Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 8/30/24

 

Have some hope!  While we have a hot holiday weekend ahead of us, we might see a little rain and then welcome some cooler days next week. Let’s hope it’s the beginning of fall!

Your holiday best bets are stockers before lunch, morning blueline wild trout on north slopes, pond bream and bass in the shade, and maybe some river bass IF those waters don’t get hit by thunderstorms. Rivers are low, bass are bunched up and looking up in drought refuges, and your wading is easier in those meager flows.  Watch for a long  stocking list posted by WRD later today for the holiday trouting crowds.

Hot tips and great fish stories are in our full fishing report here:

http://blog.angler.management/

(Link in bio)

.Good luck on your holiday weekend. Work around the heat and have hope for our colder September days on the horizon! Come see us for your hot holiday bugs.

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

www.unicoioutfitters.com

Wes’ Hot Fly List:  

(Wes said this menu is still good)

Dries: micro chubby Chernobyl,  olive stimulator, parachute black ant, tan elk hair caddis.

Nymphs & Wets: 

Hard body ant, gold ribbed hares ear, Quasimodo pheasant tail, zebra midge, lightning bug.

Streamers:

Squirrely bugger, and mini shimmer buggers for stockers. 

(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

(Carp) headstand, squirmy hybrid. 

Headwaters: 

They’re all real low, clear, and warm once again, after the hot, rainless week we’ve had.  

Give the south slope drainages a rest again this weekend and drive to north slopes for cold water, especially before lunch.  You can return to your favorite south slopes once the mountains see fifty-degree mornings next week. Sink an ant a foot or two below your buoyant stimmy if the residents are slow to rise.

UO buddy Jay: “Headwater temperatures dipped slightly thanks to a brief period of cooler air temperatures. I found some feisty wild rainbows who eagerly took a sparsely dressed #18 nymph tied on a jig hook with a tungsten bead and CDC collar.”

Note: see the Smokies report under “Afar,” below.

Stocked Waters: 

GAWRD should post a really long stocking list in advance of the last big holiday in the 2024 stocking season. 

https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout

Fish the mornings this weekend for cooler water and cooperative fish. Leftover stockers should hit well all day - - once that cooler weather arrives next week.

UO buddy Jay: “Stocker success!  My best fly on a stocked Habersham stream was a #16 Sexy Walt’s with a tungsten bead, under a bobber. When I saw fish rising I tried a #16 stimulator with no luck. I added a tiny BWO behind it and only caught chubs. I switched to a #20 parachute Adams and started catching plenty of browns and had some very athletic takes ( fish leaping out of the water and eating the Adams). 

Tailwaters:

No recent reports. Remember to fish the Hooch downstream from Hwy 20, where dissolved oxygen finally recovers.

Private Waters: 

Just about all waters managed by GA’s private operators remain closed for the summer to protect their heat-stressed trout. Same goes for Dukes at Smithgall Woods.

Warm Rivers:

NOTE: Don’t forget our native redeye bass contest and Wes’ limited batch of hand-tied stealth bombers here at the shop. Get ‘em before they’re gone!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/kZtghcugUT5WyHes/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Here is the prize list:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Q91F-pVJR/?igsh=eXM0NGlyN29hc2Fi

Catch a redeye soon and enter the contest before its September 5th end.

UO-Helen manager Wes: “Israel and I got out one morning earlier this week to go after Bartrams bass. We fished for around 2 hours and each caught a handful of bass, all on top. Both black and olive stealth bombers were our flies of choice.”

UO buddy Jay: “Piedmont rivers are low and clear, making it fun to wade. Bass are hanging tight under rocks and submerged wood. I checked out an area I’d never fished before and immediately got a hint on how to match the (hellgrammite) hatch by observing the riparian trees and rocks. I fished a balanced black articulated fly tied on a jig hook with a tungsten football bead with great success. “

Dredger migrated north of the border again and finally found some cooperative smallies in slightly cooler water.  Deeper outside bends had better summer refuge habitat. Resident smallies and rock bass ate a black stealth bomber as the sun set and a white one (easier for Dredger to see) at dusk.

Dredger also tried for those big Helen stripers right at sunset on Wednesday night. Alas, they would not play in the low, clear water. He managed  just one 12-inch dink on a game changer.

Ponds:

They’ve been good and will only get better as September air and water temps dive. Again, avoid the sun and aim for the shadows.

UO buddy MD: “I'm four months out from shoulder surgery and I'm finally back on some local water here around Athens! Local rivers in the Oconee watershed are low and clear, and I was able to pull a few spotted and largemouth bass out of deeper runs on a hellgrammite fly dropped off a popper. 

A recent evening kayak fishing on a local lake turned up the usual warm water suspects plus a nice channel catfish that made things interesting on a three-weight. The cat slammed a little orange jig that would probably make a carp take a second look. Really looking forward to cooler weather!”

Reservoirs:

They’re still warm and full of boaters and skiers. No recent reports to our shop. GAWRD will have the most current intel here:

https://georgiawildlife.blog/category/fishing/

Afar:

UO buddy Nanette: “Rabunites Rick, Nan and Dredger dodged elk and wild turkeys on a cool Monday to fish in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In between admiring the scenery they put some gooduns in the net. They landed a decent handful of little wild bows, 

one respectable resident brown, 

and a 17-inch, kyped city slicker on his summer vacation in the park.

Dry-droppers were the ticket, with a drowned ant below a yellow stimulator or Parachute Adams producing best. Fish took both the dry and the dropper early, with dropper action dominating the afternoon. Water temp 62F to start and 65 when they quit around 4.

It’s time to watch the weather forecasts for a cool morning to get out and enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth as summer finally starts thinking about fading into fall.”

We hope this timely intel leads y’all to greater holiday success. Watch online water temps and flows, 

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/02330450/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D&showMedian=false

steer clear of the sun, and make the best of your long weekend. And take comfort in the fact that cooler, better days are on the horizon. Stop by either UO shop in Helen and Clarkesville for your hot holiday bugs. And drive slow in the Smokies!

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

www.unicoioutfitters.com

Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 8/23/24

Quick, come up here and catch a dose of fall before it’s gone!  It was 57 degrees when I came to work this morning in Helen. That cold air has dropped stream temperatures and enhanced the trout bite. We haven’t had rain in a week, so streams are low and clear and fish are spooky. But they’re hungrier.

 

Pond bassin’ has remained good. River bassin’ was a challenge for some of our anglers, but should still be a good bet for the weekend. Just toss your bugs toward heavy cover. And don’t forget about our redeye bass contest.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/kZtghcugUT5WyHes/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Stripers have been tough in clear water, so wait for a rain before coming up to pursue them. The Hooch Tailwater has its normal late summer stain, so fish below highway 20 and be real careful wading.

Check out the details and extra photos in today’s full fishing report here:

http://blog.angler.management/

(Link in bio)

Come see us for your late summer flies and supplies and the latest intel to enhance your success.

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

www.unicoioutfitters.com

Wes’ Hot Fly List:  

(Wes said last week’s menu is still good this week)

Dries: micro chubby Chernobyl,  olive stimulator, parachute black ant, tan elk hair caddis.

Nymphs & Wets: 

Hard body ant, gold ribbed hares ear, Quasimodo pheasant tail, zebra midge, lightning bug.

Streamers:

Squirrely bugger, and mini shimmer buggers for stockers. 

(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

(Carp) headstand, squirmy hybrid. 

Headwaters:

They are seasonally low and super-clear due to no rain for a week. The great news is that they’re colder (60-62F at 730 this morning) and the little wild trout have renewed appetites. If you don’t spook them, they’ll eat. Stimmies, caddis, and Adams are working. Just go light on your tippet (5-6x) and small on your bugs (#16) for softer landings in skinny water. You can toss larger bugs in deeper reaches.

New UO buddy JS: “My good friend Gayland and I headed into the freestone forest over the weekend to scratch the primal itch. Talking strategy while wadering up at the car, we agreed that the stained and slightly elevated waters warranted nymph fishing. I'd go with a standard beadhead pheasant tail and he'd try a green weenie. After several empty drifts in a historically productive run, something seemed off. Indeed, another 30 minutes produced only a small bow and two chubs. Let's get to some cooler water.

A couple miles upstream and several nymph patterns later, it was more of the same. There *are* fish here. The drifts are good, we're ticking bottom, the hatch has been matched. While I hadn't seen a rise, I threw a proverbial Hail Mary with a size 12 stimulator, and the switch flipped. Three fish in the first pool, two in the next. 11 within the first ~120 feet of stream. The pattern continued for hours as we negotiated rocks and runs, plucking a combination of bows and browns from the generous pocket waters. Definitely some of the highest strike rates I've witnessed in the eastern US.

Stimmies and elk hair caddis were the ticket. Size and color weren't as critical as a good drift, which is true of most trout fishing in the Blue Ridge. Strikes were fast and aggressive, and while fishing barbless, good line management and a hair-trigger hook set were key.”

Stocked Waters:

Stockers have had renewed appetites due to the colder water this week. Both bait and fly anglers have done well.  Here is today’s refreshed WRD stocking list:

https://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/trout/Weekly_Stocking_Report.pdf

UO buddy Nan: “Had a fun Wednesday fishing in perfect weather. Never even broke a sweat. Water temp at Tallulah was 62 that morning and fish were aggressive. They must have loved the cooler water.

Caught both wild rainbows and stocker browns on various dries —Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Royal Wulff, all size 16. They came after everything. Rick also used a dry-dropper and caught fish on both the Adams dry and a pheasant tail nymph.”

Summer vacationers John and Lexi from Florida stopped in our shop last week for some spinning tackle, supplies and intel.  They were rewarded with a nice handful of stockers from a local stream. Not bad for a few hours of Trouting 101. John said: “Totally different than busting redfish and snook! We loved it and wouldn’t have had a good time without your expertise! Looking forward to PLANNING ahead next time so we can take a guided trip!”

Tailwaters:

Hooch turbidity is increasing and DO is dropping due to strong summer stratification (not turnover).  Wade carefully in the murky water and fish downstream from Highway 20, where DO starts recovering after several miles of river turbulence.  For more on “turnover,” check out this article by by former associates, Reggie Weaver and Bill Couch:

https://georgiawildlife.com/lake-lanier-turnover-facts

UO buddy CDB provided a Hooch report: “Got out on the tailwater one morning this week to try out my new euronymphing set up.  I was a little surprised how stained the water was. The last time I was out there it was crystal clear. But definitely had a dark green cast with some low visibility.  

Little guys were willing to play though. I only connected with Browns, and this was the biggest one. The fly of choice was a pheasant tail wound with a bright blue body. Whenever the sun would come out from behind the clouds, I would start to get takes.  I guess lighting up that pretty cobalt blue wrap. Spend a lot of time cleaning bits of grass and slime off the hooks as well. In fairness I have a lot to learn on the euronymphing, I’m sure the experienced folks would’ve cleaned up!”

Private Waters: 

Just about all waters managed by GA’s private operators remain closed for the summer to protect their heat-stressed trout. Same goes for Dukes at Smithgall Woods.

Warm Rivers: We’ve still got some monster stripers hanging below the dam here in Helen. We just need a good rain to stain the water and increase the flow before y’all would have a good shot at them. Call the shop if you see a storm predicted and would like to book a dawn or dusk flyfishing trip for them.

UO friend RSquared: “Thursday I put aside all the farm work I have been doing & made the 3 hour trip to NE Ga.. My goal was to add three species of bass to my 6th "Ga. Bass Slam." I struck out on the Shoal Bass & the Bartrams. I was blessed to catch a dozen or so Chattahoochee Bass, but all were under the minimum size limit. Trout, Red Breasted Sunfish, & Creek Chubs were bycatch. I will need to revisit the area soon, hopefully with more productive results.”

NOTE: Don’t forget our native redeye bass contest and Wes’ limited batch of hand-tied stealth bombers here at the shop. Get ‘em before they’re gone!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/kZtghcugUT5WyHes/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Ponds:

Athens Jay: “Piedmont pond report:

It was really hot, but I spent a little time trying to catch bass and bream on a local pond. The bass were cruising around in 3-5 feet of water (in my case about 10-15 feet off shore around the pond perimeter).  I used a balanced jig with a tungsten football bead in black with excellent results. I saw a little surface activity and switched to a black/yellow stealth bomber and caught more bass, plus a bonus bluegill. It was a good day, and fish tacos are what’s for dinner. “

UO buddy Hillis: “I had a lot of fun fishing with my grandson this week. We crossed the border and fished a creek in NC, fished the lakes in my subdivision, and fished a river in north Georgia. 

I knew the stream in NC had not been stocked for a while, but I wanted to fish it with my grandson because it is a pretty stream, beautiful mountainous countryside and a picnic area where my wife could wait for us next to the stream. To my surprise there were several vehicles in the parking lot when we arrived. I talked to one of the guys fishing near the parking lot and he said the bite was slow, but he had caught a few. My grandson and I hiked up the creek, crossing it several times, and found fish, had a couple on the hook, but unfortunately did not net any. We tried dry dropping, drifting, swinging, and stripping a wooly and other techniques, none of which worked for us. Regardless it was a beautiful day to be outside, cool early morning, beautiful stream, and crystal clear low water which made wading and crossing the stream easy. 

Later in the week we had a bang up day fishing the lakes in my subdivision. My grandson caught a bunch of bream and 3 bass. I caught several bream. The bass and some of the bream were caught stripping a black and purple tungsten jig bugger, size 12 I think. Most of the bream were caught on a hot headed pheasant tail which trailed the bugger. 

Yesterday we fished a river in north Georgia, another beautiful mountain stream with crystal clear fast moving water rolling over boulders into pools, with some long stretches of very low water. Wading the low water was easy. Clear skies and cool morning temps made for an absolutely beautiful day to be on the water. The fishing was a bit slow for us, but my grandson landed two very nice browns. He caught them fishing a small beaded hares ear under an air lock indicator.”

Reservoirs:

They’re still warm and full of boaters and skiers. No recent reports to our shop. GAWRD will have the most current intel here:

https://georgiawildlife.blog/category/fishing/

Afar:

Rabunites Rick and Nan recently returned from a fishing trip to the Cody area of Wyoming. Although fishing was slower than they hoped, and afternoon storms turned some waters into chocolate milk, they had success on the Shoshone and Clark’s Fork rivers. 

On a guided trip with North Fork Anglers, Rick caught a Shoshone Trout Slam: Brown, Yellowstone Cutthroat and a huge, hefty Rainbow. A meathead nymph fished below a hopper was the winning combo.

Nan loved wade fishing the Clark’s Fork with small hoppers and classic dry flies like the Royal Wulff and Parachute Adams for lively little brook trout.  The scenery was pretty sweet too.

Fellow Rabunite “Bluejay” just returned from a brief concert/fishing trip to CO.  After the Red Rocks concert, they explored the Gunnison and Frying Pan rivers. The Colorado fishing rookies were able to land a good handful of trout on a variety of dries, and vowed to return.

Kudos:

Rabun TU recently donated several pairs of waders to each of four student flyfishing clubs at UGA, GA Tech, Young Harris College, and N. Paulding High School. Great job in nurturing our next generation of conservationists!  By the way, the UGA club’s kickoff meeting this week drew 62 students!

That’s the latest news from Helen. Get out there ASAP to enjoy the cold air and better trout bite before the 90’s roll back in on Monday.

Stop in either UO shop for the flies, supplies, and intel to enhance your own success.

Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.

www.unicoioutfitters.com