Toccoa Tailwater
As we continue into Spring, stockings have picked back up, so numbers of fish are increasing. Various bug hatches have been occurring. Tan and Olive Caddis, Hendricksons, Quills, and a few March Browns so bugs are plentiful. Even some BWOs on the cooler cloudy days. Most days a Jigged Pheasant Tail with a soft hackle has been the ticket. One of my flies this time of year can be a Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear, because it can imitate both mayflies and caddis. After some of these rains, a bump in flow and stained water can get these fish keying in on Stoneflies. Mornings until mid afternoons have been fishing the best. As TVA raises lake levels to summer pool, generations have been pretty short in the mornings. With the right weather, streamer fishing has been pretty good. If it’s a cloudy, prefrontal day, you may want to grind out some streamers on high water. That is our favorite way to hunt for trophy browns in the Toccoa and can sometimes lead to some magical moments.
Upper Toccoa River
The Upper Toccoa is currently running around 430cfs, but it is rising with the storm today. Keep an eye on the flows, but for the most part the DH has been wadeable. Still primarily sticking with bobber rigs up there. Your normal DH fly selection should work well up there. Rubber Legs, Rainbow Warriors, Walt’s Worms, and other flashy or hot spotted flies should work well. If the flashy stuff isn’t working try more natural flies like Holy Grails or Pheasant Tails. We have about a month left before DH regulations are over, so get out there while it’s on!
Small Streams
Flow in the small streams have been staying pretty good with our Spring rains coming in. Dry droppers have been picking up the most fish. A smaller Chubby with a Rubber Legs or Pheasant Tail has been working well. A few stoneflies have begun hatching, so start expecting a few eats on the chubby. As always these creeks can be your best friend after heavy rains like today. Worms and Rubber Legs are king on days like this. As the water drops out after a few days of no rain. Dry fly fishing for our wild trout can be killer. Fishing every little riffle and pocket with an attractor fly like a Purple Haze or a Bugmeister can be a lot of fun. It’s also a good way to cover water that is too shallow for a dropper. More natural imitations like a Parachute Adams or Elk Hair Caddis are also good options. These fish can be very opportunistic so your presentation is a lot more important than your fly pattern.
Warmwater
As water temps continue to climb and we get closer to the spawn, river bass will be getting more active and aggressive. Bigger flies are great for seeking out these fish that are the fattest they will be all year. Look for places like creek mouths and springs. These places will have water that is a bit warmer since it is at a more consistent temp than the rest of the river. The creeks also act as a great spawning ground for bass in our rivers, so expect fish to be staging near them. Swim flies like Sluggos, Swinging D’s, and Game Changers on an intermediate to sink 5 lines are our favorite options. Erratic strips with extremely long pauses usually result in some awesome visual eats. Hovering your fly is crucial this time of year. These rivers tend to blow out easily and may take a while to clear. Sofinding your window to fish between the storms is crucial. Consecutive days of nice warm weather just makes the fishing better and better.
Hot Flies
- Jigged Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail (sz 12-16)
- Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail (sz 12-16)
- Flashback Pheasant Tail (sz12-16)
- Jigged Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear (sz12-16)
- Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear (sz 12-16)
- Flashback Hare’s Ear (sz12-16)
- Pat’s Rubber Legs
- Tungsten PAt’s Rubber Legs
- Holy Grail (sz14-16)
- Bird’s Nest
- Wooly Buggers
- Slumpbusters
- Sluggo
- Sex Dungeons
- Swinging D’s
- Leggy Boi’s
- Circus Peanut
