sylvia, and two accomplices gave Nacoochee Bend a post-storm shot last Sunday. She reports:

“The small post-storm surge at Nacoochee Bend in Helen was just enough to make for a great day of fishing on Sunday! The winning combo was fishing the deep pools and  the heads of deep runs. We used heavy split shot on our nymphing rigs with small midges in bright colors. Midges and anything with legs like a small Pat’s rubber legs worked great for me. Ian and Corey had great luck with egg patterns and droppers,  with a Zebra midge or a Copper John and split shot to get it down to the bottom. We landed several good size bows apiece which was a great way to end the weekend!

Anglers - Sylvia Huron, Ian Huron & Corey Brady”

Flat Water:

Henry just called in a report. He said Lanier is still slow on top, but continues to inch toward more consistent action. They key remains surface temperature. This week it’s at 56F, which is better than last week’s 58, but still short of the 52F that Hank consider the trigger for Lanier flyrodders.  

Stripers are scatted north to south, but are leaving the main lake for the coves and creek arms. Again, your best bet is a spinning rod and a spoon dropped 35-40 feet for the spots and stripers on deep bait.

But some fish are coming shallow, especially during the first hour of daylight and on overcast/rainy days. Cover some water and watch for stripers or loons busting bait in those cove pockets. And pray for a cold wave to get Lanier down to 52.

www.henrycowenflyfishing.com

Good deeds:

Here’s a UO shout-out to our fine federal and state law enforcement personnel. In case you haven’t heard this story yet, here you go:

https://flylordsmag.com/jet-skiers-illegally-ascend-chattooga-river-prompting-federal-investigation/

Good luck this week.   Keep our two stores in mind for your final stocking stuffers.

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.