Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 7/9/21

Its “summer siesta” time in north Georgia as our annual pattern of heat, humidity,  and afternoon storms settles in.  Rest your casting arm and take an afternoon nap.   

Your best bets are wild trout in cold, skinny headwaters before lunch, stockers in select streams, river bass in clear water, river stripers in stained water, early lake spots over humps, carp on the flats, and pond bream and bass at dawn and dusk. And maybe  a “road trip” to distant destinations, like the coast or the Rockies, if you can pull it off.  Enjoy the pics from UO friends Athens Alan, wildlife-watching at Rocky Mtn National Park, and Waycross Bert, chasing GA coastal reds with boat buddy Don.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Product-Service/Berts-Jigs-and-Things-1378689645475258/

I hear thunder as I write this at noon, so remember Wednesday’s stormflow tips, too. Gotta luv the summer spaghetti hatch!

http://blog.angler.management/2021/07/aim-for-rain.html

Wes’ hot fly list and UO guide and friend fishing reports follow on the long versions of this report at our Facebook page and blog.angler.management.

Good luck!

Wes Hot Fly List:

Dries: Micro chubby, Fat head beetle, Hard body ant, Bear’s hi-viz roberts

Nymphs: Drowned ant, Soft hackle hare’s ear, Green weenie, Trout crack, Little yellow Sloan

Streamers & warmwater:

Crittermite, Mini dragon tail, Triple double rainbow, Stealth jig, Bugger changer

Headwaters:

Small streams were low, clear, and about 65F at 10AM during my morning route. Get on the water early, be sneaky, and make the first cast count as you aim for each handful of fish, now piled into their summer drought refuges.

Hunter reports: “JT and I spent a half-day exploring some public water above Helen this week before the rains came in. We had a mixed bag of stocked and wild fish. We fished a stretch of water with stocked fish that wasn’t too deep, and did good in the low water with a dry/dropper setup of a large chubby chernobyl and your typical legs, eggs, and mops dropped below. When targeting the smaller wild fish, we had most of our luck on extra small terrestrials like micro chubbies, and a few eats on a greenie weenie dropped below it. “

Stocker streams:

Watch for a shorter list this week, by design. GAWRD typically stocks heavily in the spring to take advantage of abundant cold water and higher angler numbers.   

Go to the “frequency” page in here and read the very bottom of pages 1-2.

Trout Fishing | Department Of Natural Resources Division

Remaining fish from this year’s hatchery crop are then aimed at cooler, high elevation creeks and the chilly tailwaters for dedicated summer trouters.  Head for cold spots like Sarah’s, Tallulah, upper Hooch, Dicks, Rock, Cooper, and Buford and Blue Ridge dams for your summer stockers. Open hatchery space is then refilled each summer with 4-inch fingerlings, grown for next year’s stockings.

Rivers:

Rivers are fishing well for resident bass and bream - when they clear between storms. The Hooch at Highway 115 was 70F with 3 feet of visibility at 9 this morning. Conditions may change with the afternoon storms that just arrived here in White County.

Landon said, “Decent pick on a large Lanier trib before the holiday weekend boat traffic picked up.  We had about a dozen bass and a bunch of redbreast between both of us yak anglers. We tossed mainly small poppers to get some surface eats. Angling action died when the floating fleet of tubes and yaks increased just before lunch.”

Athens Jay:

“Just before the storm, conditions finally got right for wading down here in the Piedmont. I had less than an hour before dark to give it a quick try. Wood is good!

This intruder put up quite a tussle in the flow. Same fly as always.”

Splatek: “Spence and I tried trout worms, whacky-rigged on a euronymph rod in a local warmwater stream.  The rig is making the bream go nuts!”

Lakes/Tailwaters:

HenryC:  “Here's the skinny for metro Atlanta.  Lanier is "still" fishing nicely on the fly for topwater spotted bass. There will be plenty of action, especially this weekend with the new moon upon us. Best areas to target are points and humps  over a 15-30' bottom and you MUST fish over the brush. Sea walls are also still fishing well early in the day, with schooling fish seen chasing herring.

Striper fishing down the hooch is also fishing nicely for fly anglers. While I haven't been myself, I am seeing lots of photos of fish from Morgan Falls Dam and below. Finally and not least... carp fishing is very good when the Corp releases enough water.”

Henry Cowen

There’s your high-humidity report from Helen. Pack your raincoat, bug spray, and floating bugs the night before. 

Then c’mon up early, catch some fish, and snooze with a smile during your afternoon siesta.  UO nap king Jimmy recommends a streamside hammock in the national forest.  Call or visit either UO store for more intel.  Maybe we should stock some pillows, too?

Out Yonder

Jimmy recently returned from his summer trouting pilgrimage to the far West and filed this report. Enjoy!

“I spent a few days in the Yellowstone area at the end of June, hoping to catch the salmonfly hatch.  I was one week too early for the full-blown hatch but that didn't prevent me from having a good trip.  Fishing on the Madison was spotty but good.  Slough Creek was an interesting challenge as I picked a fight with one of the largest cutthroats I've ever seen there.  Over a period of almost two hours, I hooked it twice and had it refuse my fly eight times!  Never landed it.  The Gallatin was the best, and coldest, river by far.  I landed more, and larger, brown trout there this time than any time in memory.  I know the Rockies are dry fly heaven but on this day the big guys only wanted a Pheasant Tail. 

 

It's going to be a hot and dry summer out there this year.  If you plan to go, think about fishing early in the morning and sightseeing the rest of the day; or taking a nap.  Traveling to the NE corner of the park gave me an opportunity to see a grizzly mama and her two babies, two different cinnamon black bears, and three wolves.  So take some time to look around.  

Check with our friends at Blue Ribbon Flies for up-to-date information.

*NOTE:  First two pics are Gallatin browns.  Third pic is Madison Cuttbow.”

Call or visit either of our UO stores if we can help you with your own pilgrimage plans.

Aim for the Rain

As the tropical storm draws near south GA today, we are rooting for some rain events up here. Then we will aim for the rain!

Summer storms often cool north Georgia streams and deliver a slug of groceries to hungry predators, which have had slim pickings in this season’s low, clear waters. The stormflow’s stained waters also provide angler advantages. First, we can sneak up closer to our targets. Second, we can use bigger bugs. Third, we can use heavier tippet to winch in our trophies.

Summer stripers sulk, but come alive on storm surges.  They like to intercept stocked trout washed downstream during floods. Toss big rainbow trout-colored streamers or 6-inch long, black game changers to tempt them. Remember, fifty bucks and your 8-weight rod will get you a shot at Nacoochee Bend’s summer stripers. Call  the shop (706-878-3083) for details and reservations.

Resident, high-elevation trout relocate to soft pockets and bankside eddies. You’ll find them with bulging bellies as they take advantage of washed-in terrestrials (especially the spaghettti hatch) and dislocated nymphs.  Try a red squirmy, # 10 tungsten tan mop, or a #12 sexy Walts in those slow spots.

So watch weather forecasts, check USGS flow gauges, and call your favorite fly shop. (We know some good ones in Helen and Clarkesville.) Then grab your Goretex jacket and aim for the rain this summer!

UO Fishing Report - 7/3/21

Welcome to the UO holiday fishing report. Here’s a reminder that our Helen shop will be open tomorrow, July 4th, from 8AM to 1PM.

Our holiday theme is “hunt cold water.” Thursday night’s two inches of rain passed through our headwater creeks yesterday and our larger trout waters today. The Hooch in Helen was only slightly stained and running at low summer base flow this morning (3rd).

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 02330450 CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT HELEN, GA

Down in bass waters, the Hooch at Highway 115 was still pushing the muddy slug through, with visibility of only about two feet, on my way home this morning.

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 02331000 CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER NEAR LEAF, GA

Your best bets this week should focus on the coolest waters for trout : bluelines for wild fish, higher headwaters for stockers (GAWRD had a long stocking list to serve holiday crowds), anywhere if a sudden storm cools and stains streams, and the two icy trout tailwaters. Aim for the mornings to find the coldest water of the day.

Local ponds and lakes are good in the cool morning air for bass and bream. These last two species will also feed in warmer water, so the shadows at dusk are a good bet, too. Just avoid the sun, like they do. Give our bigger bass rivers (Hooch, Chestatee, Etowah, etc) another day or two to shed Thursday’s muddy rainwater to ensure higher success on your river floats. Stain is still good for stripers, however, so don’t shy away from turbidity too quickly.

Wes’ hot fly list and our UO staff and friends’ fishing reports follow on our Facebook page and at blog.angler.management.

Have a happy and safe holiday. Be careful if boating, given the huge holiday crowds.

Wes Hot Fly List:

Summer conditions are consistent, so the fly list is the same as last week’s selection.

Dries: Juan’s hopper, Quick-site beetle, Parachute ant, Yellow humpy, Stoneflopper, tan elk hair caddis.

Nymphs: Squirminator, Jigged prince, Green weenie,Frenchie, Bird turd

Streamers & warmwater: Headcase crayfish, May’s identity crisis, Bank robber sculpin, Stealth jig, Feather changer, BoogleBug 

Headwaters:

Landon and Accomplice hit a blueline high above Helen one afternoon this week. Alas, the catching was slow on a caddis dry/prince dropper combo in the low, clear water. Fish were definitely in afternoon fright mode, and Landon suggested that mornings would fish better.

In contrast, UO young gun Atticus hit some north slope headwaters this week and had some good times, scoring the hat trick on little wild bows, browns, and specks on his caddis and stimmy dries.  Best fish was a 12-inch brown hooked and uncapped on his start up the creek, and hooked and fondled on his way back downhill several hours later.

Stocker streams:

These will fish well before lunch and if you beat the holiday crowds. Check out WRD’s long holiday stocking list. Remember that they’ll drive stockings farther upstream to avoid water temps over 70F and give you good shots at the stockers.  Hint: hit the smaller, lesser-known streams early.

Trout Fishing | Department Of Natural Resources Division

UO guide Hunter reports:

“We fished a few public water creeks around Helen yesterday. The key was finding places that had been recently stocked, if you don’t have luck keep moving till you find the fish. Once you find them, small streamers like wooly buggers or dry droppers in the shallow pools with legs, eggs, and worms beneath are the ticket. Water is basically back to normal after that Thursday night rain.”

Private Waters:

They fished well as we wrapped up our spring season on them. Enjoy new UO staffer/guide Israel’s video of the release of a nice Nacoochee Bend bow. 

 Mornings fished well on dry/dropper combos with light tippet, and the bite shut down  by 10 or 11.  As river temps now approach or exceed 70F, we’ll not fish for these trout until cool temps return in the fall.

We still offer guided trips to our USFS-permitted sites in the national forest. If you want to learn trouting basics or chase wild fish, give us a call and line up a guide.

We also offer unguided river striper trips in Helen. Fifty bucks will reserve you two hours at dawn or dusk to chase these fish with your eight-weights  and trout-colored streamers while the shadows are on the river. Call the fly shop for details and reservations. If you hit it at first or last light, or in a muddy stormflow, you’ll have a great shot at a couple 5-10 pound, striped submarines.

Tailwaters:

Landon:  “No photos but I fished the Hooch TW at XX. Bridge Tuesday after the am storms. Pick was good on a hares ear jig with a black zebra midge, both under a dry. I caught 4:1 on the midge vs hares ear.”

RonW:  “The fellas and I fished Buford Dam again last Saturday 6/26.  It was a slow day for us all. Moe landed 2 rainbows right out of the gate on a dry. Kurt got one or two as well on the dry. I had  nothing but a single  splash and then it  went dry for several hours. We tried nearly everything in the box with not so much as a tap.  The switch turned on around 1pm with them slamming midges. Still nothing for me until the last 30 minutes when I finally landed a feisty rainbow on the dry part of my dry dropper rig around 2pm.

I bailed after that and headed home to perform my domestic duties with a smile on my face. I bet Mr. Heron cleaned up behind me.”

Rivers:

River bassing has been good when they’ve been clear enough for residents to spot our bugs and streamers. 

Dredger went north of the border last weekend and had a decent dusk for smallies on his stealth bomber. Biggest was only 11 inches, but they were all on top and a fun change of flavor.

UO-Helen manager Wes weighed in:

 “Between guided trips and an afternoon of personal fishing, I have been able to get after river bass a few times in the last couple of weeks. The name of the game is adapting your tactics based on water conditions and how the fish respond. The topwater action has been good in lower flows when the water has good clarity. UO sales associate Joseph Clark got this 19.5” fish on a stealth bomber recently.

In dingy water, baitfish fly patterns or spinnerbaits seem to do the trick. Don't be afraid to dredge as well. On a recent guide trip, we caught a few on top early before the bite dried up. We were able to find a few more bites and some larger fish by swimming a crawfish fly near the bottom.”

UO buddy RodneyT, director of the North Paulding High School Flyfishing club, is once again on the hunt for his GA Bass Slam. He knocked off a few species and shared pics of pretty Bartrams and Chattahoochee bass.

Where? I don’t believe he said!

Slam info here:

https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources/GeorgiaBassSlam

Athens Jay reported on his mid-GA trek, and backed it up with a pic of a Shoalie with wide shoulders:

“There are still fish in Piedmont rivers that will eat a fly, especially a black fly.”

Ed note: he showed me a big, black bunny leech and a fat black stealth bomber.

Ponds:

MiniMe Splatek is refining his newfound bassing game. Soft plastics are scoring on their local “hood pond” and he landed a hefty lagemouth on a pumpkinseed crawfish pattern. Congrats Spencer!

Lakes:

HenryC is still finding some plump , Lanier spots while throwing topwater plugs, bugs, and streamers on midlake humps and along breakwaters, especially in the mornings.  Jimmy and I tried it yesterday afternoon. Alas, we got skunked! It was still a nice boat ride, and we got off the water before the holiday crowds packed it too badly.  Hey, that why it’s called “fishing.”

Henry Cowen

Afar

Wes had a great fish story! Enjoy his South Georgia getaway:

“I headed down to “The Swamp” with my buddies Jackson and Brandon to target Bowfin, better known locally as mudfish.

We had a blast catching these hard fighting natives. You know when a bowfin hits your fly because they slam it hard! Cypress trees covered in Spanish moss, prairies of lily pads and flowers, and countless birds and alligators made for a very scenic trip. In two days of fishing, we probably landed around 40 fish and disconnected with another 20 or so. We also had some cool by-catches including Chain pickerel, Florida gar, and a few large warmouth. “

There you go, everything but the fireworks. Enjoy your holiday time, hopefully wet-wading or floating somewhere cool and shady. Contact either of our UO stores if you’d like a cheerleader to celebrate your angling independence.

Summer Bassin’

 As summer bassin’ season is now in full swing, we thought we’d share this nice article on the Flymen Fishing Company website. Check out the deer hair Zara Spook bug!

https://flymenfishingcompany.com/blogs/blog/explosion-on-the-surface-topwater-flies-and-streamers-for-fly-fishing-largemouth-bass

Have fun chasing lake and river bass with your stouter  rods this summer. Remember, five or more species will earn you a Georgia Bass Slam certificate from GAWRD.

https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources/GeorgiaBassSlam

Call or visit either of our UO stores for some hot summer bass bugs, heftier leaders, or some good intel for your species hunts.  Good luck!

Prime Lies

We’re glad everyone liked last Friday’s brief headwater video with this inquiry: “Where would you cast your caddis dry to tempt the best resident in this reach of a cold Hooch tributary?

Thanks for your answers on Instagram and Facebook. We also had the question, “where would YOU cast?” So here’s my answer.  First, let’s remember: there’s no one “right” way to fish. Find your own way and have some fun!

For me, my path is influenced by 3 decades as a state fish biologist and 5 as a fly flinger. I think of two factors for a chunky trout’s prosperity: shelter and food. They first need shelter from predators now and floods after a big rain. And they need food delivered efficiently, so their calories consumed exceed their energy spent to get it.

I’d start out downstream, do my heron-creep upstream, and crouch down just below that pool below the big log (pic 1). I’d first toss 1-2 casts to the tailout on the far side of the main current. Sometimes big fish or sentinel fish will slide back down there for an easy meal.

After that, I’d aim for that inside “elbow” of softer water along the far side of the main current, just below the log. The main current and the back eddy coming upstream from the far bank provide two “fast food” lanes, while the depth and log cover provide shelter. If I’m lucky and sneaky , an 8-9 inch wild trout will inhale my dry right on that current seam.

After that I’d hit the undercut on the far bank, under the tree roots (pic 2),  and hope for a 7-incher.  Depth limits the suitability of that spot. After that, I’d wade upstream slowly and hunt the next good niche with the winning combo of “ shelter and food”, and toss my dry 2-3 times. If no looks, then keep moving upstream in my hunt for prime niches.

Hope you enjoyed your blueline trip with Dredger. Let’s do it again, soon!

Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report - 6/25/21

www.unicoioutfitters.com

706-878-3083

Let’s call this week’s report a “rerun,” as our fishing conditions and best bets will be similar to last week’s pre-storm intel.  

Last Sunday’s  3+ inches of rainfall from the tropical storm has run off and our creeks and rivers have receded to their low summer base flows.

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 02330450 CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT HELEN, GA

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv?site_no=02330450

So, unless one of these afternoon storms sits on your watershed, you’ll be aiming for spooky fish in low water again.   If you get a storm flush, then try the big/ugly/bright flies in the stained waters. 

Best bets: headwater wild trout, cool stocker streams, cold tailwaters, ponds at dawn and dusk, and lakes at dawn. Keep in mind that GAWRD typically stocks  trout far and wide for the July 4th crowds, so plan your holiday week accordingly.

Wes’ hot fly list, my region recon, and angler reports follow on our Facebook and Blog pages.

Wes’ Hot Fly List:

Dries: Juan’s hopper, Quick-site beetle, Parachute ant, Yellow humpy, Stoneflopper, tan elk hair caddis.

Nymphs: Squirminator, Jigged prince, Green weenie,Frenchie, Bird turd

Streamers & warmwater: Headcase crayfish, May’s identity crisis, Bank robber sculpin, Stealth jig, Feather changer, BoogleBug 

Headwaters:

Splatek and Son had a great fishing/camping trip last weekend. His tale is chronicled here:

http://forum.gon.com/threads/multi-species-mountain-fun.996120/

I checked a Hooch headwater’s streamflow and temperature during this morning’s region recon.  It looked prime for a fluffy dry, but I had to move on my recon instead of flinging a fly, so the fish are still there for you. Our creeks have returned to summer baseflow, while some cool nights and heavy tree cover are keeping water temps down. We hope you enjoyed today’s video and note the temp (62 in the shade at ten).  

Sneak upstream slowly, hit the shaded pools and undercut banks, and be ready for quick strikes on your high-floating dries. Bows are all over the place, while the lazier browns and specks prefer slower flows and a roof over their heads. Recall our “niches” lesson:

Know Their ‘Niches’ | Coastal Angler & The Angler Magazine

https://coastalanglermag.com/know-their-niches/

Private Waters: 

They’re fishing about the same: some fair action early in the main current, then the fish take a long siesta, from mid-morning til dark, as water temps creep up toward and sometimes past 70 degrees.

Tailwaters:

Remember that Lanier and Blue Ridge have enough winter-water storage to maintain trout-friendly Tailwater temperatures throughout the year. RonW’s gang gave Lanier a shot and reported, “ Our trio hit the Dam on Saturday 6/19 and had a heck of a day. Despite the clouds, slight wind, and very light drizzle towards the end (2pm), we all managed 6 or more fish and most all on dries.  We started off by getting in about 9am just  downstream of the creek and worked our way down to the top of Bowman's Island. I fished a big split wing Cahill with a dropper off the back early and then went straight to the dry. Only got 1 on the dropper; the rest came on the dry. The guys were hammering them on fan wing Coachmans and an assortment of other dries that weren't matching any type of hatch. I caught another bow at the end of the day while stretching out line way beyond my capabilities. While not designed for it, the 10' 6" 4wt Kurt built me can throw a bugger well out past 60' with ease! It was another fun trip for our trio.”

Rivers:

No new reports registered. The Hooch at Highway 115 looked pretty good today: low, with the usual greenish summer stain, and very fishable. Use the same techniques (flies, niches, and times) described in last week’s report. Just check the gauge or call our Helen store to ensure that an afternoon storm in the upper watershed hasn’t muddied it up too much for your targets to see your streamers and poppers.

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 02331000 CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER NEAR LEAF, GA

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=02331000

And for you floaters needing a shuttle, I took a pic this morning at the Hwy 115 access of your potential yak taxi service.

Small Impoundments:

Some redbreasts were still on the bed at my local lake this morning.  Some decent largemouths were also cruising the shallows before the sun got above the tree line.   Early risers should have good luck on surface bugs, tossed under the tree limbs or under docks at dawn.

Athens Jay checked in: “After work paddleboard hydrotherapy is the only thing keeping me sane (and hopefully improving my core strength and balance for wading.) The impending full moon has the bluegill very very frisky- now is the time to get them on flies! The dropper/dry combo of boogie bug/ black rubberlegs is deadly for bedding bream and the ever-present bass hovering around them. “

Lakes:

Landon had two brief reports: “The Topwater bite on Nottely is good right now. Spooks and chug bugs on main lake points got several decent bass for a buddy and me the other night.

I also hit a Dahlonega trib the other night between storms with my ultralight. It was slow but a couple small shoal bass and redbreast kept it interesting.”




HenryC is still chasing Lanier bass at dawn for his clients. Today’s GAWRD weekly fishing report has more intel to help our large lake fans, as many species head deep or upriver in search of their preferred water temps.




https://georgiawildlife.blog/2021/06/25/georgia-fishing-report-june-25-2021/




There’s your late-June fodder from the hills around Helen. Have fun either fishing now or getting your camping and angling gear ready for the holiday ahead. Call or visit either UO store if we can enhance your pre-trip confidence.

Speckulation Season

This is a great season for speckulating. Yes, the term is spelled correctly!  Folks well-versed in Rabunite will certainly understand and apply this term. They’ll grab a short rod, a few  fluffy dries, and their best pair of wading shoes for hiking. They’ll head waaay uphill, above the barrier falls that blockade the bows and browns, and cast into the shaded, slow pockets. If they’re lucky, they’ll score on some true natives, the ones with light spots on a dark background.

Speckulation is not about numbers or size. It’s about exploration and the celebration of Mother Nature’s original gifts. Grab a topo map, a fit buddy for safety and celebration, and a short, whippy rod. Then head up the mountain and speckulate this summer in the chilly headwaters. If it’s good enough for the Rabunites, it’s certainly good enough for us.

Stop by either UO shop for a few nuggets of intel to point you in the right direction. Then enjoy the treasure that your hunt will earn you.

Are You Troutbitten?

The rain is gone and the sun is shining.  The bright rays are a great reminder of the value of our sunglasses. Dominic at https://troutbitten.com just composed another timely article. This one covers everything an angler needs to know about sunglasses. Take a look:

https://troutbitten.com/2021/05/19/polarized-sunglasses-for-fly-fishers-why-when-and-what-kind/

And consider subscribing to his blog for more great trouting articles like this one.

Thank you, Dom!

Have fun reading stream bottoms and spotting your quarry before it spots you this summer. Visit or call either of our UO stores if you’d like some help with upgrading your polarized sunglasses and upping your catch, from stream trout to river bass to flats carp. Good luck!

Addendum:

And that’s not just any angler. Monte is a Hall of Famer, twice over!

https://fms.fisheries.org/awards/hall-of-excellence/hall-of-excellence-inductees/

https://patch.com/georgia/atlanta/legends-fly