Jimmy Harris
Senior Member
Our fishing fall has indeed kicked off! We have a newsworthy event on Saturday, and area waters are fishing much better after the past week of cooler nights.
The big news is that September 23 is National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD). Georgia residents can fish without a license that day. It’s a great way to introduce your friends to the sport. GAWRD details here:
https://georgiawildlife.com/connect-conservation-national-hunting-and-fishing-day-celebration-event
Cooler water has heated up area fishing. NC streams are still fishing well, while our skinny GA trout waters have finally cooled down. We anticipate a decent stocking list from WRD tomorrow in celebration of NHFD. Pond and lake fish are waking up from their summer slumber. Check out Henry C’s hot topwater intel in our full report.
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
Dries: Elk Hair Caddis (#14-16 tan, #14 orange), Orange Stimmy, Micro Chubby, Parachute Black Ant.
Nymphs & Wets: Drowned Ant, Pheasant Tail, Sexy Walt’s Worm, Green Weenie, small Black Bugger, and Red Squirmy Worm for stockers.
Streamers & warmwater: Double Barrel Popper, Sweet Baby Cray, Jerk Changer, Polar Changer, Chartreuse over White Clouser, Black Mohair Leech, and Black Pat's Rubberlegs as a dropper under your bass popper.
Headwaters:
Our local trout waters are still skinny, but they’ve cooled off significantly in response to our fifty-degree nights and seventy-degree days. Both Spoilcane and the Hooch on the lower end of the WMA ran a cool 61F at noon today. Fish will still be real spooky in the thin, crystal-clear water, but they’ll have much better appetites in comfortable thermal surroundings.
Dries are a best bet, while dropper nymphs will dredge up bigger fish in the few deep pools you’ll wander across. Cover a lot of ground to fish a decent number of drought refuges. NC forest streams have better flows and even cooler temps for Nantahala and Pisgah forest fans. Grab a Nat Geo map to navigate those distant forest roads and headwaters.
I saw some good web reports on fishing in the park, where nighttime air temps are already downright chilly. A road trip up to the Smokies now for wild bows and browns, and bugling elk at dusk, is definitely worth the drive. Try an Orange Caddis or Stimmy as your buoyant dry to float your drowned ant or tiny Sexy Walt’s dropper.
Check out Byron’s daily park intel here:
https://littleriveroutfitters.com/
Stocker Streams:
Note that September 23 is National Hunting and Fishing Day and GAWRD has traditionally stocked some trout to celebrate the date. Watch for an updated stocking list posted tomorrow, here:
https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout
Tailwaters:
Web reports show both the Toccoa and Hooch fishing well. Experienced floaters strip streamers for high-water trophies, while low-flow waders are still doing good on small, dark nymphs and midges, and occasionally on their dries above the nymph droppers.
Private Waters: Most private waters will likely reopen early in October. We should be getting you some fishing reports soon.
Warmwater Streams:
They’re clear in response to a lack of rain this week. They’re also cooling off, so your sunken streamer and crawdad bite will probably be better than the topwater bite. Go soon, as that river bass bite will slow down with cooling water temps - and our attention will then turn to stream trout and reservoir stripers.
Small Lakes:
No recent reports. Catch rates should improve with cooling surface waters.
Reservoirs:
Hank’s hot news: “The cooler weather has definitely changed the temperament on Lake Lanier. We are starting to see a little bit of schooling now but it's not really a fly angler’s time just yet. Tossing conventional gear with a Magic Swimmer or soft plastic will get you the most bites.
Fly rods can be used, but you'll need to toss a 3 1/2" to 5" long fly to mimic the herring that the fish are feeding on. You'll get way more shots if you see fish on top using conventional tackle. The fish are up and down so quickly that flyrodders are at a clear disadvantage. That will change in 2-3 weeks as the water cools further and the fish stay up longer. The previous new moon that we just had helped trigger this change. By mid-October whippystickers will be able to take full advantage of the start of topwater season.
www.henrycowenflyfishing.com
Afar:
Wandering buddy CDB: “Apologize for recent absences, but I wandered out west yet again this month to explore new water. While there’s an abundance of trees, there is a shortage of the kind that carry phone signals. I have already written to somebody about that.
The trip was worth it for the scenery alone. Due to some of the inclement weather the fishing was solid but unspectacular.
Topwater offerings produced best, and it’s hard to beat the fun of casting a dry and seeing the top water take. When surface action slowed or stopped, very small streamers continued to produce.
I’m delighted that Ursus Horribillis did not make a showing other than some magnum piles of scat to keep us on our toes. The fluffy cows out here seem to think they own the place and have no respect for one’s fishing hole or personal space!”
The big news is that September 23 is National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD). Georgia residents can fish without a license that day. It’s a great way to introduce your friends to the sport. GAWRD details here:
https://georgiawildlife.com/connect-conservation-national-hunting-and-fishing-day-celebration-event
Cooler water has heated up area fishing. NC streams are still fishing well, while our skinny GA trout waters have finally cooled down. We anticipate a decent stocking list from WRD tomorrow in celebration of NHFD. Pond and lake fish are waking up from their summer slumber. Check out Henry C’s hot topwater intel in our full report.
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
Dries: Elk Hair Caddis (#14-16 tan, #14 orange), Orange Stimmy, Micro Chubby, Parachute Black Ant.
Nymphs & Wets: Drowned Ant, Pheasant Tail, Sexy Walt’s Worm, Green Weenie, small Black Bugger, and Red Squirmy Worm for stockers.
Streamers & warmwater: Double Barrel Popper, Sweet Baby Cray, Jerk Changer, Polar Changer, Chartreuse over White Clouser, Black Mohair Leech, and Black Pat's Rubberlegs as a dropper under your bass popper.
Headwaters:
Our local trout waters are still skinny, but they’ve cooled off significantly in response to our fifty-degree nights and seventy-degree days. Both Spoilcane and the Hooch on the lower end of the WMA ran a cool 61F at noon today. Fish will still be real spooky in the thin, crystal-clear water, but they’ll have much better appetites in comfortable thermal surroundings.
Dries are a best bet, while dropper nymphs will dredge up bigger fish in the few deep pools you’ll wander across. Cover a lot of ground to fish a decent number of drought refuges. NC forest streams have better flows and even cooler temps for Nantahala and Pisgah forest fans. Grab a Nat Geo map to navigate those distant forest roads and headwaters.
I saw some good web reports on fishing in the park, where nighttime air temps are already downright chilly. A road trip up to the Smokies now for wild bows and browns, and bugling elk at dusk, is definitely worth the drive. Try an Orange Caddis or Stimmy as your buoyant dry to float your drowned ant or tiny Sexy Walt’s dropper.
Check out Byron’s daily park intel here:
https://littleriveroutfitters.com/
Stocker Streams:
Note that September 23 is National Hunting and Fishing Day and GAWRD has traditionally stocked some trout to celebrate the date. Watch for an updated stocking list posted tomorrow, here:
https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout
Tailwaters:
Web reports show both the Toccoa and Hooch fishing well. Experienced floaters strip streamers for high-water trophies, while low-flow waders are still doing good on small, dark nymphs and midges, and occasionally on their dries above the nymph droppers.
Private Waters: Most private waters will likely reopen early in October. We should be getting you some fishing reports soon.
Warmwater Streams:
They’re clear in response to a lack of rain this week. They’re also cooling off, so your sunken streamer and crawdad bite will probably be better than the topwater bite. Go soon, as that river bass bite will slow down with cooling water temps - and our attention will then turn to stream trout and reservoir stripers.
Small Lakes:
No recent reports. Catch rates should improve with cooling surface waters.
Reservoirs:
Hank’s hot news: “The cooler weather has definitely changed the temperament on Lake Lanier. We are starting to see a little bit of schooling now but it's not really a fly angler’s time just yet. Tossing conventional gear with a Magic Swimmer or soft plastic will get you the most bites.
Fly rods can be used, but you'll need to toss a 3 1/2" to 5" long fly to mimic the herring that the fish are feeding on. You'll get way more shots if you see fish on top using conventional tackle. The fish are up and down so quickly that flyrodders are at a clear disadvantage. That will change in 2-3 weeks as the water cools further and the fish stay up longer. The previous new moon that we just had helped trigger this change. By mid-October whippystickers will be able to take full advantage of the start of topwater season.
www.henrycowenflyfishing.com
Afar:
Wandering buddy CDB: “Apologize for recent absences, but I wandered out west yet again this month to explore new water. While there’s an abundance of trees, there is a shortage of the kind that carry phone signals. I have already written to somebody about that.
The trip was worth it for the scenery alone. Due to some of the inclement weather the fishing was solid but unspectacular.
Topwater offerings produced best, and it’s hard to beat the fun of casting a dry and seeing the top water take. When surface action slowed or stopped, very small streamers continued to produce.
I’m delighted that Ursus Horribillis did not make a showing other than some magnum piles of scat to keep us on our toes. The fluffy cows out here seem to think they own the place and have no respect for one’s fishing hole or personal space!”
