CHATTOOGA RIVER

Provided By: Karl Ekberg Chattooga River Fly Shop www.chattoogariverflyshop.com

864-638-2806

The month of June looks to be much the same as May as far as weather goes. This has been one of the best Spring seasons we have seen in quite some time. The major ninety-degree heat has held off this Spring and the trout fishing has been spectacular. The cooler spring weather and sporadic rainstorms have kept the trout waters cool and the water levels at good flows. Evening fishing is a delight, with evening hatches being the highlight of nature. Many fish are exploding out of the river to catch the many bugs trying to take flight.

June brings summer vacation, wet wading, and taking the kids fishing like at the free, Kid’s fishing Rodeo at Burrell’s Ford Campground on the Chattooga River, put on by the U.S. Forestry Office. This event is all about kids fishing. It’s on June 3rd, with registration from 8:00AM and the fishing starting at 9:00AM. Many prizes for the kids and a lot of fish to be caught. Taking the kids to fishing derbies and events like this is a great way to introduce children to fishing, in areas where many fish have been stocked, to keep their interests and excitement high.

The first light and last light of the days of summer are best for the trout. Get out at daybreak, with dry flies, nymphs, and emergers. In the evening the dry fly is the way to go. Dry dropper rigs for the day are very popular, with high floating foam dry flies which will suspend nymphs through any type of water situation. Having plenty of dry fly flotant for the day or evening, whether it is powder or gel, is a must. Pretreating the dry flies prior to going to the river and having the dry powder to dry the fly out after catching a fish is a great plan. Find the riffle areas which then lead into long glides to find the best dry fly fishing.

Warmer months also means it’s Bartram’s Bass time! Top water fly fishing for these gems of the bass family is an absolute treat for one of the Redeye Bass family. The water temperatures are above fifty-five degrees, and these fish are out and about, and readily available to eat some top water presentations. Water levels on the lower Chattooga can be tricky, but a good rule of thumb is, anything below 1.25 feet on the

FULL MOON JUNE 4, 2023

NEW MOON JUNE 18, 2023

Burrell’s Ford gauge, then the river is safe to wade below the West Fork confluence. Finding slower moving water for the bass is best, along with back eddies with a lot of over hanging trees and brush. The most tropical fish of the Chattooga, the Red Breast Sun Fish, may be caught in these areas as well. Their fire-orange breast with blue coral colored masking from their mouth to their gill plates makes this fish a treat to catch. These fish are finicky, but will take small top water poppers, and some small streamers.

Keeping hydrated and sun protection is key to having a great day out on the rivers. Let all of us remember “Leave No Trace”, as we can always bring out a little more than we walked in with, and the entire forest will be a better place for ages to come.

Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer

I Can Do That!

‘I can do that!’ That is how several of my biggest accomplishments in life started. I saw an article in a fly-fishing magazine that said, ‘ Federation of Fly Fishers- Casting Instructor Certification testing at The Atlanta Fly Fishing School this weekend.’ Yep, I said to myself.... And so, I went. A beautiful venue with friendly faces and well organized. First was the written test. A lot of words and math that I had no idea what it was about; Rule of 9’s, Rule of 3’s, tailing loops, 6 step method.... Thank goodness it was multiple choice and I guessed correctly. I passed. Now out to the field to show them how good I was.

Let me start this by saying, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. On the first task, THEY KNEW I didn’t know. The task was to go from wide loops to nar- row loops, no tailing loops (there is that word again, what is a tailing loop?). Then I was to explain how I did it, and then how I teach it. I was a fair fisherman, I was an average at best caster, but I had no idea what was needed to teach fly casting on an instructor level. I would tell my friends, ‘ Go like this’, or ‘Wait for the tug in the back’. But that was the extent of it. By the end of the task, let me restate that, by the first minute of the task they knew I didn’t have any skills or ability that would benefit anyone. They asked if I ever had professional instruction, taken classes, or studied with a group...’Nope’. ‘Wait, I had taken an Orvis weekend class and learned knots, reading water, what equipment I needed to buy and spent a little time casting!’ At that point they advised me they couldn’t pass me, but asked if I would like to go through the rest of the test for fun (I paid to take the test, why not) We did have fun, they taught me all kinds of things. And at the end of the test, I said thank you and left. Oh, but wait, there’s more.

The next day was the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show. Peter Lami was the examiner who tested me the day before. He was there and asked if I wanted to talk more about becoming an instructor. We talked for about an hour. He asked why I wanted to be an instructor. Asked if I was willing to commit to study and practice without fail. He saw that I had potential (Potential, I hate that word. It means I’m not doing it.) Fly fishing and fly tying were things that I did all the time anyway, so I said yes, I would like to try again. He made a commitment to me and I to him, and we shook on it.

In the months that followed, we met once a week for two hours, and then I would practice and study. I hadn’t read that many books in high school and college combined. He had organized a study guide that spelled out almost everything. It was VERY in depth, and I ate it up. Loved it. It was blowing my mind. I was always into the sport, art and hobby of fly fishing, but this got into the science, and it was great.

I wrote this article to encourage others to pursue an in-depth knowledge of fly casting. It will change your world and not just fishing. As an instructor I have been able to co-create organizations like the Atlanta Fly Fishing meetup and Veterans Fly Fishing. The network of people I have been introduced to have become some of my best friends. It’s a journey that started with, ‘I can do that!’ I always like to give a tip or trick in the Casting Corner, here it is ‘Wait for the tug in the back’. You’re welcome.

To learn these wind casts and more, check out Fly Fishers International, or let’s set up a casting session. www.flyfishersinternational.org/ Learn/Learning-Center-Resources rjhesse@bellsouth.net

Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service

Now that the Spring hatches of mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies are behind us the trout will begin to look for alternative food sources on the Chattahoochee Tailwater. June is the beginning of the “terrestrial insect invasion” with “land-based creatures” like ants, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, and crickets to name a few that build their peak populations for the entire summer. Anglers will hear the odd splash in the river with bubbles left on the surface of the river, which is the first sign of a terrestrial bite. Land based insects float initially when they fall in the river and trout will quickly rise for them in an opportunistic manner. Try slamming down a hopper pattern under the drip line of overhanging vegetation along the riverbanks and you will be pleasantly surprised by the reaction from t he trout. Also, other aquatic critters in the river that spend their entire life cycle under water become available to the trout in the crustacean family like crayfish, scuds and sow bugs. Flies t hat imitate crustaceans can be presented subsurface but jigged and twitched to mimic the swimming action of these creatures.