North GA Trout Stream

I could sure go for some of this today! Less than 3 weeks until Blue Ridge Trout Fest, hopefully I'll get a fix then!

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_iHivjCKP/

Standing streamside

Scrolling through some pictures and just thought this one had a cool look to it. Standing streamside and looking back at the truck with the mountain heading up above it. Man, I miss those mountains.

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt6CKenDikw/

Luckily it didn't rain out Trout Fest!

Luckily it didn't rain out Trout Fest, but I'm so glad I got a rainy day in the mountains!

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BiM7sBXnr7S/

Beautiful day for Blue Ridge Trout Fest!!

Could not have asked for a more beautiful day for the Blue Ridge Trout Fest!! It was a great time to catch up with old friends, make some new friends and hand out some Suburban Angler stickers!! Oddly enough, no one wanted an autograph!! Mark your calendar for next year, Trout Fest really is an excellent time!

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BiIQKpanbWS/

Blue Ridge Trout Fest!

We're heading to north Georgia the end of this week for the 3rd annual Blue Ridge Trout Fest! We'll be posting pictures, giving away stickers and signing autographs, so make sure you say Hi!! We look forward to seeing everyone there!!

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6YTZenDOB/

It wasn't just location scouting and hiking...

It wasn't just location scouting and hiking last week, I did actually catch some fish,too. I caught this chubby little rainbow in a fast moving slough carved out of solid rock.

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2jBjivg

I've fished in uglier places!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2AtlDUg

Looks like a fishy spot, right?

Looks like a fishy spot, right?

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2gDxanM

Be it ever so humble...

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like camp.

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2yeYbGb

First Cast #003: Hodgman Aesis Jacket

Mornin' Folks,
  Here's the third video in the First Cast series. This one is previewing the new Hodgman Aesis Hyper Dry Down Jacket.  I'm looking forward to the weather cooling down so I can really put this jacket to the test.
  Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed and I'll keep bringing you First Cast preview videos. Send me an email or message me through social media if there's a product you'd like to see on First Cast and I'll do my best to make it happen.
  I hope you're all doing well.
    Tight Lines!
       -Nick

First Cast #001 Galvan Brookie

Reading Room: Bluelining 101 by Steve Hudson

Evenin’ Folks,

The hike in.

  One of the best things I've learned about fly fishing over these past few years is that it is a hobby that can be tailored specifically to you, and there is a world of information out there no matter which direction the fly takes you.  Whether you’re into freshwater or saltwater, classic bamboo rods or ultra-modern carbon fiber, fishing from the bank of a small pond or from the bow of a flats boat on a rushing river, there is something in fly fishing for everyone.  For me, the big draw to fly fishing was being able to combine my love of fishing with my love of hiking.  I spent a lot of time thinking about being able to hike through the woods for a few hours to find a small stream full of native trout that aren't so heavily pressured that everything has to be perfect to hook them.  I've decided that 2015 is going to be my “Year of the Bluelines”.  This is the year that I wear out a new pair of hiking boots trekking through the national forest in search of the streams that only show up on a topo map as a blue line. 

There isn't much better on a rainy night than a good whiskey,
a good pipe and a good book.

  Now, I've always been the type of guy that has to exhaustively research an endeavor before I let myself embark on it.  Lucky for me, I've befriended the guy who wrote the book on bluelining in North Georgia, literally!!!  At first glance this looks more like a pamphlet than a book, but prolific outdoor writer Steve Hudson has managed to cram an extensive amount of information from his more than 40 years of experience into these 76 pages.  “Bluelining 101: How to find unspoiled wild trout fishing far from the beaten path” covers every aspect of bluelining from the definition of a blueline to reading topo maps, to what gear to take and what flies to pack.  There are even sections in the book on approaching the stream, casting in cover and reading the water. 

  After reading Steve’s book, I really feel much more prepared to tackle some blueline streams this year.  His enthusiasm for the hobby really shines in all of his writing and when you finish reading this book you’ll be ready to lace up your hiking boots, grab your ultralight fly rod and hit the woods with a topo map in hand.  You can find Bluelining 101 at most local fly shops in North Georgia, a selection of them are now listed on Amazon or you can order directly from the publisher, Chattahoochee Media Group.

  I hope you’re all doing well, I’ll see you in the woods,

   -Nick

Smith's Creek Delayed Harvest: A Sure Thing

Good Morning Folks!

Unicoi Outfitters

  Despite having a severe allergies attack this weekend, I managed to get out and do a bit of fishing!  Sunday morning I went up to Unicoi State Park, just above Helen, GA, to fish the Delayed Harvest stretch of Smith's Creek.  This was my first experience fishing the delayed harvest and I was sure excited by the prospect of catching multiple fish larger than most I've caught so far.  On the way up to the state park I stopped into Unicoi Outfitters for a stream report and see what flies they might suggest.  After talking to the guys behind the counter for a bit, my confidence level was elevated even more.
  I got up to the park and had to look for the Visitor's Center to check in and get the park permit to fish.  That was my first mistake.  After driving around the park, trying to follow the signs, for what seemed like half an hour, I found the Visitor's Center, tucked deep inside the camping area, locked up tight.  By this time it was after 9:00 and the Center was supposed to open at 8:00.  I got back in the car and followed the signs to the Lodge, thinking that someone would be working there on a Sunday morning.  I've spent a little bit of time at Unicoi, so I thought I knew where I was going.  I didn't.  I made it to the Lodge and parked in the first spot I could find and walked in.  I was on the restaurant level.  Third floor.  Back of the building.  I wandered around looking for an employee and finally found a guest that knew where the registration desk was.  Ground floor.  Front of the building.
  I got all checked in, got down to the correct parking area, geared up and headed toward the water.  As soon as I got to the creek, I saw three guys rigging up and fishing (the parking lot was still in view!?!).  One of the pieces of advice I got from the guys at the fly shop was to walk and since I enjoy hiking as much as fishing, that's what I did.  I followed a bike trail for at least half an hour, maybe closer to 45 minutes, before I thought I had gone far enough and my rod started begging to be cast. I was in the water around 10:00 am.  I fished until about 4:30, when the sun was starting to drop behind the mountains.  I didn't want to be caught in the dark in an unfamiliar place, and I didn't know how long it would take to walk back to the car.  I fished the whole day.  Threw one of every fly pattern I had in my box and I never caught a fish.  I got one soft bite and saw the flash as the fish threw the hook.
  I could go on and on finding reasons why I didn't catch anything when a banner day was supposed to be a sure thing.  I probably wasn't holding my tongue right, the weather change put the fish down, the water was too clear and the sky too blue, but the fact of the matter is, I had a wonderful day.  I get frustrated when I don't catch anything, but I still got to spend the day knee deep in a near perfect stream in the woods on a gorgeous fall day in North Georgia and that, to me, makes it worth it every time.  I'll be back to try again, just as soon as I can restock my fly box.
  If you want to fish the Delayed Harvest at Smith's Creek or any of the other DH streams in Georgia, I put a link to the GA DH Fishing Regs in the sidebar.  Make sure you stop into Unicoi Outfitters when you go, too, it never hurts to have a couple of recommended flies from the guys who know and a little local knowledge goes a long way!  Oh, and remember, check in at the Lodge at Unicoi, NOT the Visitor's Center!
  Hope you all are doing well,
     Tight Lines and Happy Trails,
          -Nick

Unicoi Outfitters
Unicoi State Park

Year Round Georgia Trout Season | GA DNR Press Release

Mornin' Folks,

  I'm just trying to help spread the word!  There are going to be two public meetings coming up from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to inform, answer questions, and get public feedback on the possibility of instituting a year round trout season on Georgia's streams.  One meeting is to take place on Thursday, November 13 in Gainesville and the the other will be on Tuesday, November 18 in Acworth.  I'll be attending the Gainesville meeting and I hope to see lots of folks there!
  Have a great day!
     -Nick

Here's the original press release from DNR and a link to their page:
http://www.gofishgeorgia.com/node/3750

Changes in Trout Regulations Subject of November Public Scoping Meetings

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (11/3/2014)

Currently, trout streams are designated either seasonal or year-round.  But, what if that designation were to change?  Agency staff recently evaluated the effects of removing the “trout season” entirely and opening all trout waters to year-round fishing.  The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division would like to have your input on this topic at two upcoming public scoping meetings. 

Public input is important when considering any changes to fishing regulations, so these scoping meetings will provide an opportunity for interested citizens to hear more about the reasoning and research behind these possible changes from WRD staff, and have a chance to ask questions and provide feedback. 

Two public scoping meetings are scheduled.  People who plan to attend are also encouraged to tell others who may be interested in participating.  Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m. 

DATE	LOCATION
Thursday, Nov. 13	Fair Street Neighborhood Center 715 Fair Street Gainesville, GA 30501 www.gainesville.org/fair-street-neighborhood-center
Tuesday, Nov. 18	Red Top Mountain State Park Conference Center/Park Office 50 Lodge Road, SE Acworth, GA 30102 www.gastateparks.org/RedTopMountain

My First Brown Trout: Upper Chattahoochee WMA

Mornin' Folks,

  I wanted to share a few pictures I took while fishing the Upper Chattahoochee WMA last weekend. Its a really beautiful area up there, and it seems to be quite popular. My time was limited, so I didn't want to venture too far from the road and the car, so it was actually a bit difficult to find a spot that wasn't already occupied. There had been some pretty good storms in the area the night before and it had been raining most of the morning while I was there. I try not to let weather keep me from fishing, if I get an opportunity to go I try to take it. I thought the rain might improve the conditions as there had been some pretty low water up there. 

  I went armed with the TFO Finesse Half Weight and the Galvan Brookie fly reel to get some more testing in for their upcoming reviews. I was very happy with the performance of each and look forward to the next trip with them. I fished a few different flies, but I seemed to get the most interest from a size 14 Elk Hair Caddis. When it comes to trout, I'm still very much a beginner. I'm pretty certain I missed a lot of strikes. Trout tend not to be as aggressive on the take as the bluegill I usually fish for! At least not in my experience thus far. 

  After a few hours with as many splashy refusals, I was fishing around a large pool catching nothing but raindrops. I started working some large rocks and finally got a good take!  I landed a beautiful little rainbow!  He was a feisty little guy! And, fishing a half weight, it was a ball to hook up on this little trout!  With the acrobatics he performed, I don't think he had any idea that he was only 6" long!  

  I returned him to his pool and hiked back up to the car to seek out another spot. It was already after noon, and carrying the one-trout-per-trip curse, I was starting to consider heading home. I absolutely love spending time in the woods, especially in the north Georgia mountains, so I was reluctant to leave. I found another spot that just had a "fishy" look to me ( Thanks to Tom Rosenbauer, I have a better idea of what that looks like now!). There was a parking area with a staircase down to the water, I tend to shy away from those places because I figure they're pretty heavily pressured, so I crossed the road and headed upstream a ways. I don't have any waders yet, so I tend to bushwhack along the bank until I find a spot to fish. I got in the water and started fishing, working the rocks and riffles as I made my way back down toward the car. 

  The car was back in view and I'd been fishing way longer than I intended (the Little Girl was on her way home from being away for the weekend and I like to be there when she gets in). After about 20 "one-last-casts", I got my caddis caught in some submerged branches. When I tried to break my tippet in frustration I felt the line move. A lot more than it should've being hung on a stick! When I got my first glimpse I couldn't believe my eyes! Not only was it not a stick, it was a trout! And a brown one at that!  I had to work to get him around all the rocks and branches to bring him to hand, but I sure was happy when I did. This was my largest trout to date, it was my first brown trout ( a stunningly beautiful fish) and I caught it on a five foot long, half weight rod! I wish I could've gotten some better photos, but I like to return fish to the water as quickly as possible. 

  I had a great day fishing the Upper Chattahoochee WMA and definitely plan on returning. Next time I want to do some more exploring of the smaller streams. The TFO Finesse Half Weight and Galvan Brookie both did a great job and a shorter rod made fighting through the brush so much easier!  

  I hope you're all doing well,

    Tight lines and dry feet!

      -Nick

I wonder if there are any trout holding pools upstream?

Fantastic combo! TFO Finesse Half Weight and Galvan Brookie. 

Stunning colors on these little rainbows!

Steady rain. 

My first brown! What a beauty!

Gorgeous scenery in the Upper Chattahoochee WMA. Fall color is just beginning. 

Down The Hatch Fly Fishing Film Festival

Good Morning Folks!

Orvis Atlanta

  I just wanted to write up a quick post to tell you guys about the fantastic time I had yesterday!  I was able to secure the day off from work, so as soon as I got home from my morning class (Calc II, bleh) the Little Girl and I hopped in the car and headed to the Buckhead area of Atlanta.  At 12:30, the voice of Orvis fly fishing (and fly fishing in general) himself, Tom Rosenbauer, was giving his Small Stream presentation at the Orvis Atlanta store.  I got there a bit early to double check the start time and see how big the crowd was going to be.  To my surprise, I was immediately introduced to Tom and had the opportunity to talk to him about suburban bluegill fishing and small stream trout fishing in the North Georgia mountains.  It was such an honor for me to get to speak with him one-on-one, he is such an incredibly nice man, very generous with his knowledge, just as you would expect from listening to the Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast.  I really regret that I never thought to have my picture taken with him, but I do hope to get to meet with him again someday soon!  His presentation was excellent, just like listening to the podcast, but with pictures, and he was able to answer questions as they came up, instead of waiting for the next podcast to be released!  I don't want to give away all his secrets here, but if you ever get the opportunity to attend one of his lectures, you won't regret it!  

  After the presentation, we had to kill a few hours in Atlanta, which seems to be becoming increasingly harder for us to do!  We had to head over to Terminal West at the King Plow Arts Center for the Down the Hatch Film Tour presented by Orvis Atlanta and Sweetwater Brewery.  The doors opened at 6;30 for a Social Hour with free beer from Sweetwater and some passed appetizers and finger foods.  There was a guitar trio playing some great classic country music to set the mood and some shirts and jackets being handed out to the ladies in the crowd.  The proceeds of the event went to support the Chattahoochee River Keepers, they had a booth set up and were giving out some goodies in exchange for signing up for their newsletter.  

The entrance of the Terminal West facility at the King Plow Arts Center.

There were 300 tickets sold, which meant a packed house!

  The films that we got to watch were just awesome!  The videography was incredible and the scenery and fish were amazing.  I was hoping to find a list of the films, but was unable to by the time I wrote this post.  If I can find it, I'll try to get it posted.  One of the films showed clips from vintage fly fishing movies.  If you know me, you know that I tend to love anything old, and the old footage was right up my alley!  I'm pretty sure I recognized Joan Wulff and Lefty Krey in some of the vintage scenes.  I'm going to have to start digging around and see if I can find those old videos to post here on The Suburban Angler.  The last film shown was a hilarious dramatization of what we all feel when we're out fishing with a buddy who catches every fish in the stream, while we're left empty handed for the day and almost ready to snap a rod in frustration!

  While the films were my favorite part (partly because I didn't win anything), I think the raffles are what really brought the crowds out.  The price of the admission ticket also included one raffle ticket for each guest.  During the intermission of the films they drew numbers to give away several guided fishing trips that covered just about every fresh and saltwater fish species in the Southeast and a great looking wooden Sweetwater Brewery sign.  But, the grand prize for the raffle was a brand new Sweetwater Brewery logo'd Orvis Helios H2 fly rod.  You had to be present to win the raffles, and it took 3 or 4 tries before they gave away the rod.  I think every one in the room was on the edge of their seat, clutching their ticket!  If the gentleman that won the rod happens to read this and decides that it's not for him, I'd be happy to take it off his hands!!!!!

  In case you can't tell from the post, we really had a great time.  Orvis Atlanta and Sweetwater Brewery put on an excellent event and I can't wait for the next one!  They announced during the intro that the Down the Hatch event raised over $5000 for the Chattahoochee River Keepers!  I'm so glad that I got to be a part of it!  If one of these film tours comes to your neck of the woods, you should really try to go.  I promise, you won't regret it!

  I hope you're all doing well,

    Tight lines, cold beers and great films!

        -Nick

Our swag! Who doesn't love free stuff?

Fly Fishing Duke's Creek

Good Mornin' Folks!

  I just wanted to share some pictures with you of a recent fishing excursion.  I had read online that most people fish Duke's Creek inside the Smithgall Woods boundaries, which means private, trophy managed waters and very smart/picky trout, but there are very nice, native fish to be found between the boundary and the Duke's Creek waterfalls.  

  When it comes to trout fishing, I'm still very much a beginner.  There is something very special about being alone in a tiny mountain creek stalking these beautiful fish.  With my trusty TFO 2 weight in hand, I set out.  I was in the water just after sunrise and fished steady until just after noon.  I managed lots of strikes, and hooked up a few times, but I was only able to land one, a gorgeous native rainbow trout about 8"-9" long.  That one fish made the whole trip worthwhile, and it's my largest trout to date.  

  I had an absolute ball fishing Duke's Creek, but I wouldn't recommend it.  The terrain and hiking in and out of the canyon makes it very dangerous.  There are far easier places to fish in North Georgia and you will probably be more successful.  I'm glad I fished it.  I feel a bit redeemed, after being skunked twice in Smithgall Woods I finally pulled a trout out of Duke's, but I won't be fishing this stretch again.  Go for the beauty of the falls, but find another spot to fish!

  I hope you're all doing well.

   Tight lines and easy trails!

        -Nick

The sign marking the Falls' parking area.

That's Mount Yonah (or Yonah Mountain) in the distance, just as the sun was starting to come up.

One of the waterfalls on Duke's Creek as seen from the lower viewing platform.

The upper viewing platform with the other waterfall beyond it.

Taking some photos of my Tacky Fly Box for an upcoming product review.  Gotta love moss covered logs, right?

One of the gorgeous little pools on Duke's Creek.  I got several strikes here, but just couldn't get them to hand.

It's definitely a scenic area.  There's lots of tumbling water and little pools. The sun coming through the trees is quite striking as well.

There he his in all his natural, native color! I caught him on a rusty brown colored bead head wooly bugger.  I need to find a better way of taking fish pictures when I'm alone, any advice?

I actually saw several of these cairns on the creek.  Apparently I wasn't the first person to fish here!

This is where I decided to leave.  The creek drops about 8' below that log and it's almost shear canyon wall on both sides.  I had to backtrack a ways to get up out of the water.

Ran up to Cartersville the day before to check out the Cohutta Fishing Co. and pick up a new fly line and some flies.  They've got an awesome store with a ton of gear.  Check them out if you're in the area!

Georgia Panfish Research Series: 1-Identification

Afternoon Folks,

  I hope you’re all doing well today.  I don’t know about where you are, but here in Georgia we’re having an absolutely gorgeous Sunday, high in the low 80’s and not a cloud in sight!  I think I may have to hit the lake this evening! 

  In my last post I mentioned that I’d been doing a bit of research on the panfish species that inhabit the lakes and streams around me, so this post is my first installment on that topic.  I firmly believe in giving credit where credit is due.  The information below is not my own original work.  Rather, I copied the info form the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website.  I hope by being up front with that that I’m not breaking any rules.  One thing I did do, however, was put all of the information together.  On the GA DNR website you have to click an individual link to each fish species.  For our purposes, I thought having it on one single page would make things a little easier.  It’s one thing to see a picture of what you’re trying to identify, it’s a whole lot easier when you can compare pictures together.  You’ll also see that each post has its original image credit intact as well. 

  Each fish description from DNR is excellent, and the artwork in incredible (…to be so talented!), but I particularly like that the state record weights are included with each description.  I knew that crappie could get pretty good size, but I can’t imagine pulling in a 3 pound Bluegill!!! A new goal to aim for indeed!

  Look over the info here, and let me know what you guys think.  I’m going to keep researching and see what else I can find of interest.  Post any questions down in the comments and I’ll do my best to research an answer.  Now get outside and catch some fish!

  Tight Lines!

    -Nick

Bluegill

The bluegill is round and flat, with a distinct dark spot or smudge at the base of the dorsal fin. The ear flap is entirely black, which distinguishes it from a lot of other sunfish. Its back and upper sides are dark olive-green to black, and its belly is reddish yellow. The bluegill also has a pattern of vertical bars on the sides. During spawning season, males can be especially dark or colorful.

Scientific Name:  Lepomis macrochirus

State Record: 3 lbs. 5 oz.

Image D.Raver (USFWS)

Black crappie

With a compressed body, small head and arched back, the black crappie is silvery-green to yellowish, with large dorsal and anal fins of almost identical shape and size. It has a large mouth with an upper jaw extending under the eye. It has many dark spots on its sides and fins, which become more mottled toward the back. To differentiate between a black crappie and a white crappie, count the dorsal spines. The black crappie has seven to eight dorsal spines, while the white crappie has only five to six.

Scientific Name:  Pomoxis nigromaculatus

State Record: 4 lbs. 4 oz.

Image D.Raver (USFWS)

Redear sunfish (Shellcracker)

The redear sunfish is a deep, slab-sided fish with pointed pectoral fins. Its most distinguishing feature is a red or orange edge along the ear flap. With light green-to-gold sides speckled with red or orange flecks, the redear has a yellowish-orange belly. The redear sunfish also grows faster and larger than other sunfish, often reaching 2 pounds with 1-plus pound fish common.

Scientific Name:  Lepomis microlophus

State Record: 4 lbs. 2 oz.

Image D.Raver (USFWS)

Redbreast sunfish

One of the brightest-colored sunfish, the redbreast has green-to yellow-brown sides with reddish spots and a reddish-orange belly. It has bluish streaks on its cheeks and around the eyes. The most distinguishing characteristic of this species is a long, narrow (no wider than the eye) extension of the gill cover. These flaps may exceed a length of 1 inch and are entirely black.

Scientific Name:  Lepomis auritus

State Record: 1 lb 11 oz.

Image D.Raver (USFWS)

Warmouth

The warmouth has a thick, oblong body, which varies from brassy to dark olive-green. It has broad, irregular dark bars that give it a mottled appearance. It is easily identified by red eyes and a large mouth, which is similar to a bass. Its upper jaw extends to or beyond the middle of the eyes. Three or four conspicuous dark stripes radiate back from the eyes across to the cheek and gill cover. The soft-rayed portions of the dorsal and anal fins are marked with rows of dark spots.

Scientific Name:  Lepomis gulosus

State Record: 2 lbs.

Image D.Raver (USFWS)

Flier

Fliers are small, deep-bodied, compressed sunfishes with large dorsal and anal fins that are nearly equal in size. The upper jaw extends backward to the front of the eye, and the tongue has two tooth patches. Olive green to pale yellow sides are marked with several rows of brown spots. Small fliers have a prominent black spot surrounded by an orange circle in the soft dorsal fin.

Scientific Name:  Centrarchus macropterus

State Record:  None Noted

Image D.Raver (USFWS)

Information and images reposted from Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division at: http://www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing

Winter Is Finally Over!!!

Hey there Folks,

  Thanks for checking in with me.  Now that winter is truly over and another semester of school is coming to a close, I can focus on the really important things in life...FLY FISHING!!!!  I'm afraid I haven't done much of anything fishing related in quite some time.  Last weekend it was finally warm enough to put the kayak on the water in Lake Lanier, so look for some pictures below.  I tried to stay abreast of what's going on in the industry, but since I live in the south, there is no steelhead run, no monster pike or musky and I don't own a decent pair of winter weight waders any more.  But, it's warming up, we're back into the 80s some and I'll be able to wet wade the mountain streams very soon.  So definitely keep checking back, because I plan on getting the blog up and running again in a big way this summer.  I'm still working on a post that covers the water access laws for the state of Georgia, so look for that soon.  Plus, I've noticed that with all the wonderful fly tying instructions that are on the web, in books and in magazines very few of them actually tell you how to fish the fly once it's tied, so, I've begun trying to track down that kind of information.  I'm still fishing my 6' 2-weight TFO rod, and still absolutely love it, but I've decided I'd like to get something bigger.  Not necessarily heavier, I love fishing an ultralight rod, but for casting out of the kayak on the lake I want to find an 8' or 9' rod.  I've got a very tight budget on that, so I'll try to keep updating my research progress here.  I've also been doing some research on Crappie and Bluegill.  Since I do most of my fishing in the lake and don't get up to the mountain streams as often as I'd like, I figure I need to get a better understanding of the fish that I'm catching more often.  Many flies that work on trout also work on panfish, but I'm pretty sure I could find some better flies that will target the lake slabs, and not just poppers, either!  

  I hope you all had a tolerable winter and are looking as forward to getting on the water as I am.  Thanks again for checking in and please keep coming back!

  Tight Lines,

   -Nick

If you follow me on Instagram you might've seen that I won a 3 month subscription to PostFly Box Co.  This was my first shipment.  Very nice looking flies!

  

Our first nice evening on the deck.  Enjoyed a pipe, had a Shiner Farmhouse Ale and added my PostFly Box Co. flies to my boxes.

First day on Lake Lanier this season.

This is the first and largest fish I took last weekend.  I'm pretty sure this is a male Bluegill, he took a black ant fly as soon as it smacked the water.  Hard hit and a great fight. Can anyone confirm or correct on species for me?

Burger and a Show.

Good Morning Folks!

The snow from overnight.

  I'm afraid I haven't been fishing in a while now, and it's starting to wear on me!  I'm going to have to get out soon, even if its just for a few minutes!  I heard from a friend of mine in Lubbock, Texas that our snowstorm here in Atlanta has hit the national news this week.  We woke up this morning to about 2" of snow on the ground, 12° temps and ice on all the roadways.  So, I guess I won't be fishing this week, either.

Doe tracks on the front walkway, about 10' from the font door!

  On Sunday the Little Girl and I drove down to Jonesboro, on the south side of Atlanta, to attend the Atlanta Camping and RV Show.  It was a huge show and we're very glad we got to go.  It made for a fun day out.  I'm afraid the name of the show mislead me a bit.  With a name like "Camping and RV Show" I expected RV's and camping equipment.  The show had plenty of RV's, I think there were five or six local dealerships with lots of RV's on display, but they were there to sell RV's not show them.  The big surprise (and disappointment) for me was the lack of camping gear.  I was really hoping to see some tents and sleeping bags, backpacks and cooking gear, flashlights and water filters, but there was nothing!  There was one booth selling RV accessories, a couple insurance companies and a few hawkers with clothes steamers and kitchen knives.  There was very little information listed on the show's website, so I guess I had formulated my own idea of what it was going to be before we got there.  It was a lot of fun to check out the half-a-million dollar motor homes and all the different size and style travel trailers.  But even the tear drops (which I love!) on display were too heavy for my little SUV to tow.  The best part of the show for me were the campground booths near the entrance.  I was able to pick up the new Georgia State Park book, the Alabama State Park book, the KOA Kampgrounds directory and even a Yogi Bear's Jelli Stone Park flyer (I didn't know they were still in existence!).  So the show wasn't a total loss, the Little Girl and I always have fun on our day trip outings.

The Philly Cheese Burger from Burger21.

The Ale & Cheese fries. This sauce would be great on ANYTHING!!!

  The highlight of the day was where we stopped for lunch!  We had some errands to run up by the Mall of Georgia  and we decided to check out a newer hamburger joint for some lunch.  We had heard it was good, but never really heard much more about it.  The place is called Burger21 and when we walked in I was afraid it was one of those places that was trying way too hard to be trendy.  The burger combinations on the menu sounded awesome and the promise of organic angus beef always gets me excited.  When we got our food (order at the counter, they bring it to your table) I was stunned that my hamburger was actually cooked the way I ordered it!  That seems to be becoming a rarity around here. They had loads of different sauces to add to your burger or fries, but we opted for the Ale & Cheese fries, a beer and cheddar dipping sauce with bacon and green onions!  I got the Philly Cheese Burger with sauteed onions and peppers, provolone cheese and a horseradish sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was!  The Little Girl got a Turkey Cobb burger which was also good (I have a problem with calling anything that isn't ground beef or bison a "burger" though), juicy and well seasoned.  The toasted brioche buns were soft and tender and a great compliment to the sandwiches.  On the way out we got a Double Espresso Shake from the shake bar in the dining room.  This was the smoothest shake with the strongest coffee flavor that I have had in a long time! 
  Hopefully I'll be able to get out and do some fishing soon, or at least have a chance to get some flies tied up.  Either way, I'm going to try to be a bit more regular with my blog posts.
  I hope you're all doing well, staying safe and warm wherever you are.
     Tight lines and happy fishing!
           -Nick