Noontootla Creek

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Location: Blue Ridge WMA (Special Regulation Water)

Wild Trout: Rainbow, Brown, and Brook

Stocked Trout: None

Other Species of Note:

Dry Flies: Adams, Caddis, Royal Wulff, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Caddis Puppa, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares, Stone, Squirmy Wormy, Mop, and Perdigon 

Streamers: Small Minnow 

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: Yes

Casting: Tuck, Overhead, and Roll

About:

Noontootla Creek is an extremely technical stream to fish – if you want a beautiful stream to fish, one that is literally in what seems like a very big gorge, a stream that is shaded by massive and ancient trees, but also a stream that is liable to skunk you… then Noontootla Creek is the creek for you. Simply put Noontootla Creek is an ass kicking waiting to happen, I hate to be so blunt but it is what it is.

Because of serious angler pressure Noontootla’s wild trout have become very suspicious of everything that flows through this creek, to be honest I am surprised that they just do not starve to death. I have been there several times and have been skunked almost all of those times. Honestly it might be harder to fish here than in any water in that I have fished to date. If I hadn’t caught and seen a trout there I would honestly write this off as a barren stream, one that the state of Georgia has lied about. However to my astonishment there are trout in this stream, they are just very intelligent because of the pressure they receive daily… yes daily. I have never been to Noontootla Creek and been the only angler there. Besides dealing with anglers also know that you will have to deal with campers, bikers, hikers, and hunters year round.

Besides being one of the toughest streams I have ever fished, Noontootla Creek might also be one of the prettiest stream that I have seen, not to mention it has everything that an trout angler would want in a stream. There are tons of big boulders, fast runs, deep drop offs, deep holes, small holes, long pools, long riffles, and a lot of room to cast. Granted some areas are infested with my nemesis, Laurels, but for the most part You can overhead cast with ease, you can tuck and roll cast to anywhere in this stream. Noontootla is also a great spot to euro nymph fish, actually I would almost dare to say that euro nymph fishing or dry fly fishing is the best way to catch fish in this stream. However, if you are not dry fly fishing or euro nymph fishing, then stick to a very small strike indicator, like a New Zealand Strike Indicator, that does not cause a lot surface commotion that would spook trout. Also I would suggest using a slightly longer leader, like a 12 foot leader, instead of the traditional 9 foot leader. This way a majority of your fly line is out of the water and not spooking fish.

Realistically I cannot stress enough that you must be very sneaky and stealthy when you fish this creek. You don’t necessarily have to go fish this stream in camo, or be so stealthy that you are not enjoying yourself, but understand that fishing here is like fishing for brook trout at all times, which are also in this creek at its head waters (nod, nod, wink, wink).

Remember that you are in bear country, that you will not have a lot (if any) cell phone service, and you will be miles from the nearest doctor’s office. Take appropriate precautions before going to fish here. Use the pull off spaces that are available, trying to stay out of camping spots if you are not going to be camping there. Also since there are a lot of people that visit this area I would lock up your vehicle while you are gone, do not leave anything in it that a person could possibly steal. I have heard of several vehicles that had windows smashed and several hundreds of dollars’ worth of equipment being taken. Finally, just reemphasizing that you are in bear country,  I would say that you should also carry, or at the very least have a bell on you as you walk this stream, you can never be too careful when you are in the backwoods.

Directions:

Nimblewill Creek

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Location: Chestatee WMA

Wild Trout: None

Stocked Trout: Brown, and Rainbow

Other Species of Note:

Gear: Smaller Sized Rods

Dry Flies: Adams, Caddis, Royal Wulff, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Caddis Puppa, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares, Stone, Squirmy Wormy, Mop, and Perdigon 

Streamers: Small Minnow 

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: Yes

Casting: Tuck, Overhead, and Roll

About:

Nimblewill is a marvelous cute freestone/clay bed stream, that is in the middle of nowhere. If you are wanting to go fishing for stocked trout and want absolute seclusion then this stream is a must. The only downside to fishing here is that it is in a primitive campground area, so there are the occasional campers and fishermen that you will have to deal with. If you don’t mind this then Nimblewill is a lot of fun. Actually the first time I explored here I had more on the road to Nimblewill then I did actually fishing there, the stream crosses the stream several times before you get to a good fishing area so you in up with a very wet and muddy vehicle before leaving.

Realistically this stream is not the best stream for trout, because of very weak water flow. During the summer and fall, unless an angler was to fish after a thunderstorm, the stream is very shallow in almost all areas. There are only a few large holes that can hold trout, providing them with the oxygen that they need. However there are a couple fast riffles here and there that keep the stocked trout going. Aim towards fishing these larger holes and riffles.

Usually, and what makes Nimblewill a very nice spot to fish, the stocked trout tend to school together and you can catch ten to twenty fish in just one hole. It is absolutely one of the best places for a beginner fly fishermen to hone their skills on; they will catch fish, they can practice almost every cast, and there is very little pressure. Just don’t expect any size in the fish that you catch. It is also a perfect place to take a person on a date on if they are interested in learning to fly fish, like I said before it is just a great place to learn and it will you 

Directions:

Dicks Creek

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Location: Chestatee WMA

Wild Trout: None

Stocked Trout: Brown, and Rainbow

Other Species of Note:

Gear:

Dry Flies: Adams, Caddis, Royal Wulff, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Caddis Puppa, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares, Stone, Squirmy Wormy, Mop, and Perdigon 

Streamers: Small Minnow 

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: Yes

Casting: Tuck, Overhead, and Roll

About:

Besides mostly being on private property the sections that are open to the public make Dicks creek one of the prettiest gems of the Northern Georgia trout streams. Nested in one of the gorges that run through Northern Georgia, Dicks creek is a major limestone creek that every angler should visit at least once. What makes Dicks creek such a wonderful place to go to is it’s monstrous waterfalls, yes I am very much a sucker for waterfalls. But the fishing here is also brilliant, above and below the falls. However one could easily be discouraged by Dicks creek by seeing all of the water that is located on private property, that water just screams “fish are in these waters.”

Even though the prettiest parts of Dicks creek are in private waters, the rest of the stream is a delightful place to fish for all skill levels. I mainly focus on the waters below the falls down to the “No Trespassing” sign and the waters from the parking area, located at the trail of Waters Creek, down to the head of the waterfalls. These waters are moving very fast in certain sections, and in others they are dropping down to form enormous deep holes. I am almost certain that there are holdover trout in these waters that are becoming giants. However I am also certain that a majority of the holdover trout are getting into the waters below the “No Trespassing” sign and probably spawning.

When fishing these waters use a two nymph dropper system and make sure you are fishing them very deep. The fish here also love squirmmies, mop flies, and Pat’s stoneflies. I would not bother fishing dry flies at all, well not unless you see fish hitting the surface on a regular basis. Also I would not recommend using streamers here, the reason I say this is that I have seen too many spin fishermen here that have constantly gotten skunked using spinning flies while I am catching fish, using nymphs, on every other cast. 

Above the parking area at Waters creek trail head the water here are very slow and meandering. Occasionally you will find a good deep hole, but for the most part this area is a slow riffle area. In this area I recommend using a single nymph set up or using a streamer, casting the streamer to the other bank and quickly moving it back across to yourself.

Directions:

There they be!

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

“They’re porpoising,” I thought to myself. “Jesus, they are everywhere!”

I decided to cast my rope fly right in between two of the shapes that had just risen out of the water and dove back into to darkness of the deep cove. Slowly I stripped in the fly; strip, pause, strip, pause, strip, strip, strip, pause… then all Hell broke loose!

“Holy Shit,” I thought to myself, “That is a dinosaur! Do Not Fuck This Up, Slow And Steady, Do Not Give It Any Chance To Throw The Fly!”

Keeping the slack out of my fly line, turning the my rod against the way the fish was trying to go, keeping the line tight as the fish went aerial, slowly and steadily stripping in line I came to face to face with a prehistoric nightmare fish, a true monster with the teeth to prove it – I had finally caught a Gar! Sorry that I am not talking about a musky, I wish I was, but it was most definitely a Gar and it was the biggest fish I have caught to date – a whopping 39 inches (one inch away from a citation trophy fish).

Gar fishing for the most part is frown upon in both the spinning and fly fishing communities, Realistically the only fishermen that fish for Gar on a constant basis are bow fishermen. I think the main stigma of fishing for gar by both spin and fly fishermen comes from the fact that hooking a gar is damn near impossible, their beaks are almost complete bone and the only way to actually hook them is to let them run for 20 or so yards and swallow the lure/fly, then you can hook them.

The only other way to fish for gar is to use a rope fly, it is a simple thing really; to make one use a 2 to 10 inch nylon rope that has been unbraided and combed out, doubled the rope in a small key chain ring, and secured using several wraps of gsp , then coat the wraps with head cement.  Basically what these flies do is Velcro the mouth of a gar shut, entangling them so there is little chance of them getting away (however if you don’t let them run first and automatically try to “set the hook”, you will pull the rope flies clean out of their beaks).

Honestly I think the next part is what really makes spin and fly fishermen not want to catch these fish. Once you get the gar in the net and next to boat, you have to get the rope fly untangled and out of it’s mouth. Sounds easy enough… um no it is not. Gar have hundreds of razor sharp teeth, their scales are like razors, and they just don’t sit there all nice as you try to get the fly out of their mouth, to be honest you can see how pissed off they are just by looking into their black eyes… they want to bite the shit out of you. Everything about a gar makes them very unfriendly to spin and fly fishermen.

So how the hell do you get a rope fly out of a gar’s mouth? Well you have to be very careful and patient. First thing you need to do before going gar fishing is to go your local hardware store and buy a crowbar, a pair of very longnose pliers, and some stout leather gloves. Granted you only need one of the gloves, the one that you will be holding the fish with, but you definitely need them, believe me I know! I didn’t use a pair of gloves one time and my hand felt like it had paper cuts all over the palm and fingers of my hand. Trust me; use gloves!

Once you net a gar leaving them in the net like you would a musky, take the crowbar and pry open its mouth (aim for the back part of the mouth  where the teeth are the smallest. After you get the crowbar in its mouth and pry it open it is time to try and get the rope untangled. You can use the pliers to try and pull the tangles out, however I have found that if you just use your glove free hand you can get the rope fly out faster, but once again remember these fish are out to bite the shit out of you, you have just became their nemesis. Once they are free of the rope fly, put on the other glove, pick the gar out of the net, get a quick picture, then release them quickly. Always measure them in the water before picking them up, if they are close to citation try and go to a dock or land to get the photo of the gar’s measurement. Once again, take my word, there is nothing scarier than a gar flopping in your boat, teeth just chopping away and you trying to get the damn thing out of your boat or back on to the bump board for a measurement.

So why should an angler fish for gar? Well it is like musky fishing; realistically you are not fishing, instead you are hunting a fish. You have to spot them, cast with precision, and try not to spook them all at the same time. Not to mention watching a gar follow your fly up to your boat might be one of the coolest things ever to watch. I thought initially that these fish were spooked by boats, nope I was wrong. Not to mention there is something primal about catching a fish that is so prehistoric, to see it close and personal, they are truly a wonder of the world. Plus here in the lower Eastern United States what else are you going to fish for that is so close to a musky? 

High Shoals Creek

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Location: Swallow Creek WMA

Wild Trout: Native Brook Trout and Wild Rainbow Trout

Stocked Trout: None

Other Species of Note:

Gear: Seven Foot Rod, nothing above this.

Dry Flies: Adams, Caddis, Royal Wulff, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Caddis Puppa, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares, Stone, Squirmy Wormy, Mop, and Perdigon 

Streamers: None 

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: Yes

Casting: Tuck, Overhead, and Roll

About:

How can I describe High Shoals Creek? A place that I never thought would have existed here in Georgia. A place that is so incredibly like Virginia, a place that has such great beauty, while is absolutely so frustrating. I guess I can describe it for those that are familiar to the brook trout scene in Virginia with three words: Little Stony Creek. It reminds me soo much of Little Stony Creek that I can not put my head around it at times, it has all of the characteristics and all of the headaches. 

For those that are not familiar with Little Stony Creek or the Cascades (as the stream is generally known as), Little Stony is one of Virginia’s premier native brook trout and wild rainbow trout streams. It is one of the few heavily restricted streams in Virginia because of such. However it is also one of Virginia’s most popular hiking destination because of the beautiful water falls at the end of a two mile hike. Honestly it is one of the bane’s of my existence during heavy tourist season.

Just like Little Stony Creek, High Shoals Creek, is a beautiful hike to two amazing water falls, it also has some of the prettiest native brook trout and wild rainbow trout in it, and of course there are a billion tourist that love to frequent High Shoal Creek for the waterfalls. It is maddening! 

Forgetting about all of the people that come here, disregarding the no climbing the falls signs that people ignore just to cliff dive right into a monstrous hole, a hole that probably held dozens of native brook trout at one time, lets talk about the stream itself. As far as I know there are no restrictions on this stream, which shocks me, you would think the State of Georgia would  have some type of restrictions for this stream because of the native brook trout. However you would be wrong. Also this stream is not as easy of a hike as Little Stony Creek is, even though it .3 miles shorter. Also I really hope you like Laurel bushes, they are everywhere.

First of all you will have to drive straight up a mountain, praying that no tourists are there – that you will not find cars parked all the way up to the mouth of the trail. Then at the mouth of the trail you will have to hike about 1.5 miles straight down the mountain you just drove up. The trail is very steep, I really hope you have brought some type of studded boots or sandals, but it eventually levels off right where an angler should start jumping into the creek to the right of the trail. Unlike Little Stony Creek, you will start fishing the head waters at High Shoals and work your way down stream (that is if you do not care to be as stealthy as you should be in brook trout waters). Each and every hole is roughly the same for the first quarter mile or so, big drop into a big hole, with a very long and shallow pool following it. All of which has some type of Laurels to block easy overhead casts. This is where having a very short rod will come in handy, you will not be able to do many false cast for distance, instead you will need to maximize what little false casts you can make, and rely on precision shots. Also you will need to use roll and tuck casting every chance you can.

As you work your way down the stream you need to use extreme caution and common sense when it comes to some of the holes that you can fish. Remember you are going down a mountain, with very slick and sharp rocks, and it is at least a 1.5 mile hike out – this is not the area that you want to fall and break anything in. Each hole will get a little more difficult as you come up to the first small waterfall with the Laurel bushes getting thicker and thicker. After you get past this section you will come up to the first waterfall called Blue Hole Falls, if you are lucky enough to fish this section without any tourists jumping into the hole from above, make sure you fish this section deep with a  heavy nymph, mop, or squirmy. Hopefully you can coerce a fish out hiding. Below this hole are several other holes, again be very cautious because the second waterfall, which is named High Shoals Falls, is very high and is blocked by Laurels. Below the second waterfall fish the small trickle that forms out of the falls, you will be amazed by what is there, also this starts the wild rainbow section of High Shoals Creek. From here you can continue to fish down to where it meets the Hiwassee River, however this is as far as I have ventured to fish. More will come as I try my luck down this stream.

Additional Comments:

After reading this I hope that I have conveyed some very important information, and I hope it doesn’t dissuade you from fishing this gem. Ultimately you need to plan to come here during the week time when no one is off to fish or hike, be very careful and plan out a trip here. Notify someone of when you are going here and what time to expect you back. I would even suggest telling them a time that you will call them when you get to Helen or back into cell service, this way they can notify the Towns County Sheriff’s office for help if you don’t call back.

Directions:

Upper Chattahoochee River

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Location: Chattahoochee WMA

Wild Trout: Upper Sections are considered to be a Wild Trout Stream (Rainbow and Brook)

Stocked Trout: Brown, and Rainbow

Other Species of Note:

Gear: Waders

Dry Flies: Adams, Caddis, Royal Wulff, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Caddis Puppa, Pheasant Tail, Prince, Hares, Stone, Squirmy Wormy, Mop, and Perdigon 

Streamers: Small Minnow 

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: Yes

Casting: Tuck, Overhead, and Roll

About:

One of the main things as an outsider to Georgia is how similar Georgia is to Virginia. In the mountainous sections the weather is usually cool and mild, while the flat lands are hot and humid. Only when it comes to winter can you tell the true difference between Virginia and Georgia, and realistically this change can really only be felt from the Atlanta Metro area south, everything else is relatively the same as Virginia. As with the weather, fly fishing for trout in Georgia is realistically a lot like Virginia. You have your high mountain native brook trout, wild rainbow trout, and occasional wild brown trout. In other places you have your stocked streams, and in several of the river systems (i.e. the Chattahoochee) you have your dam tail water wild trout. Also both the State of Georgia and Virginia have Delayed Harvest Sections during the Fall, Winter, and Spring months. However there are two main differences that an angler will see between Virginia and Georgia; the first is that the stockings month are backwards from Virginia, during the Spring, Summer, and early Fall months the State of Georgia stock their designated stocking streams. The second difference is that instead of stocking by Counties (like they do in Virginia) the state of Georgia have Wildlife Management Areas. At first it was a bit frustrating to find information on where and how to fish – I knew the fish were there, but like when I started fishing in Virginia the information out there is outdated and the only way to figure stuff out was to talk to local Fly Shops and to explore.

The main reason why I wanted to tell you all of this up front is because this will be the first of many posts about the trout waters here in Georgia. It has taken me a little over a year to get used to these waters and feel comfortable enough to actually talk in detail about them. So without further ado, here is my first Georgia stream recommendation and description of said stream.

The Upper Chattahoochee is a section of water in the Chattahoochee WMA area that extends from Little Crumbly Knob Mountain to the town of Helen Georgia. The first thing you must understand is that some of the water is private, obey the no trespassing signs at all costs. Also make sure that you lock up your vehicles and that they are parked in spot so that others can easily get by you. The last and final thing to know about this water way is that it is amazing. Honestly it is better than most of the streams that I have fished in Virginia; knock on wood, I have never been skunked on this stream and have fished it year round. Though the Upper Chatt is only stocked during the Spring, Summer, and Fall months an angler can always find a hold over somewhere through this freestone creek. Also in the extreme back wood sections, if you are able and willing to make the hike, an angler can find wild rainbows, and native brook trout. Also this stream is one of the few streams that I have found Tiger Trout in, yes the State of Georgia does stock tiger trout, however I have yet to find any wild tiger trout in these waters… but the possibly of finding wild tiger existing here is very high.

Now what can I say about the actual stream itself; if you know me then you know that by far my two favorite streams in Virginia are Big Stony and Little Stony Creek in Giles County, well the Upper Chatt is a mixture of these two streams. Very large boulders protrude from the water, that lead into deep long holes, while in other area there are very fast riffles followed by very shallow runs. Because of all of this different types of flows, fish can be found almost anywhere throughout this stream. However aim for the deeper pools, here you can always find trout rather at the drop, the deep middle sections, or at the rear of the hole.

One of my favorite things to do is use a good pair of polarized sunglasses and watch how the fish are eating, if they are constantly hitting top water I will use a dry/dropper rig or if they are constantly looking like they are going after stuff on the bottom I will fish two heavy nymphs and float the nymphs straight through that area.

Also as a member of the local Trout Unlimited, please be mindful of your trash, if you get a chance please bring a trash bag and fill it up as you fish. Keeping this stream beautiful is a very hard chore since it is a major tourist destination for campers during the stocking season. 

Additional comments: 

There are very few pull off points to the stream, and some of these still leave your vehicle very close to a road that has a ton of traffic on it. Be mindful also of trespassing and take precautions when it comes to little to no cell phone service. Also, and I can not stress this enough when it comes to deep mountain streams, be mindful that you are in bear country, be safe.

Directions:

Whitetop Laurel Creek

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

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Stream Category: A and Special Regulation

Wild Trout: Brook, Brown, and Rainbow

Stocked Trout: Brown and Rainbow

Other Species of Note:

Gear:

Dry Flies: Adams, Green Drakes, Midges

Nymphs: Hares Ear, Pheasant tail, Prince, Perdigons, Zebra, Mop, Squirmy, Soft Hackles

Streamers: Never Tried, 

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: Yes

Casting: Overhead, Roll, Tuck

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About:

How do you describe a stream in only a few paragraphs like I like to do when they are several books written solely about this stream? I guess for me I would like to break it down in one word statements; “amazing,” “outstanding,” “difficult,” “frustrasting,” “beautiful,” “technical,” and “easy.” Whitetop is all of these and more, especially if you count the stocked sections with the wild sections, as I am going to do in this review, Whitetop is probably one of the few jewels in Virginia that experienced and beginner fly fishermen will love.

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Now before I get down to why every fisherman should fish this stream let me explain some key features, then we can continue on why I love this stream so much. Whitetop is a freestone stream locating in Damascus, Virginia, which is one of the “Top Ten” stop over towns for the Appalachian Trail. A majority of this stream can be accessed by some type of vehicle; whether it be a bicycle, car, or truck. This stream can go from ankle deep water, to water above your head. It literally has everything; long deep pools, shot shallow pools, long runs, short runs, short, and long riffles. It is best to always have a wading stick and to keep your eyes open for areas that look deep. Don’t be deceived in the fall, leaves that have fallen from the trees often congregate in deep holes and make them look a lot shallower than they are. There are sections that are stocked and then there are sections that are not, just make sure that you know for sure what section you are in. 

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To be fair, it would take a multiple life times to completely know this stream, it changes from year to year, like all streams do, but this one is so long it is virtually impossible to know every knick and cranny of it. What I do know of the stream is that it is brilliant. Somedays you can go there and catch fish after fish, another day you will meet Mr. Skunked. But what makes this stream so special is that there are fish here year round; brooks, rainbows, and browns.  

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What is the best way to fish this stream? Well choose a fly that you like, one that is special to you and try, if this doesn’t work try another, if this doesn’t work keep trying… patience is the key to Whitetop… that and mop flies and squirmy wormies. Literally I would be lying to you if i tried to tell you what works and what doesn’t, Whitetop is a mystery, that only patience can solve. 

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Additional comments:

Ok don’t freak out, but there are monsters living in Whitetop, Big fresh water dragons, that will take off your toes. Ha, just kidding! But seriously there are Hellbenders that do reside in Whitetop, please be mindful of these creatures, watch for them when you are wading, and don’t be frightened by them, they will not hurt you and they benefit the stream. 

An adult eastern hellbender. (Photo courtesy Rod Williams Laboratory)

Directions:

West Fork of the Little River

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Category: B

Wild Trout: None

Stocked Trout: Rainbow

Other Species of Note: None

Gear:

Dry Flies: Adams, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Prince, Hares Ear, Pheasant Tails, Squirmy Wormies, Mop Flies

Streamers: Minnow Patterns, Wooly Buggers

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: No

Casting: Overhead, Roll, and Tuck 

About:

If you can find the West Fork of the Little River than you are doing better than most, it took me almost two years of searching back roads and looking at overhead maps to find exactly how to find it. As for fishing this creek I really can not say much because I haven’t fished it but once. It really wasn’t that good in the area that I fished because of low water conditions. Also there is a very long section that goes through a farm that I never got to explore. Hopefully one day I can provide more information on this str3e

Directions:

Rush Fork

Posted on by Patrick Frazier

Stream Category: C

Wild Trout: None

Stocked Trout: Rainbow and Brook

Other Species of Note: None

Gear:

Dry Flies: Adams, Terrestrials 

Nymphs: Prince, Hares Ear, Pheasant Tails, Squirmy Wormies, Mop Flies

Streamers: Minnow Patterns, Wooly Buggers

Waders: Yes

Net: Yes

Wading Stick: No

Casting: Overhead, Roll, and Tuck 

About:

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Rush Fork might be one of the most interesting and cutest, yes I said cutest (don’t judge me), streams in Floyd County. A large majority of the stream will require you to walk through farmers fields to access the stream. Fortunately you do not have to have their permission to do this, and no permit is required. However please be aware that these fields have animals in them and that they can get out if you leave gates open. Also please do not litter, pack out what you pack in. If you lose a fly to a branch, please retrieve it if possible. Pretty much what I am getting at is we want to keep these farmers happy, if we keep them happy then they will continue to let us fishermen use their property.

 

As farmer as fishing, well Rush Fork is not the most idealistic place to fish unless there is a decent flow of water. When it is really shallow the creek in most places is almost non-existent, but when the stream is high it flows just like any other stream. However since this is a small spring fed stream you need to fish it like a spring creek. Sight fish and stay as far away from the creek bank as possible, a long nymphing rod will do wonders on this creek. Also if you see grasshoppers or any other terrestrials in the field, definitely use a hopper or terrestrial pattern. I wouldn’t even attempt to use streamers on this creek. Even if the stream is high water, it is usually crystal clear so you need to be as far away from the bank as possible.

 

Additional Comments:

There are not many pull off spots on this creek. Be mindful that the access to this stream is provided by farmers, so do not block any gates and make sure you shut them.

Directions: