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The beauty of Fall has now left us as well as the crowds on the streams.  Old man winter is perhaps right around the corner.  This should change your approach to trout fishing as they will no longer be feeding on the surface.  Keep in mind that we cannot be careless about the clothing we wear.  And always let someone know when you will return along with having some safety planning in place before the trip.

Wintertime fishing requires us to fish differently.  Be persistent in your fishing method.  Slow down while fishing and cover the water.  You cheat yourself when just casting blind.  Look at the stream and divide it up into lanes as you look across it.  Lanes should be a foot or less apart.  Trout will become more selective and will not chase food or flies in cold water.   Make your cast into each lane and allow your presentation to remain in that lane for the entire drift.  Use smaller flies if you are not getting any takes.  Remember, the least current is on the very bottom of the stream and this is where the fish are.  Use weight and long leaders if needed to get that fly down to the fish.  And the larger the X size of the leader, the faster your fly will sink.  Wintertime fishing is a nymphing game…become a master at nymphing!

Wintertime fishing requires us to dress properly.  Most of the heat loss is through the head.  Go with a solid cap instead of mesh.  A toboggan or beanie cap is another good way to prevent heat from escaping and you’ll be able to keep those ears covered.  Use thermals as a base layer.  The mid layer or outer layer should be fleece or wool.  Make sure your bottoms have stirrups or closures around the ankles.  They will prevent the legs from riding up.  Use a rain jacket as your outer garment.  Most rain jackets are lightweight and breathable which make them very convenient.  They help trap heat and create a wind barrier, which is a plus on a cold windy day.  Your feet can be the hardest to keep warm.  Do not use cotton socks at all.  Sweaty feet get cold first and will stay cold if you use cotton.  A thin pair of wicking socks helps draw the sweat away from your feet.  Follow with a second pair of socks made from merino wool.  Your hands can be hard to keep warm.  Keep a pair of Hot Hands close so you can put your hands on them to warm.  Half-fingered wool gloves should help keep your hands comfortable.  Be sure to carry a small hand towel with you to dry your hands after getting them wet!

Safety is an important issue during the winter months.  You can take your vehicle to most auto parts stores and have your battery tested for free.  A battery being cold loses some of its amps for cranking.  No one wants to walk out for help after a cold day on the water.  Be sure to change the batteries in your flashlight.  Keep a lighter or waterproof matches with you.  And always tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be back.

The Delayed Harvest steams in our area have been producing very well.  Keep in mind that these streams get hammered sometimes and the trout get smart pretty fast!  If you find yourself not getting any takes, change flies.  With higher water levels, use weight to get those flies down to the bottom.  Most of these fish have been well educated since the start of the DH season.  Those reaction strikes to junk will slow way down.  Switch over and begin using flies that mimic the naturals as these are the ones that trout live on.  Stoneflies, Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail, and Hare’s Ear are the common patterns that represent what the trout see and eat.  Common sizes to have are 12 to 18 and have them with and without bead heads.

If you are a beginner wanting to learn how to fly fish, we have a great staff of instructors who have been schooled in the art of fly fishing.  One of the best ways to learn about fly fishing is to spend time with those of us who are professional full-time guides.  Don’t forget to ask us about our float trips.  Currently, we are doing floats on the Toccoa Tailwater and will begin floating the upper as soon as water levels allow.  Give us a call to book your amazing trip on the water and don’t forget that we offer Gift Certificates!

James Bradley is the only Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region.  Reel Em In Guide Service has been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001.  They have permits for guiding in North Georgia and North Carolina, offering over 6 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate drift boat trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

Contributed By:  James Bradley

Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide

www.ReelEmInGuideService.com

(706) 273-0764

I like to promote Georgia in most of my articles, but it’s hard to deny the outstanding work of the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission when it comes to their delayed harvest (DH) trout fishing program.  Our friends to the north have about seven times more streams and ponds set up for DH fishing.  Their season basically opens October 1^st but, bear in mind, that it will take the NCWRC about a week to get around to stock all these bodies of water.  They will be stocking browns, rainbows and gorgeous brook trout.  These DH waters will revert to general regulations on the first Saturday in June.

So, by the time you read this, these trout should have had enough time to hopefully get spread out before you arrive for a day of fantastic fall trout fishing.  You may even want to look at getting their annual fishing and trout licenses.  The cost is approximately $55, but you can get your money’s worth on just a few trips up to the high country!  To boot, for the most of us, it’s really not that far away and it can be a beautiful drive.  Heck, from Blue Ridge, it’s only an hour’s drive to Andrews and just another ten minutes to the Nantahala.

Let’s look at the three closest DH streams to our area:

First, we have Fires Creek just outside of Hayesville, NC.  This is a mid-sized stream with plenty of casting room.  From its beginning headwaters to the edge of the national forest it has roughly ten miles of fishable water.  Keep in mind, the DH begins just inside of the national forest and is from the foot bridge at the picnic area upstream to where FS 340-A crosses.  This DH section is over a mile in length.

Second, we have the Nantahala River, which is just northeast of Andrews, NC.  This is another mid-sized stream with plenty of casting room.  Although it is a marginal stream due to how the water is released, she receives some healthy doses of stocked trout several times during the DH season.  There tends to be a lot of heavy usage on the Nanty.  Go during the week to have more room and less anglers around you.  The DH begins just above the power house off Wayah Rd and goes upstream to where Old River Rd goes off to the right.  The DH section is over a mile in length.

Lastly, we have Big Snowbird Creek which is outside of Robbinsville, NC.  Yet another mid-sized stream with plenty of casting room.  This stream really came to fame being one of the best wild native brook trout streams in the Southeast!  Problem is, from the Junction (old railhead junction) you must hike about 6 miles one way before finding these beautiful specs.  Problem two, if you come in from the headwaters, you will pay the price climbing back out with an elevation difference at the trailhead to Big Falls of about 1800 feet!  Big Snowbird is a little more out of the way, so to speak.  She doesn’t seem to get anywhere near the pressure of the Nanty.  During the fall season, you will run into several bear hunters.  To find the DH area, look for the designated signs beside the stream as you drive in on Big Snowbird Rd then upstream to the end of the road at what is called the Junction.  This is another DH section that is roughly one mile in length.

If fishing the early part of the DH season, use junk flies like eggs, Y2Ks, San Juan and Squirmy worms for fast hook ups.  As the DH season drags on, begin switching back to naturals!

James Bradley is the only Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region.  Reel Em In Guide Service has been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001.  They have permits for guiding in North Georgia and North Carolina, offering over 6 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate drift boat trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

Contributed By:  James Bradley

Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide

www.ReelEmInGuideService.com

(706) 273-0764

Terrestrial Time in North Georgia

August is a great time of year to throw those big ole nasty dry flies.  About anywhere you go to, up here in North Georgia, big dries will work from the smallest streams to even the Toccoa Tailwater.  Look to be casting hopper patterns, beetles, Letort Crickets and the biggest dry flies in your box. 

Many of our sparse hatches of mayflies and caddis flies have dissipated.  And if you get lucky to see a hatch, these insects will be tiny morsels.  Since trout have become accustomed to looking up for their next meal, these larger flies can make it very enticing for trout to engulf them.  We have been catching some really nice browns and rainbows feasting on what we’ve been offering them!  Remember, fishing on a breezy early morning or late evening day will produce these larger terrestrials in our streams.  Many will be knocked off due to being careless, the wind or being on the wrong leaf that becomes detached.  And one of the best things about throwing larger flies is that most anglers see these flies, no matter their age.

Some tips on how to use that big ole dry fly.  We see many anglers attempt to softly land a large dry fly pattern.  They spend too much time worrying about that perfectly soft cast.  Big trout eat big patterns.  Just like the wary brown that might chase your big streamer, him and the rainbow will surface for large dries.  We have big trout come up from nowhere to eat these larger foam hopper patterns.  First, you must get their attention.  A real bug/hopper is heavy.  It isn’t some micro ounce tiny fly…it’s got some meat to it.  These things hit the water’s surface with what I would call a blop.  This is the attention getter!!!  So, there’s no need for a soft landing!  If you’re having no luck with that big dry, add on a dropper pattern.  A big number 6 or 8 on top with a smaller number 16 – 20 as the dropper.  Remember, hatches are smaller in the summertime.  Any takes on that subsurface dropper will jerk that big dry under the water.  It’s easy to see, just set the hook!

Where to fish these big flies depends on the angler.  Good casters can toss these things 30 feet into an eighteen-inch opening under the rhododendron where a likely trout will be hiding.  One of my favorite sayings is “Good Casters catch all the Fish”.  Grassy areas along the bank is a surefire place where grasshoppers or crickets may find their way into the stream.  Casting a beetle pattern along a bank laden log can be another dandy place to float a terrestrial by.  And yes, even out in the wide-open middle of the stream.  Use caution when casting these big hopper patterns, you may get the shock of a lifetime!

If you are a beginner wanting to learn how to fly fish, we have a great staff of instructors who have been schooled in the art of fly fishing.  One of the best ways to learn about fly fishing is to spend time with those of us who are professional full-time guides.  Don’t forget to ask us about our float trips.  Currently, we are doing floats on the Toccoa Tailwater.  She has been producing well on our early morning trips.

James Bradley is the only Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region.  Reel Em In Guide Service has been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001.  They have permits for guiding in North Georgia and North Carolina, offering over 6 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate drift boat trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

We are one of the oldest and most reliable Blue Ridge fly fishing guide services in Georgia. Floating and wading our streams and rivers 7 days a week and 52 weeks per year being closed only on Easter and Christmas. Our Guide/Outfitter permit allows us over 4,500 miles of fishable water in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Tired of fishing with inadequate guides? Want to learn to become an efficient caster from an actual instructor? Give Us a Call, We’ll Hook You Up!

North Georgia Fly Fishing Guides – Let one of our Pro-Guides take you on your next Blue Ridge Mountains fly fishing adventure and experience true “Southern Hospitality”. Fly Fish around small quaint Appalachian Mountain towns like Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Ellijay, Clarkesville, Cleveland, and Dahlonega. Witness the spectacular scenery and fly fishing in some of the most attractive waters in our state! Whether fly fishing for trout in a mountain stream or river, you’ll love the seclusion and peacefulness you get while being out in nature’s beauty. Just imagine yourself passing by towering Hemlock trees, the smell of the woods, and the sounds of a rushing stream as it cascades by. And in all this beauty, just imagine yourself as you land a trout on a fly rod!

Georgia has much to offer the fly fishing enthusiast with the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The latest research shows over 4,500 miles of water that supports trout and 1,500 miles of this supports natural reproduction.

There are several streams in this area to choose from and we have two Delayed Harvest streams nearby. Many streams are open year-round and some are only minutes away.