# Natahala



## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 3, 2017)

Took the plunge and got a NC license. Have not flyfished for trout in a few weeks due to warm water pretty much everywhere but can't take it any longer. I know the Natahala River is COLD even this time of year and want to give it a go. Have driven by it and stared countless times over the years but have never fished it. Am planning to fish above the powerhouse and do some looking around. Any advice much appreciated regarding property boundries or fishing below the powerhouse this time of year. I suppose they release a lot of water around 10 or 11am?


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## whitetailfreak (Aug 3, 2017)

Tip don't speed through the gorge. It's 45 and they mean it.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Aug 3, 2017)

TheTroutWhisperer said:


> Took the plunge and got a NC license. Have not flyfished for trout in a few weeks due to warm water pretty much everywhere but can't take it any longer. I know the Natahala River is COLD even this time of year and want to give it a go. Have driven by it and stared countless times over the years but have never fished it. Am planning to fish above the powerhouse and do some looking around. Any advice much appreciated regarding property boundries or fishing below the powerhouse this time of year. I suppose they release a lot of water around 10 or 11am?



The cold water will be below the powerhouse.  Above the powerhouse is the DH section and since the first Saturday in June, it's been picked clean.  There are still some holdover fish that have avoided the stringer, but the fishing is nothing like it will be in October.

Below the powerhouse is where the rafting takes place.  I've had some very good days down there, but be warned, if they are generating, wading can be treacherous and you will have a constant flow of rafts to deal with.  Late afternoons might be your best bet when the rafting has slowed.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 3, 2017)

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> The cold water will be below the powerhouse.  Above the powerhouse is the DH section and since the first Saturday in June, it's been picked clean.  There are still some holdover fish that have avoided the stringer, but the fishing is nothing like it will be in October.
> 
> Below the powerhouse is where the rafting takes place.  I've had some very good days down there, but be warned, if they are generating, wading can be treacherous and you will have a constant flow of rafts to deal with.  Late afternoons might be your best bet when the rafting has slowed.



This. Smaller tributary streams with wild trout are generally the ones that are most productive this time of year.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 3, 2017)

Understood with Thanks. I see they begin to release at 9am also. Does anyone have an idea of the water temp around the Swinging Bridge on the Toccoa? Plan B.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Aug 3, 2017)

TheTroutWhisperer said:


> Understood with Thanks. I see they begin to release at 9am also. Does anyone have an idea of the water temp around the Swinging Bridge on the Toccoa? Plan B.



I'd say by this point in the summer, not only is the water temp on the Toccoa getting marginal, it's been hammered to death.  I was astounded the last time I walked to the swinging bridge.  I hadn't been in several years and I met 11 cars coming out and there were over 20 parked at the trailhead.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 3, 2017)

I saw the same thing the last time I was there. All hikers and I was the only one fishing, never saw another person in the river. I walked upstream from the bridge about 100 yards or so. Did pretty darn good considering I never fished there before. Also enjoyed the view of bikini clad ladies floating by. Who knows? I'm also thinking about a first time trip to Fires Creek? Bought that NC license, ready to break it in.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 3, 2017)

BTW, the lower Nantahala has a good population of fish. If you can get there when they aren't releasing and the tube/raft hatch is light, you will probably catch some fish. There are browns in there that could swaller a housecat.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 3, 2017)

Thanks NCH, would like to try a hopper pattern with a PT soft hackle dropped off this time of the year. Just have to see how early I can get up Sat. morn I guess.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 4, 2017)

TheTroutWhisperer said:


> Thanks NCH, would like to try a hopper pattern with a PT soft hackle dropped off this time of the year. Just have to see how early I can get up Sat. morn I guess.



Don't discount dredging the bottom with a big nymph or stripping a streamer, either.


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## The mtn man (Aug 4, 2017)

TheTroutWhisperer said:


> I saw the same thing the last time I was there. All hikers and I was the only one fishing, never saw another person in the river. I walked upstream from the bridge about 100 yards or so. Did pretty darn good considering I never fished there before. Also enjoyed the view of bikini clad ladies floating by. Who knows? I'm also thinking about a first time trip to Fires Creek? Bought that NC license, ready to break it in.



Fires creek lower section is DH also, after the first Saturday in June it's picked clean, i wouldn't go there until after October when the keeping season is over and it gets restocked, now you would probably pick up a few wild fish and maybe some stockers that possibly swam upstream from the DH section, start above rock house branch, and go upstream from there, I'm not saying there are not fish swimming in the DH section, i just doubt there's many. There's litterally hundreds of smaller streams higher up in the area that only have wild fish, that would be my choice this late in summer. Unless of course you are only interested in big water, you might check out the hiwassee river between lake chatuge and mission lake, there's not much public access, but there is some, fish it early, and late, you can thank me for that later.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 4, 2017)

Yep, its a pain trying to find somewhere to do some decent fishing within a reasonable driving distance this time of year. I had pretty much thought I had hung it up until a mid September Colorado trip, but dang it I want to get back in a river with the flyrod in hand... Have been doing some bass fishing in a pond behind the house but now that water has really warmed up and its 30 mins before dark and daybreak in the morning for that. Don't know where I'm going to go in the morning but I'm going somewhere..


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## ryanh487 (Aug 4, 2017)

Once school starts back I would imagine that the tubers/rafters will be drastically reduced on weekdays.


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## ripplerider (Aug 4, 2017)

I fished Fires Creek Sunday. Started out way  high in the watershed saw plenty of fish and caught a few but theyre pretty spooky in that crystal clear water. I wasnt on the main stem, I was on a trib. Theres some serious gorges up there that probably arent the safest bet for a solitary fisherman. It's absolutely beautiful country! I caught a couple down low too so theres a few left down there. Mtn man could you float fish the Hiawassee from Chatuge dam to the public access near Fires creek in a day?


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## fishndoc (Aug 5, 2017)

Very few easy-to-reach mountain trout streams in this part of the country that are productive this time of year.

During late summer, I usually get my fly fishing fix hitting local lakes and ponds; nothing wrong with catching blue gills and bass.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 6, 2017)

I messed around and didn't even go... stayed up way to late Friday and Saturday night.. fishing the pond behind my house is what I have been doing too but wading a river feeling that cold water pushing on me is what I have been missing. Mine own fault for not getting up, just hard to get motivated this time of year this far south. Don't worry I am a beast from Oct- June. Thanks RR for the Fires Creek report. I will get up there soon and check it out. Have any idea about what the water temp is?


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## ripplerider (Aug 7, 2017)

No idea. It was pretty darn cold up high first thing in the morning. We've had some nice crisp mornings these last few days. I wade wet most of the year.


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## The mtn man (Aug 8, 2017)

ripplerider said:


> I fished Fires Creek Sunday. Started out way  high in the watershed saw plenty of fish and caught a few but theyre pretty spooky in that crystal clear water. I wasnt on the main stem, I was on a trib. Theres some serious gorges up there that probably arent the safest bet for a solitary fisherman. It's absolutely beautiful country! I caught a couple down low too so theres a few left down there. Mtn man could you float fish the Hiawassee from Chatuge dam to the public access near Fires creek in a day?



That would be a loooong  day, also the mouth of fires creek is not really public access, we always thought it was but have recently found out otherwise, and the property owners are dead set on No one parking there, if you could get someone to pick you up there it could be done. I would like to float fish from there to the shallowford bridge off fires creek road, you could also leave a vehicle at the pull off just above shallowford bridge and float down to mission lake to public access. Or, you could put in at the wier below chatuge, and fish to the bridge at tusquittee road, that would be a good float, if I was with you, i have access to lots of private areas, even to the mouth of fires creek, the property owners across the river on the fires creek side will allow me to park at their house, no problem. There is a public launch at the bridge at tusquittee rd. Beside the vegetable stand.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 8, 2017)

Yes, its tough to drive 2 plus hours, fish for around 5 hours then 2 hours back. Back in the day when I used to like to fish Dukes I would do it in a day and the drive back was terrible. I would get so sleepy I would have to pull over. We'll see how it goes, I bought the NC license so I'm all in. For me I can get to the Hiwassee at Reliance, TN and the Toccoa DH section in an hour and a half. Takes 2 hours 10 mins to get to the Tellico and Toccoa Swinging bridge area. Looks like it will take around 2 hours 20 mins to get to Fires, Snowbird and Natahala.. jeez...


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## The mtn man (Aug 8, 2017)

TheTroutWhisperer said:


> Yes, its tough to drive 2 plus hours, fish for around 5 hours then 2 hours back. Back in the day when I used to like to fish Dukes I would do it in a day and the drive back was terrible. I would get so sleepy I would have to pull over. We'll see how it goes, I bought the NC license so I'm all in. For me I can get to the Hiwassee at Reliance, TN and the Toccoa DH section in an hour and a half. Takes 2 hours 10 mins to get to the Tellico and Toccoa Swinging bridge area. Looks like it will take around 2 hours 20 mins to get to Fires, Snowbird and Natahala.. jeez...



Why don't you just throw in some camping gear?, there's plenty of free primitive campsites around, especially in fires creek. Even if you go to nantahala, there's plenty of primitive sites across tuni gap. Just make a whole weekend out of it.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 8, 2017)

Would LOVE to. Would have to bring my wife which loves to camp but also likes to have cell service. I'm guessing no cell in any of those areas. That and she would complain because I would be gone fishing the whole time. She doesn't work this weekend, we may just do that.


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## The mtn man (Aug 8, 2017)

TheTroutWhisperer said:


> Would LOVE to. Would have to bring my wife which loves to camp but also likes to have cell service. I'm guessing no cell in any of those areas. That and she would complain because I would be gone fishing the whole time. She doesn't work this weekend, we may just do that.



Not much cell service no doubt.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 8, 2017)

I wonder how I lived 40 years without a cell phone?   That's one of my favorite things about trout fishing back in the mountains-no cell service.


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## WMA Man (Aug 8, 2017)

NCHillbilly said:


> I wonder how I lived 40 years without a cell phone?   That's one of my favorite things about trout fishing back in the mountains-no cell service.



It makes a trip so much more enjoyable to me to be disconnected for at least a few hours. Something very refreshing about it and that's a shame really.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 9, 2017)

You guys are 100% correct. Doesn't bother me a bit to be without a phone... females on the other hand are a different animal. Plus my wifes mother is not in the best of health and wants to be able to be reached if needed. Just keeping an eye on the weather for now, really considering camping this weekend.


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## ripplerider (Aug 9, 2017)

The mtn man said:


> That would be a loooong  day, also the mouth of fires creek is not really public access, we always thought it was but have recently found out otherwise, and the property owners are dead set on No one parking there, if you could get someone to pick you up there it could be done. I would like to float fish from there to the shallowford bridge off fires creek road, you could also leave a vehicle at the pull off just above shallowford bridge and float down to mission lake to public access. Or, you could put in at the wier below chatuge, and fish to the bridge at tusquittee road, that would be a good float, if I was with you, i have access to lots of private areas, even to the mouth of fires creek, the property owners across the river on the fires creek side will allow me to park at their house, no problem. There is a public launch at the bridge at tusquittee rd. Beside the vegetable stand.



So when are we going? I'm self-unemployed so my days are flexible up to a point. Also I like to wet wade in my camo speedo is that O.K.? Seriously is the water as cold as the Nantahala or the lower Toccoa river?


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## elfiii (Aug 10, 2017)

If you're looking for an alternate try the upper stretch of the Chattooga in NC. From Highlands Take Bull Pen Rd down into Horse Cove and from there Forestry Rd 1603 (also Bull Pen Rd) to the iron bridge across the river. There is limited parking there but you can walk in upstream at the bridge. It gets steep upstream at the cliffs but it's pretty good fishing this time of year and you will probably have it to yourself.

Ammons campground is back up the road from the bridge. If your wife can hack primitive camping it's not too bad.

There's no stockers so everything you catch will be natives. Mostly 6-8" but there are some hogs in there too.


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## TheTroutWhisperer (Aug 10, 2017)

Looks like it will be Gee Creek on the Hiwassee.. I like the campground and love the HI 9 months out of the year but August is no good, a lot of 10" stockers is about it. My wife and 2 teenage girls were not going to be denied cell service.. I can suck it though next month I will be in Colorado for a full week with my brother hitting it wide open! Hope to get up to Fires and Snowbird at least to do some looking around. Really look forward to fishing those from October.


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