It’s hot and dry, but there is still good action to be had for early risers and high elevation hikers. GAWRD has stocked a real long list of streams for holiday trouters, while blueline wild trout on top of the mountain are still cooperating at breakfast. Rivers are good when clear: just go early or late to dodge the tubers. Pond bass and bream are still interested at dawn and dusk, while Lanier spots are chasing blueback imitations on top during the first few hours of daylight. Grab your sunscreen and bug spray and give it a go before the heat of the day.
Check out all of our detailed intel at our blog. It’s new every Friday and will help you boost your own catch rates.
http://blog.angler.management/
Stop in either one of our two UO shops for some flies, supplies, and advice. Enjoy your long holiday weekend!
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, yellow humpy.
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:
Sparkle minnows, small black and olive buggers, bank robber sculpin, micro dungeon.
(Bass & stripers) stealth bomber, polar changer, yard sale, clawdad, thrasher.
(Panfish) mini stealth bomber, Boogle popper #8, Amnesia bug, brim reaper, girdle bug.
(Carp) squirmy hybrid, carp bitters, Detroit city mop.
Headwaters:
They’re skinny and warm, but still fishable at higher elevations before lunch. Bring a small, fluffy dry that you’re confident in and a bucketful of stealth. A real high Hooch trib was 64F on my thermometer at noon today.
Toss small dries on light line (5 or 6X) into the drought refuges where wild fish are retreating to. It’s hard to beat an ant, Adams, or tan caddis on top. For deeper pools, drop an ant or green weenie behind that dry. Stealth and a good drift will be more important than fly pattern. Quit your trip when the water rises above 66F to protect the wild fish.
UO buddy Splatek: Sure was tough fishing this week, but I finally got into the specks right before the thunder and lightning ran us off. They didn’t like my top fly, a small black stimulator, but they slammed my dropper nymph. I call it the Experience Fly: silver tungsten bead, black thread, orange hot spot.”
Stockers:
GAWRD stocked a long list of streams this week for the holiday crowds. Take advantage of the stockings, since they’ll wane during the second half of summer, by design. Fish the mornings, when the water is cold and before the holiday tubers and waders wake up and disturb the streams.
https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout
Private Waters:
We’re now done with our spring trout trips because of hot water. Feel free to call our shop now to reserve some 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:
No recent reports. They should fish well, thanks to the discharge of cold winter waters from the depths of Blue Ridge and Lanier. A good dose of holiday stockers awaits y’all.
Warm Rivers:
They’re a lot of fun whenever they aren’t blown out and muddy by a summer storm. Try topwater bugs early, late, and under shady limbs. Bounce a woolly bugger or crayfish pattern along rocky bottoms when the sun is high. Try to go early to beat all of the holiday tubers and yakkers.
UO guide Israel: “Got a handful of little shoalies on a birthday float with my brother. Stealth bomber, buzzbait, and a chatter bait all brought fish to hand. We had a bonus channel catfish on a neko-rigged Berkley General.”
UO-Helen manager Wes: “I got out for a couple hours of wade fishing on a new (to me) section of Bartram’s bass water earlier this week. I probably caught 10 spunky Barts, all on a stealth bomber.”
Ponds:
Local ponds are still a best bet for bass, bream, and a bonus species or two. UO buddy Jess guided her son, “Doc” to success at their local pond. A favorite lure fooled this nice crappie.
Lakes:
UO guide Joseph: “Had an amazing trip yesterday on the lake with Frank and Scott! We managed to raise about 20 fish and had about 12 to the net. Most of our fish came off of structure like humps and points. The fish were up and down pretty fast so we didn’t fish very much with flies. However, game changers and wiggle minnows were our flies of choice. For conventional tackle we had most success with serpentine swim baits and topwater walking baits. If you’d like to get out there and experience some great topwater bass action give the Helen store a call at (706)-878-3083!”
UO veterans Jimmy and Jeff took Joseph’s advice and hit Lanier at 7AM today. They hit mid lake points and humps in a “bus stop” routine with Spooks, poppers, and Sebiles and found some chunky spots on a few points. More shook off the hook than were netted, but a couple posed for pictures. They were off the water by 10, before the lakewide madness began.
Afar:
The high elevation streams in NC are still a real good bet. Toss some yellow sallies, wet and dry ants, and green weenies. Catch some daily park stream conditions and angling tips here, thanks to our friends at LRO:
https://littleriveroutfitters.com/
UO buddy Athens Jay hopped in Dredger’s truck for an early Monday morning trek to the Smokies. They arrived at 830AM and chased 64-degree water through the day,
moving upstream as the sun rose and the waters gradually warmed and forced them uphill. They had decent action throughout the day, mainly on the #16 black fur ant dropper hung just above their sexy Walts or brown rubberlegs anchor flies on their Euro rigs.
Jay had the hot hand (12 and 13 inch browns) and even scored himself a wild trout slam via a late afternoon speck, way up high in the watershed.
Wildlife sightings added to their great day, especially the young bull elk that crossed the creek 50 yards above them. Give the park a try soon. Just beat that blazing sun to the stream!
We hope this Independence Day intel helps y’all to enjoy your holiday week up here. Get an early start and cash in on the morning action. We did! Enjoy the fireworks tonite and come see us tomorrow, after your dawn fishing fireworks. We’ll help you restock your fly and lure boxes. Have a happy and safe 4th, dear friends.
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
