As a result, fly-fishermen during fall and winter enjoy remarkable opportunities -- with dry flies, nymphs and streamers -- to catch brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. Better yet, the fish they catch will survive well into springtime to be caught another day -- by them or other fly-fishermen whose skills range from novice to expert levels -- because during the DH season anglers are required to release all trout immediately and unharmed.

Ask anglers who have fished these rivers during the DH season. You'll hear many of them claim catch numbers that are usually quite good.

Indeed, with good fly-fishing skills anglers can enjoy 50-fish days during peak season. Many catches include fish that stretch well beyond 20 inches long.

"Reel Angling Adventures holds permits to offer guided fishing trips on four of the most talked about  'delayed harvest' streams in the region," Bob says. "From fall, well into spring, we offer guided fly-fishing on the Nantahala, Tuckaseegee, Toccoa and Chattooga rivers.

There's really nothing like these streams, as far as fly-fishing goes. Fish numbers are high, fish quality is high, the streams offer every physical feature you'll find on Southern trout streams, and the venues stand out among the most beautiful areas in the southern Appalachian Mountains."

Fly-fishermen of all skill levels are treated to outstanding fishing action on the area's DH streams. Each of the venues offer challenging fishing conditions where an expert fly-rodder can hone his/her skills. Novice fly-fishermen are equally at home where the streams' more easily fished areas allow them to build their fly-fishing skills with confidence that they're next catch is only another cast away!

"Wintertime on each of these rivers is the most challenging time of year for fly-fishermen. Water temperatures are very cold," Bob points out, "bug activity is limited, and the fish are sluggish. But fly-fishermen can count on the guides of Reel Angling Adventures to teach you fly-fishing techniques and tactics you can carry forward through the winter to improve your success. You might even be surprised to find our guides helping you develop dry-fly fishing techniques in wintertime."

River temperatures begin rising in mid-March and remain on an upward trend come April. That's when dry-fly fishing takes off as several species of mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies hatch according to water temperatures.

The "delayed harvest" trout waters of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee offer great opportunities for fly-fishing on streams/rivers that feature all the characteristics of trout habitat common to the southern Appalachian Mountains.

During a late winter trip with guide Bob Borgwat of Reel Angling Adventures, fly-fisherman Frank Benson of Atlanta nailed this beautiful trophy brook trout while fishing the delayed-harvest section of the Nantahala River in western North Carolina.

Fly-fishing from drift boats on the Toccoa River tailwater near Blue Ridge, Georgia, is strong in the usual fashion for early fall trout fishing. Anglers working with the guides of Reel Angling Adventures are taking good numbers of rainbows and browns on the first cool-weather hatches of blue-winged-olive mayflies when the weather moderates between rain events.

"It's been that way during the few periods of low flows we've been fishing between the big releases of water on the Toccoa River from Blue Ridge Dam," says RAA fishing guide Bill Stranahan. "When the bugs are out, the fishing centers on the surface with BWOs -- small dries and tiny emergers -- taking the large share of fish for anglers who follow these typical fall fishing patterns. Just before the TVA began releasing water 24-7 behind the flooding rains of mid-September, we found that getting those fish to take a fake required a bag of tricks. Nothing's changed behind those heavy flows. It's all about 6X and 7X tippets and size 24 BWO emergers."

Meanwhile, heavy generation flows also have been the norm -- almost 'round-the-clock -- on the Hiwassee River tailwater at Reliance, TN. You could say the watershed is "flush" with water.

But because of the TVA's water-release practices t the Hiwassee River's several powerhouses upstream, water temperatures are still warm below Smith Creek Powerhouse just above Reliance. RAA's guides are finding the water at the powerhouse outlet just cool enough at 66 degrees for trout fishing in the heavily stocked upper 2 miles of the popular trout fishery. However, poor water temperatures downstream from Towee Creek have limited fishing success in the heavy shoals featured throughout the river's mid-section and its "quality zone" (see page 14 of the "Management Plan for the Hiwassee River Trout Fishery, 2005-2010"

"Fly-fishing on the Hiwassee to Towee Creek is pretty much limited to pulling streamers," Stranahan says. "Dark Wooly Buggers take most of the fish, but you will get some opportunities to take trout on small nymphs along the south banks just above the rapids at Fox's Cabin."

Trout anglers are also doing well on the stocked trout armed with spinning tackle and small spoons.

Wading anglers are finding similar fishing conditions at the lower Toccoa River's public access points -- the dam site, Tammen Park in Blue Ridge, and Horseshoe Bend Park in McCayesville.

"High water flows for almost four weeks has opened few windows for wade-fishing. But during the low-water periods, some really nice BWO hatches have popped on the flat and shoal water of the public access sites. During those times, we're taking fish on various nymph patterns before the bugs show up," Stranahan says, "but the takes under water get few and far between when the hatch heats up. The best dry-fly action will take place on the calm, warm days of the season."

 Bug hatches are spaced out along the riverway and can be heavy at times, while not a bug will be seen other times. BWOs are the usual bugs seen, but small black stoneflies and green caddisflies flutter around just enough to gather the guides' attention.

Steve Kraker of West Olive, MI, dead-drifts a nymph across the ledges just above a shoal on the Toccoa River, where he was awarded with a nice brown trout.

Nymph anglers are taking good numbers of fall trout on the Toccoa, but there are periods during moderating weather when the dry-fly action heats up. During calm, warm afternoons, hatches of small blue-winged olive mayflies can look like hundreds of diamonds floating on the slower stretches of the riverway.

The lower Toccoa River stands out among Georgia trout streams, providing premium trout water for almost 18 miles between the towns of Blue Ridge and McCayesville.

Photos by Bob Borgwat.
Copyright 2007 Toccoa Bend Images LLC

For more information about float-fishing and wade-fishing the Toccoa River with Reel Angling Adventures, click here to visit our float-trip page or call toll free to 866-899-5259.

slows at the edge of eddies, at the tails of runs and behind the sweeps around logs, bushes and large rocks. Our guide team will be happy to prove these techniques to any angler who wants to join us on at the Toccoa River at Tooni Cove or at Noontootla Creek.

"Representative" fish -- the 3-pound 'bows that make up much of the catch at both Tooni Cove and Noontootla Creek farms -- are responding well to these tactics. But fly-fishermen at both venues are tagging the bigger rainbows, too, that make these private-access trout waters great places to tackle heavy trout.

"One of our anglers fought a true 7-pound rainbow just last week at Noontootla Creek Farm," Bob reports. "The fiery colored trout took a tiny Copper John behind a heavy stonefly pattern drifted through a deep and shaded pool. Unfortunately, the fight lasted longer than the strength of the small hook. When it pulled loose, we discovered the hook gap eventually opened up under the pressure of the big trout's several runs. Worst yet, it was our client's first big trout on a fly rod. She made up for the lost fish, however, when she later landed a nice 22-inch 'bow on a downstream run."

Reel Angling Adventures enjoys exclusive access and operates guided fly-fishing seven days a week on the waters of Tooni Cove Farm. We're also very fortunate to have been invited last fall to share our booking calendar on Noontootla Creek Farm. Both venues are devoted

One of the biggest rainbows of the season at Noontootla Creek Farm straightened her hook a couple weeks ago, but Laura (above) successfully landed this beautiful rainbow after it snatched a large dry fly she expertly drifted down a long feeding lane.

Meanwhile, the big trout of the Toccoa River at Tooni Cove Farm eluded the expert fly-fishing skills of Jan (right). Still, he managed to hook five trout on the early fall trip, including this nice rainbow that took a large stonefly nymph drifted in slow water.

Reel Angling Adventures enjoys access to the private trophy-trout waters of Tooni Cove Farm on the upper Toccoa River and Noontootla Creek on Noontootla Creek Farm. Both venues are located in the north Georgia mountains. Deep pools, long feeding runs, gravel shoals and riffle water provide exciting year-round venues to cast streamers, nymphs and dry flies to trophy rainbows and browns.

            Reel Angling Adventures   

 Toll-Free Phone: 866-899-5259   

Email ... BBorgwat@ReelAnglingAdventures.com   

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