Mardi Gras Break

[wishin iwas fishin]

Saturday

One good thing about working in Louisiana is having Mardi Gras off, so I took Monday off as well and made the drive up to North Georgia for a few scheduled events and some much needed fishing. I met up with Grateful Sam on a cold Saturday A.M. (25 F) to chase wild trout on one of our favorite small streams. Due to the recent rains the water level was excellent and the clarity was not quite gin clear.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak015.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak008.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak001.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak002.jpg

Fishing was slow throughout the day with relatively few takes and only one fish landed between the two of us. But the one trout Sam landed was a beautiful wild brown, his first fish of the new year. I believe it was fooled by a pheasant tail.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak003.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak004.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak005.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak006.jpg

A short video of Sam landing the brown:

http://s102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/?action=view&current=MardiGrasBreak022.flv

Sam departed some time in the afternoon and I kept going. I wanted to catch something and every pool/run/seam looked so inviting.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak011.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak012.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak013.jpg

By the time I got off the stream, the air temp had warmed 30 degrees, but the fishing never picked up. Although I was skunked, it was great fishing with Sam on one of Georgia's best streams. Hopefully I'll be back in late Spring when dry fly season is in full swing and the fishing is a little easier.

Monday

Got a late start on Monday because I wanted to sleep in and it was raining, but got to the DH at around 12:30. The water level looked a little high and the clarity was slightly stained so I rigged up the DH machine, a wooly booger with an egg dropper. I'd never been to this stream so I really didn't know where it would be best to start. I decided on the upper end and I parked and walked downstream until I hit the confluence with a verry muddy trib. Fished upstream as well as I could from there, but it was very deep and calm, it made for poor wading. Finally settled in on some rocks and began nymphing the other bank. Picked up a couple rainbows doing this but the water was rising and turning orange. I decided that enough was enough and headed back for the car. I was glad to have caught something, but wished the conditions were better.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak025.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak024.jpg

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m93/roussel_10/Mardi%20Gras%20Break%202008/MardiGrasBreak023.jpg

[Aquadump]

That is a mighty fine brown trout. I bet it made your day.

[Hawkeye]

Fantastic post wishin'

[Windknot]

Excellent post/trip/story/photos!

[childers]

awesome! thats pretty there

[Grateful Sam]

It was very cold and the fish were NOT hungry. I really think that my fly drifted into that browns mouth as he was yawning. I enjoyed the day with wishiniwasfishin.

[flyg]

Dang it ya'll. I got caught up in the fight thread and missed a real report. Well, I hated to miss this trip of course, but at least no one was catching a bunch of monsters. Still can't get over how great the water looks. Sam should know not to listen to me by now anyway. Great report, great fish. Thanks.

G

[Ted]

Agreed. Very nice report and pictures. Gets to the root of why we fish regardless of "tally". Pictures make me want to jump in the truck right now. I forget how beautiful those streams are between [all to infrequent] trips :(