Brook Trout

[Chuckwalla]

I've never caught one. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good place to try and land one? Looking to add to my picture collection. :)

[Obtuse Angler]

Do you own a copy of "Trout Fishing in North Georgia" by Jimmy Jacobs?

[Chuckwalla]

No, but I know the library has a copy.

[GUTHOOKED]

There aren't many people who are going to give you the name or location of their favorite native brookie stream. I know I won't. ;) Besides, most of the ones in GA are closed for the season right now. Most of the upper elevation streams in the GSMNP have good brookie populations and are open throughout the year, but the fishing will be pretty tough until spring. If stocked brookies are good enough, you can catch a few in the DH section of the Chattooga. Also, most of the NC DH streams are packed with them. You can get some big ones there, too.

If you haven't caught any by spring, and you're not opposed to belly crawling through the rhododendrons to catch 6" fish, let me know. I might be able to show you a spot or two. :)

[Chuckwalla]

Wasn't looking to horn in on some one's honey hole. :confused: Just didn't know if any of the NGA streams supported brookies or if the DNR stocked them.

[Josh Barnett]

Several support.

Several don't.

Like Danny said, if you're interested in fishing NGA for Brookies you'll pretty much have to wait till Spring before hitting those waters. Too bad they close down most of the Native Brook trout streams in NGA for the Winter. You can however, hit such rivers as the Nantahala in NC for stocked Brook Trout, as well as some of the extremely cold watered holes in the GSMNP-- be aware though, that Winter fishing can be extremely tough up there. The water temps get soo low that the fish stay very low and rarely move to feed. Just some food for thought. God Bless.

Joshua Barnett

[mb90535im]

Too bad they close down most of the Native Brook trout streams in NGA for the Winter.
Joshua Barnett

You might try the extreme headwaters of the Conasauga. I believe it is year-round now, but getting there might be an adventure in itself.

[FlyBy]

Get a copy of Jimmy's book and give it a careful read-it'll give you a lead on some brookie streams.

The DNR doesn't stock brookies in GA, thus the streams that hold them are relatively few, far between, and require some hikng and/or bushwacking to get to. A copy of Jimmy's book, the DNR trout stream map, and a DeLorme's Gazetteer will take some of the mystery out of it.

FlyBy

[Chuckwalla]

Thanks for the info! I was just looking for some general info. Rereading my post, I don't think I made that very clear.
:o Sorry.

Anyway, I wasn't aware that the DNR didn't stock brookies. My folks live very close to the GSMNP and NC. Sounds like thats the place to try.

GUTHOOKED: I don't mind belly crawling through the rhododendrons, I'm a turkey hunter :D!

[Windknot]

Chuck - This is from Bill Couch, Buford Hatchery manager, about 6 years ago regarding stocked brook trout. He was responding to a posted question about them in 1999. Don

We kept brooks here for years, and stocked some, including our broodstock. You probably caught one on our brood fish. Brook trout need colder water to hatch than we have. To be successful, we needed to send them to Burton SFH where water temperatures were only acceptable once every two or three years. They were frustrating. We could barely keep a broodstock from year to year, much less produce enough to make it worth while.

The decision to drop brook trout was made about two years ago. I didn't make the decision, but will accept complaints. Unfortunatly we'll need to make major program changes to accommodate them in the future.

[GUTHOOKED]

Chuckwalla, I'll take you brookie fishing in the spring in exchange for some turkey feathers. :)

[Chuckwalla]

Which feathers do you guys use for tying? I may have a few left from a jake I took last year, but 2frogs has dibs on those if they're the kind he wants.

[GUTHOOKED]

I can use just about anything. I'm not picky. ;)

[Drifter]

Chuck,

Iffn' you're up for a road trip.....I can point you to some "catch one on every cast" brookie streams in Yellowstone National Park. These fish are so unforgiving that both my sons sharpened their flyfishing skills at 6 years of age while fishing these streams. The fish average 6 to 8 inches.

[JOHNKIES]

Come to North Carolina for brook trout. We have good supplies, especially in the DH waters and good access. Georgia does have some brookie water, but it is typically small, remote, and very limited. Georgia is on the extreme southern edge of the brook trout's range so small variations in water temperature or quality can push that range north or south very quickly.

The good news for Brookies is a new program by Trout Unlimited called "Back The Brookies". BTB is a unique approach to a TU project in that it looks at the entire southeast as a project base, not just one state or one river. Teams from five states (including Georgia) are working together to identify brook trout rivers, rivers with brook trout potential, public education on the brookie and water quality issues, and in-stream projects. Let me know if you would like more information, or you can go to the web site at www.brookie.org.

And just in case you really want to see a brook trout, I was at the hatchery on the Davidson River yesterday and took a quick walk through before I started fishing. The hatchery is open most days and visitors are welcome.
---jck---

[Chuckwalla]

JOHNKIES,
Yep looks like a trip to NC is in order. Do you know if the water in the Cherokee Reservation are stocked with brookies?

Drifter,
I wish! I spent all my vacation money on a trip to CO last Sept. Caught some nice bows in Lake Estes. Also, hooked a big Tiger Muskie, but couldn't get her landed. That's some nice fish'n out there.

[Speck]

Yep, NC is probably your best bet unless you let someone blindfold you for a couple of hours.

And keep your eyes open no matter where you fish - take a second look at those little things you think at first glance are browns - the little specks can fool you sometimes, especially if you've never caught one. Look for those white fins and the worm pattern across the back. Just keep slingin' the line, and you can catch one just about anywhere if you fish enough and get just a little bit lucky. I've caught brookies in nearly every stream I've fished, some of them where you'd never think a brook would be.

The best advice for catching brookies - next time you're on your favorite stream, venture up that little spring that comes in off to one side and you might just find a few.

[Tentwing]

Try the Nantahala DH in North Carolina. There are days on the Nanny when 60% of your catch will be Brookies. :)

...................................Tentwing

[Josh Barnett]

Sometimes though, the greatest thing about fishing for Brook trout is the challenge. I say seek out some here in North Georgia, and if you can't find any-- then take a trip to the Nantahala DH. I'll be up there this weekend, and I'll send a report. It's a neat place to fly fish.

Joshua Barnett

[GUTHOOKED]

What day are you going, Josh? I'll probably be there saturday, so if you see me give me a shout. I'll be in a black Nissan pickup with a "W" sticker in the back window.

[Josh Barnett]

Be there Saturday as well. You know what I look like, and I the same to you. Look for me. I'll be in a big Ford F250 HD Gold.

Joshua Barnett

[fishnpreacher]

I may be in Cherokee this weekend, Danny give me a call and lets work something out. Heck we may even make it into the park this time!

[fishmonger]

Guthooked,

I have a big 'ol bag of turkey feathers that I collected at my Mom's house in NC. She lives on the side of a mountain near Waynesville, there is a flock of turkeys that roams the property, and I have collected a bunch of different feathers. I would be willing to share some (not a whole turkey's worth) with 'ya for a tag along on a fishing expedition, maybe to the Chatooga DH (no local knowledge). That, and an explanation of that avatar! (Is it an album cover, maybe Fine Young Cannibals?) Email me.

FM

[GUTHOOKED]

Bill, I'll give you a call tomorrow.

FM, you can tag along any time you like. For that matter, I'd love to fish the Hooch with you sometime. From some of the pics I've seen, it looks like you have a bit better luck there than I do. ;)

There's no story to the avatar. Its just something I stumbled across somewhere that I figured would make a few folks wonder if I was sane. ;)

[fishnpreacher]

Wonder if you were sane? Anybody thats fished with you knows that you are crazy. ;)

[TheEndlessEnigma]

is anyone still gonna be up there on sunday as i am coming up that way to fish either in the park or maybe head over to the natahala ... possibly the little river.

and yes we know you are crazy .... but arent we all?

[TheEndlessEnigma]

i can put you on brookies now if you wanna go on sunday ..... i have a place i want to go in NC but not sure that i want to go alone now that i think about it

[Chuckwalla]

Thanks for the offer, but I've been under the weather this week. Some kind of flue / sinus think. Going to try and get some rest this weekend. Again, thanks for the offer.

[fishnpreacher]

Danny and Josh, how did you finish up?

[Robert Hicks]

EE,
I see you are coming to the Frostbite. You have a place in NC to catch some brookies....maybe we can get a small group together at the bite....who knows ;)

[Robert Hicks]

EE,
I see you are coming to the Frostbite. You have a place in NC to catch some brookies....maybe we can get a small group together at the bite....who knows ;)

[GUTHOOKED]

I don't know about Josh, but we finished up about the same way we started - late and slow. ;) My total for the day was 3 bows landed (one nice 15 incher), three more lost, and two suckers. Chad got one bow and one brookie just before dark. Grizz said they didn't do any better.

[Josh Barnett]

I finished up, much the same as Danny. I ended up landing three Brookies, all under 15 inches. I had two other fish on, but due to my barbless hooks I lost them. The three others guys with us had worse luck than I. My father landed one, Chris caught one, and Chip caught zero. The Nantahala is oddly fishing slow. May get back up there within the next month or two to see how it's doing. We're also thinking about doing another day trip up to the Chattooga River sometime soon.

Bill, what was your final count?

Joshua Barnett

[TroutTackler]

Guthooked,

I noticed that you are from Loganville. I know a few people from there and was wondering if you know them, too. Most of the people I know from there are twenty-somethings, so if you know anyone around that age, let me know. I'd like to see if we know any of the same folks.
________
help in love (http://www.love-help.org/)

[TheEndlessEnigma]

i am coming to frostbite .... and yes i think we can manage a brookie run somewhere ...... by the way i am sleeping in your tent ... and kicking you out of course if you snore ... lol

on a side note the chattooga fished very slow yesterday too so i am gonna have to assume the weather had something to do with it or we all forgot our red casting knickers

[GUTHOOKED]

TT - I'm not originally from here, so I really don't know many people here. Most that I do know weren't raised here either. Loganville's just the current stop as I try to stay one step ahead of Atlanta. ;)

EE, I was wearing my red casting knickers and that didn't help either. ;)

[fishnpreacher]

Josh I left shortly after I talked with you. Total=1

[Robert Hicks]

Well, I do snore....or so the wife says. I have yet to hear it ;)

[Bryan Duncan]

Just pick a blue line from a GSMNP map and go find it........there you will find the Brook........BD

[Josh Barnett]

At least the three of us know it was a common trend. Catching few fish only gets me down when everyone else is doing so well. ;)

I'm sure some of you can relate. Spoke to Grizz and the gang as they were heading out. They share an interesting "count system". You'll have to ask him about it, Danny and Bill.

BTW Bill, you putting any other GrandKids through our fly fishing course this year with TU? Wasn't your grandson there last year? You should try to have him go to the TU Youth Camp in Rabun.

Joshua Barnett

[GUTHOOKED]

Yeah, I'm familiar with Grizz's math. I'm about ready to adopt it myself. ;)