The sunrise view

The sunrise view from the Wolf Pup's window when I was camping at Don Carter State Park for the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show.

via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BtyfnInDu61/

Maiden Voyage

Found a picture of the maiden voyage in my Equinox kayak up on Lake Lanier!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/2hXT8By

Here's to a relaxing Friday night!

Here's to a relaxing Friday night! Vintage Flyfishing book, vintage Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe, vintage Zippo, a good beer and, if you look through the leaves, a slight view of Lake Lanier. Prost!!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/29ck3pP

One of several beautiful, little...

One of several beautiful, little bluegill caught from the kayak last night!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/28XV9xM

Stunningly beautiful evening for paddling the Chattahoochee!!!

Stunningly beautiful evening for paddling the Chattahoochee!!!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/28UQKuc

Bow view

via Instagram http://ift.tt/28VsvO0

Bow view. 

Waterline

Waterline

via Instagram http://ift.tt/28TODri

This guy stripped the hackle right off the fly!!

This guy stripped the hackle right off the fly!!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/28Owr1H

Had a gorgeous day on Lake Lanier

Had a gorgeous day for kayaking Lake Lanier yesterday. I even caught a couple fish!!

via Instagram http://ift.tt/28JRMJw

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!

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?

Frogtown Creek: My First Trout on a Fly!

Mornin' Folks,
  Today I thought I'd share some pictures with you.  These are all cell phone pictures, so the quality isn't the greatest.  The weekend before last I spent a great evening visiting with my grandparents up in the North Georgia mountains.  I got up and left early Sunday morning to do some small, mountain stream fly fishing.  I had yet to catch a trout on the fly, so I was hoping that this would be the day.  I stopped first at Helton Creek Falls and fished the pool at the bottom of the lower falls.  After about 10 minutes I started seeing some fish moving in the pool and showing interest in my Prince Nymph.  Just when a trout looked like he was going to take my fly, I heard a loud thud behind me and the fish took off.  I turned around to see a rather clumsy looking "photographer" had come down the stairs behind me and was jumping from rock to rock taking pictures.  The brush was just too thick to head down stream, mostly because of the cut Chestnut trees, and the "photographer" didn't appear to be leaving anytime soon, so I decided to pack it in and try to find another stream. 
  I'm a little fuzzy on the stream access laws of Georgia and it seemed like every nice place I found to fish had a house sitting next to it.  So, I headed down to DeSoto Falls Recreation Area in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. 
  In the past, I've hiked the trail of DeSoto Falls, but set out too late to make it to the falls themselves, but I was surprised to see a 24-site campground with shower and restrooms in the recreation area.  I'm going to keep that in mind for a later camping trip. 
  The banks of Frogtown Creek were pretty overgrown.  Stream access wasn't bad, but I couldn't cast from the bank.  The only waders I have are neoprene chest waders, which are way too uncomfortable for a warm, late summer day so they were left at home.  Frogtown Creek is a freestone stream so I thought I'd just rock hop.  I was wearing waterproof boots, so figured I could walk through the shallows.  After I slipped off the first rock I decided the day was warm enough to just wet-wade! 
  I had a great time fishing this stream.  There seemed to be a fair amount of fish in the water.  I got a lot of splashy refusals and a couple missed bites.  I didn't see any fish rising, and no insect hatch that I could detect, so I tried to stick with the nymph style flies.  The fish seemed interested, but I just couldn't get a hard take.  After catching my last small nymph in the trees, I tied on the only small fly I had left.  I'm not exactly sure what the fly was, I think it came in an assortment pack that I got as a gift years ago, but I think it was a deer hair Caddis fly in about a size 18 or so.  I would've posted a picture of this fly, but I lost it not terribly long after tying it on.  Makes me wonder if I tried hooking trees if I'd catch more fish...
  I wish I had tied on the Caddis sooner!  On my second cast next to a boulder in the middle of the stream I got a big splashy strike, but I missed the hook set.  Most of the reading that I've done on trout fishing says that trout spook very easily and if you recast to the same fish you can scare it off.  I think I probably cast to this fish a half dozen times and he splashed at it every time.  He finally took the fly and I had my first trout on my fly rod!  This guy put up a way better fight than the little bluegills I've been catching in Lake Lanier.  I fought him for a few minutes, reveling in the bend of my 2 weight TFO rod.  Since the water really wasn't that cold, I didn't want to fight the fish too long and risk over stressing him.  So I brought him to hand, dropped him a couple times, but I got my picture.  I had finally caught my first trout on a fly, a very nice little rainbow, about 7 inches long and full of energy.
  Having caught my first trout, and promptly losing the fly I caught him on, I decided it was getting late and I had homework and things waiting for me at home.    I look forward to camping at DeSoto Falls, hiking to the falls and doing some more fishing in Frogtown Creek.  And I can't wait to catch another trout!!!

Helton Creek Falls in Union County.

All of the American Chestnut trees were cut down along the trail due Chestnut Blight.

This is why they were cut down, otherwise they would fall. This stump was easily 3 ft. across.

The lower falls of Helton Creek Falls.

Frogtown Creek just below DeSoto Falls at the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area.

My 6 ft. Temple Forks Outfitters 2 weight rod.  Perfect for the small Frogtown Creek.

Further downstream.  Trout don't live in unattractive places.

My first trout on a fly!  Not huge, but he sure was fun. Definitely hooked now, I can't wait to do some more coldwater fly fishing!