Fisherman’s Fancy

A Fish-Finding Guide Through North Georgia’s Waters

By James M. Buice

    During the course of my angling life, I’ve traveled the globe searching for fish of all shapes and sizes. In fact, for a good while now this task has pretty well been my profession, which could also be interpreted as a misspent life to those who rebuff solitude. Standing knee-deep in some of the world’s finest rivers, skimming the surface of countless lakes and saltwater flats has yielded me to realize that there is world-class angling to be found right here in my Georgian backyard. Whether fishing with conventional tackle or a fly rod, the waters lying north of Atlanta provide more than 2,000 miles of quality angling with dozens of lakes thrown in for those not looking for the push of a river against their legs.
     It would be impossible to list the best fishing spots in North Georgia, as there are innumerable options, each offering diversity and all being equally as productive on any given day. Instead, here are a few of my favorite haunts, an assorted catalog, where anglers of all skill levels can enjoy the sport and come away with stories about the big one that got away … or didn’t.

Toccoa River
     I have a love affair with the Toccoa River. Having guided anglers on this river for more than a decade, I feel as if a part of me flows in the cold waters of this North Georgia stream. Always flowing cold and usually as clear as a good gin, the Toccoa is a gem among the trout streams of the Southeast. The trout here seem to be predisposed to looking up, oftentimes sipping floating morsels from the water’s surface from dawn to dusk. This offers the fly fisherman a unique opportunity to enjoy the epitome of the sport, fishing a dry fly to rising fish. For me to describe the rise of a trout to a perfectly presented dry fly would be a travesty to both the literary and angling world. It’s something you just have to go and experience first-hand, and there is no better place to do this in the state than the Toccoa River below Lake Blue Ridge.
     Many folks have never heard of the Toccoa, but perhaps the famed Ocoee River of Tennessee rings a bell. The Ocoee (known for its challenging whitewater rapids and the site of the whitewater paddling events of the 1996 Olympic Games) and the Toccoa are one in the same. Flowing north from the town of Blue Ridge, Ga., the Toccoa becomes the Ocoee at the state line. Strange, huh? Lacking the adrenaline-pumping whitewater found downstream across the state line, the trout of the Toccoa can get your blood flowing just the same.
     Brown and rainbow trout ranging from 6- to 20-plus inches are plentiful, and the lazy nature of the river makes for an inviting day paddling with family or friends and wetting a line. A word of caution should be thrown in though, as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) controls this river and discharges from the dam will cause the docile Toccoa to resemble her more rambunctious Ocoee sister in a matter of minutes. Contacting the TVA hotline will keep you in the clear.

Chattooga River
     Nearly four hours north of Atlanta, the Chattooga River seems a world away, but it is not until you’ve hiked up from the crossing at Burrell’s Ford along the South Carolina border into the Ellicott Rock Wilderness Area that the feeling actually hits you. Ancient conifers spiral to the heavens and stand watch over the river like hushed sentinels, making you feel like a speck among this vast riverscape.
     Above Burrell’s Ford, the river is considered a wild brown trout fishery and can be challenging at times. Most anglers prefer hiking upstream and fishing back to the parking area. If you have the time, however, pack a tent and camp overnight at one of the sites located along the river. Aside from getting first crack at the prime water the next morning, there is the transcendental warmth of a campfire that seems to fuel stories otherwise left untold and can meld whatever you may believe is broken in the world.
     The fall season on the Chattooga brings with it an explosion of color to the valley, the river cutting through a mountain of color making for one of the most impressive vistas in the state’s angling treasury. It can get pretty cold, so bring a jacket and a few energy bars for the hike back to the car. A camera wouldn’t be a bad idea either, especially if you get lucky and land on the stocky wild brown trout for which the Chattooga is so well known.

Noontootla Creek Farms
     Winding through a mountain valley surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest, the 2-mile section of Noontootla Creek managed by the Owenby family is perhaps one of the most pristine fly-fishing locations in the Southeast. A smaller flow than the Soque River, this is not the place for amateur casters, but with the help of a skilled guide, the waters of Noontootla Creek Farms will surrender impressive rainbow and brown trout that are oftentimes measured in pounds rather than inches.
     Fly-fishing is the norm here; in fact, it is required that anglers wishing to access the water come armed with a fly rod. Barbless hooks are also required, as is a guide, the latter of which comes in mighty handy when the trout become persnickety about their diet. Two miles in length, the river is divided into four beats, sections A through D, each possessing a character of its own. Noontootla Creek Farms limits the number of anglers on the water to eight, giving everybody plenty of room to search for that trophy rainbow or brown trout.
     Overlooking the river, an old farmhouse sits on a grassy hillside surrounded by a horse pasture where deer and wild turkey can be seen feeding regularly in the evening light. Many anglers visiting the river choose to stay at the farmhouse, which can sleep eight comfortably. Countless yarns of the big-one-that-got-away have been told on the farmhouses’ porch with whippoorwills and crickets providing the background acoustics.

Soque River
     Perhaps no other river in Georgia has received as much fanfare as the famed Soque River outside of Clarksville. The trout here are legendary, and I am surprised there has not been some environmental stir about the fading of Hemlock boroughs due to the constant flashes of cameras capturing abominably oversized trout held by lucky anglers in archetypal ‘grip-and-grin’ fashion.
     While the trout here are not overly difficult, it’s not like shooting fish in a barrel either. On the Soque, more often than not, fooling the trout into biting is the easy part. Once hooked, these fish have a PhD in escape and evasion. They will cartwheel across the water’s surface, run under stumps, log jams, and do their primal best at turning your rod into a pretzel. Turbo-charged and full of fight, these fish are tenacious sluggers, each one seeming to possess more vehemence than the last.
     Four outfits make up the only public access available to the river, but anglers must pay to play. Brigadoon Lodge, Blackhawk on the Soque, Riverside Trophy Angling, and the generous soul of Tony Sutton all offer access for anglers wishing to get their own photographic evidence that indeed, leviathan trout do inhabit the bubbling waters of northern Georgia. Access fees range from $225 to $300 per day per angler; film developing is extra.

Lake Lanier
     On the boat, rods in hand, we occasionally joke that if the fish are not biting, a jet ski can put up quite a fight. While this is said in utter derisive jest, the numbers of waterborne craft that slice the waters of Lake Lanier into something of an irregular raceway can make fishing a bit hairy. But, if you’re looking for a big fish, this is the place to go.
     Come fall, the jet skiers, power boaters and wake-boarding acrobats all but desert the lake, leaving the wind as the sole culprit for white-capped waves. As fisherman’s luck would have it, these colder months are also prime time for striped bass fishing. These bass can reach 40 pounds or more and draw anglers to the lake during hours far too early to imagine. The fish, big and powerful, are predators. Found at times in large schools made up of hundreds of fish, these pack hunters will chase pods of baitfish to the surface of the lake, making the water seem to boil with fins and gills. Once hooked, they dive for the bottom, the larger fish bullying the angler into submission or freeing themselves by way of a broken line or pulled hook.
     Hiring a guide here pays dividends as the fish are complex creatures and it takes a keen student on their behavior to find them. Captain Doug Youngblood, a veteran of these waters knows the where’s, how’s, and why’s of the lake and its resident fish. Capt. Youngblood caters to conventional tackle anglers and wields a photo album that offers mute testimony to his prowess with the striped bass.
     Fly-fishing on the lake is still in the pioneer stage, nonetheless guide Henry Cowen of Gainesville is blazing a trail one striped bass at a time. Cowen’s thick New Jersey accent may seem out of place, but his jovial nature and friendly smile makes me believe he’s never met a stranger. While catches on the fly are typically not as high as those on conventional tackle and live bait, Cowen manages to get his clients into fish on a consistent basis and is a patient instructor for newcomers to the sport.
     Whichever method you choose to chase stripers on Lanier, once hooked up, the strength of these fish will help get your feet on the floor when that alarm goes off so early in the morning.

    A wise, old fisherman once told me, “It’s just fishing, son.” That pretty much sums it up. Catching a lot of fish is fun, but catching is just part of it. Look around; eagles, songbirds, deer, and wildflowers abound. If you focus too hard on the fishing, you just might miss out on what makes the sport so special.

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