Our drought continues and streams are real low and clear. Headwater trout are wary but hungry for stealthy hunters. Stockers are scarce and leftovers are best found in larger streams that got a September redose. The Toccoa Tailwater may be too warm, while the Lanier Tailwater should continue to fish well. NC Delayed Harvest stream trout were naive and cooperative for GA trekkers. Our private waters fish have made many memories for our clients, despite the low flows. River and lake bass are still a best bet til the water cools off some more, while Lanier stripers are playing hide-and-seek. The weather is perfect and the leaves have started to color-up. Bring your light leaders, small bugs, and stealthy stalks north to enjoy fall trouting in real skinny waters.
As mentioned last week, also bring a netful of patience for Octoberfest crowds and slow-motoring leaf lookers. Fishy details are in our weekly report. It’s fresh every Friday and will help you boost your own catch rates.
http://blog.angler.management/
(Link in bio)
Stop in either UO shop if we can help you out.
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:
(Wes said last week’s list is still good)
Dries: purple haze, tan elk hair caddis, parachute ant, yellow or orange stimmy, foam ant, micro chubby Chernobyl, royal humpy, Drymerger.
Nymphs & Wets:
Stockers: red squirmy worm, slush egg, girdle bug, black woolly bugger, tan and olive mops, Duracell, psycho prince.
Mountain streams: hares ear, drowned ant, pheasant tail nymph and soft hackle, prince nymph, crazy leg stone.
Streamers:
small black and olive buggers, bank robber sculpin, micro dungeon.
(Bass & Stripers) Boogle bug, wiggle minnow, sparkle minnow, clouser minnow, thrasher, polar changer.
Headwaters:
They are drought-low, super-clear, cold and starting to catch their annual dose of aquatic insect forage: tree leaves. Headwater wild fish will be super-spooky, but hungry in these cool waters. At 4PM today Smithgall was 60F
and Spoilcane was 63F.
It doesn’t get any better than this for daily high trout stream temps! Bring your thin-water game and have fun. Hunt the drought refuges with your best deer stalk and you’ll score.
Delayed Harvest:
We are still waiting for GA’s 11/1 opener, but NC DH is making GA travelers happy.
UO buddy Hillis: “ I just got back from a 4-day fishing trip to NC, fishing a different DH stream each day. The weather was beautiful, leaves were turning, the streams were low and clear, and the fishing was a lot of fun. I stayed at a BnB near Brevard and fished North Mills, Little River, and East Fork of the French Broad. On the way home I stopped at Fires and fished it. I caught fish in all the streams, rainbows, browns, and brookies, quality fish although not a large quantity. All the fish were caught stripping olive woolies with soft hackle pheasant tails trailing off the woolies. Fall fishing in the Southeast is a real joy!”
UO buddy Lumis:
Fished the Tuckaseegee today (16th). First time since last year. Was able to fish some of the spots I scouted out last year (+ some new spots) and ended up with over 2 dozen fish, mainly browns with the occasional rainbow and brook. Fished perdigons all day. We fished from 11 to 5 and the river was quite busy, but many people were gone by 3. There was a major hatch of some insect, but I couldn’t get close enough to catch one and ID it. Hopefully the fresh DH stockers will recognize real instream trout chow soon!”
One more from NC:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16HB2YqoVp/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Stockers:
It’s GAWRD’s stocking off-season, so stockers are slim pickings right now. Aim for the biggest streams that can hide some leftovers from September stockings. The Hooch headwaters and tailwaters, Tallulah, Tooga, and Cooper come to mind.
https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout
The agency said today:
Lake Burton Trout Hatchery Visitors:
The Lake Burton Trout Hatchery will begin a paving and construction project on Monday, October 20, 2025. This project will complete paving in the production area, and buildings will be erected over the in raceways to provide shade and bird exclusion.
During this time, hatchery operational hours will temporarily change, so if you are planning a visit, here is what you need to know before arriving:
- Weekdays (Monday–Friday): Open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM(office available for questions, angler awards, and other concerns).
- Weekends: Closed.
- Trout viewing: Suspended, as the raceway area will not be accessible to visitors until the project is complete.
Private Waters:
Private waters are extremely low and clear. Fishing has still been very good on our guided trips, thanks to thin tippets, smaller flies, and our guides’ drought-trouting expertise.
UO-Helen manager Wes: “Jake and I took a crew out on a Gilligan this morning (17th). The water is very low so you better have a great drift and sneaky presentation to fool fish right now. We were able to get a couple of fish on small soft hackle pheasant tails. It’s always fun to see new anglers catch their first fish on a fly rod!”
UO guide Sydney said her guide trips have gone well: “Fishin is on fire! I’ve been some amazing trips recently, despite the pitifully low flows. We’ve had some great first- timer experiences, with those guests falling in love with fly fishing. My hot flies have been pheasant tail and perdigon (size 18s) droppers behind micro girdle bugs and little lightning bugs (gold) and in (pearl), on a double nymph rig under a small, light-landing indicator.
Here’s a little brown that my dad caught this morning (17th) on a birds nest pattern that I set him up with.”
Tailwaters:
No recent reports. Be careful wading in those heavily stained reservoir outflows. The Hooch should continue to fish well for browns, while stocked rainbows should still be fairly abundant, despite reduced off-season stockings. Locals report that the Toccoa Tailwater is running hot due to dam repairs and sluice flows. Check with local shops &guides in Blue Ridge before heading over there.
Warm Rivers:
Area rivers are real low and clear. I crossed the Hooch at Highway 115 and it looked very fishy.
Hooch Flow:
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=02331000
Shoalies and spots should be packed into refuge areas to avoid predation. The topwater action may be better after lunch, once the sun warms the rivers a bit. Go soon, before chillier fall days cool off the rivers and shut down the topwater bite.
UO buddy RSquared was a busy host: “On Oct 10th-12th, 17 members of UGA's 5 Rivers Club camped out at former Cohutta President and Current GATU Chairman, Rodney Tumlin's farm in Cave Spring Ga. The students” targeted species was the "Coosa Redeye Bass." The students arrived from Athens on Friday night and set up their tents and hammocks. We had a large fire roaring in the fire pit and young anglers and I discussed tactics, reading water, and flies they would need to catch the aggressive Coosa Redeyes.
Saturday morning, the young scholars toasted bread and bagels over the campfire for breakfast and made sandwiches for lunch on Big Cedar Creek. Many of the students brought their on kayaks and canoes. Those that did not have a watercraft rented one from Cedar Creek RV & Outdoor Center, which is located just east of Cave Spring. The center employees loaded the canoes and Kayaks onto trailers and shuttled the students to a private launch area just downstream of Lyon's Bridge. It is 5.5 river miles back to the takeout area. All of the students fished until early evening, with many not getting off of the water until after sunset.
When they arrived back to camp at Tumlin Farms, the young fly fishers had warm, homemade venison chili and all the fixings waiting to satisfy their voracious appetites gained from a long day on the water. During dinner, fish stories from the day were told and countless pictures of their quarry were shared. Every single student caught fish, and many caught double digits and multiple species. After dinner, we played "Trout Unlimited Trivia" which was followed by a drawing for prizes.
This was a Georgia Council of Trout Unlimited-sponsored event. Members of GATU leadership are firm believers in education, support, and engagement of young adults which we believe are the future of Trout Unlimited leadership, cold-water conservation, and the sport fly fishing.”
Wes’ report:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DP3t_xNkQxn/?igsh=cnNtaWY5a2Zjazk=
Ponds:
No recent reports. They should still be fishing well, given the warm afternoon sunshine.
Lakes:
UO guide Joseph: “Fishing on Lanier remains tough for stripers and good on bass. Water temps have cooled quite a bit over the past week , however cold fronts and bright bluebird skies have the stripers moving extremely fast and surfacing sporadically. Bass are schooling well around bush in the mouths of creeks. We’ve had our best luck with conventional tackle using topwater walking baits, serpentine swimbaits, and flukes. For flies game changers, clousers and somethin else’s are the best bet.
It’s only up from here! If you want to get in on some amazing topwater fishing give the Helen shop a call at (706)-878-3083 or visit my website at www.josephclarkflyfishing.com”
News:
From the Rabunites
Thanks to everyone who bought raffle tix for our Mack Martin Winston rod. We’ll announce the winner in the near future. Rabun TU invites everyone to their October 21st monthly meeting at Currahee Brewing Company in downtown Clayton.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NgxDugHTL/?mibextid=wwXIfr
That’s the latest from a dry but cool corner of Georgia. We need some rain to recharge our streams and reduce the forest fire potential. Trout waters are low and challenging, but the rewards are grand. River and lake bass will welcome you, too, as will our UO staff. C’mon up between your football games, corn maze wanderings,and apple pickings. Don’t miss the fall fun up here!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
www.unicoioutfitters.com
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