Chatooga????

[reviveourhomes]

I have a buddy that wants to go to the tooga on Monday. Do you think it will be blownout cause of the rain? And where is the best place to take a newbie to trout fishing?

[Rocketroy]

I have a buddy that wants to go to the tooga on Monday. Do you think it will be blownout cause of the rain? And where is the best place to take a newbie to trout fishing?
Revive, Fear not! The rain + event,that roared thru much of the south,missed much of No. Ga..........at least the part near the Chattooga! Here in Clarkesville,there was 1/2 in. in my rain guage,as well as reporting points along the Hooch in or near Helen, while guages on the Chattooga measured virtually the same or less {under 1.65 on the height,with a flow rate of 385.} These values are very safe-wading indicators........and since I fished it last week in the D/H section as well as up close to Burrells bridge with better than average success........take him to it monday! It is low/clear,and won,t be very newbie friendly,except in the deeper runs,fished on the bottom,but he will enjoy the beautiful setting,and the day promises a good-ur,on monday! After stating that,the Chattooga would not be my choice for an introductory stream,for the reasons stated,but would direct you toward Smith,the Hooch in/above Helen,or the Tallullah in Rabun county.........all of which are stocked weekly,& are smaller,but have more concentrated holding water! Right now on the Chattooga,the best approach is targeting rising fish,using size 18-20 dries.........hardly a beginner,s game,while the tighter mentioned waters will allow the use of the always effective wooly booger,that allows a dragging presentation! You did not mention what type of gear your buddy uses,but if it is spinning........disregard all,and hit the Chattooga! I may see you there,with a couple of fresh F/F friends,up from Sarasota,new to the long rod,and new to the beauty of the Chattooga! So my sympathy is with you........just GO! The river is easily reached,and is loaded in the D/H section,as well as near Burrell,s bridge and only gets better the further you hike in, as you would expect,so leave early and hike a while! Regards, Rocketroy

[reviveourhomes]

My buddy will be spin fishing so I think we will go to the tooga, can you give me directions to the DH and burrell scetion coming from atlanta? I have only been once and I didnt drive (Or pay attention) LOL

[Buck Henry]

Lewis,

Here are driving directions from Kennesaw to the Chatooga DH section:

From Kennesaw:

• I-75 South to I-285 East

• I-285 East to I-85 North

• I-85 North to I-985 North (This is a left side of the highway exit!)

• Follow I-985 North until it turns into a divided 4 lane highway called GA 365 / US-23 / US-441.

• Stay on the 4 lane highway all the way to Clayton GA. You will pass through several small towns on the way with reduced speed limits, so be careful. Also, there is heavy road construction between Tallulah Falls and Clayton, expect some delays.

• When you get into the town of Clayton, turn right on Warwoman Road.

• Follow Warwoman Road for many miles (at least 10 or 12, maybe more) until it dead ends into Highway 28.

• Take a right on Highway 28. You will see the West Fork river on your right as you are driving down Highway 28. Stay on this road for several miles until you come to the bridge that crosses the Chatooga River. Once you cross the river, you are now in South Carolina.

• As soon as you cross over the river and be looking for a gravel parking area on your left. Turn into this parking area and park the car. There is river access on both the GA and SC side.

Have fun!

[reviveourhomes]

Thanks Buck for the Directions, now are there any specific hotspots I need to know about? And should we trek up or downstream? And finally any hot flies lately??

[Buck Henry]

Head upstream if you want to be on the DH section. If your goal is to put fish in the creel, then you must fish downstream of the Highway 28 bridge.

PS: one other option is to head to Burrells Ford. When you are coming down Highway 28, you will see Burrells Ford Road on your left well before you get to the Hwy 28 bridge. If you take that left, the road will take you all the way back to the Burrells Ford bridge (note; it is a very long gravel road, and takes awhile to get all the way to Burrells Ford bridge). They stock this area regularly during the season and you can take fish home if you catch them. On the downside, the area right around the Burrells Ford bridge see's a ton of fishing pressure.

[reviveourhomes]

Are there any regs I need to know about the DH section as far as my friend spin fishing? And also is my GA fishing liscence good for the Chattoga or do I have to get a SC too? And what about flies????

[Buck Henry]

Lewis,

Your Georgia license is good, even if you are fishing from the SC side (each state has a reciprocal agreement that makes either license good for shared bodies of water).

Concerning DH regs and spin fishing; I am pretty sure (but not 100% certain) it has to be a single hook and not a treble hook. If your friend only has treble hook spinners, you can simple snip off two of the hooks with wire clippers. Hopefully someone else will chime in and confirm.

As far as flies, fish it like you would the Hooch DH. Any good weighted nymph will do and make sure to have some small caddis flies (size 16 is probably best) if the fish are rising.

Have a great time, that is one of my favorite places on the planet!

Your friend,

[reviveourhomes]

Is burrells ford DH also?

[flyg]

No special regs around BF. Just be aware that the bridge at BF divides the stocked and unstocked water. If you are looking for fish in the creel, go downstream from BF.

G

[reviveourhomes]

So basically downstream of both bridges is the non- regulated keep your fish sections, right?

[Path_Less_Traveled]

roh... here are a couple of maps... it helps to visualize it... print them out and take them with you if you can.

DH...
http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/assets/documents/chattoogadh.pdf

Rabun County trout streams (interactive zoom map)...
http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/assets/documents/rabun.pdf

[reviveourhomes]

Well we had a great time, thanks for all the tips and directions. I wound up catching 19, mixed bag of browns and bows. Most were on a peach bugger, olive bugger, prince nymph. I LDR about the same amount and missed countless fish. My buddy still hates trout fishing as he only caught 2 and thinks they are weenie fish. LOL. But we had a great time and the scenery was awsome. Will have to go back soon.