Summary:
We’re in the season of “angler oppression.” The heat, humidity, and lack of rain have most fish and anglers in foul moods as we slog thru another hot Georgia summer. While our angling menu is limited, there are still some fun opportunities out there for us. They are: wild trout in north slope headwaters, stockers up high, stockers and a few wild fish in icy tailwaters, Lanier breakfast bass, and some fun river bassin’ floats. Just don’t forget your bug dope!
Details on these menu items are in our blog. It’s new every Friday and will help you boost your own catch rates.
http://blog.angler.management/
(Link in bio)
Stop in either one of our two UO shops
Helen: 706-878-3083. Open 8-5 daily.
Clarkesville: 706-754-0203. Open 8-5 from Monday thru Saturday.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
Dries: purple haze, tan elk hair caddis, parachute and hard body ants, micro chubby Chernobyl, Royal Wulff.
Nymphs & Wets:
Stockers: red squirmy worm, peach egg, micro girdle bug, black woolly bugger, tan and olive mops, pink tag jig.
Mountain streams: hares ear, drowned ant, pheasant tail nymph and soft hackle, UV green weenie, prince nymph.
Streamers:
small black and olive buggers, bank robber sculpin, micro dungeon.
(Bass & stripers) two tone stealth bomber, crawfish jambalaya, dead ned. Supernatural peanut, sweet baby cray.
(Panfish) mini stealth bomber, Boogle popper #8, brim reaper, girdle bug.
(Carp) squirmy hybrid, carp bitters, identity crisis.
Headwaters:
Headwaters are skinny and warm.
At 9 this morning Spoilcane was 68
and a high Hooch trib was 66.
Tallulah trib temps are in the Stocker paragraph. On Wednesday afternoon Sarah’s was 71F (with stockers slowly circling a pool), and a couple of tiny, high, shaded Chattooga tribs were 66 and 68F, respectively.
Wild fish are packed into their summer drought refuges and sullen in the hot water. Give nearly all of our south slope streams a break until we see some cooler nights. Try morning trips to high elevation, north slope streams, and tempt those pool dwellers with your standard summer fare: para ants, Adams, and elk hair caddis. Get them back in the water ASAP.
Stockers:
WRD’s weekly stocking list is a bit shorter, but still has a nice number of streams to choose from. Burton Hatchery manager Colt Martin said his agency is putting out some nice fish wherever they can find water cool enough to accommodate them.
https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout
Plan on keeping the stockers you catch. The combo of warm water and angling stress will do them in anyway, so it’s either you or the raccoons who will be enjoying fresh stockers for supper.
I saw some successful families on yesterday’s ride up the Tallulah. It’s nice to see all the summer break kids outside, camping and fishing with their folks. At 3PM the river at Rabun TU’s accessible fishing pier was 72F,
Coleman was 70,
and Tate was 67F.
The river upstream at Sandy Bottoms was 70F,
and I enjoyed watching Yogi gallop down the road after his midafternoon drink. Go early and high to catch that cold water coming out of NC and the stocker bite will be better. And if you camp, put up your food. Or Yogi might just pay you a visit!
Private Waters:
We are shut down for summer. Feel free to call our shop now to reserve your prime fall weekend dates after October 15, a rough estimate for our reopening of private trout water opportunities.
Reminder:
We are still offering flyfishing-only striper trips at Nacoochee Bend. Call the Helen shop at 706-878-3083 for details and to make your reservation.
Tailwaters:
They are our only large stream trouting opportunity during the heat of summer. Hit them early before the sun bakes your heads.
UO buddy Hillis: “I fished the Hooch below the dam last Friday with a couple of fishing buddies. One of my buddies who was spin fishing caught several large bows and browns. He fished the dam yesterday as well and caught a bow measuring 19 inches, his biggest trout in 10 years of fishing below the dam. My other buddy also caught a really nice size bow today. And, I saw another guy spinning who had a 20 inch monster of a trout on his stringer. So, the DNR must have stocked some lunkers. Unfortunately, I only caught one small trout, regardless it was great to be on the water. “
Warm Rivers:
They’re a best bet this week! Hot weather and drought are prime ingredients for a summer bass bite.
Lack of significant rain has our regional rivers running low and clear. The Hooch at Highway 115 was clear and 77F when I crossed it this afternoon.
If you did, then here they are:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMaWyd4sVJu/?igsh=MWNrZzA2MjkycGY3dA==
You might also try for “freshwater redfish” in some of the shallows. Athens Jay gave this late report today: “Piedmont sight fishing for spooky cruisers on the flats. “
Dredger ran north of the border on Monday for an attempt at smallies. Despite three fairly rainless days in a row, the river was still stained, with about 3 feet of visibility. He still had fun wetwading and picked up four smallies, a few rock bass, and one mean redbreast that took on his size 4 stealth bomber.
Ponds: No recent reports. The pond bite will slow with this hot weather that will drive fish deeper. It’s still worth a shot in the mornings before the sun rises above the treeline. Cruise along the shady banks for bass and bream hunting show breakfasts. There are plenty of small lakes in state parks and on the national forest across the region to try. My walk around Unicoi Lake this morning featured a cool male merganser and a pair of bald eagles.
Lakes:
The Lanier morning bass bite continues. UO guide Joseph: “Lanier has fished well over the last week or so. We are still seeing a strong topwater bite but this will slowly dissolve as water temps continue to rise. Points, humps and other structure adjacent to deep water is where all of our fish have been caught. For flies game changers, wiggle minnows and other baitfish patterns have been producing. For conventional tackle flukes, serpentine swim baits, and walking baits have been the best bet. If you’re interested in a trip now is the time to go! To book call the shop at 706-878-3083 or visit www.josephclarkflyfishing.com”
Afar:
Get outa Georgia if you can and try for some Rockies trout. UO buddy SH and his lovely wife had a great time floating the Missouri in MT. He shared this pic:
That’s the latest, thin fishing news as both anglers and their quarry seek colder environments. Take a break and tie some flies for fall. Or get up early and hit a headwater trout stream or clear shoal bass river. Better yet, head west to the Rockies for a summer trout fix that should hold you til October. Feel feee to stop in either UO shop to share your summer woes and stock up for the next cool spell, whenever that comes. We’ve been around for 31 years and will welcome your visits this summer.
PS: don’t forget your bug dope on your north Georgia jaunts. The gnats are bad!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
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