Happy Easter to all. Our region’s streams and lakes remain low and clear, but with perfect water temps for most of our preferred fish species. Dry fly action remains good whenever some trout stream bugs decide to hatch. Between those hatches, soft hackles and small euronymphs are producing very well. Stocker streams are getting their weekly redosings and are great spots for kids and new anglers.
We’re hoping for some Easter rain to wash the pollen away, boost streamflows slightly, and muddy some lake arms to enhance the shallow bass and striper action. Many stripers should still be up the rivers on their annual spawning attempts. River bass to the south of us are awakening, too, with warming waters.
April may be the very best month for fishing our region. Get out there this month and enjoy great weather, abundant trout bugs, awakening river bass, and shad and stripers in the shallows. Don’t miss our specific intel in each weekly report, here:
http://blog.angler.management/
Have a great holiday weekend with your family and friends. Let’s all welcome any raindrops heading our way to restore our waters and reduce our wildfire threat. Stop in either UO shop for your hot April trout flies (Sautee) and latest bassin’ hardware (Clarkesville). Good luck everyone!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
Sautee: 706-878-3083. Open 8-5 daily. (2454 GA Hwy 17, Sautee-Nacoochee.)
Clarkesville: 706-754-0203. Open 8-5 from Monday thru Saturday.
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
Dries:
Gray and tan elk hair caddis, BWO, Parachute Adams, para light cahill, emerger caddis, Drymerger, stimulator, micro chubby.
Nymphs & Wets:
Squirmies, Mops, Lightning bug, soft hackle hares ear and pheasant tail, frenchie, pink tag jig, micro girdle bugs.
Mountain streams: Pheasant tail, killer may, prince nymph, soft hackle partridge.
Streamers:
UV polar jig, jiggy fry, sparkle minnow, bank robber sculpin.
Reservoir Bass & Stripers:
Cowen’s somethin else, low fat minnow.
River bass:
Dead Ned, crittermite, polarchanger, clouser, sparkle yummy.
Headwaters:
They remain very, very low, so last week’s advice still holds true. This is like summer drought fishing. Stick to your classic dries (caddis, Adams) and cover a lot of water to find decent depths. Stalk quietly and cast lightly to hungry wild fish piled into those few pools.
Delayed Harvest:
Low, clear water and some hatching bugs are providing great conditions for dry/dropper and double dry rigs.
UO guide Sydney: “Smith DH has been awesome. I caught it right after they stocked on Thursday and had a 20+ fish afternoon on a dry fly, as they were rising consistently. Light tippet and small (#16-18) dries worked best for me.”
Two Rabunites hit the Chattooga DH on Wednesday and had a decent day, with each catching a handful of fish on dries. They said the best action was from 10AM to 1PM.
UO buddy Lumis: “I showed up to the Nantahala DH around 11:30 on Tuesday with a challenge in mind, and that was to fish the lower end.
Was originally going to stick to Euro nymphing but from the moment I got there there were some insane gusts of wind, so I threw on an indicator.
Proceeded to catch a lot of fish, over two dozen. And what was more surprising was that a very good percentage of them were wild rainbows and even one wild Brown. Also caught two big Stocker browns. I honestly think I would have probably caught around 40 fish if the wind wasn't so bad. Quilldigon (perdigon variant) and a thread Frenchie with a fluorescent purple collar. Around size 14.
I would love to tell you I was matching some hatch but I generally just pull out my favorite nymphs and start fishing. I haven't dove into dry fly fishing yet.”
Stockers:
Stocker season is in full swing. GAWRD has another long weekly list for us. Get your kids and trouting rookies out there soon. Whether it’s a worm on a spincast rig or a woolly bugger on a fly rod, get them on a few fish.
https://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/trout/Weekly_Stocking_Report.pdf
UO guide Sydney: “I had some friends come up before my guide trips and we had fun on the upper Hooch. My hot combo has been a micro girdle bug with a soft hackle dropper. Found a lot of cool stream bugs and critters Sunday.”
UO buddy RSquared: “All the streams in Northwest Georgia have received the first traditional trout stocking of 2026. I was able to catch a baker’s dozen of fresh Rainbow Trout from a beautiful stream that runs through a small town 5.5 miles from my farm in AA (Almost Alabama) I started with a pink squirmy-worm stuck with it for the two hours that I fished. It’s a great time to take your kids fishing!”
Private Waters:
Low, clear water has made it challenging, but our talented guides have put their clients on some nice fish.
UO Sautee manager Wes had a trip yesterday and reported: “I did a half day on the Soque with young anglers Ben & William. The water is low but with a good drift and stealth the fish the fish will still be cooperative. Emergers were the deal! We saw most fish going after bugs in the top third of the water column. Our top flies were the emerger caddis and Drymerger March brown.”
UO guide Sydney: “Private waters have been good to my clients over the last two weeks. I’ve been using a pats rubberlegs as my first fly and soft hackle wet as the dropper fly on light tippet. That dropper has scored the most.
Tailwaters:
No recent reports. Fresh stocker bows are suckers for stripped buggers and drifted squirmies and eggs.
Warm Rivers: UO buddy Jay: “A friend invited me to float a Piedmont river with him in search of bass. Water was low and fairly clear but we had success throwing weighted, articulated streamers tied on jig hooks.”
Ponds:
They should still be a best bet for shallow spring bass, bream, and crappie. If the surface action is still a bit slow, try some streamers for bass and crappie and a small rubberleg stone or sunken ant on a dropper under your bream popper.
Here’s a late report from RSquared:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DWq-7xTlWnR/?igsh=anhtZWU5cGZ4MTRk
Lakes:
Reservoir stripers should still be up the tributary rivers on their spring spawning runs. Try the upper ends of lakes for any fish still down low. If we get some decent runoff from Sunday’s rains, then try the stained lake water in the creek arms.
UO buddy Jay: “Last week we went in search of golden bonefish on the Piedmont flats. We found a few but it was not easy to get them to eat. I did have a big surprise when I cast to a carp and the fly was intercepted by a big crappie!”
Afar:
Ian just posted a fresh Smokies trout report:
https://randrflyfishing.com/2026/04/02/spring-has-arrived-in-the-smoky-mountains/
Events:
April 8:
Dredger takes his “Spring Dries and Droppers” program on the road for one more stop this spring: the Atlanta Flyfishing Club on April 8. AFFC welcomes all guests,so metro ATL folks, mark your calendars to net some fine Rabunite intel at an Atlanta Classic, Manuel’s Tavern.
https://atlantaflyfishingclub.org/
April 11:
Folks interested in flyfishing can try “Rabunite 101, a morning introduction to the sport at the Rabun County Recreation Center gym. It’s a real bargain at $25. Details:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CyqVTpMY6/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://tu.myeventscenter.com/event/Rabunite-101-Fly-Fishing-Seminar-122568
April 11:
It’s the Hoot on the Hooch in Helen, the annual fundraiser by the GA Foothills TU chapter. C’mon up for good food, good tunes, and y’all fish tales. You ight even hear your name called as a winner of one of the GATU Dream Trip prizes, assuming you’ve bought a few raffle tix.
It’s April! Nuff said. Let the grass grow and get on the water soon. You’ll be glad you did. Stop in either UO store to share fish tales and restock your boxes. Good luck on your Easter eggs hunts, too.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
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