Fishing Report: September 11th, 2020

The Etowah River is fishing well right now, especially on top! Cooler nights and mornings are making things start to feel like fall,  and the fish are fired up. The river is a little off color coming out of the dam, but don’t let that deter you from fishing. I would take a 9foot 7 weight rigged with a 0x Powerflex Leader and Floating Fly line. For flies, Boogle Bugs seem to be the ticket right now, but other flies like gurglers, wiggle minnows, and diving frog patterns will work well. If the topwater bite slows down, try baitfish patterns in the 2-3.5inch range imitating shad: clouser minnows, lunch $’s, small deceivers, etc. Crawfish patterns fished slowly can also work well. We’re booking Etowah floats for spotted bass until the fishing slows down.

The Toccoa River is fishing well in the mornings right now. Things are starting to pick up with the cooler weather, and if it stays cool through the next few weeks, we’re going to see Fall fishing kick off in full force! Fish are willing to come up for size 16 and 18 Parachute Adams, but Smaller hoppers and chubby chernobyls have also been producing fish. From the dam to the first tributary creek, water is crystal clear so light 5x and 6x tippet on a longer leader and a 4 or 5 weight rod will work well for fishing dries and light dry-droppers. You can up-size your line and leader downstream of some of the tributary streams, as they add a tiny bit of stain to the water – 4x or 5x. Once the sun is over the water, switch to nymph rigs: a smaller midge or Blue Winged Olive mayfly patterns have been doing well.

Small Streams are fishing great in high elevation areas where the water stays cooler. These streams are low and clear, so 5x and 6x tippet is a must. Dries and smaller terrestrials like beetles, ants, and smaller hoppers are producing good numbers of fish from pocket water and faster runs. A shorter 3 or 4 weight rod works best in these tighter settings. The thick canopy around these streams keep the air and the water cooler throughout the day, making fishing a blast all day long.