Georgia's Delayed Harvest Streams Open Saturday November 1st

Fall Offers Great Georgia Trout Fishing Opportunities - Delayed Harvest Streams Open Nov. 1

Today's feature comes to us from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- Are trout streams calling you to go fish Georgia? Beautiful weather and fantastic scenery await you in the northern part of the state and beginning on November 1, fishing on five delayed harvest trout streams will open, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division.

Trout streams are designated either seasonal or year-round. "Five year-round streams are managed under special regulations called Delayed Harvest," said John Lee Thomson, Wildlife Resources Division trout stocking coordinator. "The 'DH' streams have special catch-and-release regulations from November 1-May 14, and are stocked monthly by WRD and our partner, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This combination of stocking and catch/release allows for good trout catch rates and high angler satisfaction."

The five trout streams managed under delayed harvest regulations are:

• Toccoa River located on U.S. Forest Service land upstream of Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County (from 0.4 miles above Shallowford Bridge to 450 feet above the Sandy Bottom Canoe Access).
  
• Amicalola Creek on the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area (from Steele Bridge Road downstream to Georgia Hwy. 53).
  
• Smith Creek downstream of Unicoi Lake (Unicoi State Park).
  
• Chattahoochee River in Atlanta (Sope Creek, downstream of Johnson Ferry Road, downstream to the Hwy 41 bridge).
  
• A portion of the Chattooga River (from Ga. Hwy. 28 upstream to the mouth of Reed Creek) on U.S. Forest Service land bordering South Carolina.

"Remember, during delayed harvest, anglers on these five streams also are restricted to artificial lures with one single hook," Thomson adds. "When May 15rolls around, the general regulations to designated trout water apply."

In addition to the excellent fall fishing opportunities that these delayed harvest streams provide, other Georgia streams offer ample year-round trout fishing. These streams are:

• Noontootla Creek Watershed: This watershed offers high-quality, year-round fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout, with many of its tributaries offering a chance at a wild brook trout (a real plus since most other brook trout waters are closed to fishing after Oct. 31). Both Noontootla and its tributaries are managed under an artificial lure only regulation and have a 16" minimum size limit in order to "recycle" the 8"-12" trout that make up most of the population.
  
• Dukes Creek: This stream, located on the Smithgall Woods-Dukes Creek Conservation Area, offers year-round trout fishing by reservation (706-878-3087). All fish caught here must be released immediately and anglers can only use artificial lures with barbless hooks. The stream offers a great chance at a trout over 20 inches, so bring your camera for a quick shot before release. Best time to fish is after a rain muddies the water.
  
• Chattahoochee River: For good trout fishing close to metro Atlanta, the Chattahoochee River downstream of Buford Dam offers family-friendly, year-round fishing for stocked rainbow and wild brown trout. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area parks offer good bank, wading and boating opportunities. The river will be stocked through the fall months to keep angler catches high. Year-round harvest is legal from Buford Dam to Sope Creek. Anglers should note that there is an artificial lure only section between Ga. Hwy 20 and the Medlock Bridge Boat Ramp. Best fishing is at low flow when the river is clear to slightly stained.
  
  
• Some additional notable year-round trout streams include the Toccoa River downstream of Lake Blue Ridge, Tallulah River and the Chattooga River.

Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license as well as a trout license to fish for these beauties. By purchasing a license as well as fishing equipment and related items, you and your fellow anglers have helped fund sport fish restoration programs for years, thanks to the Sport Fish Restoration Act. This Act allows funds accumulated from a federal excise tax on fishing equipment and related items to be directed to activities that benefit recreational anglers. A portion of these funds is provided to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources based on several factors, including the number of paid sporting licenses. Sport Fish funds make the following activities possible: managing sport fish populations, raising freshwater fish in hatcheries and stocking them in public waters, maintaining and operating public fishing areas and building boat ramps and fishing piers, and much more!

Where can you get a fishing license? Buy it online or find a list of retail license vendors at www.georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes or buy it by phone at 1-800-366-2661.

For free Georgia trout stream maps, trout fishing tips and other trout fishing information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout .

River Boating Dangers

We thought this was worth passing along.  Never underestimate the power of moving water!  Although the article is about an anchored drift boat, the same danger is there whether you're in a jon boat, canoe or kayak.  Thanks to "Field & Stream" for this article.

Bighorn River Boating Accident: A Reminder to Be Vigilant on the Water

By Ben Romans

The barely visible boat as Brad and Joe Caton tow it to a gravel bar. Photo from Billings Gazette.

It's summer and it's easy to get lost in the fun of fishing, but here's a reminder to always be vigilant on the water, and to always carry a knife. A snagged anchor line and a swift current recently proved to be a dangerous combination for three anglers in a drift boat on Montana’s Bighorn River this week.
 
Herm Elenbaas launched his boat with friends Jim and Ruth Houseman to float and fish one of Elenbaas’ favorite stretches of river on June 23.
 
The fishing proved to be slower than usual, so the group elected to drop anchor and concentrate efforts on a particular run. Unfortunately, the water flow was running higher than normal, the anchor dislodged, and the boat moved into the swift current. Hoping to reach calmer waters, Elenbass tried to lift the anchor. That's when trouble washed over the gunwale.
 
“When Herm pulled on the anchor rope, we got water over the back,” Jim said. “Once she got one gulp, she took on water fast. It was just like the Titanic” 

With the anchor lodged under a rock or submerged tree, and no knife to cut the anchor rope and water rushing over the side, things went from bad to worse in a hurry.
 
“We watched the stuff pop up out of the boat and float down the river,” Jim said. “If the water would have been warmer, I would have swam after it.”

 Fortunately, some nearby landowners saw the incident and came to the aid of the swimming anglers. Not long after, a father and son in a jet boat motored upstream, cut the anchor of the sunken drift boat, and towed the rig topside. Elenbaas and Jim emptied the water, and even finished their planned float. Ruth elected to remain on dry land.
 
Though all three anglers, luckily, walked away without injury, their situation serves as another reminder of a river’s power as we head into the heart of summer.

Caddis, Caddis, EVERYWHERE!

While sitting in class this past Tuesday evening, (trying not to fall asleep), I was trying to decide where I was going to go fishing yesterday. I'm not a mathematician, but I was able to figure out that sixty degree weather plus no generation, added up to me needing to be on the Toccoa River Wednesday morning. After making a few phone calls and rounding up a group at the last minute, I scurried home to get all of my things together for the next day. 5 o'clock came early the next morning after getting only 4 hours of sleep, but I kept telling myself, "The first boat down the river catches all the fish." With warm weather coming in, and the anticipation of caddis hatching, I was more than ready to get the boat in the water. Chuck, Danny Hatcher, Lamar Allen, and I met at Tammen Park just as the sun came up, slid the boats in, and put our stuff together as quickly as we could. We tore out downstream, and were catching a few fish on some nymph rigs, but could see some small bugs flying with a few fish rising to them. I wasn't really paying a lot of attention to the very few fish that were rising, but this would all change very soon. About noon, black caddis began fly in huge swarms, and my attention was quickly drawn towards them. I hadn't seen a hatch like this in probably 3 or 4 years, it was HUGE! If I had to compare it to something, it was a lot like a duck migration through Stuttgart Arkansas, possibly even better. We quickly picked up the dry dropper rods that we already had rigged and started fishing. We were catching a lot of fish on the dropper, until the fish finally realized that they were suppose to eat all of those things flying around. As we floated on downstream, it seemed as if everywhere you thought that there should be a fish, there was. At one point, I counted 7 cast that I had 7 rises on. It took us a while, but we finally achieved what we came to do. Halfway into the trip, Danny Hatcher hooked and caught this beautiful male rainbow on 6x tippet. He had been missing a few fish, and I was giving him a pretty hard time, but he managed to hit the nail on the head when this guy decided to bite.

Who You Callin' Crazy?!

So with all the great spring-like winter weather we've been having lately, the forecast for 25 mph winds and 25 degrees for north Georgia wasn't about to cancel our planned outing on the Toccoa this past Saturday.  It did bring about a change from drift boat fishing to wade fishing but our group was still determined to get out on the stream.  Work and family commitments for all of us had become all encompassing over the past few weeks and none of us felt we had gotten in the number of days fishing we all richly deserved.  TVA had the perfect mid-day open schedule that gave us a good excuse not to feel pressured to be on the river early in the AM.  It also gave us reason to be off the river before dark as the generators kicked back on at 4 PM.

At 11:30, we're sitting in a warm vehicle watching the river slowly recede to a wadeable level.  The wind buffeting the Tahoe with strong gusts that cut like a knife when you stepped outside to do the things that old guys do who have been riding for an hour and a half.  By noon, passers by were staring in amazement at the three figures resembling the Michelin Man ease into the relatively warm waters of the tailwater.

Just minutes into fishing, Alan hooks and long distance releases a fish.  Another fish rises right in front of him as his muffled shout out to me tells me his blood is pumping now.  From further downstream, JD gives a Rabun yell as he lands the first fish of the day; a nice brown.  And that's pretty much the way the afternoon went for the next 4 hours.  There has been that great Toccoa black caddis hatch going on the past few days but not this afternoon.  No bugs on the surface and only one fish caught on a Tungsten Bead Pheasant Tail.  The rest we all caught on egg patterns and the infamous "Coach K" that Chuck Head and Jake Darling have had so much luck with at Dukes Creek.

To say the weather was less than desirable is an extreme understatement.  It spit snow all afternoon and the brief 30 & 40 second intervals of sunshine were magnificent.  The fishing was steady with several browns in the 12" - 13" range and some nice healthy rainbows thrown in for icing on the cake.  You know, my stock answer for fishing in harsh weather the past few years is that I get to fish often enough that I don't have to do it when it's uncomfortable.  But today was one of those days when I think all of us did need to stand in a river and soak up a little re-creation.  It was good and even though the tips of my fingers are still slightly numb almost 48 hours later, it was worth it.

Courtney Williams Floats the Toccoa River - 11/25/11

Butch Martin had a nice float on the Toccoa and sends this along:

Courtney Williams and his father floated with me on the Toccoa the Friday after Thanksgiving and caught these two nice fish:  A couple of nice rainbows:  22" and 24"!  The Toccoa River floats are becoming very productive with 30 - 40 fish days and chances to catch some really memorable fish - come join us!

Man oh Man, What a Fish!

I think I'll just let this video of Chad Peters' guests Monday on the Toccoa River tailwater speak for itself:

Thanks to our long time friend Tuck Tucker for the video. And, of course, a huge thanks to Tuck's son Kent who actually caught the fish.

Nuff said!

Autumn Fishing Reports

Hello Folks,

It’s been a while since I have been able to post any new fishing stories. I’ve been fishing, but I have mainly focused my time and energy into my new family member.

But, recently (11/6) I floated the Toccoa DH on one of the coldest days I’ve fished this season. Fishing was sort of slow with the mid part of the day being the most productive. Meat –n- Tater flies still fooling fish.

The new stretch of Mountain Town Creek, Mountain Town Plantation, is a special place. The quintessential North Georgia trout stream and it has all the fixings! Pocket water, fast riffle sections, deep slow pools, long shallow runs, you name it, Mountain Plantation has it. Look out NCF, MTP is beginning to change my opinion about where I go to get away. It’s absolutely packed with hungry trout and the opportunity to fish for them over a variety of fishing situations.

I’ve had a few trips on the Tuckasegee DH this fall since it opened, and it finally gave me a good trip last week. Jim C. and I floated it Friday October 27^th after the rains that finally lifted the water level up to “Just Floatable”. Steadily caught fish all day hooking and fighting a 20”+ Brown that Jim winched to the boat once before making a power run that ended up in the trout’s favor. But, I know where he is!

All in all, it has been a good fall. Especially since the heat has subsided and we are finally able to wet our lines in water lower than 70dgs. Next trip will be the newly reborn Toccoa River to see how the fishing is.

Till Then,

J Byrd

-Life is short, fish as often as you can!

Trout Unlimited Hosts Panel on Toccoa Tailwater

The Toccoa River Tailwater (below Blue Ridge Dam) is a premier trout fishery with enormous importance to the economic, social, and recreational well-being of Fannin County. *Trout fishing and the quality of water in the Toccoa is at risk of collapse as a result of a drawdown of Lake Blue Ridge so the TVA can make essential repairs to the dam and penstock. *Water temperatures and clarity are suffering, and the weather thus far is not cooperating. *The reason the river is in extremis is the timing of the protracted drawdown, which coincided with an unusually hot and dry summer and start to the fall season. * The full extent of damage to the fishery, if any, has yet to be determined. *However, it is not too soon to develop a plan for recovery of the river post-drawdown in order to minimize damage or improve the fishery.*​

No one doubts that the dam repairs were needed, and that the TVA carefully considered many factors in timing the drawdown, including weather patterns, safety, environmental impact, and the like, with input from the public and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. * The question is, however, where do we go from here if trout die and the fishery collapses? *This question and more will be answered in a public forum hosted by Blue Ridge Mountain Trout Unlimited at the Fannin Chamber of Commerce, 9 am, October 9, 2010. *Representatives of the TVA, DNR, Trout Unlimited, and the Chamber of Commerce will comprise a panel to discuss the immediate future of the Toccoa Tailwater and to answer questions from the audience. The purpose of this discussion is not to probe how, why, or when the drawdown was done or to criticize anyone in the process. *This meeting focuses on what can be done from this point forward to protect and restore the fishery.*​

Trout Unlimited is an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and protection of coldwater (trout) fisheries like the Toccoa.

Update on the Toccoa River Tailwater

Recently, Chad and I floated the river to see if we could still find fish in our favorite honey holes after the recent drawdown of Lake Blue Ridge. Unfortunately, I do not have a good report. It was strange not to see one fisherman on the river when a couple months ago you could see 20+ fly fishermen casting flies to feeding trout. At times, there was a unbearable smell. Large and vocal blue herons flew around us protecting their territories. I counted 6 herons in the small stretch we floated. Two dead trout were seen during the trip. I watched a few very lethargic trout which did not respond appropriately to me approaching them. It has been said most of the fish are probably being pushed down the river by generation or being eaten by predators are a couple reasons why we are not seeing large numbers of dead fish.

Temperatures of the Toccoa tailwater seem to remain around 76 degrees. Several reports of occassional dead fish. One customer stated he was able to pick a trout up by his hand at Tammen Park. The water continues to be muddy and have a stained appearance. A positive note is the decline of temperatures in the tributaries of the river so maybe some trout are seeking refuge there.

Since the rise of temperatures on the tailwater, David has decided not to book trips on the tailwater in hopes of preserving what fish are able to survive the lethal temperatures. So, we are not on the water. David and I appreciate folks coming into the shop giving us reports of the Toccoa tailwater. Please keep them coming! We are the only voice for our beloved Toccoa.

Not so long ago, David and I were casting to what seemed like hundreds of rising trout on our float down the river...looking to the future, Georgia DNR transformed the Toccoa tailwater into a tremendous fishery just in the past 5 or 6 years, and we're confident they can do it again once this is all said and done.  In the meantime, let's look forward to this fall's DH season on the upper Toccoa and to the tremendous fishing we expect on our private trophy streams in the coming year (and we have some new surprises in store for you!).

Lake Blue Ridge Drawdown Threatens Toccoa River Trout

The online edition of The News Observer in Blue Ridge recently published this article.  Hopefully this publicity will help focus the attention of the TVA on the problem before it is too late.  

Water temperatures threaten trout

BY DUB JOINER, STAFF WRITERThursday, August 12, 2010 1:56 PM CDT

John Damer warns of the dangers to Toccoa trout.

Trout fishing on the Toccoa River and its tributaries could be significantly impacted because of the drawdown of Lake Blue Ridge by the Tennessee Valley Authority to do repair work on the dam and its penstock.

At a Fannin County Chamber of Commerce meeting Wednesday, Aug. 11, Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist John Damer expressed concerns about the possibility of a large fish kill as water temperatures rise in the river, especially the lower tailwaters.

After the meeting, Damer said the draw down is causing the temperature in the river to rise significantly and trout cannot survive at higher temperatures.

While uncertainty exists over how many trout could be killed, Damer said the worst case is that the fish kill could be significant.

“A water temperature of 22 degrees Celsius is stressful to trout,” Damer said. “When the temperature reaches 25 degrees Celsius and above, there will be a significant loss of trout.”

Wednesday, the temperature in the water temperature had reached 20.4 degrees Celsius coming out of the dam and 20.9 degrees Celsius in McCaysville, according to Damer.

Dan Forester warned TVA in a July 10, 2009, letter that starting the lake drawdown in mid-July could cause a fish kill because of rising temperatures. That letter was included in TVA’s Environmental Assessment of the project.

Forester wrote that starting the drawdown later, in early August, would lessen the stress factor on the trout in the river tailwaters and, while there would be a rise in water temperature, it would not be as much as it would be with a start for the drawdown in July.

Damer said TVA has to repair the dam, and it will stop any further need to do deep drawdowns, however with the water temperature rising, significant loss of trout is likely in the next few weeks due to the swiftness of the drawdown.

In a message to a Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited official, posted on the Internet, Damer said the only option readily apparent to DNR is to slow or halt the drawdown until cooler temperatures resume.

Fannin County Chamber of Commerce President Jan Hackett requested in a letter to TVA officials Thursday that, while the work on the dam is absolutely necessary, TVA do everything in its power to help avoid a terrible loss of trout.

“While the hot weather is beyond TVA’s control, a large-scale fish kill would be a tragedy beyond imagination,” Hackett wrote.

She said tourism is maintaining the Fannin community in the midst of the great recession. However, “we cannot afford to lose both our lake and the trout population in the tailwaters, which are fished year-round.”

TVA spokesman Travis Brickey said Thursday that TVA monitors the temperature in the Toccoa River daily and so far there have not been any reports of loss of fish.

“We understand the local concerns, however, water temperatures all across the TVA reservoir system are very hot,” Brickey said.

A meeting between TVA officials and biologists with the Georgia DNR was scheduled for late Thursday about the water temperature concerns in relation to the drawdown, Brickey said.

1st Fly Fishing Trip

I wanted to share this email and photo we received from Jay Worley about taking his daughter Emma on her first fly fishing trip. It brought back memories I have of fishing with my Dad. Thanks for sharing with us Jay and Emma.

Hey, I just wanted to send you a thank you for your hospitality while visiting your store. Not sure if you remember but we were in there yesterday morning getting a few items for my daughter’s (Emma) first fly fishing trip. We fished the Upper Toccoa River near Rock Creek. Here is a picture of her with her first trout on a fly rod. She will be the first to tell you that she caught it all by herself and was very proud of it. She was using a Y2K fly because she liked the bright colors and it was easy to see kind of like her crocks that she was wearing. Please feel free to post if you would like.


I was probably 25 years old or so before I started fly fishing with my father in law so getting to teach her at a young age is really special. My father in law (Her Poppy) who taught me was along for the trip as well. My son is 4 and his time is just around the corner.

Lake Blue Ridge Drawdown Begins

In the wee hours of Friday morning, the gates of the dam at Lake Blue Ridge were raised and the drawdown has officially begun. The flow as seen here is a little higher than a normal generation and is up in the trees along the bank in some places. It might be a little while before we get to fish the river. Looking on the bright side though, when the drawdown stops, any fish left should be ready to take a big fat streamer. We will keep a keen eye out for any breaks in the generation so keep checking our blog for updates.

Luckily, the Blue Ridge area has a tremendous amount of trout water available to the angler. Time to dust off the short 3 weight and hit the smaller streams at the higher elevations. Noontootla, Rock, Coopers, and their tributaries hold lots of beautiful wild fish that are eager to strike a easy to see attractor pattern. The upper Toccoa has been producing some nice smallmouth and redeyes in the past couple of weeks.

For more information about the BR lake drawdown, click on this TVA link.

Drawdown schedule given to us from Mike Holloway, President of the Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited Chapter:

Blue Ridge Reservoir Predicted Elevations
Elevation Date
1686 7/15 – start drawdown
1672 7/29
1658 8/12
1652 8/26
1647 9/9
1641 9/23
1635 10/07
1629 10/21
1620 to 1625* 10/30/10 to 4/01/11
1620 to 1625* 4/1/11 – Start Refill
1631 4/15
1642 4/29
1651 5/13
1658 5/27
1663 6/10
1668 6/24
1671 7/8
1675 7/22
1677 8/5
1678 8/19
*Low water boat ramp(s) are unavailable below elevation 1,627

Quality Fishing on the Toccoa Tailwater

I just got off the phone with John Browning, one of our guides here at Unicoi Outfitters. John had two clients float the tailwater with him this past Saturday, and to put it in JB's words, it was "the best trip I've ever had on the Toccoa". That's saying a lot, because John has had some pretty good trips!

First Cast!

Things got off to a great start when JB's client John (a little confusing, no?) got a nice 16" rainbow on the very first cast of the day. And then it just kept getting better. They lost count of the number of fish landed (always the sign of a good trip, IMO), but more than the Standard Nine Inch Trout, they caught a lot of nice fish.  Good numbers of 14-16" fish.  An 18" hook-jawed male brown.  Two rainbows over 20".  And hooked but not landed was a fish JB said was honestly in the 25" class - they had the fish on for a long fight when it finally got off - JB was relieved that the fly was still attached and his knot had held - the strong fish simply wore a hole large enough to allow the hook to pull free.

In addition to the size, JB was most impressed with how aggressive the fish were.  One 20" 'bow moved 5 or 6 feet to take a Wooly Bugger - they thought the fish had spooked, but were shocked when it took the fly.  And, they were into fish all day - the only time things slowed down was when they were in a driving rain (they endured three strong thunderstorms on Saturday).

They did use Buggers some, but the best success of the day came on Sulfur emergers.  In fact, in the middle of the day just before the first storm, there was a hatch of Sulfurs.  Oddly enough though, at that time, the fish weren't taking Sulfurs as you might expect, but were killing the Caddis.  That's why you want an experienced guide - they know how and when to change it up, even when you think the correct fly should be obvious.

JB took the one photo above with his cell phone, but is looking for some more photos from Kevin, his other client...we'll pass one or two along when we get them.

Unicoi Blue Ridge Shop Floats the Toccoa River Tailwater for Rainbows & Browns

This past Monday Chad and Arte floated the Toccoa River Tailwater. Arte was able to land this beautiful massive brown trout on a sunny day. Chad said the fish were really biting. And, they had caught several rainbows during their float too.

After drooling over Arte's brownie, we decided it was time for us to hit the river. David and I wanted to test Chad's new flies. Chad is a new Umpqua Feather Merchant tier. Checkout his SCUBA fly. Chad has spent tons of time on the river designing and testing his flies. The second fly is called the Backpacker PT. It is another killer fly.

David, Chad, and I had a great time on the river. We were able to catch and release several large rainbows during on float. I was able to land this rainbow on Chad's SCUBA fly.

David mostly stripped streamers.
We did notice several March Brown mayflies hatching along the river. However, the fish seemed to be more keyed into nymphs and streamers. Also, we had to use some split shot to get the flies down. All in all, it was just a great day to enjoy floating the river and fishing with friends.

Tearing Up The Toccoa!

We received this weekend fishing report from The Dredger (aka Jeff Durniak) and his fishing partner, Mark Whitney. The pictures will say much more than my words as they had a banner afternoon Saturday on the Toccoa tailwater. In addition to landing one of the tagged rainbows, they also brought to hand a 16" rainbow, and these two 20" plus beauties. No dry flies on this day but with these results, who's complaining.

Jeff had grabbed Mark at lunch in Helen, after Mark's opening day had already made by a 19 inch Dukes Creek brown that morning. From the same pool, Mark had also long distance released two more big browns with one of them estimated at over 20". The wind on the Toccoa seemed to hold tailwater bugs back, so they dredged a few hours and landed about 10 fish between the two of them. What a great way to spend opening day of trout season!

On Sunday, Dredger couldn't find anyone to go fish with him during the storms tracking across the state, so he watched the radar and hit the Toccoa DH in between storms. Doppler Day as he called it.

Here's his report:

Only fished lower end from island up 200 yards to rope swing hole. Decent action all day long. Dredged buggers to start and had a good steady pick, including one bonus fish, a smallmouth bass that ate the prince dropper.

I ended with 2 hrs of #16 soft hackle hare's ear dropped 2 ft under caddis dry. I had to tried several flies to figure out the risers that came up when air finally warmed. Zero on caddis. All on wet as fish rose, in slow eddies along the bank and behind midstream boulders, to unidentified emerger.

The two hours of fly casting were a nice change to catapulting lead all winter. But for big fish, Mike's mohair leech is still the ticket. The red stripes of Toccoa DH rainbows are outstanding.

It's spring! Look for noses poking thru the water surface.

Thanks to Jeff and Mark for this great fishing report. He's right, it's spring and time to get on the river! Hope you can get out often this year.

The Toccoa infects another with "the BUG"

Fly fishing seems to have this overwhelming ability to just consume the minds of the newly "hooked." Duane Miller has fallen victim to it. Duane and I met months ago in the shop. At that time, he was just reintroducing himself to fly fishing. He had learned to fish when he lived in Colorado and had enjoyed it as one of his pastimes, but it would soon become more than just a pastime. After talking to him several times as he would come into the shop, I knew that he would soon be in for it. I had been there (or I guess am there), where all you want to do is fish, that's it. It started with a tying class and he fell in love with that. One thing led to another and he decided to take a few trips to learn as much as possible about the area. We spent a day on the upper Toccoa and then with the recent weather, decided to hit the lower Toccoa. I guess that is where the real story begins.

Last Friday there was an early generation so we planned to be ready to push off when they turned the water off. We rode the high water down for the first little bit so the fishing was a little slow, but it would not be long. About the time the water settled out, Duane was in the groove. One of the first fish that we hooked was a fish that was pushing 20 inches but managed to shake the hook. Then just a few casts later, it was on. As soon as he set the hook, I saw the flash and I knew that this was the fish we were after. Catching any fish on a fly rod is a blast but when you see a fish like that, it's just a whole different deal. The fish made a couple of good runs out in the middle and then headed to a pile of logs on the bank. At this point, things seem to be in slow motion. We went after it and somehow it came back out of the mess a lot easier than I expected. Away it went on another run, this time to wrap a rock. At this point, as a guide, you are about to freak, you just want this fish in the net. Duane played the fish perfectly. We went after it again and the line came off the rock and the fish settled down for a second - just a second. It began thrashing not too far off the boat and in doing so, wrapped the leader around itself. I am thinking if we get away with this, it will be a miracle. The fish settled down and sure enough, the line came unwrapped and another run followed. I can't tell you how long all of this lasted because you just lose track of everything, you are just in another world. The fish finally settled down and decided to give in. When a fish like that hits the net, you just can't explain it. A few pictures and then the fish was back in the water. As we sent the fish on its way, we immediately started playing back the whole fight back between each other. I can still see it in my head. The day had started off with the highlight. In total, we hooked a number of decent fish and three really good ones during the day. The other two big fish managed to get away, but the day had already been made.

Needless to say, the Toccoa is fishing well right now and we can only expect that it will get better as the weather improves and we start to get more bugs out and about. We did see a good number of caddis out and had some fish come up after them. Just a good day on the water.

When I look back on it, what a way to spend the day. Duane has really become passionate about fishing in a short period of time and it was cool for me to be there to see it payoff. After this fish, I am afraid that we may have another that has caught "the BUG."

The Cure for Cabin Fever

I am sure that I am not the only one that has been suffering from a reoccurring case of cabin fever for the last few months, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Six straight days on the water is just the dose of "medicine" that was needed. Finally the weather has been rather pleasant, considering what we have been through this winter, and the fishing is on the upswing as well. We spent a good bit of time on the upper Toccoa in the last week and one thing is for sure, there are a ton of fish up there to be caught. With the high water and all the poor weather, the fish have had the river to themselves for the better part of the winter. I was told Friday that the stocking truck was seen on the DH putting a truckload on top of what was already there. The wading is still tough, but the extra water has been perfect for float trips. We made three trips down in the last week including a three boat, six man assault.

Monday morning, we headed out with six guys that have fished with us quite a bit over the years for a chance for them to see something new. The upper river is definitely a different look than the lower. You float through sections that have no houses or nothing else around, it's just you and the fish. It was a little chilly when we pushed off but it was not long and the sun was up and things began to heat up. Even with three boats full hammering every inch of the river, everyone was into fish. There were several nice fish in the 15 to 17 inch range landed and then one that was 20 plus (Pictured below). As you get close to the DH section, well then it's on. All of those holes that are nearly impossible to wade are easily picked apart out of the boat. Being up high gives you a completely different look at all those places. You would be surprised at some of the little spots that hold fish that you just never see when you are down in the water. The day was a blast and the guys finished the day asking why they had never done that float before.

Tuesday morning we headed out early to the lower end of the tailwater ahead of the early generation. We were only going to get about two hours in before the generation hit so it was going to have to be quick. It ended up being quality not quantity. There were several above average fish including an 18 incher that made it to the net and a fish that was well above average that didn't make it to the net. The fish that got away gave several good runs before calming down and showing itself. It got close three or four times for a good look. And I'm just estimating, but I would say that it was at least 22 inches. After a pretty lengthy fight, it pulled one of those magic tricks and threw the hook right back at Chris.

So I say all of this because I am sure some of you are itching to get out as bad as I was. There really does seem to be a bunch of fish on the DH and they are willing to eat. The generation on the tailwater has not given as much of an opportunity to fish here lately but with that said, it may make the fish a little more willing to cooperate going into spring. It looks like as fair weather comes it's going to be a good opportunity to make up for some lost time.

Beautiful Rainbow Trout on the Toccoa DH

Becky and I headed to the Toccoa DH to do some much needed fishing this past weekend. The river was running around 513cfs, but we were able to bear it by wading where we could see the bottom and following the gravel areas. The water temp read 40 degrees F. So we knew the fish were in deep pools with small strike zones. We had to put a minimum of two split shot on our lines to get the flies down to the fish. I used a Y2K with a Fergus trout bug and Beck used a Olive Wooly Bugger with Shell Pink San Juan worm trailer. Both dropper rigs were successful.

We caught several beautifully colored rainbows. Check out the red streak!

A significant Black Caddis hatch occurred while we were on the river. I laughed so hard when Beck inhaled one when she turned to yell downstream at me to let me know she another fish on.

We also noted an occasional black stone fluttering around too. However, most of our fish were mostly interested in streamers and nymphs. We had a great time on the river.

Toccoa Tailwater 3/7/10

After hearing predictions of truly spring-like weather for Sunday afternoon in north Georgia, I called a few friends and made plans to fish the Toccoa tailwater that afternoon. The TVA generation schedule was 7 AM until 11 AM which would give everyone a chance to go to church, eat a leisurely lunch and even hang around the fly shop a little while and tell some lies. (Oops, actually, they're more like embellishments). The tailwater hasn't been fishable much recently due to the releases at the dam but a sunny Sunday afternoon was too good to pass up. There have been some black caddis coming off so we stood a good chance of getting into some dry fly action. Well, as is usually the case, the weatherman wasn't very accurate. It was a nice day for early March but the sun never came out and the wind was blowing just enough to make it chilly. We saw a few gray caddis flying about but only a couple of rises. So deep we went. The beautiful 17" brown pictured above fell for a black micro-leech. Earlier a black woolly bugger had tangled with some kind of really big fish that never showed itself and ran almost into the backing twice before finding a rock to cut the line. Our group did catch some smaller rainbows and one with a DNR tag. Considering where we were fishing, the tagged fish must have moved either several miles downstream or several miles upstream since there were no public stocking areas nearby. The award for chunky gal of the day goes to this 17" rainbow. All in all, a great day to be on the river. Keep your ears open for reports of tailwater hatches in the coming days on the Toccoa. It should be great going forward into spring, whenever the weathermen decide to let us actually have one.

Toccoa Tailwater meeting Saturday November 14th

An Important Message From Our Friend Ralph Artigliere, Blue Ridge Mtn TU:


The future of our Toccoa Tailwater has been a hot topic among Georgia trout fishermen recently. Blue Ridge Mtn TU is dedicating its meeting on Saturday to information on the present and future of the Tailwater. GA DNR Biologist have been earnestly studying the Toccoa tailwater for two years, headed by Biologist John Damer. John is an expert in tailwater fisheries and hired and assigned this project in light of his background. He is also a good guy and excellent trout fisherman. Last fall John spoke on his interim assessment of his Toccoa River study to our Blue Ridge Mtn TU chapter, and that presentation was one of the most informative and popular programs we had last year. Last year we heard some history of the river, saw lots of neat fish pictures, and learned a ton about the fishery. John is coming back to speak to us on Saturday, November 14th, 9am at the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center off Hwy 515 across from Ingles (above CVS). Guest are welcome. You do not want to miss this, as John has another full year of study under his belt. Other than "where did you shock up that ten pound brown?" John is generous about answering questions. John presentation and Q and A will be followed by an open forum on where we go from here in protecting the river moderated by BRMTU President Mike Holloway. If you care about the future of the Toccoa be there Saturday, November 14th.

Ralph Artigliere
blueridgetu.com

We look forward to seeing ya'll there.

Tight Lines,

David and Becky Hulsey