Nacoochee Bend

The fishing is great at Nacoochee Bend - here's a report from Rex Gudgel:

This past Saturday Louis Sawyer and Joe Mayfield fished with me at Nacoochee Bend. The weather was wonderful, the scenery was sensational, the comraderie was comical, and the fishing was fabulous! How's that for adjectives and alliteration? These are just some of the reasons you need to come out and fish with us.

A Beautiful Golden "Brown" Day at NCF

I was really looking forward to this fishing trip.

I had not fished Noontootla Creek Farms for quite a while and it is definitely one of my favorite streams to fish. I met Larnx Allebrink at the shop in Blue Ridge and we were in the water after a short drive. Larnx now lives in Tampa, but was born and raised in Sweden.

After just a short time in the water, Larnx hooked and landed a nice red-sided rainbow--what a gorgeous fish--I could tell it was going to be a special day. In between hooking fish, we talked about fishing in Sweden--which was really interesting to me. I guess fishing in it's own way is an international language to all those who enjoy it, although Larnx did ask me to repeat myself a couple of times--that North Ga. "redneck" accent I guess.

We had a great time. We hooked several large fish that got off, but Larnx was never discouraged. I think we both knew that it was just a matter of time. He hooked and landed this beautiful brown on a rl stonefly--what else. He told me that it was larger and maybe even more stunning than any brown he had caught in Sweden.

Thanks, Larnx, for a great day and thanks for fishing with Unicoi.

I believe there's no better place than North Ga in the fall, especially if you're knee deep in a trout stream.

Thanks,

Ron

Blue Ridge Fly Tying Night Oct. 20th!!!

Hey folks we are having the second fly tiers night this Thursday Oct.20th at Unicoi Outfitters in Blue Ridge! The festivities will begin at 6:30pm and the fly of the night is the good old Hares Ear Nymph. Both a beaded version and a non beaded version will be on the agenda. Or we'll work on anything you want to.
Bring your own stuff or we'll have plenty of tools and materials for you to use at no charge. Drop by even if you don't tie and just shoot the bull a while. Art and Larry will be there to head it up so giving them a hard time will be greatly appreciated. Normally we'll end up in a couple of hours. See ya'll there!!

Are You Sharp Enough?

Man, this weather has got me frisky as a newborn colt.  I can't wait to get off work and hit the river for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  Yesterday I grabbed Kathy's kayak and headed to the Chattahoochee for some topwater shoal bass fishing.  What a great crisp afternoon it was, just cool enough to warrant waders at dark.  I paddled upstream for about a quarter mile and beached the kayak below a beautiful set of shoals.  I was determined to fish on top with my old standby, a white Stealth Bomber, and nothing else.  Twenty minutes later I had long distance released 4 nice shoalies and was trying to figure out why.  I recalled that this same fly had resulted in a couple of similar disengagements Sunday afternoon when the old Edison incandescent went off in my little pea brain and suggested I check my hook for sharpness.  Sure enough, the only Stealth Bomber I had with me was dull as a hammer and I had nothing to sharpen it with.  To add insult to injury, the first fish I lost was probably the largest shoal bass I have tied into this year.  I had thrown my fly right into a turbulent frothy mix of currents coming over a ledge.  The fly floated maybe two feet when this guy exploded on it from beneath the whitewater.  Chalking it up to bad luck, I kept fishing and proceded to lose three more nice fish in the next twenty yards.  The bite was definitely on but I was ignorantly unprepared.  Checked the hook on my thumbnail and it slid right off.  A big no-no!  When I'm trout fishing, I always have some kind of sharpener on me but not last night going for bass.  And it cost me big time.  Make yourself a note and tape it to your fly rod; "Check Hooks for Sharpness, Dummy!"

I did manage to land at least as many as I lost before dark-thirty set in and I floated back downstream to my truck.  Largest one was probably 12 inches; nothing like the first brute that threw my fly back in my face.  I'm already planning a rematch.

Do You Know the Difference?

These two river bass were caught this past weekend by the Dredger; one dredging and one on top.  Can you identify the species?  The topwater fly that you can see in the photo on the left was the trusty White Stealth Bomber.  The subsurface fly in the other photo was a Hipps Hell Craw.  Both flies are excellent bass catchers and should be in your arsenal when wading into the warmer waters of the region.

Tie 1 On

The Outdoor Adventure Day at Unicoi was great. All the remarks about the event that I have heard are very good. The fly tying tent was the busiest I have seen it--kids everywhere. It looked like the fly casters stayed busy and the stream was really crowded with fisherman--what a great time. Thanks to all the folks at Ga. DNR--you did an outstanding job. Thanks also to all those from TU and "Tie 1 On" that helped out.

We will meet this Tues--Oct 4--at 6:00 PM at Nacoochee Methodist Church for our monthly fly tying session. We will be tying some mayfly nymphs this month. Everyone--experts and beginners--are all invited. For those who don't own vises, we will provide them, and all the material for tying the flies.

Sorry about the late notice--see you in church!

Thanks,

Ron

Outdoor Adventure Day 9/24

10th Annual Outdoor Adventure Day at Unicoi State Park!

By Ken Riddleberger, Northeast Georgia Game Management Supervisor

            Looking for a fun-filled day of outdoor activities for the whole family?   We have just the ticket!   The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting Outdoor Adventure Day on September 24th at Unicoi State Park near Helen.  

            The event will be from 10:00am to 4:00pm, weather permitting, in the large field along Smith Creek downstream from Unicoi Lake Dam.   Activities geared for kids and adults of all ages include canoeing, camping, hiking, trout fishing, fly tying and casting, airgun shooting, archery and skeet shooting.  There will be live wildlife shows with birds of prey, snakes, and other Georgia wildlife.  Smith Creek will be stocked with trout during the day and will be open to fishing.   September 24th is a free-fishing day, so Georgia residents can fish without a license.   Bring your fishing poles and some bait or lures.   Crickets and worms are good choices for live bait.   If you don’t have a pole, but want to try trout fishing, don’t worry.   Loaner poles, tackle, bait, and even some streamside helpers will be available.  Just drop by the fishing tent to get set up.

            Did you ever wish you could try fly-fishing, but never had the time?   Now’s your chance!   Experts in fly-fishing from Trout Unlimited and Unicoi Outfitters will be on hand to provide instructions on fly-casting using their equipment.   You can also try your hand at fly tying and, with help from North Georgia Trout Online members, go home with a “woolly bugger” you created.

            Tired of fishing? Let’s try some shooting sports.  You can start on the archery range.   Volunteers with the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia will coach you shooting bows at a variety of 3-D targets.   Adjacent to the archery range, DNR staff and volunteers will teach basic shooting skills using airguns.   You’ll be hitting bull’s-eyes before you leave.

           

            Next, graduate up to skeet shooting.   A skeet range will be in action all day.   DNR and US Forest Service instructors will be with you to guarantee you break some skeet.   Shotguns, ammo and everything else you need are provided.

            Need a break?  Check out the live animals.   Live animal shows will be ongoing throughout the day.   See a variety of live reptiles and live hawks used in the sport of falconry.  Talk with experts from Smithgall Woods Conservation Center.  Interested in camping and hiking?  Members of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club will be on hand to give you tips on making your outdoor adventure enjoyable.

            If you prefer a relaxing time on the lake, sign up to paddle a canoe on beautiful Unicoi Lake.  Instructors will teach you the basics and you can take a canoe trip around the lake on your own.  Experts from Unicoi State Park will be there as instructors.

            Although the activities are outdoors, you don’t have to “rough it”.  Restroom facilities will be available and a vendor will have lunch items on-site for you to purchase.  Should you want to take a break from walking, hop on the hay wagon which will be running all day in a continuous loop to get you from one location to the next.   If that’s not enough, there will be a free raffle for some neat hunting and fishing prizes. 

            This event celebrates National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day.  The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the nonprofit group “Friends of Unicoi State Park” will co-sponsor the Outdoor Adventure Day.  A Georgia ParkPass ($5/day) is required for each vehicle and can be purchased upon arrival.

            Directions to the event are easy.   Take GA Hwy 75 North through Helen, then turn right on GA Hwy 356 in Robertstown.   Go over the Unicoi Lake Dam and past the entrance to Unicoi Lodge for two-tenths of a mile.   Turn right at the brown sign for the trout stream and tennis courts and you are there!  Make plans now to come celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day with Georgia’s Conservation Community.  For information about other National Hunting and Fishing Day events, visit the Wildlife Resources Division website at www.georgiawildlife.com or call 770-535-5498.

How to Become an Expert

Our good friend Craig Riendeau is one of the best river bass fly anglers we know.  He also happens to be one of the most innovative bass fly designers in the country; a talent he has parlayed into some notoriety via Rainy's Flies.  He's written for Fly Tyer Magazine and is a member of the FlyWranglersTV.com team.  When I received this email from Craig yesterday, my immediate thought was  to get this information on our blog.  So, if you've ever wondered how the experts actually become an expert, take note; it's the power of observation!

Craig's 4 lb. 13 oz. Shoal Bass

"Jimmy, I found a new way to catch shoal bass, dry fly fish for them.  OK, it's not your usual dry fly fishing but the principles are the same.  I fished one of my favorite rivers yesterday and the water was extremely low and clear.  You could actually see the bass if you looked hard enough (and they weren't under a ledge).  It was tough going till I accidentally drop a popper in the river.  As I watched it float away, a good bass came up and ate it.  The power of observation!  OK, so I put on another popper and cast it out there and just let it drift, bang, fish on.  I ended the day with a dozen bass, half over two pounds plus a bonus 4 lb. 13 oz. pig , all caught this way.  So you're going to have to start stocking #4 chartreuse rubber legged poppers with the dry flies.  Funny thing is that two years ago I caught a 4 lb. 12 oz. shoalie by accident dead drifting a popper but just took it as a fluke.  I was standing on a rock surveying the river ahead with the popper trailing behind me when he hit.  New technique?  I'm going to look into it for sure."

Blue Ridge Fly Tyers Night

Hey Ya'll we are holding a fly tyers night this Thursday from 6:30pm till 8:30pm at the Blue Ridge Unicoi Outfitters Fly Shop. Tyers of all experience levels are welcome, and the best part is that it is free! Coffee and donuts are provided. This is scheduled to go on every 3rd Thursday of the month. Bring your equipment if you've got it. If not we'll have all the stuff for you to use no charge. It's a great opportunity to have some fun and to also maybe learn a new technique or two. Midges will be the main focus, but we'll tie San Juans if you want too. Give us a call at the shop at 706-632-1880 and let us know if you are coming so we'll have enough grub!

2011 Gold Cup Fly Fishing Team Challenge

THE 2011 GOLD CUP FLY FISHING TEAM CHALLENGE

Announcing

Team Dead Drift, Frog Hollow and Unicoi Outfitters are pleased to announce the 3rd annual “Gold Cup Fly Fishing Team Challenge”. You are invited to attend or to participate in this two-day fly-fishing event to be held at Frog Hollow on the beautiful and picturesque waters of the Chestatee River in Dahlonega Georgia and Unicoi Outfitters the famous and beautiful Chattahoochee River south of Helen, Georgia. 

First Round

Saturday November 12^th 2011 8:00a.m. - 5:30p.m.

Final Round

Sunday November 13^th 2011 8:00a.m. - 5:30p.m.

Participants

Entry Fee Per Team $175.00

 Registration deadline November 1^st, 2011

To view this event is free and open to the public.

The Gold Cup Team Challenge is an annual two-day event, which will permit a two-person team to match their skills against other teams, to earn a $1,000 grand prize, plus, one full day fishing and one night lodging at Frog Hollow. Team awards will be given for 2^nd, and 3^rd place. Best Angler award will be given for the most total points by one angler.

Registration to compete is open to the general public, on a first come basis.

A maximum of 20 teams will be permitted; a minimum of 10, two-angler teams must be registered for the event to take place.

A non-refundable registration and entry fee for each team is required. 

In the event an insufficient number of participants register for this event, all funds for individuals will be returned.

A 6:00 p.m. kick-off dinner will be hosted at Frog Hollow on the Friday evening before the Challenge.

This is a two-day two-person team event and will be conducted according to Trout Legend competition standards, FIPS MOUCHE rules, and Tournament Committee member rules and regulations.  Further details on the event, as well as a detailed listing of the rules are posted on the following websites:

http://www.teamdeaddrift.com

http://www.froghollowflyfishing.com

http://www.unicoioutfitters.com

A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Gold Rush Chapter Trout Unlimited, a 501 (C)(3), non-profit organization.

Volunteers, sponsorship, exhibitors, donations and prizes welcome.

The goal of the Gold Cup Challenge Committee was to coordinate an event with a prestigious fly fishing award with the benefits and intent to promote, educate and inform the public about the joy of fly-fishing.

Team Dead Drift:

The Georgia Fly Fishing Team is a group of anglers who compete in local and national fly fishing tournaments.  The team is excited as it makes strides to collectively participate and encourage in the sport of competitive fly-fishing. Those interested to follow the progress of the team as we make steps toward our goals, please feel free to follow and support us!

Team Dead Drift Mission Statement:

Team Dead Drift is dedicated to developing a competitive fly-fishing team to participate in regional, national, and international events.  The Team will strive to assist in educational efforts aimed at teaching the art of fly fishing.  It will also endeavor to participate in conservation efforts (in coordination with other organizations) to protect and preserve the diverse cold water and warm water fisheries throughout the state of Georgia and the southeast.

This press release revised September 2nd 2010

Kenny Simmons

Gold Rush Cup Challenge Director

(706)244-4372

kenny@froghollowflyfishing.com

Ben VanDevender

Team Dead Drift Captain

(770)312-1513

Thegeorgiafly@hotmail.com

Tie 1 On

Thought I would let all the "fly tyers" and "want to be fly tyers" know that we will meet this Tues.( Sept 6th) at 6:00 PM at Nacoochee Methodist Church on Highway 17 in Sautee. This month we will be using dubbing loops to tie some basic flies that catch fish--if there are any left after this hot summer. Everyone is invited and tools and material will be provided. Hope to see you in church.

Thanks,

Ron

Flies for Delayed Harvest Streams

We received this from Steve Hudson




Hi folks!

Just a quick note to let you know that I'll be speaking on "Tying Flies for Delayed Harvest and Stocked Trout" at the monthly meeting of the Tailwater Trout Unlimited Chapter on Thursday, Sept. 1. The group meets at Tanner's at the corner of Peachtree Industrial Blvd. and Suwanee Dam Road in Suwanee.

I'll be talking about selecting, tying and using different flies that are effective for delayed harvest streams -- not just at the beginning of the season but also as the fish adjust from recent stockers to veteran holdovers. The opening of the delayed harvest seasons in Georgia and North Carolina are fast approaching, and this should be a great way to get you started on getting your fly box ready for some truly great trout fishing!

The meeting starts at 6:30 but we may meet a bit earlier to           do a bit of tying.  Hope to see you there!

Best,

Steve

Down In The Arkansas

Our good friend Al Money just returned from a trip to Colorado and sends us this fishing report:

Ronnie Gibson and I got a chance to do some fishing on the Arkansas River in Colorado last week.  We were about 3 hours southwest of Denver near the towns of Salida and Buena Vista.  We hired a guide (Abe) through Arkanglers Fly Shop for a half day just to show us the tricks of the local water. 

It didn't take Ronnie long to hook up with a nice Rainbow but I guess I am just a slow learner because we were several hours into the day before I got my first Brown to the net.  

We both had two pretty fantastic days once we learned the trick of fishing tiny flies over shallow but fast riffles with no lead and absolutely drag free drift.  Most of the fish we caught were holding in about 6 inches of fast moving water over a rocky bottom.  They blended in so well with the bottom that you really couldn't spot them until one took the fly.  The Rainbows are stocked but all of the Browns in this river are wild fish.  Here are a few pictures, hope you enjoy.

This Is A Cool Fly Fishing Video

Without all the hyperbole, head-banging music and dramatic editing, our friends at Drake Magazine give you a really cool video on trout and mayflies.

Hatch // Drake Fly Fishing Magazine

John Gierach is a Master at Spinning Tales, Reels

We think this is a very good article on one of flyfishing's most noted icons.  Written for the mainstream readers of the Denver Post, Scott Willoughby gives a different perspective of Gierach than we normally get from flyfishing periodicals.

LYONS — Ask John Gierach a question, and he's likely to tell you a story. Odds are it will be about fly-fishing.

After all, that's what Gierach does. Over the course of some 35 years now, the 64-year-old Lyons local has spun enough yarn to fill 16 books on the topic, ranging from guides to fishing small streams and high-country lakes to the iconic fish stories of "Trout Bum," "Sex, Death and Fly-Fishing" and his most recent title, "No Shortage of Good Days."

"I love them all and I'm proud of them all," Gierach said. "But I tend to think my last book is my best book, if for no other reason than you're supposed to get better with age."

It has been 25 years since "Trout Bum," and the white-bearded poet-turned-outdoors writer from middle America is still pursuing his literary artistry with the same dedication required of his favorite pastime.

"The two are inseparable at this point," he said.

On a recent day when high water made for tricky fishing on his local St. Vrain Creek stomping grounds, Gierach took time between casts to tell a few more tales.

Q: Is it really possible to be as one-dimensional as you portray yourself in print?

A: Nobody really thinks of themselves as one-dimensional, right? So probably not. I mean, I have an actual life. I do think about things besides fly-fishing. But, you know, I've been doing this writing about fly-fishing professionally for like 35 years, so it definitely colors who you are after a while, really sets the tone and direction of your life. But, I do have other interests and on book tours, people — well, women — ask, "Do you do anything else?"

Read more:John Gierach is a master at spinning tales, reels - The Denver Post