Despite the low flows in our streams, things are looking good for the start of our Delayed Harvest (DH) season. I spoke with our great state agency partners last week and got the scoop.
GAWRD trout stocking coordinator John Lee Thomson said things were looking favorable at the state and federal hatcheries and he expected a normal stocking year. He added two big nuggets of good news. First, the fine feds at Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery in Suches have some brook trout to add to the stocking diversity. Good places for a species slam will be Smith and Toccoa. Second, his agency plans to stock the Morgan Falls DH in ATL, as long as flows are good. If it’s high, muddy, and unfishable, WRD will hold those fish as long as they can, and hope the Tailwater clears. John Lee has lined up his annual TU volunteer bucket toters to help spread out the stocked fish along DH streams on 11/1.
SCDNR regional fisheries biologist Dan Rankin said it should be a fairly normal year on his side of the border, too. Some fish will hit the Chattooga DH on 11/1. A few brookies will join the bows and browns on their ride to the river. And if the weather cooperates, the border bird will fly some time in early November to enhance the DH and renew trouting in the 15-mile backcountry reach above it.
https://coastalanglermag.com/a-river-and-lots-of-helicopter-stocked-trout-runs-through-it/
He also rubbed it in a bit, and said that after attending the recent Wild Trout professional symposium in West Yellowstone, he found some free time to tackle several fine bows and cutts.
There’s the hot news from our hills and our great agency partners. Good luck as you ready your gear for the cool weather trouting on the horizon.
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