Chattooga DH

[Stinkbait]

Jimmy,

Do you know when the Chattooga DH will be stocked and the conditions there? The guage for the Chattooga near Clayton shows almost twice the median streamflow, but there's no way to judge from the guage how the height compares to typical conditions. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv/?site_no=02177000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
Is there a guideline for good guage height for wading/fly fishing the Chattooga DH?
Thanks a lot in advance.

[Bill Couch]

Hello,
I don't normally stray very far from my home in the "ASK DNR" forum, but I've been asked to provide some answers to your post.

South Carolina and Georgia DNR's do not give out stocking specifics. The two exceptions are mine. In order to stock fish at a few sites in the Amicalola and Chattahoochee River Delayed Harvest Sections, I use volunteers. It is necessary for me to advertise the stocking locations and times in order to schedule the volunteers.

Ga and SC DNRs stocked all of the DH streams on or prior to today, November 1.

Jeff Durniak, Region 2 Fisheries Supervisor, provides the following rough estimate for fishing and gauge height on the Chattooga River:
Gauge Height
2.0 no problem
2.2 challenging (select spots carefully)
2.5 stay home (or fling from shore with only toes wet).

You may also be interested in checking out Jay Shelton's, Fisheries Professor at UGA, article in the Oconee River Trout Unlimited Chapter newsletter vol 1 ch. 11.
http://www.orctu.org/fly_paper_jan_2004.htm

I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the brand new 2004 DH season.

Tight Lines,
Bill Couch
770 781 6888
rbt@america.net

check out the Buford Hatchery Web page at: http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=359&txtPage=1

[Stinkbait]

Bill,

Thanks for such a thorough reply. I helped at Whitewater this morning and asked you about Chatooga stream flow. Your links are great. Looking forward to a great DH.