“Southern
Trout Fishing”
By
Wes Osborne
People are often surprised
when I tell them that the Trout fishing
in Georgia and Southern Appalachia
is excellent. Anglers often question
whether temperatures in the South
are too high for quality trout fishing.
Being the largest state East of the
Mississippi River the climates in
Georgia range from hot plains in the
South to the cool coastal beauties
like Savannah and St. Simons Island,
to the very beginnings of the Appalachian
Mountains. These mountains are where
I absolutely fell in love with fly-fishing.
The waters of Georgia,
Tennessee, and North Carolina vary
greatly from very large tailwaters
to small mountain streams. While many
of the larger streams such as the
Chattahoochee, South Holston, and
the Davidson get a thorough amount
of attention, the true beauty lies
in the cold freestone streams that
feed these and other rivers throughout
the region. These streams hold some
of the most colorful Rainbow and Brook
Trout one can imagine. This is serene
fishing surrounded by beautiful mountains
settled with a bluish fog and the
smell of fresh honeysuckles in the
air. On hot days the canopied streams
and cool water provide a great deal
of relief from the sun. With only
a remote chance of running into another
fisherman you feel as though you’re
in your own world.
The style of fishing can vary from
stream to stream. Imagine Brook Trout
style fishing with the exception being
that the Rainbows will not move to
the fly, rather the fly has to come
to them. The habitats for most of
these fish are constructed of Rhododendron
bushes that can eat flies faster than
Fat Albert can eat cheeseburgers.
Log jams and big boulders also help
to tangle leaders, tippets and flies.
On the rare chance that the presentation
goes correctly, the battle has only
begun. A 17” rainbow hooked
in a 15’ wide stream will put
every bit of skill to the test, even
for the experienced angler. Jumping
and dancing, diving and pulling, many
rear ends have ended up sore chasing
fish down boulder-ridden streams.
When thinking of travel
many anglers are drawn to the Western
United States and for good reason.
However, if you are looking to take
an excursion in the near future, be
sure to give a long look to the Southern
Appalachian region. There are a plethora
of streams awaiting you in the Smoky
and Blue Ridge Mountains. Grab a good
topo map, look for the blue lines
and have fun. Be sure to stop in the
small towns for some great Bar-B-Que
and some friendly smiles. If you get
lost anyone will help you find where
you are going, if you are comfortable
with going to a “Holler”
and taking a left! If you do not feel
like doing this trip on your own,
join me next spring for a trip to
the Western Carolina region for some
world-class fishing
Click
here to contact Wes
