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The Evening Rise
The Fishing Journal and Photos
of Reel Angling Adventures
Fly-Fishing ... Bass Fishing ... And More!
Georgia -- North Carolina -- Tennessee |
Member
Trout Unlimited
Chapter #696
Blue Ridge, Georgia
An Equal Opportunity
Service Provider
Permitted and Supported by
USDA Forest Service
National Park Service
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content copyrighted
TBI LLC 2004-12 |
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On Point: Springtime Fly-Rodding Ahead on
the Hiwassee River, TN
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By
Bill Stranahan
The perfect
opportunity for every
fly-fisherman who likes wade-fishing will open up this spring
on the
Hiwassee River at Reliance, TN. Water levels in the
tailwater trout fishery, downstream from Appalachia Powerhouse,
are frequently low from April through May. And this year, fish
numbers and size will be up dramatically, thanks to the first
"delayed harvest" fishing period enforced on the Hiwassee from
Oct. 1 through March 15.
Access to the best trout fishing is only a
matter of, “How far are you willing to walk?”
For many anglers, walking toward their
fishing spots on the
Hiwassee River tailwater covers just a few yards. This
roadside fishery provides instant gratification for trout
fishermen who prefer to jump out of their cars and step into the
river. For three miles, River Road runs alongside the Hiwassee
from the powerhouse downstream to the Big Bend overlook. Still
more access to the upper river area is found at the Childers
Creek parking site and the area immediately adjacent to the
railroad trestle in “downtown” Reliance. During the coldest
water releases, trout fishermen can also access 10 miles more of
roadside riverway along State Road 30 from Reliance west to the
US Highway 411 bridge and boat ramp.
But
on those crowded days, a little solitude and some really good
fishing can be the reward for a little leg work.
In springtime,
tailwater riverways across the southern Appalachian Mountains of
Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina feature extended periods
of low-water flows. On the Hiwassee River, the timing coincides
with the capture of water in Lake Hiwassee near Murphy in nearby
Cherokee County, North Carolina. Depending on seasonal lake
levels, the Tennessee Valley
Authority slows its water-release schedule from the
reservoir in March and April before turning water flows toward
recreational levels in May. The primary purposeof this
water schedule is to keep a minimum flow of cold water coming
down the riverbed, while filling the reservoir to full conservation pool level for summer
recreational use.
The low-water release schedule – or “the
pulse” or “pulse schedule,” as it is referred to by local
anglers – is fairly predictable and easily worked with while
wade-fishing in spring. The “pulse” is the result of
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spinning one generator at Appalachia Powerhouse
for one hour, followed by three hours “off” before pulsing
the flow for another hour. The TVA says it
releases water for one hour at a rate of 1,500 cfs on one turbine.
More often than not, the release period usually lasts anywhere from 30
to 45 minutes. The water flow, which raises the river up to 12 inches
depending on the distance from the powerhouse, is easily tracked down the riverbed and is key to
good insect populations, insect activity and, as a result, good and
even great trout fishing!
Starting in March and April, Hiwassee River’s caddisflies start
showing up in different sections of the river. Caddis hatches
usually start in the lower sections of the river first, where
the water warms earlier in the season. As the bug activity
increases,
the “hatch” grows larger and begins appearing in stages,
“moving” upriver toward the powerhouse. After several weeks, the
hatch will be sporadic throughout the entire stretch of the
river. Also, there will usually be more than one species of
caddisfly hatching; so, it’s a good idea for fly-fishermen to
carry several color and size patterns at all times.
As the season progresses, Hendrickson
mayflies start to mix in with the caddis hatch. The increased
bug activity usually triggers some great
fishing opportunities. By mid-April, the Hendrickson hatch is in
full swing. From late April through May still more mayflies join
the fun when the Sulphurs – those beautiful
yellow bugs with clear
wings – start their annual appearance. By
the time the Sulphurhatch reaches its peak, the water-release schedule
typically returns to the summer recreation-flow program. During
this time, the TVA predictably spins one turbine at 10 am, two
turbines at 11 am, and keeps them both running until at least 7
pm.
Caddisflies, Hendrickson mayflies and Sulphur
mayflies make up the main course of the great low-water
fly-fishing found on
the Hiwassee River in springtime. Carry plenty of Caddis,
Hendrickson and Sulphur patterns in your fly box, but don’t
forget to have
the standard patterns stashed inside your vest and fanny
pack. When fly-fishing anywhere in southeast Tennessee, you just
never know when you might need them!
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Hiwassee River Update -- Winter 2012
By Bob Borgwat
Heavy and frequent rainfall across
the watershed of the Hiwassee River has the TVA running about
5,000 cfs of water downstream of Appalachia Powerhouse at
Reliance, TN. Trout fishing is very difficult -and dangerous --
under these conditions.
Typically, the
Tennessee Valley Authority during mid- to late winter spills around 2500 cfs from Appalachia
Dam through the 9-mile-long tunnel system to Appalachia
Powerhouse. This is a perfect level for float fishing
on the Hiwassee tailwater section, and, thanks to the seasonal
"delayed harvest" fishing regulations currently in place, the river is fishing
during the normal flows like it
did about five years ago.
But that
water is very cold through February, driving the trout into the
comfort of slow, deep water. Hiwassee River trout are fat and happy
right now, with much of our catch running in the 13- to
15-inch range. Nymphing and streamer-fishing techniques require
anglers to tag their leaders with plenty of weight to get down
where the fish are resting, while feeding on the bugs and
baitfish that happlessly bump the fish in the nose. Same thing
needs to hapen with your nymphs and your streamers.
Wintertime
fishing is often best on the upper 2 miles of the Hiwassee,
where periodic stockings during the "DH" season are most
frequent. All of the fish caught here have been fat, feisty,
and a lot of fun on soft 4- or 5-weight rods. We occasionally
find fish, too, rising during the wintertime to feed on the tiny
midges that hatch best during low water between generation
periods.
As spring
comes on, bug
hatches should lead fly-rodders through the traditional
progression of insect activity on the Hiwassee. From early March
through April, Hendricksons, Caddis, and
Blue Wing Olives will dominate the activity. Sulphurs join the
action come May.
Keep up
with the TVA's generation schedule online at
http://www.tva.gov/lakes/aph_r.htm.
Hiwassee River Winter Fly Patterns
F Wooly Bugger,
black/brown/olive, 8-12
F Midge, gray/olive/black,
18-24
F CDC Blue-Winged Olive,
18-22
F Soft Hackles, olive/orange/black,
14-16
F Blue-Winged Olive nymphs,
14-18
F Dark Lord Prince, 14-16
F Hares Ear, black, 14-16
 Click
here for a complete hatch chart for the streams and rivers of
the southern Appalachian Mountains.
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Fly-fishing is hot this spring season for
numbers of trout, and anglers are reporting catches of some of
the biggest trout in years! Don't miss it.
Click hereClick here
to book your trip now, or call toll free: 866-899-5259! |
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Winter Patterns Draw Trophy-Trout
at Tooni Cove/Noontootla Creek
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The trophy-trout fisheries
at Tooni Cove Farm and Noontootla Creek Farm is
offering the expected wintertime action as the water chills with the season on the upper Toccoa
River watershed in Fannin County, Georgia.
Tooni Cove Report:
Along the length of the
Toccoa River, where it runs for a three-quarters of a mile through
Tooni Cove Farm,
the big rainbows are laying low, forcing fly-rodders into the
slow presentations required to tease a strike. From The Swimming Hole through Hawg Alley to The Bend and
upstream into Hemlock Shoal, the rainbows we are catching -- from 17 to 24 inches
-- are taking streamers and nymphs on the dead-drift.
Noontootla Creek Report:
The best
rainbows and the occasional trophy brown are falling for stonefly
nymphs, as well as small patterns like the Dark Lord Prince nymph, in the long dark feeding lanes at
Noontootla
Creek Farm. The spring-fed stream, which challenges experienced
fly-rodders, is colder -- and much clearer -- than the main-stem Toccoa River.
Sleuthing from hole to hole is more important than ever. Expect
the winter conditions to hold thorugh February.
On Point for Spring:
Springtime at Tooni Cove Farm
and Noontootla Creek Farm produces the
first major insect hatches of the year Early on, the black caddisflies easily outnumber
the mayflies that first appear as March Browns and Blue-Winged Olives.
Collectively,
those wonderful bugs of springtime
give anglers great
opportunities to take them in size and number with dry-fly and
dry-dropper styled fly-fishing
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It's all these
springtime bugs and the opportunity to battle
trophy trout to 10 pounds and more that makes trophy trout at Tooni Cove Farm and Noontootla Creek Farm such desirable fly-fishing venues in the spring. Imagine
giant slob rainbow trout displaying their spawning colors like they
were in a drag show on Duval Street!
The trout of Tooni Cove Farm are
well-managed, moderately pressured and carefully handled by both the fisheries'
staffs and the guide team of
Reel Angling Adventures, which enters its eighth year of operating at
Tooni Cove
and its fourth season at
Noontootla
Creek. Combined, the fishery teams
have learned well the management techniques important to both the fish and
the water, taking care to maintain natural settings in which the trout
do not become the “pets” some anglers associate with a private fisheries.
It takes a skilled and patient angler to
coax a slob trout from their homes on the Toccoa River and Noontootla
Creek.
However, novice anglers improve their skill levels rapidly when they
consistently hook -- and sometimes lose -- the big rainbows that average
around 18 inches long.
As the water temperatures rise into spring, there’s sure to be more of
those
20-inch ‘bows
moving at Noontootla Creek Farm and Tooni Cove Farm. Maybe you will be the first fly-rodder
to enter the Slob Club in 2009!
The fly-fishing guides of
Reel Angling Adventures enjoy exclusive access to more than 3,000 feet
of the
upper Toccoa
River on Tooni Cove Farm.
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 Both
novice and expert fly-fishermen find the action challenging when
targeting the trophy
rainbows and browns of Noontootla Creek Farm and Tooni Cove Farm.
Join the guides of Reel Angling
Adventures this season for full- and half-day trips on Georgia's best
trophy-trout waters for your shot at taking the trophy trout of a
lifetime!
 
Click here
to request a Gift Certificate
Photos by Bob Borgwat,
Copyright 2007
Toccoa Bend Images LLC |
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Reel Angling Adventures
offers exclusive access to the trophy-trout fishery of Tooni
Cove Farm on the upper Toccoa River in Fannin County, Georgia.
Click here
to learn more!
Or
call toll free:
86866-899-5259 |
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Fast Fly-Rod Action
on Wintertime Menu for Delayed Harvest Waters
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As the warm days of spring stand many weeks away, the
"delayed
harvest" trout waters in Georgia, North
Carolina and Tennessee offer wintertime opportunities for
fly-fishing in what many anglers believe the best conditions of
the year.
From now through
mid-March, angler numbers are typically low on the DH waters of
the Nantahala, Tuckaseegee, Chattooga and Toccoa rivers,
where weather and water conditions are usually cold.
But ask anglers who have fished these rivers during the DH season,
and 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," says Bob Borgwat, RAA
owner/outfitter. "From fall, well into spring,
we offer
guided fly-fishing on the Nantahala, Tuckaseegee, Toccoa,
Chattooga and Hiwassee rivers. There's really nothing like these streams, as
far as fly-fishing goes. Fish numbers are high, fish quality is
high, the rivers offer every physical feature you'll find on trout streams
of the Southeast, 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 more easily
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areas in the streams 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."
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.
"Take a look at the RAA
hatch chart for the trout waters of the southern Appalachian
mountains, and you'll see the bug species are many. It can be
confusing," Bob says. "But our guides' long
experience in
fishing the DH waters will help you understand which fly pattern
is best presented during the time of your trip to the
delayed-harvest rivers or any of our destinations."
Reel Angling Adventures closes its guided fly-fishing trips on
the DH waters of the Tuckaseegee, Toccoa, Chattooga and Nantahala rivers upon the
change of regulations, when anglers are allowed to keep their
catch. At this time -- mid-May through October in Georgia and
the first weekend of June through September in North Carolina --
trout anglers may use any legal method of fishing (including
baits) to take home a limit of trout.
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 Swift water -- including riffles and standing waves -- grow more
likely to hold trout as the water temperatures rised in spring.
Rainbows are more likely found in the fastest water, while
brookies, like the one shown below, often lie on the margins of
the riffles, especially at streamside.
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.
Click here
to request
a Gift Certificate
Photos by Bob Borgwat.
Copyright
2007
Toccoa Bend Images LLC
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Don't miss your opportunity this year to
fly-fish the delayed-harvest trout streams of Georgia and North Carolina.
Click here
-- or call toll
free: 866-899-5259 -- to
book your trip on the Nantahala, Tuckaseegee, Toccoa or Chattooga rivers. |
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Catch a Striped Bass on a Trout Stream? Plan Your
Trip Now!
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By
Bill Stranahan
Known for its
superb trout fishing, the Hiwassee River at Reliance in southeast
Tennessee, offers up an unusually exciting opportunity in summertime for
taking striped bass – BIG STRIPED BASS – and it’s a blast for anglers of
all skill levels.
In
summertime, big striped move into the trout waters of the Hiwassee River. And we’ve got the catches to prove it!
(See the photos at right).
Chasing striped bass
on the Hiwassee River is not your usual fishing trip, especially since
catching these stripers is done on a river that’s regionally known as
one of the finest trout streams in the southeastern US!
Locating the
bruiser “linesides” on the Hiwassee River is more like hunting and
stalking for a trophy buck. Like a big whitetail, the Hiwassee's trophy
stripers are limited in number, including only those fish that migrate during the summer months
up the riverway from Lake Chickamauga on the Tennessee River.
The stripers that
find their way into the cold trout waters of the Hiwassee do so because,
starting in late June, the water temperature in the riverway around
Reliance rises into the low to mid-60s. Stripers tolerate those
temperatures just fine, especially when they can dine on the Hiwassee’s
tasty rainbow trout!
Last year, the guide
team of Reel Angling Adventures took several stripers that averaged
about 15 pounds in size. Guide Bill Stranahan |
leads the
team in both numbers of fish and size, tackling individual stripers in the 30-pound range in 2007, and, once again in 2008, landing
stripers in late June that unofficially top 30 pounds!
Striper
fishermen who share a
drift boat with the guides of Reel Angling
Adventures on the Hiwassee River have taken the stripers on both fly
rods and spinning tackle. But no matter the method, hooking up on a
Hiwassee River striper is not for the faint of heart. Your guide is
looking for that one special fish – the one that makes you smile every
time you think about the hunt, the chase, the fight and the landing of
your Hiwassee River striper!
Your catch won’t
always come easy. Hiwassee River striped bass are finicky fish and can
swim across long distances from day to day. Some days we’ve got ‘em in
our sights. Other days, the stripers prove elusive to even our best
fishing secrets. If you are looking to come out and catch numbers of
stripers, this is not the trip for you. But if you would like to get
that chance for hanging into a trophy-class striped bass, there’s no
more exciting place to take that dream fish than on a trout stream!
Reel Angling
Adventures is
booking drift-boat trips daily on the Hiwassee River at
Reliance, Tennessee, for summertime stripers – and year-round trout, too!
Trips start at 10 am and are available in both
half-day and full- day excursions. For more information, call Reel Angling Adventures
(toll free) at 866-899-5259.
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 Hang
onto that rod!
Known for its super trout fishing, the
Hiwassee River at Reliance, Tennessee, produced this 30-pound striped
bass for angler Dave Fletcher on a late June drift-boat trip.Known for its super trout fishing, the
Hiwassee River at Reliance, Tennessee, produced this 30-pound striped
bass for angler Dave Fletcher on a late June drift-boat trip.
Once the cold
riverway temperature warms into the 60s in summertime, Hiwassee River stripers move
into the trout waters to feed on the rainbows that make up the bulk of
the local fishing action.Once the cold
riverway temperature warms into the 60s in summertime, Hiwassee River stripers move
into the trout waters to feed on the rainbows that make up the bulk of
the local fishing action.
Click here
to request a Gift Certificatee
Photos by Bill Stranahan
/ ©TBI 2007Photos by Bill Stranahan
/ ©TBI 2007 |
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Reel Angling Adventures
operates guided float trips and wading trips for striped bass on
the Hiwassee River at Reliance, TN, seven days a week for fly-fishermen and
spin-fishermen. In season on the Hiwassee, we take our shots at
smallmouth bass, too! Bring your favorite tackle, or let our guides
share their selection of quality rods and reels -- fly fishing
or spin-fishing -- with you.
Click here
to learn more!
Or call toll free:
866-899-5259 |
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 For trip reservations
and information, contact ...
Reel Angling Adventures
PO Box 12
Suches, GA 30572
Toll-Free Phone:
866-899-5259
Email ...
BBorgwat@ReelAnglingAdventures.com
Reel Angling
Adventures
is a division of Toccoa Bend Images LLC
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