Drifting the Tuckaseegee

Butch Martin sent in this report from his float trip on the Tuck this past week:


There's a lot of high water around this past week.  Most of the larger streams are way too high for wading and, if not, they're too muddy to fish.  When conditions like this are present, floating the river in a drift boat is often the only safe way to get a trip in.  On Friday, I took Trudy Johnson and Linda Bennett to the Tuckaseegee DH in North Carolina.  Even there the river is too high to wade.  Duke Power is running water in the Tuck almost 24-7. 

This nice brookie was caught by Trudy on her second cast of the day.  There were three more fish in this size category caught on this trip.  We had a 30 fish day even in the wind, rain and cold.  The river had been stocked a few days before out trip so the fishing was very good. 

When you float the Tuckaseegee, you'll notice two things right off.  First, the fish don't turn off during generation like they do on the Toccoa.  Second, you have very little competition from other anglers.  The Tuck is a big wide river and a drift boat is the best way to fish it during these times

Can We Afford to Tie Our Own Flies?

Yesterday we shipped a package of Whiting 1/4 Saddles to a lady in Oregon to be used as hair extensions. It's the latest thing since that guy on American Idol started wearing them.  Rumor is that the hairdressing industry is buying up all the hackle they can get their hands on, which, of course, is causing the value of these prized feathers to skyrocket.  The wholesale price of some hackles is now at the level we sell them retail.  I didn't realize the extent of this fad until today.  A little surfing the net found this ad (and these are "wholesale" prices):  "Featherheads"

On the bright side, if you are the owner of some fine hackle, you may be wealthy beyond your imagination right now.  I wonder how many of these folks realize the feathers weren't just borrowed from the rooster.  To tie or to cash in; it's a moral decision only you can make for yourself.

New Winston GVX Rods

Jake Darling (aka Spanky) has fallen in love...with the new Winston GVX fly rod.  It takes a lot to impress Spank so I figured what he has to say is worth listening to.

"The new Winston GVX has a really soft touch for working in tight quarters but enough reserve power to blast it out to those hard to reach places.  This may seem like blasphemy but, in my opinion, the GVX is a better rod than it's famous predecesor the BIIx at a fraction of the cost.  Winston has dropped the boron from the GVX series so it's an all graphite composite rod.  In their world, Winston classifies this as a fast action rod but they list it in their "Classic" series alongside the famous WT Trout series.

"Bottom line is that it is an extremely smooth action with enough power in the butt section to truly launch a line.  They're less than a half ounce more than the new BIIIx and that could probably be eliminated if they offered a graphite composite reel seat rather than the beautiful traditional maple insert.  It's a great rod, made right there in Twin Bridges, MT and offered at a reasonable price for such a well engineered rod."

Dukes 3/5 & 3/6

Chad Peters and I decided to head over to Dukes on Saturday to see if we could find some happy trout. With all of the rain, we knew that the water would have some stain and we were hoping the big fish would come out to play. We fished the afternoon session on section one. When we first stepped in the water we were into fish, but the bite slowed down as the day went on. We managed to bring eight fish to the net with the largest one being 20 inches. All of our fish we caught came on Pat's Rubberlegs, Hot Pink San Juan Worms, and Peach Eggs. The fish were hugging the bottom and it took large amounts of weight to get down to them. I did manage to pick this guy up on the rubberlegs:

With more rain blowing in, I decided that I would try my luck again on Sunday. It rained all night and the river was really high which made the fishing rather tough. I did manage to catch fish in the eddies and in the slow water (which was hard to find). When I found some slower water the fish seemed to be stacked up, hiding from the current. The flies of choice were still the rubberlegs and san juan worms. I did manage to catch this guy in the rough water, I was as suprised to see him as he was to see me:

Dukes is fishing really well right now and this transition from winter to spring can produce some really nice fish. Tight Lines!

Jake Darling



TIE 1 ON

I had a great time at the fishing show in Atlanta last weekend. Anytime you can attend fishing classes presented by folks like Kelly Galloup, Jimmy Harris and David Hulsey it is well worth your time. After hearing their presentations, I walked away asking myself "why haven't I thought of doing that?" I will from now on.

I really enjoyed watching all the fly tyers that were present. It was worth the trip just to see how easy that tyers like Kyle Burrell and some of the others could look magical at the vise--they tied some great looking flies. Maybe, next year some of the tyers from our "Tie 1 On" session will be sitting at the show's fly tying table--that would be great.

I really enjoyed talking to everyone at the show who shares the same passion for fishing as I do.

Also, on Sat. & Sun we had some fly tyers from Foothills TU and the other Ga. TU's at Bass Pro showing customers how to "tie 1 on". Thanks to Cole, Robert, and Sid for giving of their time to take part in this--it is appreciated.

Our March "Tie 1 ON" session will meet Tues. March 1st at the Unicoi shop in Helen at 6:00 PM. This will be a special session because we'll be decorating a "Tie 1 On" hat with a lot of the flies we have tied. This hat will be for the silent auction at our TU's "Hoot on the Hooch" banquet March 12th in Helen. If you've ever attended any of the sessions in the past, I hope you come to this one and bring some flies to help us out. Also, beginners are invited--this is a great time and place to start tying your own flies--we tie basic flies that catch fish and we have plenty of equipment and supplies to get your started. Come join us--learn how to tie or show us how to tie some of your special patterns.

Thanks,

Ron

Unicoi Outfitters on Twitter

Hey Y'all!

We're going to start publishing brief fishing reports on Twitter - we're going to shoot for something regular, several times a week.

We just posted the first one today!

To follow us, look for @UnicoiLiarsClub at Twitter.

Or, if you'd rather get the Tweets via text message, just text "follow UnicoiLiarsClub" to 40404 in the US.

And The Winner Is...

Kelly Randall of Gainesville.  Kelly's name was drawn from the infamous Unicoi minnow bucket at the end of the Great Southern Fishing Show.  His prize is a full day of fishing at Nacoochee Bend.  This is actually the second trip to Nacoochee Bend that Kelly has won.  Some folks have all the luck!  Kelly, the fishing here has been awesome all winter long and will only get better as things warm up in the spring.









We appreciate everyone's support and enjoyed seeing you at the show.  The seminars were excellent and we really enjoyed not only getting to know Kelly Galloup but to learn more about the techniques that have made him one of the foremost trout anglers in the world.  If you didn't get a chance to hear Kelly speak or pick up one of his books or DVD's, we are now carrying them in our shops.  All of Kelly's books have been autographed by him and are certainly a worthy addition to your fly fishing library.

Our goal is to provide you with the best, most user-friendly fly shop in the country.  We want to share with you the latest fishing information, fly selections and tactics so please don't hesitate to stop in and see us or drop us a line via email.  We'll do our best to help you.

Lanier CCA Banquet - March 3rd

WHEN: Thursday, March 3rd

WHERE: Coo Coo's Nest Restaurant, Cumming, GA

TIME: 6:30 PM

Please put this event on your calendars. We are having a banquet/fundraiser for the Coastal Conservation Association. $60.00 gets you a one year membership in CCA as well as a great dinner at the Coo Coo's Nest just north of Cumming. The price of admission also makes you eligible to win a FREE GUIDED FISHING TRIP for striped bass on Lake Lanier.

• There will be many other fabulous fishing and non-fishing related auction and raffle items on hand to win. Incredible homemade cheese cakes and pecan brownie cakes
• 4 Lake Lanier maps marked for the best spots to fish:
• Spotted bass on Lures from Tim Hawkins of Hammonds Fishing Center
• Stripers using umbrella rigs from Capt. Mack Farr
• Stripers on bait from Jason Hammond-Shane Watson Guide Service
• Stripers and bass on top water from Henry Cowen
• Plenty of rods and reels, including a TFO rod of your choice if you win

TV host Cefus McRae and other local fishing experts will be on hand to talk tactics and share experiences with you. We really need you to attend. Tickets may be purchased online at CCA Lanier 2011 Banquet.

For more reasons why you should attend, you may visit the Nuts & Bolts of Fishing & Boating message board.

BEST FLY EVER?

I've long contended that the best all around fly for trout fishing is the traditional wet fly. It almost can't be fished incorrectly. You don't have to worry about a drag free drift because drag is one of the attractive components of a wet fly. If you cast it upstream where it may briefly float on the surface like a dry fly, that's okay as it looks very much like a crippled insect caught in the film. As it drifts downstream, it may begin to sink, much like a nymph. That's okay also. As it reaches the end of your drift and the current begins to tighten your line, the fly rises to the surface imitating an emerging insect. At any point your fly can be attractive to a fish and drag won't necessarily be a negative. I just found this video trailer on YouTube that does an excellent job of explaining how to fish wet flies. I'll give you fair warning that this is not your typical head banger, loud music, screaming angler fly fishing video so popular nowadays. It's British, that's all I've got to say. But if you'll watch it, you'll discover an extremely effective way to fish. If you're new to flyfishing, wet flies are the best way to get into it because you can't mess them up. Enjoy!

Spring Is Almost Here!

Yep, it's right around the corner.  This may be the first year I can actually give credit to Punxsatawney Phil for being right.  At least, I hope I can.  This past Saturday afternoon, Kathy and I decided to fish Nacoochee Bend.  It's really been fishing well the past few weeks in spite of cold and dreary winter weather.  The weather this day was perfect early spring type; a cool breeze but nice sunshine warming your face.  Of course, we all know those miserable days are the best fishing days but we couldn't resist.  The fishing was fun but I'll have to admit it was slower than I had hoped for.  I'm blaming it on a high pressure system that was moving into the southeast and you can take that for what it's worth.  We did catch some fish and Kathy got to work on her presentation skills as well as her fish fighting.  She's getting to be quite deadly with an Olive Krystal Bugger.

As evidenced by these photos, the water was beautiful (& very cold).  My camera skills simply don't do justice to the magnificent scenery surrounding us on the river.  The Olive Krystal Bugger was working for me also as was a shell pink San Juan Worm highsticked through the frothy riffles as they drop off into a deep pool.  It almost seemed as if the fish were hiding in those riffles because of the clarity of the water.  At least the ones I hooked were.

We didn't check the water temperature that afternoon but I'm guessing it was in the low 40's.  If you stood in waist deep water, it just sucked all the body heat right through your waders along with your energy.  Kathy decided to take a break and enjoy the sunshine while I went prospecting for fish.  What can I say; she's learning from a master.  I'm teaching her everything I know about how to enjoy a day on the water.

TIE 1 ON

What a beautiful weekend for fishing. The fish were literally jumping out of the water, especially when Chris Storey hooked this trophy on a #18 rainbow warrior at Frog Hollow. Chris landed several this size--and you should have seen the one that broke him off. Thanks Chris for a great day--look forward to the next time.

Our fly tying session will meet this Tues, Feb 1, at Unicoi Outfitters in Helen at 6:oo. We will be tying a mini leech and czech nymph and whatever Cole surprises us with. Look forward to seeing the "Tie 1 On" bunch at the session and anyone else with an interest in tying flies. Beginners are more than welcome and we will provide all the stuff to get you started.

The flies are pretty good, the coffee is free and pretty good, the advice is free and it is well--free, but the fellowship, it is real good--we always have a good time. I think this week there may also be some home made cinnamon rolls on the bench--they will be great.

Learn to tie your own flies & learn to tie better flies--the ones you know will catch fish.

Thanks,

Ron

What Do Fly Fishing Guides Do On Their Day Off?

Jake Darling headed over to Dukes Creek yesterday and dropped us a quickie report, proving what we've always said about how well Georgia streams can fish in the winter:

Fished at dukes on Sunday and boy was it good! The fish were biting really well in the morning but it died off around lunch. I managed to catch a dozen fish. Of these fish, seven of them were over 20 inches and the smallest of the day was a 15-incher. Five of my biggest fish came in seven casts out of one hole. The fish were taking both small and large Kaufman Stones, early brown stoneflies, and small diamond midges.


Sounds like a good time to head over to Dukes if you can get a slot on the stream.

Perfect Trip at Nacoochee Bend

Ben VanDevender had another chance to fish with us this past weekend and sent along this report, along with some nice photos by Josh England.

Saturday was a trip I had been looking forward to for quite some time.  It was my birthday and what better way to spend it than in the company of good friends, my wife, and the river.  The fine folks at Unicoi helped make this a possibility and my gratitude is endless.  The day was not unlike any other, the plan was to get everyone on fish.  I have to admit my wife is not the best fly angler, but she follows directions well, and two newbies who are great friends of mine who had never been trout fishing came along as well.  Quick casting lessons the night before and I felt they were adequate to present flies to fish.  The day was not necessarlily about me catching fish as it was exposing my friends and my wife to the experience I so often yearn for, to let them feel and experience what I feel. 

Well, within three casts my wife had hooked up on three fish and the thermometer had not broken 26 degrees.  Start to a great day!  She finally landed a nice fish and was ecstatic.  Switched positions so my friend Neil Robinson could present a cast, and he missed three fish consectutively but finally connected after much frustration.  A long fight and a fish to his feet, then she came unbuttoned…that’s fishing.  He was just excited now that he felt one of these beasts on the fly rod and that he actually made the hookup happen.  The day presented itself like this for much of the time, I untangled windknots, tied in tippet, selected flies etc…hmmm…was this a day off from Callaway?  The next highlight of the day came when my wife picked the water to fish, presented the fly, set the hook, and landed a trout for the first time where she did EVERYTHING herself.  That made my trip right there!  Then right behind her, Neil Robinson connected and did the same.  My other friend left with a skunk on his back, so we took him to Smith creek where he quickly learned and hooked into his first trout on the fly rod!  A perfect end to a perfect trip!

Bonefish in the Bahamas!

Bonefishing at Crooked Island

As many of you know, our ol' pal Henry Cowen runs a couple salt-water flyfishing trips each year.  These trips usually fill up quickly, and for his next trip to Crooked Island in the Bahamas, that is the case....but he's had two folks who had to cancel, which has opened up two spots on a first-come basis for his trip from April 22 through 30 this spring.  That's six days of fishing, but Henry can also accommodate a shorter stay of three or four days fishing as well.

Click here for more info on Crooked Island Lodge, where the trip is based, or call / email Henry directly at 678-513-1934 / henryc@pastourelledesign.com.  It should be a great trip!

TIE 1 ON

These mild winter days are a great time to take a kid (or anyone) fishing. As you can see from the picture from this past week that the results can be very rewarding. I had a great time fishing with Matt Martin and his 2 boys, Noah and Mason--my great nephews. We fished on the Soque at River North where Mason caught this huge rainbow on his new fly rod. He fell in during the trip but I think he would say it was worth it. The day before our trip Mason killed a huge deer which was his first--what a great week for him. Both boys caught fish and had a great time. This is as good as it gets.

The day before this trip I had the pleasure of fishing with Parks Davis and his grandsons, Matthew and Andrew, at Nacoochee Bend. This trip was very good also with both boys landing several fish. The fish were very active taking small midges.

Thanks to Matt and Parks and the young men for allowing me to fish with them and share their memories--look forward to doing it again.

Our monthly tying session will be this Tues (Jan 4) at 6:00 at Unicoi Outfitters in Helen.

I'm really looking forward to this meeting because Chad Peters will be tying some of his patterns for us--Chad ties great looking flies-- so come to the session if you can.

Everyone is invited--come learn to tie your first flies or to tie better quality flies--equipment and supplies will be available.

Hope to see you there.

Thanks,

Ron