NOVEMBER, 2005 UNICOI NEWSLETTER

Let's get right to the chase with some fishing reports. Fishing has been extremely good on most north Georgia trout streams (in spite of all the leaves in the creeks). We have a couple of truly great reports submitted from some good friends for Dukes Creek and the Chattooga River.

"Sunday at Dukes really was incredible! I actually lost track of how many, overall, probably 30 including some little guys, but landed 10 in the 18"-20" class, three others that went about 21"-22"(one was so fat he seemed almost as big around as long), two 24", and another that was right at 26" -- all rainbows. Also caught two browns, biggest was 17. Lost two others that had to be 24 or better, including one absolute monster from the swimming hole, and LDR'd some more in the 18-20" range. I also caught the same fish twice about five casts apart (just one of those days) and the coolest thing happened when I was hooked up with the fat 21 incher, which happened to take the first fly. After fighting him for a while and getting him close to the surface, a huge brown jumps out of the water right at him and in front of me -- literally almost hitting both of us. Turns out I had also hooked a 4" rainbow on the trailer fly, and this brown was obviously trying to eat him. Pretty exciting!

"Most were caught on a soft hackle pheasant tail -- size 16, no bead, trailed off another soft hackle with a beadhead. The only other fly that I caught anything on was a San Juan Worm, but I got off of that pretty early on after showing some guys who had never fished there before where some fish were holding. With the exception of the two guys that I helped, and they didn't stay very long, there were only four other people who fished section I. Not one single person went downstream on the shuttle all day! Hard for me to believe a fishery that great isn't fished more." (Ed. Note: The angler asked not to be identified but, for the record, we've fished with him and we trust his report)

CHATTOOGA RIVER

"Ron Sharp and I fished the Chattooga on Saturday, November 19 and had an absolutely great day. If you have not fished the Chattooga yet this delayed harvest season, you owe it to yourself to do so immediately. We need to all give the Georgia Department of Natural Resources kudos for the wonderful fishery they've created in the North Georgia mountains. Well they have outdone themselves on the Chattooga this year. Although I have caught more fish (and we caught plenty) along a greater stretch of the river than Ron and I did on Saturday, I don't know if I have ever spent more quality time fishing on this wild and scenic river. This was no doubt the result of:

"1. A great number of larger fish. We caught few fish under 10 inches (maybe one or two) with the average running between 11 and 13 with some larger. In fact, I caught the largest brook trout of my life on Saturday. And, I did it 4 times!!! These trout are in beautiful spawning colors and are sporting overly large kyped jaws. They are absolutely stunning. The mix of fish seemed to be roughly 50% brookies and 50% rainbows. We didn't catch a single brown trout all day.

"2. Outstanding dry fly action. I don't recall a single day in the years that I have fished the Chattooga (and few other rivers for that matter) when the dry fly fishing was as outstanding as it was on Saturday. Starting around 11:30am until we left at approximately 5:00pm dry flies were the main course on the menu. Skip the dry fly and nymph dropper. I'm talking about dry flies only. And, the later the day became, the better the fishing got . The last hour was purely magical. The yellow humpy in size 16 and 18 was the fly of the day. But we also continuously took fish on elk hair caddis, PMD's, and small (size 18 and 20 BWO's). As the sun was fading during the last half hour of the day, the BWO's were especially hot. Trailing the smaller fly behind a larger dry (using the larger fly as an indicator) proved to be an especially productive and fun technique.

"3. Solitude, beautiful fall colors, and mild temperatures. We met only two fishermen and three hikers all day long. We absolutely had the river to ourselves. I suspect we owed that to a very cool start (morning temperature in the upper 20's, but by midmorning temperatures were ideal), coupled with the bulldog fans staying home, and the deer hunters doing their thing. Who could have asked for more.

"I've fished a lot of western streams and rivers, and I can tell you that very few are as beautiful as the Chattooga, or offer fishing better than the Chattooga is offering today. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera died. As a result, I got one, and only one picture. That was too bad. I would loved to have taken a few shots of those beautifully colored brook trout. They truly are stunning. But don't take my word for it. With the long weekend coming up, skip out on the family (they probably think that you are weird anyway), and hit the Chattooga. If your family is like mine, your pumpkin pie may not be waiting when you return. But, trust me, you won't mind." Ren Gobris

TOCCOA RIVER

After several weeks of less than desirable fishing conditions on the Toccoa tailwater, things are finally returning to normal. Water temps had been running in the high 60's for most of October and November due to the fact that the lake did not stratify and water temps there were 67 degrees top to bottom. However, with recent cool weather and now the rains, water temps on the Toccoa will be in great shape. Sunday afternoon the water was 56 degrees when checked between the dam and Curtis Switch. That's about perfect. When Jimmy and his fishing partner got on stream around 2:30 PM, there was a good caddis hatch coming off and fish were rising all over the river. A size 14 or 16 tan caddis with light tan body was the ticket most of the afternoon. There were also some good midge hatches off and on and quite a few fish were caught on a Griffith's Gnat. As evening bore on fewer fish were rising but a Partridge and Yellow Soft Hackle dropped off the back of the Elk Hair Caddis picked up 8 or 10 fish before it got too dark to see. There were a lot of small fingerlings in the area but it was fun fooling them in between the nice 8" - 11" fish that were caught during the next three hours. All in all, two anglers landed around 50 fish for the afternoon. Between watching those fish come out of the water chasing the caddis and an encounter with a curious otter, it was a great afternoon. Try skittering a caddis imitation across the surface if the dead drift isn't working. Other flies that have been working are brightly colored nymphs like Lightning Bugs worked on a swing, #16 & 18 Adams and #18 - 24 Blue Wing Olives. If you get a chance to go soon, you'll find a lot of the most recent fingerling stockers near the historical stocking points but work your way upstream or down to get away from the access points and you should have a great time on the holdover browns and rainbows. Best thing about the Toccoa right now: NO LEAVES!

NOONTOOTLA CREEK (USFS SECTION)

Fallen leaves do come into play on Noontootla Creek at the moment but they'll all be gone soon and, besides, the fishing is worth the aggravation. Fishing on the upper end is about as good as it gets with wild rainbows and browns rising to tan caddis and Adams dry flies. Take a small rod, 8 ft. or less, wear dark or camo clothing, rig a short 7' or 8' leader with 5X or 6X tippet and be prepared. Once you've figured it out, Noontootla Creek is about a close to a Blue Ribbon Stream as you'll find in Georgia.

ROCK CREEK

We don't usually mention much about Rock Creek during the spring and summer months because it gets so much angling pressure. The easy access from Forest Service Rd.69 can make Rock Creek look like a free for all to someone looking for a few quiet hours of trout fishing. Here's the key: Wait until all the summer campers and tourists have either gone home or headed off to deer camp. We can assure you they didn't catch all the fish in Rock Creek. Even now, look for areas where the road leaves the stream for the better fishing. Fish it like you would its sister stream, Noontootla Creek. Concentrate on the not-so-easy places to get to and be stealthy. Try a Parachute Adams, Tan Caddis, Orange Stimulators or Orange or Yellow Palmers. The creek is typically very clear in early winter so approach each likely area with caution. There are a lot more wild rainbows in Rock Creek than you would expect.

SMITH CREEK

With the Delayed Harvest season in full swing now, Smith Creek is providing a lot of good fishing with easy accessibility. The park has been working on the upper sections of the creek that were so heavily damaged by the tornadoes and more fishable water is already available. There is still work to be done there but the section from the culvert to the group housing is in much better shape now than even a couple of weeks ago. They've also managed to re-open the trail by the pond which had been blocked by a huge tree blown over in the storm. If you don't mind walking just a little, hike on down to the lower end of the park section of the creek and fish your way back up. With the cool, wet summer we had this year, you'll likely find plenty of holdovers from last springs DH. Besides, the creek is much prettier down there anyhow.

CHATTOOGA RIVER BOATING

Many of you are already aware of the issue with the Sumter National Forest reviewing their policy of banning boating above Hwy. 28 on the Chattooga River. This has begun to degrade into a stand-off between anglers and boaters so we want all our friends to take this opportunity to learn more about the issue and, if possible, attend some of the public meetings. If you can't attend the meetings, at least write the Forest Service to let them know your opinion.

According to the Forest Service, the objective of this process is to address impacts of public use and to preserve the environmental setting and resources for future recreational use - and the public is an integral part of this process. In the first portion of the November workshop, small groups will review a proposal by a Forest Service team that delineates areas of the Chattooga River above Highway 28 into "zones," or areas with similar resource and social conditions. These proposed zones are consistent with the river's Wild and Scenic classifications as designated by the U.S. Congress. After agreeing with or modifying the proposed zones, the groups will define the recreation opportunities that are suitable within each zone. Finally, the groups will work to define desired conditions by zone and recreation opportunity, developing a brief description of conditions they wish to see in the area.

From Doug Adams, Rabun TU: "The Second Public Meeting in Clayton (Nov. 17) was attended by about 80 or more stakeholders. Even if you were unable to attend the meeting and you visit the upper Chattooga, the Forest Service wants and needs your comments to make the study as accurate and as complete as possible. Here is the Upper Chattooga River (above Highway 28) 'Recreation Use ' survey":

Upper Chattooga River- Recreation Use Form

Name (optional) _______________

1. What is the most important activity on the trip? (be specific -Ex: Backcountry Fishing, Backpacking, Camping, etc)

2. What other activities would you do on the trip? ( Ex: Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Hunting, Wild Flowering, Birding, etc)

3. Where would you go? List the segment(s) you would use and describe your travel route (if any).

4. When (what time of year) could you take this trip? (Please specify months, season, or "all year"). [This measures the entire season.]

5. When is the best time of year to take this type of trip? How often do you take (or would you take) this trip per year? [This measures the "prime season".]

6. How many people (include yourself) would be in your group on this trip?

7. How long would your trip be? (Days or hours)

8. Describe the most important attributes of the trip - the conditions or characteristics of the trip that make it high quality.

9. Describe the specific concerns you have about how other recreation users in the area may affect your trips.

Take a few minutes to answer these questions. Do it right now. Help to preserve and protect the solitude and uniqueness of the only section of the Chattooga that has not been damaged by conflict and management for too many user groups.

Send your comments to: Project Coordinator - John Cleeves, E-mail jcleeves@fs.fed.us USDA Forest Service, 4931 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29212

All info gathered will be posted on the Sumter National Forest website. Go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/

Ed. Note: We attended both the first Forest Service meeting in Walhalla, SC and the second meeting in Clayton, GA and, while there was a good representation of anglers at both meetings, the boating enthusiasts probably outnumbered anglers and they are much more well organized. They have even had their attorney in attendance at both meetings. The next meeting will again be held in Walhalla, SC on December 1st and we encourage you to consider attending. There seems to be little willingness on the part of the boating community to work on a win/win solution such as boating only when the Chattooga gauge is above 2.5 when fishing is limited. It seems as if the only acceptable resolution for them is unlimited access. If you have spent any time on the Chattooga River trout fishing, you know that, although it is certainly considered "big water" from an Appalachian trout stream viewpoint, it is not big enough to allow for a quality angling experience while boaters are coming through. The Chattooga River above Hwy. 28 offers a unique backcountry angling experience that simply can not be found anywhere else in this part of the country. Boating and angling on Sections 3 & 4 of the Chattooga over 30 years ago resulted in some very ugly conflicts between the two groups. When it was decided to restrict stocking trout in the river to only that section above Hwy. 28, the next conflict was between the commercial rafting businesses and private, self-guided boaters. Obviously, there is already a history of the opportunity for conflict with these user groups. In our opinion, unlimited boating access will again result in conflicts between boaters and anglers and, ultimately, in the demise of this one-of-a-kind angling experience. (Look back at the fishing report from Ren Gobris for an idea of what we stand to loose) We ask that you learn more about this issue and make your concerns known the Sumter National Forest and thank you for allowing us this time on our soap box.

THANK YOU

As always, we are grateful for your friendship and your patronage. If you ever need current fishing information or specifications and recommendations on gear, please call us at (706) 878-3083 in Helen or (706) 632-1880 in Blue Ridge.

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Tight lines!

The Liars Club http://www.unicoioutfitters.com