Summary:
Cool weather is still hanging on, so the better trout bite will continue through the weekend. The river bass bite remains decent when those waters are clear between storms. Ponds are still good, and reservoir bassing is still decent for this time of year. Folks traveling afar have shared some fine fish tales, too. Get out there ASAP before those cooler days disappear for another month. Details 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)
Helen: 706-878-3083. Open 8-5 daily.
Clarkesville: 706-754-0203. Open 8-5 from Monday thru Saturday.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
www.unicoioutfitters.com
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
(It’s still good for a third week)
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:
They are low and clear, but cooler due to some nice cloud cover during the last week.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv?site_no=02330450
At 4PM yesterday Spoilcane ran 68F
and a high Hooch headwater was a comfortable 65F so late in the day.
We still have several cooler days ahead, so take advantage of these opportunities to go bluelining before real hot August weather returns.
Stockers:
GAWRD provided a fresh list today. The continuing cool spell will allow good stocker fishing throughout the entire day, rather than just the mornings. Remember to take those summer stockers home for dinner, as the double whammy of warm water and angling stress will do most of them in.
https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout
Private Waters:
We remain 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. Aim for the day after a forecast for significant rain. You need stained water to fool them with feathers.
Tailwaters:
They remain a summer best bet due to cold winter waters discharged from reservoir depths. Both tailwaters got stocked this week. Toss streamers and junk flies (eggs, squirmies) for freshly stocked bows, and zebra midges and tiny black stones for resident browns that aren’t big enough yet to eat stockers and little browns.
UO buddy Myles: “This past weekend, I hit the hooch tailwaters with a couple friends. Though we had a slow start to the morning, after the sun rose and the fog cleared, the fish started to cooperate for us. I ended up with 39 fish, and after a slow start for my friend, I gave him a few tips to get more natural drifts and he ended up with 28. We were using 7x and size 20 nymphs. Hares ears and pheasant tail variations have done the trick once again! “
Warm Rivers:
They’re still fishing well whenever they’re not chocolate milk after a heavy rain. Just watch for clear water between these PM storm surges. Watch the USGS Hooch (Leaf) and Chestatee gauges for storm surges before deciding to go. Did you catch Wes’ tip this week for sinking your bass streamers?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM_qjtKp3bz/?igsh=MTFvbDYxOXpnNnVuYw==
UO owner Jimmy: “Fishing yesterday wasn’t gangbusters but enough Shoalies ate to keep me interested. Maybe the full Moon is affecting them. The Bomber Bugger got all the attention. Nothing on a Boogle Bug even though I did have one Shoalie attack the Bugger as soon as it plopped down on the water. Looks promising for the weekend. You’ll likely find me back out on the river again!”
UO friend RSquared: “Work on my 2025 Georgia Bass Slam continued in NW Georgia with Coosa Redeyes this past week. The creek I was fishing is known for 12”+ Redeyes However, none came out to play. We did manage several that were over 9”. Small minnow imitations were the trick.”
Ponds: Recent Retiree Athens Jay said: “Piedmont lakes and ponds are a great summer option, especially when big rains keep you off the rivers. This week, fishing early and late, and being prepared to suddenly shift gears has presented opportunities for a diverse range of target species. It really helps to take your time and observe fish behavior in summer when fish tend to be looking up for food. It might be difficult to resist the urge to jump in and start casting your favorite fly, but taking your time will pay off.”
UO buddy Gayland: “Hi Jeff,
I started fly fishing at daybreak with a yellow and a blue #6 Boogle Bug at Rocky Mountain PFA. Redbreast, bluegill, and red ear were working my bug over!
This beautiful largemouth hit the blue Boogle bug and jumped clear out of the water on the take! He jumped three or four times before I was able to land him. It was a great morning fly fishing for warm water species at Rocky Mountain!”
Lakes:
UO guide Joseph: “Fishing on the pond has slowed slightly with rising water temperatures. Last outing we were able to catch a few fish before the wind and the rain ended up running us off. All these Lanier fish we caught were on serpentine swimbaits around humps or points littered with brush.
Fall will be here before you know it and the fish will be happy once again. We are still booking fall and winter striper trips. I have prime moon dates still available however they are going fast. To book call the Helen store at (706)-878-3083 or visit www.josephclarkflyfishing.com.”
Proud papa RSquared shared his son’s reservoir bass report here:
https://gon.com/fishing-reports/allatoona-bass-fishing-report-aug-8-2025
Afar:
UO guide Israel had an invite from a buddy up north of Georgia and had a big time with Smallies rising to surface bugs. He said: “Few more from up north. Top water all day!!! Boogle bug, stealth bombers, and wiggle minnow were the preferred snacks.”
My DNR buddy, “Deadly” Damer, summarized his annual MT trek with dad and brother: “Got back on Saturday. Another great trip. No absolute monsters this year, but lots of good fish caught. Surprising, the Missouri stunk for me. I had a few opportunities, but managed to land ZERO fish on the big MO. But the Big Hole was awesome. Spruce moths and tricos together had the fish looking up along the banks. A 14” grayling on the Big Hole was the trip highlight for me! Smaller spring creeks were good too. Some good action on hoppers, but it may have been on the early side for them. Foam beetles were the ticket when hopper action was slow.”
UO buddy Mo: “Hey Jeff.
Here’s a sample of some cookie cutter stockies from a well managed C&R section on the Lašva River in Central Bosnia. These brownies are up and feeding on top in the afternoons as the river is very rich in aquatic insect life. They’re not easy to fool but a well-placed ant imitation or a small emerger will bag a few. When they’re not snacking on top Euronymphing a single fly finds them lacking more often than not. A very productive day with great numbers. Enjoy a cold drink after some great dry fly action in the afternoon. This was the last river I fished on my Balkan travels. Now I’m looking to hit the Hooch soon, I can already feel the shakes coming on.”
Kudos:
Congrats to our two Dawson County high school bass fishing teams. Hank the Yank said they finished 4th and 5th out of 250 teams fishing the BASS national high school fishing championship. One angler is Carter Cunningham, the son of our friend, Lanier fishing guide Clay Cunningham (@catchingnotfishing). Great job, guys!
You still have a few days of cooler August weather to enjoy, so get out there soon before it gets hotter than a Hoochie Coochie once again. Stop in either UO shop for advice and hot flies and lures. Good luck!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKnul0DxCIW/?igsh=MTl5OXNnNDdvZzIzMQ==
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