Other Fishing Reports


SEPTEMBER, 2007 UNICOI NEEWSLETTER Well, normally this time of the year we are all pumped up about summer being over and moving into our favorite fishing season, Fall. And we're still excited that summer officially ended on this past Sunday, September 23rd but the effects of these past months will be felt in trout fishing across the southeast for some time to come. Georgia Department of Natural Resources performed what can only be called a miracle this summer by moving their hatchery trout to different locales when local water conditions became marginal or even life threatenin g. As a result, they will have almost as many fish to stock in our Delayed Harvest streams this Fall as they have in the past, and the quality of the fish being stocked will actually be better than in years past with more fish in the 10" - 13" size range. An added bonus has been the high numbers of fish stocked in the only cool streams we had during the summer. The Tallulah River above Lake Burton has been one of the best fishing streams in the state and should be even better as temperatures begin to moderate. The headwaters of the Chattahoochee River in the WMA, while suffering from extremely low water levels, have been providing excellent fishing in late summer and will continue to for another month until the end of the season. The Chattahoochee River also received several summer stockings when DNR realized they had to get fish out of the hatchery in order for them to survive. Finally, the Toccoa River tailwater has been very heavily stocked this summer with both catchable and fingerling rainbows and browns. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service even stocked brookies in the Toccoa. More and more trophy size trout are being caught from the Toccoa so it's the perfect fishing experience. When you see a rise to your fly and don't know if it's a 9 incher or an 18 incher, that's fun! It's fishing well all the way from the dam to McCaysville. Blue Wing Olives, Parachute Adams, caddis emerger patterns and small pheasant tail nymph and soft hackle pheasant tails will keep you entertained all day. For an up-to-date report, you may call our shop in Blue Ridge at 706-632-1880. Georgia isn't alone in facing the tribulations of the drought. Across the southeast, every state is being forced to make some management decisions where fishing is concerned, but we feel there will still be plenty of angling opportunities and maybe even some good reasons to branch o ut and explore new fishing holes. TVA has already announced they will not be drawing down their reservoirs to Winter pool levels because the lakes are already lower than needed. For tailwater anglers, this may actually improve your fishing opportunities, particularly on the Toccoa River. Typically, when TVA has begun the drawdown in the Fall, the quality of the fishing has declined on the tailwater. With no drawdown, the rivers should maintain the high quality fishing we have been experiencing all summer. The North Carolina Delayed Harvest streams open October 1st. These streams have always been a big draw to north Georgia anglers. They're easy to access and provide wonderful fishing. The Nantahala and Tuckaseegee Rivers often see more Georgia anglers than North Carolinians. And at $40.00 for an annual non-resident fishing license, the deal is too good to pass up. Low water levels may affect stocking levels at the beginning of t he season but we're confident they will remain a quality fishing destination for us. Our friend Aaron Sago at North Georgia Trout Online has just released an e-book with tons of good information on the North Carolina Delayed Harvest streams and it's available for no charge. Visit his website at http://www.georgiafishingbooks.com for more information. It's good stuff and we appreciate Aaron taking the time to provide this for all anglers. As we put this newsletter together, Dukes Creek at Smithgall Woods Conservation Area has just sent out a press release announcing that they will re-open to fishing on Wednesday, October 3rd. They have been taking reservations on a contingency basis but you may be able to get on the list now. Call them at 706-878-3087 for a reservation. The water is still unbelievably low but the temperatures are good. Fishing may be tough once the trout remember who all those folks are wading thr ough t heir home, but the stealthy angler should have some great opportunities for hooking into a big fish. You may call our shop at 706-878-3083 for fishing updates or email us at flyfish@unicoioutfitters.com All nine miles of Unicoi Outfitters' private trophy trout streams will be reopened for fishing as of October 1st. Noontootla Creek Farm was the first to come back online as we expected. Although water levels are still low, water quality is good, and we had almost no mortality there. We began fishing the Farm last week and have had some awesome trips there. The surprise of the last two summers has been the survival of the larger fish. We don't really understand how any trout can survive water temperatures in the high 70's and even low 80's but we're certainly glad to see that they did. As we stated after last summer, we're confident we've got the toughest trout in North America right here in Georgia. If you do have a fishing trip planned for the next couple of weeks, and we hope you do, you can find a great hatch chart on the Rabun TU website at http://www.rabuntu.com . Go to their website, click on "Tight Lines" and scroll down to the links to their newsletters. We don't know any group of anglers who spend more time on area streams than this one so you can trust what they are telling you. You can also sign up to have them email you their newsletter every month and it is without a doubt one of the most informative pieces of information you'll find on trout in Georgia. Thank you to our friends in Rabun County. NEW PRODUCTS FROM THE FLY FISHING SHOW We recently returned from Denver and our annual pilgrimage to the Fly Fishing Retail Show where all the manufacturers show off the latest and greatest toys for our industry. This year's show was great and there are several good things coming to us over the next few months. To highl ight some of the most notable items: Hold on to your hats! Orvis has actually introduced an excellent fly rod that casts as well as if not better than anything on the market! The new Helios rods are truly an amazing stick. The lightest fly rod available, smooth casting stroke, and beautiful finish work make this a rod you must try. It seems that every year or two Orvis comes out with a "new" technology fly rod that is supposed to be an improvement over the previous models. Well, dad-burn it, this year they actually did it. The 8'6" 5 wt. rod was our favorite but every model we cast was very impressive. To read an unbiased review of the rod, visit MidCurrent's web review of the Helios at http://www.midcurrent.com/news/2007/09/fly_fishing_retailer_07_orvis_1.html . MidCurrent is an excellent compendium of information on all things flyfishing related that you may want to bookmark or even sign up for their free newsletter. We enjoy reading it and hope you will also. The downside to the Helios? It's the most expensive graphite trout rod to ever hit the market. The trout models start at $755.00. Sage also introduced a new line of rods to replace the popular SLT series. If you've been listening to us very long, you know we have a lot of fans of the old Sage Light Line series on our staff. Interestingly enough, when the Sage rep called to tell us about the new rod they would be bringing out this Fall, he described it as a "Light Line with modern technology". We still aren't sure we understand why they ever discontinued the LL rods in the first place but we can tell you that the new ZXL rods are great. The smoothest casting rods we tried at the show, we're certain these will likely be the most popular rod Sage has ever manufactured. For more details on the rods, you can visit Sage's website at http://www.sageflyfish.com/default.asp?p=144#item0 . Win ston c ontinued their trek into the world of high technology fly rods with the introduction of the BIIX-MX series. This is truly a fast action rod, not just what Winston thinks is fast. It's available in 5 & 6 weights but the buzz of the show were the saltwater rods in 8, 9 & 10 weights. Winston even claims they're capable of giving you 100+ foot casts! Yeah, right. Seriously, these are very good rods that are like nothing seen before with a Winston name on them. They don't have these rods up on their website as of right now but you can check it now and then at http://www.winstonrods.com . And while you're there, enjoy the flyfishing films posted on the Winston Channel at http://www.winstonrods.com/winston_channel.html . Fun stuff to watch when you can't go fishing. Speaking of high end flyfishing gear, Scientific Anglers has developed a solid reputation for quality fishing gear over the years and it's one of the reas ons Unicoi Outfitters is a "Mastery Dealer". We like their stuff and think it's a good value for your flyfishing buck. Join us as we enter the thin atmosphere of the cutting edge. SA is introducing the first hundred dollar fly line. Actually, it lists for $99.95 but who's counting. The new Sharkskin fly line is weird technology that may put you off at first but we'll bet you'll eventually come around if you fish under conditions that require fairly long casts. The Sharkskin, when viewed under a microscope (which we all do with our flylines, right?) has an "X" or diamond pattern etched into the line that reduces friction when it passes through the guides. It really works and probably will get you an extra 10 feet or so on your longest casts if that's something important to you. Some other interesting facts about the line are that it is a little noisy as it slides through the guides but it is hydrophobic (repels water) and thus sits higher in the film, thus making it easier to pick up and cast. Another important benefit of the new design is the fact that it is purported to have a life expectancy of more than three times a standard fly line. If you need this bit of information to help you justify the expense, there you are. Some other quick hits from the show: Abel, it seems, has finally listened to it's East Coast contingency and decided to bring back the TR Light series of reels. These reels have always been a favorite here in the southeast and it's good news indeed to see them returning. The new series of reels, unlike the old models, will feature an adjustable drag system. If you're a small headwaters stream angler, you haven't had much choice for reels on those small rods since the TR's were dropped from the line but now you'll have the best ones that have ever been made again. Look for the new TR's to be available around the en d of t he year. Abel will also be manufacturing a limited edition 25th anniversary #2 Big Game Reel. These reels will retail for only $1,000.00 so be the first one on your block to have one. Or, better yet, let us order one for you and all your flyfishing business associates. Speaking of good reels for small stream rods, Orvis is coming out with a Battenkill Bar Stock #1. This will be the smallest in this very popular series of reels and will also be a good choice for balancing that 6'6" or 7' rod. William Joseph (or Willy J as the cool kids call it), the cutting edge of pack design, is making a u-turn. Along with all their technical fishing packs, they are now offering a new "Old School" line of gear made of canvas. These good looking, well designed packs incorporate all the technology you have come to expect from this company yet have a great "retro" look and feel that is very appealing. Dr. Slick, the for emost manufacturer of quality hemostats, nippers and other accessories, has developed an excellent pair of fishing pliers that will retail for $39.95. Used mostly by saltwater flyfishers and others who go for big game on the fly, pliers like this typically sell for $130.00 to $350.00 depending upon how severe the conditions are in which they will be used. The Dr. Slick pliers are a quality product at a reasonable price. Lamson/Waterworks introduces a new reel at the moderate price point of $120.00. The new Konic reels are a hybrid of machined components and pressure cast aluminum alloy spool and frame with an anodized finish. The selling point for the Konic is the drag system. As with all other Lamson reels, the Konic features the exact same drag system as their top of the line reels. In our opinion, it is the smoothest drag system available on any reel regardless of price. And when you're hooked into that big bruiser at F rog Ho llow, Dukes Creek or maybe even the Madison River, you'll appreciate the confidence of having the upper hand with this drag. Finally, Cliff Outdoors is introducing a couple of new fly boxes. For years, the Days Worth has been a favorite of north Georgia anglers. Now they are offering the Days Worth II, aka the Big Cliff. Quality made by Wyoming cowboys, the Cliff fly boxes are a great accessory, particularly if you're into minimalization. Visit the Cliff Outdoors webstite at http://www.cliffoutdoors.com . Surf their site for a little entertainment while you're there. If you would like to see more about new products at the Dealer Show, American Angler has posted some good video interviews on their website. You can access them by going to http://www.americanangler.com/ . In addition, there are all sorts of bloggers out there with reports from the show. In today's world of communication, you have virtual ly (no pun intended - well, maybe a little) unlimited access to the latest and greatest information on our sport. We hope you enjoy hearing about all the new stuff and encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have about availability on any of these products. And don't forget, all fly shops sell their top of the line fly rods at the same price but there is only one fly shop in the world where you can purchase a premium fly rod with a retail value of $500.00 or more and receive a free half day of fishing at Nacoochee Bend worth $120.00! We hope you'll give us an opportunity to help you with your next purchase. MORE NEWS Next Tuesday, October 2nd, Jimmy will be in Macon speaking to the Fall Line Fly Anglers. The meeting is open to anyone with an interest and you can find more details on the time and meeting location at http://falllineflyanglers.com/index.html . You are cordially invited to join < BR>him . Finally, we are pleased to announce that Unicoi Outfitters has received our amended permit from the Chattahoochee National Forest adding the upper Toccoa River to our inventory of public streams where we can guide. Last year we had to operate under David Hulsey's permit and are grateful to David for making that available to us. Now, we're operating under our own permit and anxiously await the opening of the Delayed Harvest season on November 1st. Remember, Unicoi Outfitters has the only professional full time guide service in the north Georgia mountains with over 20 fully insured guides who are trained in First Aid and CPR and operate within the guidelines of all state and federal regulations. We are north Georgia's only outfitters with special use permits from the Chattahoochee and Sumter National Forests and whose guides are licensed to take clients on North Carolina streams. We have been serving our guests w ith th e utmost in professionalism and dedication for over 14 years and unquestionably set the standard by which success in our field is measured. We are also the only outfitters with four Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors on our staff to help you improve your casting and fishing skills. If you want to schedule some one on one time with one of our instructors or just stop by one of our shops for a few minutes of help compliments of our staff, we encourage you to do so. We love what we do and are overjoyed with the opportunities with which we have been blessed to teach others our passion. So don't be shy; call us or come see us. We live for this stuff!

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