3-10-07 Toccoa River. Blue Ridge, GA - Delayed Harvest Section

What a terrific day to be on the water. I was worried for a bit when the forecast was calling for showers. But after missing the previous weekends trip I was not about to turn back.. As the light rain fell during the ride to Blue Ridge we kept telling ourselves that fishing was better in the rain. Yeah, that’s it. It’s better. Actually I do find this to be true but that is a another article.

What started as light rain turned to overcast and then the sun finally started to poke through. The water temp was a cool 52 degrees and nearly clear. Time to fish. We unloaded our pontoons, rigged our gear and discussed the news we got at fly shop. (Unicoi Outfitters) Pink San Juan Worms and small black dropper flies was the prescription and we all decided to follow it. I chose a Prince Nymph to tie off the back of the San Juan added a couple of split shot above the lead fly and then tied on a small Elk Hair Caddis on my back-up rod. Finally we were ready to start our float down the DH section of the river.

.As we hit the first likely looking run I informed my buddies that South Carolina had given Georgia Department of Natural Resources a couple thousand Brooke Trout for them to stock into the North Georgia DH streams. Their smile grew just a bit bigger and sure enough not long after our first few fish each of us had landed one or two of these beauties.

I cannot stress enough the importance of listening to the locals especially the local fly shop when it comes to which flies are most productive. As advised earlier in the morning, the Pink San Juan Worm was a killer. Both of the ones I used were so beat up by the end of the day, they have been scavenged to be retied at a later date. Not only this but also as told, tiny dark droppers also did the trick. The price I chose is exactly that. Small, dark and imitates a lot of different nymphs living on the stream bed. Now for the numbers……..

…………..Between the three of us 60+ fish. Most all 12 inches or better. Some into the high teens. Brookies, Browns and Rainbows. Two reaching 20 inches. Lots and lots of missed strikes, lost fish and a few break offs. Man I love this stuff.

A trip to any one of the Delayed Harvest Streams in GA will be a treat. The Toccoa DH is fairly new but is excellent. Once the DH regulations end the river still offers some excellent fishing.

Tight Lines.
Jason

Some of my favorite fishing pictures.

Chattahoochee River - Atl, GA - Cochran Shoals

Working near the "Delayed Harvest" section of the Chattahoochee River allows me to slip out of work and hit the stream either at the end of my day or even during lunch. The nearest section is "Cochran Shoals". This is a rather large section of the river and most of it is very easy to wade at low water levels. While most of the fish taken will be stockers and in the 9"-10" range, larger fish are not uncommon. Ask my friend Charlotte. For her very first fly fishing adenture I decided to take her to the DH on the Chattahoochee. Her first ever fish on fly gear was a nice 14"Rainbow trout.

On today's outing, I left the office after work and managed to put in a good hour and a half high-sticking a Y2K and a GRB hare's ear dropper through some shallow runs around downed logs and under some undercut banks. 15 fish to hand, a few missed fish and 1 monster that managed to break my line was excellent therapy for a stressful day. If only I had my camera with me!!!

If you get the chance, check out the DH sections that run through Atlanta. You may still be able to hear the highway but after a few strikes, it is sure to fade. Remember. Wade slow, be patient and don't be afraid to try every fly in your box till you find the one that works.

SA System X Fly Boxes - Review

I have tried a few different fly boxes but Scientific Anglers System X Fly Boxes have become one of my favorites. Waterproof so your flies are safe. Clear covers so you can easily see the flies in your box and roomy. There are several different models to choose from and the color indicates the type of flies suggested. All of the inserts are interchangeable and there is even a suitcase to hold up to 4 inserts. I like the nymph box. It has a small compartment for indicators and another for split shot. Don't worry about the split shot rollling around, the compartment has an inner lid for them. The clear cases are slightly textured and have slots for lanyards which are nice features. I am buying the suitcase next. I can use it with 4 inserts on my pontoon for river floats or pull two inserts, slap them in a case and I am ready for a wading trip.

Some flyshops have started carrying them and finding them on the web is very easy.

One of the best prices I have found is Cabelas. Although, if you can find them in a local shop you can skip the shipping.

Tight Lines,

Jason