November 2006 Cannon’s Creel

Photo courtesy of Georgia Wildlife Resources Division.

This may come as a shock to anyone who knows me, but frankly, I’m having a hard time thinking about trout right now.

My first distraction is that I’m on my honeymoon with my beautiful new bride, Stephanie, which is a very good distraction! As this is being written, we’re on a plane heading toward the island paradise named Kaua’i, the most pristine of Hawaii’s major islands and the backdrop for numerous films like the Jurassic Park trilogy, Harrison Ford’s Six Days and Seven Nights and even Blue Hawaii starring The King himself, Elvis Presley.

Distraction number two is that Miss Stephanie just informed me of my wedding gift; a half-day of fishing for blue marlin! I get excited when I land a 10-inch wild trout, so let’s hope I can control myself if we boat a fish several times my weight.

Interestingly enough, however, Kaua’i actually has its own trout stream. Just a half-hour’s drive from the beautiful beaches, flowing in the high elevations of Waimea Canyon is a cold stream teeming with rainbows stocked by Hawaii’s Division of Aquatic Resources. It’s an eight-mile hike from the nearest road and word has it the first mile-and-a-half is a real doozie! So, I’ll just wait until I get back to Georgia to net another ‘bow!

Speaking of Georgia (since this is, in fact, GEORGIA Outdoor News), November is an exciting time for a peach-state trout pursuer. On November 1, delayed-harvest regulations go into effect on stretches of five different trout waters, including the newly designated 1.2 miles on the upper Toccoa River (Click here for more information). The other four sections under DH management reside on Amacalola Creek near Dawsonville, the Chattahoochee tailwater from Sope Creek to Hwy 41, the Chattooga from the mouth of Reed Creek downstream to the Hwy 28 Bridge, and Smith Creek downstream of Unicoi Lake. Check out the WRD map for a general idea of the locations of all five.

Because of the catch-and-release protection of these waters from November 1 through May 14, anglers will enjoy higher catch rates. And, it’ll be a great time to take that friend or relative who has never tried out the fly rod. Pack a lunch, some warm socks and sunglasses for them, then rig them up with one of the flies listed in the “NGTO.org Top Five DH Flies”. After a few hook-ups with some fiesty trout, you’ll probably have an eager new fishing buddy.