Welcome to our Winter Wonderland report. As I write this at 1PM White County has had about 2-3 inches of snow and it just quit, at least for now.
Sydney shared this video of the stream in her back yard, on the north end of the county.
Region streams are clear, cold, and flowing at seasonal norms. Trout have been sluggish in water temperatures hovering around the mid-30’s. Catch rates were better earlier in the week when water temps stayed above 40.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv?site_no=02176930
The main challenge over the next few days will be safe access to streams. Snow isn’t the problem; the expected ICE will be. Steep, winding county and national forest roads will be a challenge until they thaw and dry. Although main roads should clear quickly, beware shaded curves and north slopes, especially after freezing overnight air temperatures refreeze wet roads. Catch updates from local county government websites and the Chattahoochee National Forest before venturing north again.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1cCV9uenLn/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18UVsgmnkT/?mibextid=wwXIfr
I received this text from White County EMA at 1:40PM:
“White County EMA: All roads and bridges in White County should be considered extremely dangerous until further notice. Moderate snow will continue across White County for several more hours before changing to freezing rain later this afternoon. 1/4 to .4 inches of ice accumulation on top of the snow is possible before the precipitation ends tonight. Road conditions may very well become impassable hampering emergency response . All travel should be suspended or delayed beginning immediately. Winds will increase later today. The snow pack combined with the expected ice load and gusty winds may bring down trees and powerlines.”
Trout fishing should be good whenever the next warming trend blows through and restores water temps back above 40 degrees.
Lake stripers and their prey have been sullen. They’ve been deep and slow, with some rare surface action. The shallow water bite will likely be slow for a while as Lanier temps slide downward through the forties.
Catch Wes’ weekly update to his hot fly list and the latest fishing reports from our UO staff and avid angling friends here:
http://blog.angler.management/
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
Wes’ Winter Fly List:
Dries: Micro chubby Chernobyl, orange stimulator, parachute Adams, blue wing olive, little black stone. They’re mainly strike indicators for your nymph droppers.
Nymphs & Wets:
DH streams: micro Girdle Bug,, twister egg, pheasant tail, micro mayfly, Rainbow Warrior, gold ribbed hares ear, duracell, Ruby midge.
Mountain streams: Pheasant tails, micro girdle bugs, prince nymphs, root beer midge.
Streamers:
Olive and black buggers, sparkle minnows, CDC squirrel leech.
(Bass & stripers) Somethin’ else, Clouser minnow, micro changer, jerk changer.
Headwaters:
They’re clear and real cold. Most national forest roads are currently closed, so many bluelines are not easily accessed. Wait for a thaw and road reopenings to give them a try. Honestly, cold winter water will kill the bite. You’ll do better on bigger, warmer streams at lower elevations. At these low temps, just a degree or two can make a big difference in the bite.
Satisfied UO customer Nick shared a quick Smithgall fish story with us:
“Thanks for the flies and advice. On Wednesday I fished Dukes Creek with a double nymph rig: an olive girdle bug with a #20 root beer midge dropped behind it. Landed 5 off the olive girdle bug and hooked only 1 off the midge and lost it prior to netting it, but saw he was on the dropper behind. The highlight of my day was this 22” bow off the girdle bug.”
They’re clear and cold and flowing at normal winter levels. Fish are sluggish, but they’ll still eat on warm afternoons. Don’t expect the high catch rates you found in the fall. But you won’t find the crowds, either. Divide your fall catch rate by 2 or 3 and consider that new winter tally to be a good day.
Hit the winter refuges of deep, slow pools and dredge your double nymph rigs during the winter window of 11AM to 3PM for a few nice fish at the daily high water temps. A tractor-trailer rig is most effective. Put your larger attractor fly (pats rubberlegs, egg, sexy walts or leech) a foot behind your split shot. Then drop a tiny fly (pheasant tail, rainbow warrior, frenchie, or midge of choice) a foot off the back of that first fly.
Prospect those pools with deep, bottom-bumping drifts. Winter fish won’t move more than a few inches to intercept your nymphs, so cast just a foot apart to cover the entire width of each pool. Hits are subtle, so strike with any small hesitation of your strike indicator or sighter.
Pick some streams near your parked car so you can retreat to that car heater and thaw frozen toes and fingers. You might even have a thermos of hot soup or chili tucked in the back seat. (Mom used to boil hot dogs and put them and the water in a wide-mouth thermos for our hot lunch as fishing kids).
Good choices are Toccoa, Smith, Ami at 53 and Steel Bridge, Nantahala, and Tuckaseegee. Tougher folks can hike into the Chattooga, beautiful and uncrowded in the winter. Just beware the shaded, curvy, black-iced mountain roads to get there!
On Tuesday, two Jeffs ran into each other during a morning grocery run in Cleveland. The retirees agreed to run home, finish their respective housework, and hit Smith DH after lunch.
They had a good afternoon. The holiday crowds were gone and the air temp rose into the mid-40’s. The wind was tough, but they dressed right. It was great to see DNR wardens Ann and TR and their intern patrolling the creek.
The duo had to work hard for the fish, but were rewarded, even with the species slam! The trick was to dredge deep and match the fly pattern to the water. Thin, clear water and spooky fish required small bugs ( #18 frenchies). Few were caught there because the fish saw us coming. Deep, shady pools suggested a # 10 tungsten beaded rubberlegs, and deep, turbulent water, especially at dusk, made a heavy # 12 tan mop (easy to see) the fly of choice.
UO buddy Spangler was inspired by our Tuesday Smith DH post and decided to hit it yesterday (9th) before pickup up his kids after school. He said: “I was able to spend some time around Helen before the snow day. I started doing some scouting of a high headwater stream, the temp was 15 degrees at 10 am! No luck there with a dry dropper fished on my 8’ Tenkara outfit (I left my 6’ 2W in the car, figuring the guides were just gonna freeze). Will be a spot to check out again in spring! The Forest Service was actually just closing off the roads around there in prep for the winter weather when I arrived.
I warmed up and headed down to the Smith Creek DH. There, I had 10 fish hooked and 8 to the net in 2 hours. Wasn’t too crowded either, and it had warmed up a bit. All but 2 came on a dry/dropper fished on very long, thin leader (6x) with a Klinkhammer as the dry and an #18 black and white perdigon with an oversized 2.8 MM bead as the dropper, which ticked the bottom. Two were on a golden stone jig tightlined in some heavier water in a small plunge pool.
One way to know you are getting a good drift: on one large and very flat pool I could see held some fish, but I slipped and fell making a big splash at the tail of the pool. I spooked them and they all darted up to the head of the pool. I decided since I’m here (and cold and wet) just try. I made the longest cast I could with that long leader and sure enough, one still took the dropper!”
UO buddy Megan: “Ventured north today (10th), chasing the snow, with my hubby and the four legged. Fires Creek was a ghost town, and only saw two other anglers. Caught fish on dark jiggly pats and the smallest fly had in my box — glass bead, zebra midge with copper wire. Alternated catches on each. Didn’t change all day. Bill hooked a nice brown on streamer he tied up…didn’t get it to the net which would have been his southern snow slam. Fishing slowed as the snow picked up. Could’ve been a southern gal’s distraction with watching snowflakes hit the water. The four legged got to play and kiss some fish, her favorite pastime. Don’t worry, we are staying up here until the roads clear.”
Private Waters:
Five UO guides introduced 13 students from Atlanta’s Westminster School to flyfishing on a cold yesterday morning at Nacoochee Bend. Those dedicated rookies spent time perfecting their casts and drifts, and several students were rewarded with chunky rainbows, despite 35F water temps. Winning bugs were an olive bugger, brown rubberlegs, and Frenchie.
UO guide Sydney fished Nacoochee Bend for about an hour yesterday afternoon, after her morning guide trip. She had to cycle through several fly patterns before finding a bit of success on a black girdle bug, rolled along the stream bottom.
Want in on our private waters action in 2025? Give us a call at 706-878-3083 to book your own trips this year with our UO guides. Call soon, as those prime spring weekends book quickly.
Tailwaters:
No recent reports. The Hartley brothers were too busy working this week.
Lakes:
UO buddy Alex braved the Lanier elements: “I had a trip Sunday and fished again Monday AM before the winds kicked up. Conditions looked perfect on Sunday, but the fishing was pretty slow. Saw a few groups working throughout the day, but they weren't staying around long and it was very crowded when they did pop up. I counted 11 boats on the first group that I saw that morning. My client and I did a lot of riding and looking and we were finally rewarded with a fish late in the afternoon. Capt. Constance fed the fish perfectly. Small flies on sinking lines seemed to be the ticket. I went back out Monday AM and stayed out until the wind and sun showed up. I never saw anything worth casting to and took out just as it started whitecapping. Water temps were around 48-50.”
Alex Jaume
Lanier on the Fly
IG - @lanier_on_the_fly
Winter Breakers:
UO buddy Athens Jay accumulated these snippets from his UGA 5Rivers students who wet some lines on Christmas break.
From UGA 5 Rivers student Mille A.:
“I just wanted to thank you for your help with fly tying and fly suggestions. I went fishing with my dad near Deckers, CO, and I had success on a size #22 chocolate foam emerger that I tied!”
UGA 5 Rivers member Anna C. just returned from a trip out west where she was able to catch some beautiful Gila Trout in the National Forest of the same name.
UGA 5 Rivers member Caroline H. displays her very first trout on a fly.
UGA 5 Rivers member Wes A. with the first trout caught on a fly he tied.
Upcoming Events:
January 18: 38th annual Rabun Rendezvous in Clayton. BBQ, Live Bluegrass, raffles, and silent auctions. Yearly fundraiser by the Rabunites. Check out the prize list that includes two Winston rods, two lodge stays, nice artwork, and plenty more flyfishing goodies. Everyone welcome.
https://rabuntu.org/jan-25-2025-38th-rabun-rendezvous/?
Jan 31 to Feb 2 : Atlanta Fly Fishing Show at Gas South Convention Center in Duluth. Stop by our UO booth and swap fish stories. We are back at booth #436, next to Pond A, once again.
https://flyfishingshow.com/atlanta/
Ongoing: Dream Trip ticket sales. Win a week of fishing in Yellowstone for just ten bucks, or one of a dozen great runnerup prizes. Drawing in mid-March. Details here:
Enjoy this report from the warmth of your homes. Hopefully we can emerge from our brief hibernations soon, get on some thawed, safe roads, and return to our favorite waters in the next few days. While the catching may be less frequent than our fall and spring tallies, the fishing in winter is still a lot of fun for angling addicts. We’ll let you know when we reopen our shops and welcome y’all back. For now, enjoy your local sleigh rides and the time off from work and school.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
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