View Full Version : Lil' help on Island Ford.....
Has anyone fished Island Ford this week and what will the water look like?
Thanks-
Hollis
Fished Island Ford for the first time this past Saturday. Water was relatively clear(3' visability) and low, very fishable. My daughter took a 12" rainbow and saw another fly fisher take a nice size fish(actually had to work his drag a bit). Should be the same even after the snow/rain today. Great spot to hit after work.
Hang in there Chunker. It'll come. Like everything, it takes practice. Ever need any help, don't be afraid to ask.
Shawn
I am hitting the ford thurs morn/afternoon. I will let you know how I do
CHUNKER
02-25-99, 01:43 PM
Fished Island Ford Monday afternoon, had the back side of the island to myself until about 4:30,then only a couple of bank fishermen. Water color excellent! No fish,due to my inexperience w/fly fishing. Fished it the week before w/spinning rod, plenty of fish present. Released all except 3 for dinner that evening.
Also Chunker, Big water can be difficult to read the first time round. I was sort of intimidated the first time I fished the hooch. After a while of fishing the water you'll know how to read that water like a professional. I learn new things every time I go.
Shawn
Hey mom, watch me agree with shawn:
Chunker he's a clue for you--banks are were the money is---you'll find some big'ol browns under bushes.
.01
Hollis
caught two today. both on a bh hares ear. you can read the report in the stream reports. Probably going there or jones bridge tomorrow if anyone wants to go??? email me
Directions to ford island ....please.....
thanks in advance....
jetguy..
(I hope to get away from work SOMETIME in march.)
CHUNKER
02-26-99, 12:55 PM
JetGuy,
To get to Island Ford take 400 South to the Northridge exit, go through the lights to the next set of lights and turn right.This is Roberts Drive, Go approx. 3/4 mi.and Island Ford park will be on the right.
Chunker,
Shawn is right. Another perspective on it is to break the river down into "small streams". Fish sections of a riffle run or pool as you would a small stream.
By doing this you can understand particular currents, current flows, etc.. It will help on reducing drag on your flies, and better water reading capabilities.
I pretty much exclusivly fish the back side of Island Ford. Easier to wade, I have always caught more fish etc..
And on the backside you will see where everyone enters the water kinda halfway point on the rapids in the middle of the island.
Not many people fish those rapids much(at least in my experience.)
So tie on a bead head prince or bead head hares ear. Put your detector about 3 ft up from the fly and just on real small bbb split shot above the fly.
And you should get some action.
Rod is giving ya the biggest hint. Banks, Banks,Banks, especially the bank with a certain tree hanging out over the water.....pretty vague I know but hey part of the game...hehehehehe
To add a little, look for any current breaks. Very Very important. Anywhere you see a line in the water especialy in 2-4ft, FISH IT...
Shawn
Jeffg,
I imagine you and I have seen one another fish on occassion--certain tree?????I know---bet we've caught the same fish more than once.
Rod
Rod,
I betcha we have seen each other there. And there is a nice brown lurking in that spot. He also has a couple nice looking friends that hang out with him too.
One of those spots where you do real well or get totally skunked.
Moody fish.
Jeffg,
Most of my favorite spots over there are like that. Feast of Famine--I think that's what keeps folks from coming back---the pool areas usually hold some stream-wise fish that won't tolerate careless wading.
I know I've taken folks there when the bite was not on and they haven't asked to go back--their loss and my gain--'course they could go back without telling me and catch all my "tagged" fish.
I'd like to fish with ya sometime--one occassion where we wouldn't have to worry about giving up secrets.
what do you think about all the silt that has built up over the past couple of years.
It has it's pros and cons for me.
I hate that insectlife was buried by the sand and mud but like the fact that I can wade in spots that were unreachable just 1 year ago.
Rod
Rod,
Hey we will get together for a bit of fishing. Right now I am swamped with my new job and such and doesnt look like I will be fishing until last weekend of March. Then I am heading to Lake Barkley in KY for some b****fishing. Always catch little guys on the fly rod so hoping this time we will catch some nice ones. Especially since the spawn will be on.
SILTING...yeah I have really noticed it the last couple times I have been up there. It seems the the left side (facing upriver) is silting in more so than the right side. Especially right below the set of rapids.
That particular flat used to be the terrain of the bait guys and occasional float tube. But now you can wade out and really fish that far bank.
Where that submerged tree is now in that flat used to be one of my
favorite channels. Now it is silted in around that tree and down from it is so much better than it was before.
But some of the upper banks have lost a bit of their appeal for me (again on the left side). The silting is so bad that there is nothing but sand and the fish have moved elsewhere.
The right hand bank has been producing more and more. Less silting too. And I see that trend increasing as the silting
problem increase.
One good thing though...that one house with the NO FISHING WITHIN 100 YDS sign, is still empty. That is a great pool and it is nice to fish it without being yelled at. (the last owner yelled at me several times..well I guess it was the owner). Now I see bait fishers coming in and sitting on that bank fishing the pool.
It seems that the other owners are more open to people fishing now. The older gentleman with the aluminum boat in his yard is rather nice. He will come down and converse with you while you fish. He is a nice guy. The rest of the landowners seem not to care.
I have never fished the bottom of the island and into those ripples with the "little island". It seems that there is always someone playing around on the rocks,. so never fished it.
How bout you????? any thoughts on that section.
jeffg,
I've run into that guy before. He seemed to think he owned the river too. 100yards would have probably been on the other side of the island. That guy had some nerve. Good to hear he moved. If he felt the way he did, he shouldn't have moved on the border of a heavily fished section of river. I remember the last time he yelled at me I caught a nice sized brown in the middle of his words. hehehe
Shawn
Jeff and Shawn,
I've been yelled at on occasion as well--being yelled at for fishing where I shouldn't is not that uncommon--I'm always in search of new farm ponds--hehe
I agree that the right side is best now.
Althought, fishing at the bottom seems to be equally good on both sides.
I fish the bottom a lot--on both sides. Believe it or not, the rainbows tend to congregate in the slow water before the rapids at the head of the small island and in the riffles where they should.
Those playing on the rocks don't really bother me that much.--I fish mostly during the week. When I do run into them, I tell them to make sure they wear shoes and watch their step for gl****and industrial waste. They usually don't hang out too long after that--just kidding. I do enjoy having background music on occassion. It is especially nice to listen to Cream while catching fish. Makes me wish I had room in my vest for a beer cooler.
Rod
In search of fish and beer
Rod,
I've always wished that Cammel Back could make a pressurised hydraion blatter that could the beer from going flat. Wouldn't that be the invention of the century.
Shawn
As hard as it is not to take a walkman during Braves games on the river, having beer while fishing would cause me to take the walkman, scream and waddle drunkinly while catching and releasing my fellow anglers--then it's all for naught---
cover your ears for the next bit-- It would be the invention of the century---would beat out the proverbial hummer while holding a remote in one hand and a beer in the other.
Rod
I'm no purist
Rod
you certainly have a way of putting things, but I will agree with you.
Tommy Hunter
03-01-99, 07:35 PM
Just a quick question. I have never fished sections of the 'hooch near houses, but isn't it considered navigable water up to Buford Dam, therefore, controlled by the Corps of Engineers? If so, as long as you stay in the river, no one can tell you where you can and can't fish. Just wondering in case I run in to some clown like that.
Tommy
NightOwl
03-01-99, 08:24 PM
I have never been yelled at .....Hmmmmmm just a little thought on the subject. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif
Owl
The Ole Man
03-01-99, 08:55 PM
NightOwl
Myself and two friends got thrown out of The Rainbow Ranch one time. Thats a catch for pay place by the river at Hwy 20 below the hatchery. We weren't fishing there but we trepassed getting a boat out of the river under the bridge. Guess thats a story for "Fish Tales". The ranch is good for one thing though. If you go to the Hooch and get skunked, you can go to the Ranch and catch a couple of large fish. Then walk down to the river bank and have your picture taken. No one ever knows the difference. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/smile.gif
As long as your in the river below the dam, your ok to fish what you want. As far as the rainbow river place goes, probably mad you didn't pay to fish in his ponds. Anybody yelling at you for fishing in the river anywhere below the dam doesn't know what is going on and can't live up to the fact that people will eventually be fishing under his deck legally. Oh well.
Shawn
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