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

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. 

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!

Fly Fishing Suwanee Creek Test Video

Afternoon folks!
  I went out and fished Suwanee Creek yesterday evening to test out some camera equipment.  I got skunked again! I think the fish know when I have a camera out!  I sped up the video just because I think fly fishing in high speed is pretty funny!  Please like, subscribe, share, comment and anything else.  I hope to have more videos soon!
  Have a great day!
    Tight Lines,
         -Nick

A Mess of Bluegill

Mornin' Folks,

Fish, Local History, and Fish!

 Afternoon Folks,
  I haven't gotten around to posting in a while, so this one's a bit pic heavy.  Because of that, I'll try to keep the rambling short!  I've been fishing every chance I get lately and the Little Girl and I have been checking out some of the historical places we have here in North Georgia.  So, even though I'm out of school for the summer, we're still staying pretty busy.

Antiques are another of my passions. 

  The first set of pictures is from an evening in the kayak on Lake Lanier.  I caught a few little bluegills, but the fishing didn't seem to be too good.  The lake seems a lot busier this year, I'm having a more difficult time finding quiet places to fish without jet skis and speed boats flying by the whole time.  I'm still exploring some of the different areas of the lake, hopefully soon I'll find a good, quiet, fishy spot all to myself!
  The next few pictures are from a little day trip we took up toward Helen, Georgia.  We spent a few hours walking around the North Georgia Zoo and Wildlife Wonders park.  The Little Girl bonded with some young Pygmy Goats that were ready to adopt us.  If we had a bigger backyard, I wouldn't have been opposed to bringing a couple home myself.  I'm a little more partial to the chickens and miniature donkeys though.  After a wonderful German lunch at Hofer's in Helen, we stopped at Nora Mills Granary to feed the trout by the dam.  This stretch of river is owned by the mill, no fishing is allowed unless guided by one of the Unicoi Outfitters guides, catch and release only.  I'd love to do it, but I'm in no position to pay for fishing!  We ended up getting a tour of the mill, samples of the grits and had to buy a few pounds of assorted grains before we left!  A great little roadside stop, you should really check it out if you're ever in the area.  And, don't forget the trout above the dam, they put on a better show!
  I've got some pretty good fish pictures next.  I've been fishing Suwanee Creek a lot to avoid the traffic on Lake Lanier.  I found a pretty good hole where the creek doglegs and it seems to hold a good many bluegills.  The last time I was out there was  a beaver swimming around checking things out.  I think that's a good sign for the health of the creek!
  Lastly are some pictures of the historic Poole's Mill covered bridge outside of Cumming, Georgia.  It was a very picturesque spot and I look forward to going back with the kayak and a flyrod!  I do hate to see so much graffiti on a historical landmark, some people have no respect. I am fascinated with the milling marks on the old timbers and love that it's all peg construction!
  I hope you're all doing well, and that I didn't ramble too much for you!  Enjoy the pictures and get out and explore the fishing holes and history in your backyard!
  Tight lines!
      -Nick
  
 
 

I won a 3-month subscription to PostFly Box on Instagram. Each shipment includes a sticker, so I found an appropriate place for it!

A nice bluegill on a white popper taken kayak fishing on Lake Lanier.

Another nice little bluegill.

Just a fly-keeper shot.

Two week old Pygmy Goat kids nursing on the Little Girl's fingers at the North Georgia Zoo and Wildlife Wonders park.

A look back downstream at the Granary building.

A view upstream on the Chattahoochee River from Nora Mills Granary looking above the dam.

The hand-built log dam at Nora Mills Granary.  This is the last privately owned dam on Chattahoochee River. There's been a dam on this spot for over 150 years!

Did you know that the phrases "a damsel in distress" and "keep your nose to the grindstone" both originated in stone ground grain mills?

I know I've said this before, but I have a major fascination with water-powered mills!

They may be tough to see, but these are the trout below the dam at Nora Mills Granary.  I stopped counting at 20!

A good looking Suwanee Creek 'gill.

Another good Suwanee Creek fish, possibly the biggest yet!

Trying to shake the popper! Beautiful colors on this Suwanee Creek bluegill.

My favorite hole on Suwanee Creek.  Makes casting tough.

The aquarium at the Macon, GA Bass Pro Shop.

A monster Bluegill in the Bass Pro aquarium.

The vintage fly display at Bass Pro Macon.

Beautiful bridge.  The center support was added recently to shore up the sagging bridge.

100 year old milling marks.

The underside of the bridge.

The bridge from upstream.  You know there's fish in that water!