Going to Hiawassee

[JC1]

I'm going to flyfish Hiawassee this Sunday morning ( for trout) and just wondered if anyone has been up there recently and if so what did you have some luck fishing with? JC1

 

[ranman]

Hard to go wrong with a bead head hare's ear nymph or a pheasant tail this time of year.I haven't been in a long time but it seems hot enough for the isonycia's sp?
to be hatching.Alot of people dissagree over the fact that they emerge in the water or crawl up on the rocks to hatch but I can tell you from experience they do emerge mid stream and not on the rocks.That can be some great fishing if you have the right fly.If you don't know what an isonycia is most slate drake flies would be a good imitation.Perpleish body gray wings size 10 or 12.
It's also hard to beat an elk hair caddis this time of year too.good luck!

 

[JC1]

Thanks Ranman. I believe I've got all those except that iso-what'dyamacallit. Maybe I can get one at the Hiawassee Outfitters? Hope the water is off in the a.m.!! JC1

 

[DHaun]

Here's a site that might have some info to interest you JC1...I am heading up to the Nantahala myself to camp and do the river this weekend...no fishing though . I'll have to wait until mext week for that. Anyway - good luck and please let us know how you do!!!

http://hiwassee.net/report.htm

 

[ranman]

isonychia. I forgot the h, They are probably the bigest mayflies that hatch all year long and the trout go nuts for them!I haven't been flyfishing in some time but the last time I was up there I got a 19 or 20 in rainbow at the upper boat ramp up at the powerhouse.I'm not a flyfishing purest or anything but I didn't get to excited
catching that fish off of corn.I feel like I was cheating or something.I really used to hate "cornchuckers" when I was flyfishing alot,mostly because they didn't respect
"your" water or "your" space.Seems like everytime I went I would end up ticked off
at some bait fisherman for crowding me so I quit going. Sucks cause I miss it sometimes!

 

[jason]

There are trout in the Hiwassee? Or is this a different Hiwassee than the one that merges with the Tennessee?

 

[ranman]

Same river just WAY upstream.It's a tailwater of a lake in N.Ga.

 

[jason]

The water must be clearer and cooler up there...a trout couldn't survive where we fish.

 

[JC1]

Thanks for the site info DHaun. Very informative. Unfortunately a foot injury kept me from enjoying the trip as much as I'd liked to and I only caught a couple.The fishing was good if you could get out there to 'em though, as the fellow I was fishing with caught a bunch and took seven nice "eaters" home. Just the scenery made it worth the trip for me this time and next time I'll be back on my game! JC1

 

[polo-dog]

Jason,

The water in the Hiwassee is cold and clear. I believe that the water is taken from the bottom of the lake above the power house and therefore is the coldest water in the lake. The water in the Hiwassee late in the summer, like now is in the low to mid fifties I believe. The trout do well because of that. There are lots of other places where the water is from the bottom of the lakes, trout holes like Taneycomo in Missouri is very similar and is a great trout fishery in the middle of the summer.

 

[ranman]

The Clinch river in Clinton Tn. is another. Water comes from the bottom of the highest dam in the state so the water is REALLY cold, last July I fished there with 3mm neoprene waders on and my feet got numb after about an hour of fishing!
Caught some huge trout there over the years.
What did the fish say when he ran into a concrete wall......Dam!emoRolleyes