Steve D
05-24-99, 11:43 AM
Hey Y’all!
There’s only 31 days left until NEG Clave and its time for another NEG Clave update.
Looks like my own plans have changed slightly. I was planning to arrive at the campground around lunchtime on Wednesday. However, due to a change in my family’s plans (my presence was requested at the beach in Florida during the 1st half of the week and flingin’ flies in the salt sounded fun) I’ll be arriving around lunchtime on Thursday instead. I think doin’ a little saltwater fishing and lounging on the beach for a few days is a pretty good trade-off for one day in the mountains. Heck, I get the best of both in the same week, what more could you ask for. BTW – this also means I’ll be out of touch during the early part of the week. If you need to get a message to me or need to p****on information about your attendance at the clave, get in touch with Doc Shaffer at mschaffer@mindspring.com and he’ll fill me in when I get back on Wednesday. OK, enough about me.
Here’s some useful stuff like:
NEG CLAVE WEB PAGE
Thanks to Scott Cunningham NEG Clave now has a web page (this is an internet thing, right?!). The URL is http://wnctrout.com/negclave.htm
We’re just getting it going good and will be adding stuff between now and the clave. Hopefully we can make it something useful for those of you planning to come or even just thinking about it right now.
CAMPGROUND INFO
I made another call to GA DNR reservations line to check on how many campsites are available. As of this morning there are 16 tent/camper sites left. If you haven’t made your arrangements already, give ‘em a call at 1-800-864-PARK or at 770-389-PARK if you’re in the Atlanta metro area.
Unfortunately, there isn’t any way that park personnel can reserve blocks of campsites keep us all in the same area. Hopefully we won’t get too spread out. They did tell me that we can request a particular area when we check in. What I’ll do is bring a sign with me to place on or near the campground check-in desk and will put my campsite number on it (If anyone plans to get there Wednesday or early Thursday, and beats me there and there is no note on the desk – please make one and put it there so I can find you). BTW – check-in time is 1:00 pm.
EXPECTED WEATHER CONDITIONS
Since most, of not all of you live in the Southeast, you probably already have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Days will likely see high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s and lows at night will likely be in the upper 60s to low 70s. The regular campsites at Unicoi have electric hook-ups and I have been known to bring a fan to blow in the tent at night (remember, this is car camping – not backpacking – being comfortable is mandatory not optional <G> http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/wink.gif. Putting a fan in your tent isn’t the safest practice so use your own judgement. Also, unless you just want to wear waders, leave ‘em at home. The weather should be perfect for wet-wading.
Also keep in mind that June is prime time for late afternoon thunderstorms here in Georgia. Bring your raingear and make sure your tent has a rainfly and a good groundcloth – you might appreciate it. A tarp to cover your stove and such on the picnic table ain’t a bad idea either.
EXPECTED FISHING CONDITIONS (Mini Scouting Report)
In reality, who the hell knows?! However, this past Saturday Tom Wallace and I made a pre-clave scouting trip to see what was happening in the area. We looked at several sections of the Hooch, Low Gap Creek, and Spoilcane Creek. Both of us caught a dozen or so smallish fish. Mike Ray will be happy as there were plenty of chubs to be caught too. Mine were mostly on drys (#16 AmEx) and ants (#16 fl. Orange). Tom caught his on a variety of softhackles and nymphs. A good bet would be to check in with the folks at Unicoi Outfitters (no financial affiliation – just good folks and good friends) to see whats happening on your way in.
I noticed something interesting that I’d suspected for some time. In a previous post I mentioned the daily donut hatch on the Hooch (floatillas of inner tubers – not to be mistaken with float tubers) and that occurs beginning around 10:30 a.m. or so most every day and continues until about 7:00 p.m. Initially we stopped fishing when the hatch began and went to scout some other water. However, toward the end of the day, we decided to fish one particular hole again – during the donut hatch. What did we notice? The fish didn’t seem to care about the donuts. They pretty much went on about their business as if they weren’t there. Maybe because they see them for several hours a day, every day during the warm months they just get used to them. Anyway, you can still catch fish during the donut hatch if you just keep your sense of humor about you. (Heck, it can provide for some interesting scenery and an occasional free beer too!!)
Water temps on the Hooch were found to range from around 59 early in the morning to around 62 late in the afternoon. We did have a couple of showers p****through during the day and as you might expect the fish would turn on during the showers and for a little while after.
For those who are interested, here is the URL for a hydrograph for the Chattahoochee from a measuring station in Helen, GA: http://wwwga.usgs.gov/rt-cgi/gen_stn_pg?station=02330450 It can be used to get a good idea of how the water levels in the river change day to day (usually not much) and after a good rain.
Float Trip on the Toccoa Anyone??
Anyone interested in doing some float tube fishing on the Toccoa River? James Buice has volunteered to lead a float trip for half a dozen folks on the Toccoa, a tailwater fishery located about an hour from Unicoi SP. James tells me the Toccoa started off slow this year but has been fishing pretty good as of late. According to James, float times can range from two to six hours. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll p****the work along to James.
DIRECTIONS
Since the directions are postged on the NEG Clave web page, and to keep the updates a little shorter, this will be the only time I post the directions by e-mail.
From Atlanta
From Atlanta I’ll list three options:
Option No. 1
Take I-85 north to I-985. Continue north on I-985 to Gainesville. Get off the interstate at Exit 6 (Hwy 129) and turn left onto Hwy 129. Continue north on Hwy 129 through Gainesville to Cleveland, GA. Just north of downtown Cleveland, turn right onto Hwy 75 toward Helen, GA. Follow Hwy 75 north through Helen to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn right onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Option No. 2
Take Georgia 400 north toward Dahlonega. 400 will end at its junction with Hwy 60 and will become Long Branch Road. Continue on Long Branch Road until it intersects Hwy 52. Turn right on Hwy 52 toward Cleveland. After about 3 miles Hwy 52 will fork. The right fork (Hwy 52) will go toward Brookton, the left fork (Hwy 115) will go toward Cleveland. Bear left at the fork and continue on Hwy 115 toward Cleveland. At the square in Cleveland, turn left onto Hwy 129. Continue north on Hwy 129 through Gainesville to Cleveland, GA. Just north of downtown Cleveland, turn right onto Hwy 75 toward Helen, GA. Follow Hwy 75 north through Helen to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn right onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Option No. 3
Take I-75 north to I-575. Continue north on I-575 toward Ellijay. I-575 will eventually turn into the Zell Miller Parkway (Hwy 515/Hwy 76). Continue through Jasper, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Young Harris to Hiawassee. Go through Downtown Hiawassee and continue for about a mile east out of town. Turn right onto Highway 75. Go south on Hwy 75 through Unicoi Gap almost to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
From Knoxville
Get to Franklin, NC via the most efficient route (I suspect it may not be 441 through GSMNP). In Franklin, NC pick up Hwy 441 and proceed to Clayton, GA. In Clayton, GA turn right onto Hwy 76 and proceed toward Hiawassee, GA. Just before you reach Hiawassee, turn left onto Hwy 75 and toward Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Directions to get to Unicoi from NW Georgia, Central TN, and NW Alabama are a little more difficult and, like the directions from Atlanta, will vary from there you’re coming from. The directions presented below are the best I know of. Of anyone knows a better way, please let me know so I can p****the information along. In short, the directions will be from Chattanooga or Dalton, GA.
From Chattanooga:
Take I-75 north toward Knoxville. Exit off of I-75 at Cleveland, TN and head east on Hwy 64 through Ducktown, TN toward Murphy, NC. Just west of Murphy, Hwy 64 will merge with Hwy 19/129. Turn right (south) on Hwy 19/129 and proceed on to Blairsville GA. At Blairsville, Ga, turn left onto Hwy 76. Continue on Highway 76 through Young Harris and Hiawassee to Hwy 75. Turn right onto Hwy 75. Go south on Hwy 75 through Unicoi Gap almost to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
From Dalton, GA
Go east on Hwy 76 (Exit 136 if your getting to Dalton via I-75) to Chatsworth. In Chatsworth, Hwy 76 will make a right turn and merge with Hwy 411 for a few miles. Continue south in Hwy 76/411 to Ramhurst. At Ramhurst, Hwy 76 will turn off to the left (east). Turn left and continue east on Hwy 76 to Ellijay, GA, At Ellijay, Hwy 76 will merge with the Zell Miller Parkway (Hwy 515). Continue through Jasper, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Young Harris to Hiawassee. Go through Downtown Hiawassee and continue for about a mile east out of town. Turn right onto Highway 75. Go south on Hwy 75 through Unicoi Gap almost to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Getting to Unicoi from Eastern NC and SC isn’t a picnic either.
From Greenville, SC
(the simplest and probably the quickest overall route from SC)
I-85 south to the Commerce, GA/Hwy 129 exit (Exit 50). Turn right (north on Highway 129) and proceed toward Gainesville, GA. Continue north on Hwy 129 through Gainesville to Cleveland, GA. Just north of downtown Cleveland, turn right onto Hwy 75 toward Helen, GA. Follow Hwy 75 north through Helen to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn right onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
From North Carolina.
Given the terrain there probably isn’t a best route. The best advise I can give is to have a good look at your maps and decide if it will be easier for you to get to Greenville, SC, Franklin, NC/Clayton, GA or Murphy, NC/Hiawassee, GA and follow the directions given above from each of those areas.
ATTENDEES
Here’s a list of the folks who have indicated that they are planning to be there. Keep in mind that “planning to be there” means most anything from “I’ll do my best to be there” to “I’m gonna be there come hell or high water”. The names in (xx)s are the family members I understand will likely be present too. Since we’ll have folks at the clave from that I know from places other than FF@, I thought I’d kinda start to help folks in getting to know each other by indication who I know from where. The letters behind the names mean the following
FF@ - FlyFish@ Listserver
NGTO – North Georgia Trout On-Line
VFS-CR – Virtual Flyshop Chat Room
LAW – Law Engineering (where I work)
Steve Davenport (Connie) - FF@/NGTO/VFS-CR/LAW
Doc Shaffer (Sheri) - FF@
Shawn Brannon (Holly) - FF@/NGTO/VFS/CR
L.J. DeCuir - FF@
Donald Yelton - FF@
Tom Wallace – VFS-CR
Scott Cunningham (Regina) - FF@
Salty Stines (Elle & Fisher) - FF@
Walt Whitman - FF@
Danny Walls (Peggy) - FF@
Mike Ray (Dianne) - FF@
James Buice –FF@/NGTO/VFS-CR
Tom Lantzy (& Family) – FF@/NGTO
Neal Gilchrist - FF@/NGTO
Michael Hollock (Meredith) – NGTO
Johnny Johnson - FF@/NGTO
Nathan Curtis – LAW
Chris Gregg – LAW
Jimmy Harris – NGTO/Unicoi Outfitters
Kenny Johnson - LAW
If you aren’t on this list and you’re planning to be there, or if you are on the list but your plans change and you can’t make it, please let me know by June 16 so we can plan to have enough jambalaya, raffle prizes, and such.
OK folks, that’s enough for now. Will p****along more information as I need to. Hope to see ya’ll at the clave.
There’s only 31 days left until NEG Clave and its time for another NEG Clave update.
Looks like my own plans have changed slightly. I was planning to arrive at the campground around lunchtime on Wednesday. However, due to a change in my family’s plans (my presence was requested at the beach in Florida during the 1st half of the week and flingin’ flies in the salt sounded fun) I’ll be arriving around lunchtime on Thursday instead. I think doin’ a little saltwater fishing and lounging on the beach for a few days is a pretty good trade-off for one day in the mountains. Heck, I get the best of both in the same week, what more could you ask for. BTW – this also means I’ll be out of touch during the early part of the week. If you need to get a message to me or need to p****on information about your attendance at the clave, get in touch with Doc Shaffer at mschaffer@mindspring.com and he’ll fill me in when I get back on Wednesday. OK, enough about me.
Here’s some useful stuff like:
NEG CLAVE WEB PAGE
Thanks to Scott Cunningham NEG Clave now has a web page (this is an internet thing, right?!). The URL is http://wnctrout.com/negclave.htm
We’re just getting it going good and will be adding stuff between now and the clave. Hopefully we can make it something useful for those of you planning to come or even just thinking about it right now.
CAMPGROUND INFO
I made another call to GA DNR reservations line to check on how many campsites are available. As of this morning there are 16 tent/camper sites left. If you haven’t made your arrangements already, give ‘em a call at 1-800-864-PARK or at 770-389-PARK if you’re in the Atlanta metro area.
Unfortunately, there isn’t any way that park personnel can reserve blocks of campsites keep us all in the same area. Hopefully we won’t get too spread out. They did tell me that we can request a particular area when we check in. What I’ll do is bring a sign with me to place on or near the campground check-in desk and will put my campsite number on it (If anyone plans to get there Wednesday or early Thursday, and beats me there and there is no note on the desk – please make one and put it there so I can find you). BTW – check-in time is 1:00 pm.
EXPECTED WEATHER CONDITIONS
Since most, of not all of you live in the Southeast, you probably already have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Days will likely see high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s and lows at night will likely be in the upper 60s to low 70s. The regular campsites at Unicoi have electric hook-ups and I have been known to bring a fan to blow in the tent at night (remember, this is car camping – not backpacking – being comfortable is mandatory not optional <G> http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/wink.gif. Putting a fan in your tent isn’t the safest practice so use your own judgement. Also, unless you just want to wear waders, leave ‘em at home. The weather should be perfect for wet-wading.
Also keep in mind that June is prime time for late afternoon thunderstorms here in Georgia. Bring your raingear and make sure your tent has a rainfly and a good groundcloth – you might appreciate it. A tarp to cover your stove and such on the picnic table ain’t a bad idea either.
EXPECTED FISHING CONDITIONS (Mini Scouting Report)
In reality, who the hell knows?! However, this past Saturday Tom Wallace and I made a pre-clave scouting trip to see what was happening in the area. We looked at several sections of the Hooch, Low Gap Creek, and Spoilcane Creek. Both of us caught a dozen or so smallish fish. Mike Ray will be happy as there were plenty of chubs to be caught too. Mine were mostly on drys (#16 AmEx) and ants (#16 fl. Orange). Tom caught his on a variety of softhackles and nymphs. A good bet would be to check in with the folks at Unicoi Outfitters (no financial affiliation – just good folks and good friends) to see whats happening on your way in.
I noticed something interesting that I’d suspected for some time. In a previous post I mentioned the daily donut hatch on the Hooch (floatillas of inner tubers – not to be mistaken with float tubers) and that occurs beginning around 10:30 a.m. or so most every day and continues until about 7:00 p.m. Initially we stopped fishing when the hatch began and went to scout some other water. However, toward the end of the day, we decided to fish one particular hole again – during the donut hatch. What did we notice? The fish didn’t seem to care about the donuts. They pretty much went on about their business as if they weren’t there. Maybe because they see them for several hours a day, every day during the warm months they just get used to them. Anyway, you can still catch fish during the donut hatch if you just keep your sense of humor about you. (Heck, it can provide for some interesting scenery and an occasional free beer too!!)
Water temps on the Hooch were found to range from around 59 early in the morning to around 62 late in the afternoon. We did have a couple of showers p****through during the day and as you might expect the fish would turn on during the showers and for a little while after.
For those who are interested, here is the URL for a hydrograph for the Chattahoochee from a measuring station in Helen, GA: http://wwwga.usgs.gov/rt-cgi/gen_stn_pg?station=02330450 It can be used to get a good idea of how the water levels in the river change day to day (usually not much) and after a good rain.
Float Trip on the Toccoa Anyone??
Anyone interested in doing some float tube fishing on the Toccoa River? James Buice has volunteered to lead a float trip for half a dozen folks on the Toccoa, a tailwater fishery located about an hour from Unicoi SP. James tells me the Toccoa started off slow this year but has been fishing pretty good as of late. According to James, float times can range from two to six hours. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll p****the work along to James.
DIRECTIONS
Since the directions are postged on the NEG Clave web page, and to keep the updates a little shorter, this will be the only time I post the directions by e-mail.
From Atlanta
From Atlanta I’ll list three options:
Option No. 1
Take I-85 north to I-985. Continue north on I-985 to Gainesville. Get off the interstate at Exit 6 (Hwy 129) and turn left onto Hwy 129. Continue north on Hwy 129 through Gainesville to Cleveland, GA. Just north of downtown Cleveland, turn right onto Hwy 75 toward Helen, GA. Follow Hwy 75 north through Helen to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn right onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Option No. 2
Take Georgia 400 north toward Dahlonega. 400 will end at its junction with Hwy 60 and will become Long Branch Road. Continue on Long Branch Road until it intersects Hwy 52. Turn right on Hwy 52 toward Cleveland. After about 3 miles Hwy 52 will fork. The right fork (Hwy 52) will go toward Brookton, the left fork (Hwy 115) will go toward Cleveland. Bear left at the fork and continue on Hwy 115 toward Cleveland. At the square in Cleveland, turn left onto Hwy 129. Continue north on Hwy 129 through Gainesville to Cleveland, GA. Just north of downtown Cleveland, turn right onto Hwy 75 toward Helen, GA. Follow Hwy 75 north through Helen to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn right onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Option No. 3
Take I-75 north to I-575. Continue north on I-575 toward Ellijay. I-575 will eventually turn into the Zell Miller Parkway (Hwy 515/Hwy 76). Continue through Jasper, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Young Harris to Hiawassee. Go through Downtown Hiawassee and continue for about a mile east out of town. Turn right onto Highway 75. Go south on Hwy 75 through Unicoi Gap almost to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
From Knoxville
Get to Franklin, NC via the most efficient route (I suspect it may not be 441 through GSMNP). In Franklin, NC pick up Hwy 441 and proceed to Clayton, GA. In Clayton, GA turn right onto Hwy 76 and proceed toward Hiawassee, GA. Just before you reach Hiawassee, turn left onto Hwy 75 and toward Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Directions to get to Unicoi from NW Georgia, Central TN, and NW Alabama are a little more difficult and, like the directions from Atlanta, will vary from there you’re coming from. The directions presented below are the best I know of. Of anyone knows a better way, please let me know so I can p****the information along. In short, the directions will be from Chattanooga or Dalton, GA.
From Chattanooga:
Take I-75 north toward Knoxville. Exit off of I-75 at Cleveland, TN and head east on Hwy 64 through Ducktown, TN toward Murphy, NC. Just west of Murphy, Hwy 64 will merge with Hwy 19/129. Turn right (south) on Hwy 19/129 and proceed on to Blairsville GA. At Blairsville, Ga, turn left onto Hwy 76. Continue on Highway 76 through Young Harris and Hiawassee to Hwy 75. Turn right onto Hwy 75. Go south on Hwy 75 through Unicoi Gap almost to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
From Dalton, GA
Go east on Hwy 76 (Exit 136 if your getting to Dalton via I-75) to Chatsworth. In Chatsworth, Hwy 76 will make a right turn and merge with Hwy 411 for a few miles. Continue south in Hwy 76/411 to Ramhurst. At Ramhurst, Hwy 76 will turn off to the left (east). Turn left and continue east on Hwy 76 to Ellijay, GA, At Ellijay, Hwy 76 will merge with the Zell Miller Parkway (Hwy 515). Continue through Jasper, Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Young Harris to Hiawassee. Go through Downtown Hiawassee and continue for about a mile east out of town. Turn right onto Highway 75. Go south on Hwy 75 through Unicoi Gap almost to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn left onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
Getting to Unicoi from Eastern NC and SC isn’t a picnic either.
From Greenville, SC
(the simplest and probably the quickest overall route from SC)
I-85 south to the Commerce, GA/Hwy 129 exit (Exit 50). Turn right (north on Highway 129) and proceed toward Gainesville, GA. Continue north on Hwy 129 through Gainesville to Cleveland, GA. Just north of downtown Cleveland, turn right onto Hwy 75 toward Helen, GA. Follow Hwy 75 north through Helen to Robertstown. At Robertstown turn right onto Hwy 356, which passes through Unicoi SP. Just after you p****over the Unicoi Lake dam, look for the campground check-in and campground entrance on your left.
From North Carolina.
Given the terrain there probably isn’t a best route. The best advise I can give is to have a good look at your maps and decide if it will be easier for you to get to Greenville, SC, Franklin, NC/Clayton, GA or Murphy, NC/Hiawassee, GA and follow the directions given above from each of those areas.
ATTENDEES
Here’s a list of the folks who have indicated that they are planning to be there. Keep in mind that “planning to be there” means most anything from “I’ll do my best to be there” to “I’m gonna be there come hell or high water”. The names in (xx)s are the family members I understand will likely be present too. Since we’ll have folks at the clave from that I know from places other than FF@, I thought I’d kinda start to help folks in getting to know each other by indication who I know from where. The letters behind the names mean the following
FF@ - FlyFish@ Listserver
NGTO – North Georgia Trout On-Line
VFS-CR – Virtual Flyshop Chat Room
LAW – Law Engineering (where I work)
Steve Davenport (Connie) - FF@/NGTO/VFS-CR/LAW
Doc Shaffer (Sheri) - FF@
Shawn Brannon (Holly) - FF@/NGTO/VFS/CR
L.J. DeCuir - FF@
Donald Yelton - FF@
Tom Wallace – VFS-CR
Scott Cunningham (Regina) - FF@
Salty Stines (Elle & Fisher) - FF@
Walt Whitman - FF@
Danny Walls (Peggy) - FF@
Mike Ray (Dianne) - FF@
James Buice –FF@/NGTO/VFS-CR
Tom Lantzy (& Family) – FF@/NGTO
Neal Gilchrist - FF@/NGTO
Michael Hollock (Meredith) – NGTO
Johnny Johnson - FF@/NGTO
Nathan Curtis – LAW
Chris Gregg – LAW
Jimmy Harris – NGTO/Unicoi Outfitters
Kenny Johnson - LAW
If you aren’t on this list and you’re planning to be there, or if you are on the list but your plans change and you can’t make it, please let me know by June 16 so we can plan to have enough jambalaya, raffle prizes, and such.
OK folks, that’s enough for now. Will p****along more information as I need to. Hope to see ya’ll at the clave.