If you’re coming to Blue Ridge to do some trout fishing, know that your options are going to be limited through September! The Toccoa Tailwater and Small Streams higher in elevation are the only refuges we have with good water conditions right now. The good news: river and creek bass fishing is fantastic! Georgia is full of bass creeks and streams that are closer to home than many realize. Break out the 4-6 weights, a box of boogle bugs or your favorite terrestrial trout patterns, and give these fish a shot.
The Etowah River is going to begin generating again today according to the Corps of Engineers. If its your first year on the Etowah, know that generation water can be BIG and that you probably don’t want to be out there on generation. Be sure to check the Corps of Engineers dam hotline before you hit the river. We’re still seeing some opportunities for Striped Bass in the river, but the next two weeks are probably going to be the last of the season to chase these fish. Get your dates on the books within the next couple days, or you’ll probably have to wait till next year if you want to do a striper trip.
Spotted Bass fishing is good right now. Fish early, and bring lots of water! We’ve been hot at the vice tying up topwater flies, but its hard to beat a boogle bug or gurgler right now – 5-7 weights with a matched tropical core floating line and a Rio 0x Powerflex leader will do the trick. If topwater just isn’t your thing or doesn’t produce well for you, try smaller 2-3.5 inch baitfish patterns imitating shad. Clouser Minnows, Kreelex’s, Lunch $’s, White wooly buggers, etc. The spotted bass fishing should remain good through October, and even though we’re limiting our guiding options for trout, we’re going to continue to book Bass floats till it shuts off for the winter!
The Toccoa Tailwater is still fishing well in the early morning, but the fishing slows down as the sun gets over the water around 10-11 o clock. You may be able to get some good fishing in the afternoon if you don’t mind fishing in the weather, as we’ve had fairly consistent afternoon showers that cool things off a bit and give us some cloud cover. Take a 4 or 5 weight fly rod rigged with floating line and a 5x 9 foot leader (or lighter), and try smaller, natural patterns like unweighted soft hackle pheasant tails and BWOs, TungStones, Flashback Hare’s Ears, Wooly Buggers with no flash, and Tungsten Jig Assassins. If the water stains from rain, switch to bigger profile patterns (stonefly nymphs, streamers, squirmy worms) and beef up your leader to 4x. Bring some yellow sally dry flies, midge patterns (Griffith’s Gnat), and Blue Winged Olive imitations in case of a hatch!
Small Streams are probably your best option to fish all day long for trout. Go up to higher elevation streams that have enough canopy to keep the sun off the water. We’re fishing 8 foot 3 or 4 weights, small 5 and 6x leaders, and wearing drab colors to camouflage our profiles. Stay back off of pools and fish methodically – start at the tail out of the pool and work your way up, rather than casting to the very top of the pool immediately. You can get away with a dry-dropper consisting of a small Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Yellow Stimulator, or small 12-14 Chubby Cherynobyl for the top fly, and drop an unweighted pheasant tail or hare’s ear below! If you’re using split shot, use the foam flies (chubby) and the largest shot you can get away with to keep the fly in the strike zone but without sinking these small dry flies, if possible.
Call us at the shop for guide trip details! Bass fishing is great, and we’re already booking fall trout trips in October. We’re also going to start seeing fall gear and clothing shipments beginning this month, so come by and see us if you’re looking for something in particular.
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