Unicoi Outfitters Fishing Report 1/31/26

Greetings from the frozen tundra of north Georgia and welcome to Round 2 of our Winter Wonderland. I might pass on grilling burgers today here at home in Cleveland. Apologies for being a day late, but we had a real long, fun Friday at the Fish Hawk show.

Today’s report is similar to last week’s. You’ll do best to delay your fishing trips for a few days until the roads clear again and air and water temperatures recover from their deep freezes. The extended forecast suggests that our region will warm back up starting about Tuesday, so aim for the end of the week to scratch your angling itch.  Remember that a lot of Forest Service back roads may still be closed due to downed trees, so check with the feds before venturing very far off the main county roads. We have the USFS link in our full report.

In the meantime, enjoy some great midwinter events on tap this week. For those of you snow-free in Atlanta, the Fish Hawk Fly Show continues today at their Buckhead Store on Miami Circle. Henry Cowen is on his way back to the show now to tie his striper flies and sell his striper book, with all proceeds going to his “adopted” Lake Lanier family needing shelter from the storms.

Wes’ great interview series returns on Tuesday. Native bass fans shouldn’t miss his Instagram live interview with redeye expert and book Author Dr. Matthew Lewis. Tune in at 7PM.

And on Saturday, the 7th, the Rabunites welcome all comers to their annual bluegrass and BBQ banquet, the Rabun Rendezvous at the county civic center in Clayton.

Ties some flies,  go to the Fish Hawk show, attend some events, and maybe even plan a reunion with your favorite waters at the end of the week. Let’s be thankful for all the power companies who restored our power, and even for this precipitation to recharge our streams. It’s mid-winter and we are weathering January as we should.  Before you know it, March will be here, stripers will chase shad in the shallows, and a few trout will rise to the first bug hatches of spring. Relax now and get ready for that.

Wes’ Hot Fly List:  

Who are we kidding?  There are no hot flies now. Everything is cold! But some of these will work at the week-end thaw.

Dries: parachute blue wing olive, griffiths gnat, little black stone (or #18 gray elk hair caddis, and a small tan chubby or elk hair caddis as the lead fly (a strike indicator for your tiny dry dropper)

Nymphs & Wets: 

DH Stockers: twister egg, pheasant tail or Frenchie, sexy Walts worm, rainbow warrior, zebra midge, red tag.

Mountain streams:  ice auger first, the a zebra midge, soft hackles, prince nymph, frenchie or pheasant tail.

Streamers:

Black and olive woolly buggers, jig leech, UV polar Jig.

Reservoir Bass & Stripers:

Cowen’s somethin else. Gray over white clouser minnow, low fat minnow. Or a 0.6 ounce flexit spoon on conventional gear.

Headwaters:

They’re low and clear and icy and not worth hitting right now. In fact, many forest roads may still be closed due to downed trees and/or ice.