We’re back! Come by the shop Friday and Saturday between 9AM and 5PM and say hello. Fishing has been excellent all month, and will continue to be through May; Tammen Park is now open on weekends, but Horseshoe Bend Park is still closed on weekends. Some forest service roads are re-opening as well!
The Toccoa Tailwater has been fishing well when generation allows. You should start seeing Sulphurs on the river – this is a favorite hatch for many of our guides, and for good reason. Keep some 14-18 Parachute Sulphurs, Puff Daddys, and Split Case PMD Nymphs on you all month. 12-16 Caddis imitations are a must have right now as well. I like to have some Holy Grails in olive and tan, Walt’s Worms, and Mop Flies to imitate the pupa/larva, and a standard tan or olive elk hair caddis for the dry. Outside of these bugs, you may also see Little Yellow Stones (Yellow Sallies), Golden Stoneflies, and other various dark-bodied mayflies. Prospect with Pat’s rubber legs, tungstones, rainbow warriors, and midges.
The Upper Toccoa is still too high to wade. Go somewhere else.
Small Streams in the Area should be fishing well! If higher water conditions persist, stick with a Pat’s Rubber legs or Tungstone high sticked through pocket water and deeper runs followed by a pheasant tail soft hackle or flashback hare’s ear. As water levels drop, its worth breaking out the three weight with a short 5x leader and dry dropper techniques. I like to keep Yellow Stimulators/PMX’s, Sulphur dry flies, and Purple Hazes in my box, but anything that floats and is yellow should get them.
The Etowah River is fishing well for Spotted Bass, and Striper should show up in the river in the next month. For spotted bass, I like throwing an intermediate line on a 7 or 8 weight rod with baitfish patterns imitating smaller 1.5-3.5 inch shad. I love fishing flies like Clouser Minnows, Cowen’s Coyote’s, Kreelex’s, and lunch moneys right now. Fish structure like laydowns and rock, but don’t be afraid to fish slightly shallower shoals and current breaks with a floating line. If you want to stock up for striper, its hard to beat a flashtail jig or a Major Mullet with a 20-25lb rio striper leader. We also really like fishing different sinking line varieties depending on the type of water we’re fishing.
Check the generation schedule before you plan your trip! We do not recommend that you float the Etowah if Allatoona dam is releasing water. We do not recommend wading the Toccoa if the TVA is releasing water. Check the release schedules and be safe!
Toccoa River Delayed Harvest flows
Allatoona Dam Release Schedule – (706) 334-7213
Blue Ridge Shop: 7069463044