fcka.net

Good afternoon guys and gals.

I am a lurker... I will admit it. But for a good reason I live in Ga north of Columbus an hour or so. My in-laws have a place a Shell Point, I have been fishing down there for 5 or 6 years but only a handful of times per year. So I usually don't have a lot to post so I have been reluctant. Also the other reason is I have been using a Gheenoe not a kayak and I was afraid of being shunned for use of the motor. I have just purchased a 16' center console scout this winter. I plan to sell the Gheenoe and look into one of the fishing stand up paddle boards. I have this day dream of putting the paddle board on the scout motoring to some far away secret flat and using the paddle board to sneak up on tailing spot tails with my fly rod. I was hoping any guys with experience might chime in on the pros and cons or different models. I have been looking at the Jackson Superfiscal and of course the expensive Bote models. With the purchase of the new boat I think we will spend more time down there this spring and summer.

I posted this in the fly fishing section because I am an avid fly fisherman and fly tyer, I spend one or two days a month in North Ga. , North Carolina and East Tennessee fishing for the other trout. I am part of a fly tying group in my home town and I have been tying for a couple of years. I was also looking for some feed back on your top flies for red fish and trout in the big bend area. My material inventory is directed at mostly size 14 and up small cold water trout flies. I am going to put together a order for saltwater materials in the next few weeks and start learning some of those patterns for this spring and summer.

I am going to include my latest fishing report if any of you are interested even though it does not apply to you guys.

Myself and two fishing buddies hooked up the drift boat and left LaGrange at 5:00 am breezing through Atlanta as the sun came up. We arrived in downtown Blue Ridge Ga at 8:30 am. Stopped by the fly shop and talk with the owners whom are very helpful if you are ever in the area. We decided to float the tail water section of the Toccoa below Blue Ridge dam. We put on about 20 minutes before the TVA was scheduled to turn off the flow, we floated the high water down to the old train trestle and anchored up waited for the water to run out underneath us. After the water dropped we started fishing with a size 12 patts rubber leg with a small dropper size 18-20 hares ear or pheasant tail. The water temp was a steady 45 all day , the air temp was in the low 20's when we started but by mid afternoon had warmed to around 40. There was not any wind so it was actually a pleasant day. We boated around 12-15 small trout as a group and I landed a nice 20" brown trout. I had another large trout on that straightened my hook. ( my fault for buying discount hooks online). We took the new camp stove and had warm soup and hot coffee on the river... very professional. We stayed over night at a small cabin and fished the free stone section of the Toccoa on Sunday morning. I left my wadding boots in the back of the truck over night and they were frozen solid. We caught another 10-12 stocked fish with one large fish that made a quick apperance before she spit the hook. Great weekend.

Nice brown trout! Welcome, and don't worry about any hard times here for running a motor.

westgafly wrote: I have this day dream of putting the paddle board on the scout motoring to some far away secret flat and using the paddle board to sneak up on tailing spot tails with my fly rod.

That sounds like a good plan - I'm still getting used to fly fishing sitting down in the kayak.

Awesome adventure! Beautiful trout. Hot soup and coffee....ahhhhh.

I was backpacking and camping below the dam that burst with the flood in Toccoa November 1977. Fortunately our campsite by the river was not affected. Was clueless about it until after we hiked out.
Not sure if this is the same area where you were.

Great report and pictures!

Jean

Don't be shy about posting those mountain trout here. My daughter lives in WNC (north of Asheville), and I've vacationed in the Blue Ridge GA area, so I've fished some of those waters too. Nice part of the country.

Jean, you were very fortunate. I was not familiar with that incident and just looked it up online. That is the other Toccoa River or creek on the far east side of North Ga. The pictures above are from the Toccoa River in middle north GA that runs north west into Tennessee and becomes part of the Ocoee and then the Tennessee River System. I have spent a lot of time fishing the different sections of the Chattooga which is just north of Toccoa Ga.

Thank you guys for the support , I will post a report or two this winter. We have a few trips scheduled at the end of this month and next month.

Next time we have a planed weekend down on the coast I would love to meet up with any of you guys talk tactics equipment and flies. I can always meet you around the Shell Point beach if you are launching there or where ever. If any fellow fly fisherman are in North Ga or want to make a trip I will be more than happy to share what we know as far as current conditions and any locations. And if the wife and kids will let me sneak off I usually don't miss an opportunity to head to the mountain and fish. Late winter and spring are the best times up there.

I have a nice reel and I just recently acquired a 8wt BVK for Christmas. I was using my old bargain basement eBay line from a old 8wt set up I made a few years ago and was casting for stripers the other day on our lake and the fly line was just awful. Any recommendations on a fly line for my new stick. I was considering the Rio Redfish or Bone fish wf8wt.

westgafly wrote:. And if the wife and kids will let me sneak off I usually don't miss an opportunity to head to the mountains and was casting for strippers the other day on our lake .

Those strippers are tricky ladies!! Good thing your wife gave you the go ahead!!

Sorry for the ribbing, westgafly. Strippers vs stripers is an ongoing joke on this forum.

Thanks for the clarification about the two Toccoas. I do feel fortunate!

Jean

We go easy on the motors, but sometimes spelling counts.

My father in law and I spent some good times on the headwaters of the Tallulah outside of Clayton. Fun times with flies.

Great report and good to see what is happening in the waters up river! Shell Point area is a great place for flyfishing as many folks here know. Maybe see you on the water when you are down.

No problem on the ribbing at all, spell check does not catch the wrong word. Looking forward to meeting some of you guys this spring. We are anxiously watching the forecast for a nice weekend to come down in the next month or so.

Great report.

As for flyfishing for redfish and trout, you will need bigger hooks, and tippet, and maybe higher weight rod and reel. The drag will come into play too if everything works just right so a better drag than on my BPS 5wt.

As for fly selection, seaducers, clousers, gurglers are pretty standard.

For Spanish Mackerel / Ladyfish in the summer months are plentiful and at times anything flashy (preferably tied on a super long hook for a bit bite protection - ALF sierra mac or similar)
for example here is similar.


As for people's special flies, try here
https://www.facebook.com/FloridaBigBendFlyFishers

and here

http://www.fbbflyfishers.com/

These are from our local flyfishing group. If you ask there, you will get an answer. I wish I had enough time with calm water to have a favorite to give you. Lol.

Shorewalker,
Thanks for the information. I will check out those pages for sure. I figured clousers and gurglers would be good. I actually tied some gurglers yesterday. What colors do you like? I did not have the right chenille but I have some coming with my saltwater material order. I have bought a seaducers or two in the past, I will look into tying some of them as well. Any crab or shrimp patterns?

I think I have a pretty good rod and reel set up. I got a 8 wt TFO bvk for Christmas and I bartered a couple of paintings I did to a buddy of mine for the reel. He lives in Siesta Key and bought a big cardboard box of saltwater tackle stuff at an estate sale for $100.00 , it had top water spooks, hooks, weights, spoons , jig heads way more tackle than $100.00 worth of stuff. In the bottom of the box there was a hardly used Tibor Everglades reel. My friend is not a fly fisherman and set up the trade for a permit and tarpon painting I did for him. I definitely got the good end of that trade, my paintings are not that good lol. I do need a good recommendation on a warm weather 8 wt fly line and if anyone wants to share some secrets on their leader set up that would very much appreciated. I have been hand tying some cold water trout leaders this past year and feel confident with the right materials I could make a saltwater leader as well.

Thanks guys for all the information.

I have actually caught one or two fish on the fly rod around Shell Point but I did not have the right set up. I know the right rod and line set up will really help with the wind and add some distance to my cast. I have been using a 9 wt fly rod I made , which was a junky cheap blank, I missed the spine so the rod wants to turn in your hand, it was very heavy and would wear out your arm, and the grip was too large. ( my first build)

Nice artwork.

As for color, well that is tricky.

Up top, I would say white is great as is black. Add a little sparkle to get some action but often that might not be the targeted species.

As for Clousers I would say chartreuse and white first and then also maybe second with a little red and gold. Go a bit bigger and brighter (oranges, yellow, gold) when fishing subservice in stained water.

Honestly, though decide on a fly and then BELIEVE that it will catch fish and it will.

Remember, our fish are so much afraid down here so try to piss them off and they will often bite.