Fly Fishing Blue Ridge

The dog day of summer mean its time to escape the heat and head for the headwaters and small streams of North Georgia or the cooled tailwaters of the Chattahoochee River or Toccoa River. The dry fly bite has been excellent. Trout can be caught on a myriad of flies as all insects are present. Stoneflies, mayflies, caddis and terrestrial imitations will catch fish throughout the day. If you are out at an odd time when trout don't want to rise add a small/simple dropper fly below your dry. Majority of the hatching bugs are on the small end of the spectrum with some larger mayflies showing up in the evening. The Appalachian slam (brook, brown, and rainbow trout) is still very achievable on most days. Several customers have landed theirs on half day outings since June. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather as afternoon thunderstorms can pop up quickly. For me, lightning is a quick time out,
but heavy winds can be scary under a dense canopy.
Chattahoochee Tailwater Fly Fishing
The tailwater below Lanier is still a good bet for a shorter day on the water. The normal patterns of midges and junk flies are still catching most of the trout. The recent rains we have had have thrown a bit of a curveball at the trout but with the right adjustments you can still do well. Bigger flies or small streamers have been fishing well in the lowlight hours. For a break in the trout action, bigger groups of bass than normal have also been gathering at the mouths of creeks once water levels in the feeder creeks reside.