Happy Turkey Day!
We pray that everyone is doing well and fishing as often as you like.
This is the time of year when we all want to spend as much time outdoors
as possible. The Fall leaf colors, which were as late this year as we can
remember, have hung around longer than usual; tinting the hillsides with
reds and golds that seem to bleed into the air. Cold mornings give us an
excuse to hang
around the house a little longer nourishing that last cup of coffee before
heading out to the stream. We think we have it figured out that the trout
will be just as sluggish as we humans on these cold mornings and, by the
time the sun has been on the water for a couple of hours, they’ll be
actively going about their timeless business of surviving another day. Is
this true? Or is it simply our effort to make them conform to our world?
We’ll admit that, at least early on in the change of season from Fall
to Winter, the fish do seem to be somewhat less active early on cold mornings.
And, their activity appears to pick up as the day warms. They are, after
all, cold-blooded animals that react quickly to environmental conditions.
This does not, however, mean you can’t catch fish. We can recall a
bitterly cold day on the Nantahala River when the air temperature was 0,
yep, ZERO, when we got on the river and we caught fish all day long. Our
clients were real troupers and we did take frequent breaks for hot drinks
and chili, but bottom line is we were into fish all day long. The water
was clear as crystal and you could spot fish holding under the ice ledges
that had formed around every rock in the river. If your fly drifted more
than 6 inches away from the trout’s nose, nothing happened. If your
drift was right on the trout’s nose, you got a take. Interesting fishing,
to say the least. We’re not that cold yet, but the tactics are much
the same. On these cold mornings, slow down, fish more deliberately, fish
on the bottom, cover the holding water more completely, inch by inch.
Fall fishing is good! Rather than getting on-stream at 7:30, we’re
beginning our trips around 9:00 most mornings. You’ll want to be prepared
by wearing the appropriate clothing; fleece pants, fleece jacket, maybe
even a pair of fingerless gloves can make the difference between misery
and success. Most of your fishing will be either nymphs or streamers: woolly
buggers, hares ears, big stone fly patterns, plus eggs, San Juan worms,
Y2K bugs, prince nymphs and pheasant tails. Now and then you’ll happen
on to surface feeding fish and, by all means, tie on a dry fly. You may
not see a hatch but the fish are definitely feeding on the surface. Particularly
after a rain we’ve found fish lining up along a debris line, sipping
something from among the trash floating downstream. We never figured out
what they were taking but we did catch fish on elk hair caddis and attractor
flies. Just to cover all your bases, drop a nymph or soft hackle off the
back. And remember, midge hatches may occur most anytime.
Where to Fish
Obviously, the delayed harvest streams are most popular this time of
year, and for good reasons. They’re open, for one! With most of the
higher mountain streams closed for the season, we’ve got fewer choices
available. But, beyond that, the
delayed harvest streams are fun to fish. Stocked with plenty of fish, Smith
Creek, Amicolola, and the Chattooga offer great opportunities in our area.
Fishing reports are good from all these streams, even as the fish become
somewhat more
educated and acclimated to life in the wild. In North Carolina, the Nantahala
and Tuckaseegee Rivers draw many a Georgia angler across the border with
easily accessible waters full of browns, brookies and bows.
If there is a downside to the delayed harvest waters, at times they can
seem crowded. Although all these but Smith Creek are pretty big waters for
the Southeast, anglers have a tendency to congregate, which means you feel
crowded. If you want to avoid the crowds, consider fishing Dukes Creek.
Yep, Dukes Creek! We know the reputation of Dukes has tarnished over the
past few years, but it’s still a neat place to fish and we can almost
guarantee you won’t find it crowded. For some time now, we’ve
had anglers coming by the shop after trips to Dukes with really poor fishing
reports and were beginning to dismiss the creek
ourselves after listening to all the bad news. However, we’ve had some
guided trips there lately and fished it ourselves a couple of times in the
past two weeks and want to announce that the reports of Dukes demise have
been greatly exaggerated. Now, you will not find the Dukes of old. The fishing
of 1994, ’95, ’96, and ’97 no longer exists there. Twenty
fish days, with many over 18”, just
aren’t likely to happen very often and we regret it. However, if you
want to fish a beautiful stream with a decent population of browns and rainbows
(a few over 20”!) that requires a little more skill than the DH streams,
consider Dukes. Prepare to fish very clear water, be sneaky, and make good
presentations. Unfortunately, you won’t find trout holding in every
place you think they should be holding but, if you can deftly cherry pick
every little pocket and hiding place without spooking it, you’ll be
surprised at the nice fish you’ll take. You should call ahead to make
a reservation (706-878-3087) but most days lately have seen plenty of openings
available.
Commercial Break
(Sorry, but it helps us stay open!)
This is the season of gifts and we want to make sure our friends are
receiving the gifts they most desire and deserve. First, let us tell you
that we are planning a big book and video sale for the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Many of our best books and videos will be marked down 20% to 40% off their
regular retail price. Stop in and see what we have to offer. There will
be other items in the store on sale, too. Select fly rods, WaterSkeeter
pontoon boats, and Columbia fishing shirts to name just a few.
Several years back we put together a “shopping list” of fly
fishing stuff and mailed it out to our customers. It seemed to be very well
received then so we decided to do it again this year via the newsletter.
What you’ll find in the following list are those items which we feel
are either the best buy or simply the best product in each price category.
If the folks whom you would expect to buy you gifts this time of year are
at a loss as to what to buy, print off this list, highlight the stuff you’re
interested in and conveniently leave it in a conspicuous place. Or just
mail it to Santa.
$5-$25
Fly Trap Fly Keeper
Orvis Wader Bag
“Trout Fishing North Georgia” by Jimmy Jacobs (Don’t leave
home without it)
Fly Tying or Casting Videos
Magnetic Rod Guard (Hold your rod securely against your vehicle & out
of the
door)
Ketchum Release (Simple idea that works)
Unicoi Outfitters’ Gift Certificate
$25-$50
Simms Waderwick Underwader Wear (Critical to Winter fishing)
Fleece Unicoi Outfitters Vest
Columbia Fishing Shirts (We really do need all those pockets)
C&F Design Fly Boxes (Most innovative on the market)
Brodin Streambase Landing Nets
William Joseph Mini Chest Pack
Unicoi Outfitters’ Gift Certificate
$50-$100
Sage Guide Line Luggage
Orvis Super Tac-L-Pak Vest
Simms Wading Staff
“Fly Tier’s Benchside Reference (The definitive book on fly tying)
St. Croix Pro Graphite Rods (Perfect entry level or backup rod; lifetime
warranty)
Unicoi Outfitters’ Fly Tying Class Gift Certificate ($65.00)
$100-$200
Lamson Velocity Reel
Ross Cimarron Reel
Orvis Large Arbor Battenkill Reel
Sage LE Rods (Great casting, great name, great value)
Orvis Clearwater Classic Rods (Old PM-10 rods redesigned and renamed)
Renzetti Rotary Vise
Action Optics Sunglasses (The best polarization on the market)
Tom Landreth Framed Prints
Simms Freestone Waders (Breathable, $149.00, made in the U.S.A.)
Simms Light Weight Wading Boots
Simms Freestone Jacket (Gore Tex; real Gore Tex)
Unicoi Outfitters’ Fly Tying Kit
Unicoi Outfitters’ Gift Certificate for a Trophy Fishing Trip w/Guide
$300 +
Jim Wiley’s Carved Trout (Unbelievably realistic)
Thomas & Thomas LPS Rods (The small stream versions; 5’6”
– 7’)
Sage VPS Light Rods (Old Light Line Rods renamed; best rod ever made)
Winston Tom Morgan Favorite (Perfect North Georgia small stream dry fly
rod)
Simms Guide Jacket (For serious weather)
Dyna-King Barracuda Rotary Vise (The industry standard)
WaterSkeeter Pontoon Boat (We grin every time we get in ours)
Unicoi Outfitters’ Gift Certificate for a Full Day Trophy Fishing Trip
for 2
w/Guide
Unicoi Outfitters’ Gift Certificate for a Float Trip for 2 Anglers
Remember, if you purchase any reel priced at $300.00 or more, or any
fly rod
priced at $400.00 or more, you’ll also receive a gift certificate for
a free half day
of fishing at Nacoochee Bend (a $90.00 value).
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 or drop us an email.
Tight lines!
The Liars Club |