# Sweet Georgia Brown(s) – Roadtrip – July 2010



## HaMm3r

Ten days of incarceration, imprisoned behind walls of concrete and steel, that’s what it felt like. [smiley=jail.gif] There was no crime committed; no locked cells or barbed wire fences in that prison, there was only the need for a paycheck preventing escape. It was a jail of luxury, comprised of gleaming marble and glass, polished wood, plush carpeting, fine dining and impeccable customer service, yet the lengthy separation from things green and wild and alive made all the lavishness seem cold and inhospitable. :-/


From the uppermost floor of that opulent asylum, the true extent of my confines became painfully clear. For miles in all directions, a labyrinth of sweltering, noisy and congested city streets stood between me and the unspoiled lands and pristine waters I so desperately sought. Yes, I had once again returned to the heart of Atlanta and had been condemned to a week and a half sentence in that manmade jungle before I’d be eligible for parole. :'(


















I did my time, fulfilled my obligations and on the tenth day I was at last free to head north, toward the distant mountains and the Chattahoochee tailwaters, where I hoped the suitcase full of fly gear would finally be put to good use. [smiley=smilie-applause.gif]


Saturday – 7/17


When I reached Buford Dam at the base of Lake Lanier just before sunrise that morning, I found that the parking lots were nearly half full already. I hurriedly donned waders and PFD prior to taking my first tentative steps out into that fog-covered stretch of “The Hooch”. With fly rod tucked securely under my belt, I picked my way across the slick and uneven riverbed, where a wading staff proved itself an invaluable ally against the current and uncertain footing the moss-covered rocks offered. [smiley=skull1.gif]









































The next four hours were spent amidst numerous other anglers, tubers, kayakers, canoes, wild geese and gorgeous scenery. Unfortunately, the trout refused to cooperate and although I sighted dozens of fish holding along the bottom, rising to the surface and even jumping, not a one took any interest in my flies.  I resorted to striking up conversations with many of my fellow waders, to see if anyone else was having better luck. They weren’t, and I took comfort in the fact that the only trout I’d seen caught came on spinning gear. :

































Eventually, I grew tired of fruitlessly fighting the current and numbing cold that penetrated through my waders, so I headed to shore where a ten foot climb up a vertical embankment proved to be the only close point of egress. 









It wasn’t an overly difficult ascension however, and after a short walk back to the car, I was on my way to nearby Settles Bridge, another shoal area that I’d fished successfully in previous years. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]









The spot was much the same as I remembered and I thought I knew exactly where and how I wanted to fish those waters, since I’d been there several times before…that was until I caught sight of the river! [smiley=skull-n-bones.gif]

























Recent rains had caused the river to silt up and visibility had become almost nonexistent. [smiley=cloud.gif] There was no way I could wade into that water and even if I tried, the trout would never be able to see my flies, so it took a few moments of indecision before I managed to formulate a new plan. [smiley=happy.gif] I decided that my only hope for avoiding a goose egg for the day was to present as big a target as possible down close to the bottom where the mud-blinded fish would likely be holding. I knew a few places where trout had held in the past when the water was clear, so if I could get a fly into some of those nooks and crannies, I might have a shot. 


With that idea in mind, I tied on the biggest, beadhead wooly bugger I had with me and made a cast. Without using a strike indicator, I simply dragged the fly along the bottom, hoping I’d pass close enough to a waiting trout to garner a strike. It worked, and on my first pass I hooked into a tiny brown, probably freshly stocked from the nearby hatchery. [smiley=thumbsup3.gif]









While certainly not a trophy winner, it was a trout and I was pretty pleased with myself, even more so when three casts later I landed another. [smiley=thumbsupsmileyanim.gif]









I stayed at Settles for another thirty minutes or so, but being already fatigued from the strenuous morning wade, I called it quits fairly early and decided to head back to the hotel to rest up for the next day… [smiley=sleep.gif]


Sunday – 7/18


Four AM found me seated behind the wheel of my rental car, as the headlights once again illuminated the road northward. [smiley=carcrash.gif] This time however, my course would take me somewhere very different. My destination was almost two hours from Atlanta, well up into the mountains, where the headwaters of tiny Smith Creek poured over Anna Ruby Falls and then wound its way down the mountainside before emptying into Unicoi Lake. Farther downstream, the waters from this tiny tributary would converge with the mighty Chattahoochee and ultimately travel some five hundred and fifty-odd miles before flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. So it was there, in that narrow alpine brook, that I hoped to find my first stream-caught trout on fly and I found my excitement at the prospect growing with each mile that passed. 


By six AM I was passing through the town of Helen, GA, and after ten long days captive in “Urbania”, the place had an almost magical air about it. I spent a little time there later in the day and I have to say it was a real treat! If ever a fairytale village could come to life, Helen would be it! [smiley=headbang.gif]

































A mere one and a half miles beyond Helen, I arrived at the entrance to Unicoi State Park and after paying the admittance fee I proceeded into the park, still under the cover of darkness. [smiley=paranoid.gif] Mine was the lone car in the lot, as I switched off the ignition and the sound of rushing water reached my ears through the otherwise silent forest. Curiosity got the better of me and I immediately followed the sound of the brook into the trees, where I got my first glimpse of the waters I’d driven so far to see. 

















Hustling back to the car, I readied my gear and threw on my waders and belt. With water that shallow, there would be no need for a PFD on that day, and I was soon hiking downstream, looking to locate a pool where I could make my first casts of the morning. It didn’t take long to find a viable spot, but climbing down the embankment again proved to be excessively challenging, and after making it down to the water I almost immediately lost my carefully tied dual dry fly dropper rig to the trees!! [smiley=frustrate2.gif]


A few choice words and a clinch knot later I was back in business and the first trout of the day soon came to hand. It was still too dark to see into the water much, and the strike caught me off guard, yet when I felt the frantic tugging of the tip I reacted quickly enough to avoid the LDR. [smiley=yeah.gif]

















Another strike or two and that spot dried up, so I continued my trek downstream but found that the brook widened, slowed and silted up the closer to Unicoi Lake I got. When I reached the lake without finding any other good locations, I retraced my steps and headed upstream instead, which turned out to be a much better direction to go. The water cleared and shallowed, and I soon came upon a pool holding upwards of thirty trout, although I didn’t realize their true numbers until I began drifting a fly to them! [smiley=eek2.gif]


On my first cast in that new location, using a tan caddis fly, I watched wide-eyed as four trout rose from the bottom pursuing my fly. Three peeled off just below the surface, but the fourth went completely vertical, flashed its white belly and sucked the fly into its open jaws! A flurry of splashes and jumps followed and then next of many browns got his moment in the spotlight. [smiley=toast.gif]









I fished that pool for a couple of hours, catching numerous brown trout the entire duration, but I noticed that a particular fly pattern would only work two or three times, and then every fish in the pool would seem to learn to avoid it. [smiley=thk.gif] If I then changed to another pattern, they would start biting again, but not for long. It didn’t matter whether I used wet or dry flies, big or small, they all worked but only for a little while.

















































The morning had been progressing so well and I was having such a good time that it couldn’t possibly have continued, I’m just not that lucky. ;D Sure enough, other park-goers began to notice this lone fly angler catching trout after trout after trout, and before long every kid with a Zebco spincaster was headed my way! [smiley=tinyviolin.gif]









One cute little girl with her dad hooked into a brown on a piece of corn, and then that was it. Too many lines in the water, too much noise and splashing, the bite simply stopped. I couldn’t even make a cast without fear of hitting someone so it was time to move farther upstream. [smiley=good-night.gif]


I have to say, the nature hike along the creek was amazing. As I followed its bubbling, splashing path through the towering trees, I was awestruck by the beauty of its many tiny waterfalls and pools where trout playfully frolicked in inches of water. There were stretches where the brook literally cascaded down over thousands of colorful water-worn stones much like a fountain. In places it pooled behind downed trees before overflowing in wide natural spillways. Bright green lichen clung to many of the rocks and trees, wherever it could find purchase, and birds flirted and chirped about overhead, mostly unseen within the heavy canopy above. [smiley=engel017.gif]


























































It was there in upper Smith Creek, alone once again, just on the downstream side of a tree-formed waterfall that I landed my last trout of the day. It and a similarly sized rainbow trout had been swimming in rapid circles around each other, perhaps in courtship or competition, but either way it was a wonderful sight to behold. The pair completely ignored my copper john until they separated and then the brown pounced on it. [smiley=supercool.gif]









As I wandered back toward to the lot where I left the car, thunder rumbled overhead and it began to rain. Deep under the trees as I was, I never noticed the dark clouds rolling in from the southwest and I had to take cover beneath a bridge for the better part of an hour. [smiley=popcorn2.gif]

















While resting and waiting for the storm to subside, I contemplated the successes and failures of the past two days. Saturday had been difficult and frustrating, yet I’d succeeded in catching a few when many other more experienced trout anglers hadn’t. I’d also effectively waded an area I’d been warned about multiple times without incident. Sunday had been phenomenal and I’d exceeded just about every expectation I had for a place I’d never been to before. I’d also fulfilled a long-term desire to fly fish some really small trout water, and it was just a fantastic as I could have hoped for. However, my big failure for the trip was that I did not land a bow on either day. :'( Earlier that morning I’d hooked into one and was very excited when I saw it come to the surface and realized it would be my biggest rainbow trout on fly, but it came unstuck about five feet from my hand. [smiley=shucks.gif] The other five or six bows I spotted during the day were either tight-lipped or overpowered by the more aggressive browns.


The rain finally let up, fishing gear was packed away and the GPS was reset to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. As the car made the turn onto highway 75, headed back toward Helen and ultimately Atlanta, I vowed that I would again return to Unicoi. There are extensive tailwaters below the dam that I have yet to explore, where even larger numbers of bigger trout reportedly reside. I can’t wait!! [smiley=waiting.gif]


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## Brett

> every kid with a Zebco spincaster was headed my way!


Zebco...Zebco...Zebco....

Wait, this time it's not a good thing...my bad.


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## flyfisheraa573

Hammer...glad you had success on Smith's...that is exactly the place I was talking about...and the pool that you are talking about is pretty cool...how far did you hike up? there are some big boys a good ways back up the stream....


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## mark_gardner

years ago i was with a company that would bring us to augusta to the home office for week long meetings [smiley=sleep-at-desk.gif] after hours was a real joy : as they treated us real well and put us up in the fanciest joint in town but then they were bought out and that was the end of that  your experince takes me back to the day when i had a *real* job  glad you were able to finally make it out for some r & r  thats some good looking country for sure


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## phishphood

No that looks like fun. A Zebco and some corn huh? Even I might be able to handle that. ;D

We're planning a trip next summer to Elijay, Ga for some R&R at a cabin on the river. Putting trout on the bucket list now.


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## Ed_B

Glad to hear and see you had a good trip. I was really looking forward to meeting up on Saturday...maybe next time.

If you get the itch to head back this way give me a call. If you have an interest in some of the Smoky Mountian streams I'd be glad to help you out. 

It was good to talk to you.

Ed


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## Swamp

Great report! Even those "dumb" hatchery fish can get picky. I'm envious since I did not get to go on my annual week long trip to PA this year. My stress level has suffered for it. What was the water temp? Good for you for putting on a PFD when you fished the Hooch. A buddy of mine almost did not make it when the dam released. Water comes up a foot per minute and people die all the time from what I've been told. They don't stick to release schedules either. The TVA can't be sued over it so they don't care. Well I hope I can get up there some time this fall. Thanks for the report


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## Canoeman

Hammer, that's a long way to drive to catch "bait". 

Just consider yourself lucky. I had to spend over ten years in the concrete parking lot known locally as "Hot-lanta" (known everywhere else as something unprintable). I hate to even visit my brother there. I wait for them to come to Florida.


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## tom_in_orl

Excellent report. You did much better than I did only a week or two before your trip. I had heard that the fishing was pretty poor in the summer months but you obviously had good success. I have to agree that the scenery and cool setting makes trout fishing a nice occasional diversion from the heat of flats fishing in the summer.


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## lilredfish2

Hammer ! I'm really looking forward to your first book. I too spent 7 years up in that "country" working for Lockheed in Marietta. spent a few weekends doing exactly what you just did, the mountains are beautiful and the streams fantastic. Growing up in New England, trout streams were where my Dad and I spent most of our time. We caught mostly brookies, a few browns and only seemed to find the rainbows in some of the lakes. Great just reading of your adventure.


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## deerfly

Jeff, great report and thanks for showing us that "other" kind of fly fishing.   

As fer the zebco assault, I think it was just the locals curious about what the tourist in the waders was up too. I think it's swimming season up there now. ;D


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## HaMm3r

> every kid with a Zebco spincaster was headed my way!
> 
> 
> 
> Zebco...Zebco...Zebco....
> 
> Wait, this time it's not a good thing...my bad.
Click to expand...

Nope, it was defintely not a good thing. _Stupid Zebcos_....



> Hammer...glad you had success on Smith's...that is exactly the place I was talking about...and the pool that you are talking about is pretty cool...how far did you hike up? there are some big boys a good ways back up the stream....


It sure was a neat place, and your tip about NGTO helped me more than you could you know. Thanks!

Since you know the pool, then you know the vehicle bridge there. I probably walked a 1/2 mile or so upstream from that bridge. There was a place where it steepened quite a bit and the creek was way down in a deep ravine so it was almost impossible to climb out. I decided not to go past that point. However, I did drive farther up into Anna Ruby Falls, but I didn't fish up that way.



> years ago i was with a company that would bring us to augusta to the home office for week long meetings [smiley=sleep-at-desk.gif] after hours was a real joy : as they treated us real well and put us up in the fanciest joint in town but then they were bought out and that was the end of that  your experince takes me back to the day when i had a *real* job  glad you were able to finally make it out for some r & r  thats some good looking country for sure


Well, at least I wasn't stuck in all day meetings. We handle the technical support at offsite events, so it's interesting and passes the time. 



> No that looks like fun. A Zebco and some corn huh? Even I might be able to handle that. ;D
> 
> We're planning a trip next summer to Elijay, Ga for some R&R at a cabin on the river. Putting trout on the bucket list now.


Oh you should definitely give it a try, but what's the point of doing it with conventional gear? Be a man, use a fly rod. 



> Glad to hear and see you had a good trip. I was really looking forward to meeting up on Saturday...maybe next time.
> 
> If you get the itch to head back this way give me a call. If you have an interest in some of the Smoky Mountian streams I'd be glad to help you out.
> 
> *It was good to talk to you.*
> 
> Ed


Same to you Ed. I would've enjoyed the company and maybe you could have showed me how to catch em! ;D At least we got to talk a bit. I will say there are a lot nice anglers up that way. You weren't the only local to make an offer, but I had to bow out because of work commitments.



> Great report! Even those "dumb" hatchery fish can get picky. I'm envious since I did not get to go on my annual week long trip to PA this year. My stress level has suffered for it. *What was the water temp? Good for you for putting on a PFD when you fished the Hooch.* A buddy of mine almost did not make it when the dam released. Water comes up a foot per minute and people die all the time from what I've been told. They don't stick to release schedules either. The TVA can't be sued over it so they don't care. Well I hope I can get up there some time this fall. Thanks for the report


The water temp was "F-in" cold! That's all I know. It was much warmer up in the mountains, although still a tad brisk for a swim. ;D

I'm sure you know this, but between highway 20 and the dam, it's required that all persons in or on the water wear PFDs. There were several park rangers around and I'm sure it's heavily enforced. Plus, that kind of wading is tough and I'm no expert, so a PFD that doubles as a fishing vest is hardly an inconvenience. And, I have seen releases firsthand, so I know it's not to be taken lightly. 



> Hammer, that's a long way to drive to catch "bait".
> 
> Just consider yourself lucky. I had to spend over ten years in the concrete parking lot known locally as "Hot-lanta" (known everywhere else as something unprintable). I hate to even visit my brother there. I wait for them to come to Florida.


You're right, it takes a totally different frame of mind to enjoy catching fish that size. Honestly, I probably wouldn't love to fish if that's all I had available to me. But, on the other hand, it's very technical fishing and can be extremely challenging in ways other than just long runs and hard pulls. Besides, it's still sightfishing and who doesn't love that?! ;D


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## HaMm3r

> Excellent report. You did much better than I did only a week or two before your trip. I had heard that the fishing was pretty poor in the summer months but you obviously had good success. I have to agree that the scenery and cool setting makes trout fishing a nice occasional diversion from the heat of flats fishing in the summer.


Thanks Tom! It's too bad our trips didn't coincide. We just missed each other up there. I kept looking for your report though, and never saw one.  I think you, with your float tube would have had a far easier time. I saw more than one angler take a dive and one guy even fell down the embankment and broke his fly rod. :-[



> Hammer ! I'm really looking forward to your first book. I too spent 7 years up in that "country" working for Lockheed in Marietta. spent a few weekends doing exactly what you just did, the mountains are beautiful and the streams fantastic. Growing up in New England, trout streams were where my Dad and I spent most of our time. We caught mostly brookies, a few browns and only seemed to find the rainbows in some of the lakes. Great just reading of your adventure.


Well thanks! A book huh? I don't think I have that in me, but maybe someday. ;D So you caught mostly Brook trout? Don't suppose you'd want to share that spot with me, would you?  Unless, you meant New England brookies of course.  Glad you enjoyed hearing about my trip. Sometimes I think I've gotten too long winded and folks don't want to read it all, so it's nice to know that some do. 



> Jeff, great report and thanks for showing us that "other" kind of fly fishing.
> 
> As fer the zebco assault, I think it was just the locals curious about what the tourist in the waders was up too. I think it's swimming season up there now. ;D


You're welcome Eric!  If I can entertain you, then I know I've done good.  Funny thing though about the tourist comment. Both on the river and the stream, I had a ton of people asking me for advice, as if I knew what I was doing. It was ridiculous really, and even when I told people I was from Florida, some still persisted with questions.


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## tom_in_orl

> Thanks Tom! It's too bad our trips didn't coincide. We just missed each other up there. I kept looking for your report though, and never saw one.


I started the trip with the intentions of making a cool post but sadly there just wasn't much to report. I find the smaller fish to be almost embarrassing  : Plus I was fishing solo with my 35 mm camera, iPhone and other gear which I left on the bank or in the truck most of the time. Setting up shots is time consuming and I was focused on fishing. Even the one below isn't the quality that I like to shoot because focus is wrong  :-[ I really need to go back to a small waterproof point and shoot.


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## HaMm3r

> I started the trip with the intentions of making a cool post but sadly there just wasn't much to report. I find the smaller fish to be almost embarrassing : Plus I was fishing solo with my 35 mm camera, iPhone and other gear which I left on the bank or in the truck most of the time. Setting up shots is time consuming and I was focused on fishing. Even the one below isn't the quality that I like to shoot because focus is wrong :-[ I really need to go back to a small waterproof point and shoot.


They're only embarrassing by Florida standards. Spend some time on some of the Georgia trout forums and you'll quickly realize that the one you posted is a pretty respectable fish.  

In fact, my original intention was to post this fishing report on one of those Georgia forums as well as here, since those guys helped me out some. But, then I realized that if I made mention of catching such numbers out of that tiny little creek, the place might get mobbed and it really wouldn't take a whole lot to clean the spot out. :'( Seeing as I've become so much more conservation minded these past few years, I'd rather not see that happen, even if they are stocked fish.


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## Swamp

I've fished below Blue Ridge dam, no signs there, and I was also within 10-15' of the drift boat. The older (read slower) I get the less chances I like to take. I'm sure my wife might argue that point though, and darn it sometimes I just can't argue back on that point!

As far as the "bait" is concerned, lots of fun to sneak up on them with a 2-3wt rod. Landing a minnow on 7x-9x isn't a done deal. Getting the rise or take is the best part anyway.


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## HaMm3r

> I've fished below Blue Ridge dam, no signs there, and I was also within 10-15' of the drift boat.  The older (read slower) I get the less chances I like to take.  I'm sure my wife might argue that point though, and darn it sometimes I just can't argue back on that point!


Don't know about Blue Ridge, but there are plenty of signs around Buford.


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## Swamp

Apparently!  I'd like to try that area some time. Access is Limited where I was and some of the banks were pretty steep, nothing I'd like to try to climb out of in a hurry.


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