Stormflows and Fishing

No joke!

Don’t you just love these USGS stream gauges?  Why?  Here’s a quick lesson. The main storm front has just passed us in White County.  We can compare today’s rainfall and streamflow to a couple of past storm events. 

Notice how quickly the Hooch in Helen recovers from a sudden storm that dumps a half-inch of rain. We can look at the x-axis of the flow graph, where each day is 24 hours, and see that riverflow drops quickly right after a brief storm and returns to a slightly elevated base flow within about 12 hours.

Of course, heavier rains will boost flows higher and lengthen the river’s recovery time. 

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=02330450&legacy=1

Fish like a Rabunite and use a net- the internet.  Take a look at USGS gauges on or near your favorite trout streams.  Use the gauge data to help plan your trip timing and technique.  Be ready with squirmies, rubberlegs, and streamers for high, stained water. Anticipate when that stream will clear and fish will again look up for your dry flies. 

https://issuu.com/coastalanglermagazine/docs/atllr

Good luck and be safe. If you’re heading out today, watch out for the winds this afternoon.

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

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