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Post 19 Jul 2021, 22:46 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
My last brookie outing was on what for Georgia is a pretty open stream. A few days ago I visited a more typical brookie locale. I’d never fished it before, but I’ve meant to for a while. Took my Diamondglass 605, although I really knew better; left a couple of shorter rods in the car, but I hadn’t fished the Diamondglass all year, and it’s a pretty good bow and arrow caster. Sill, a shorter rod would have been able to maneuver better, and is really the better brookie default here, at least until you know the stream. But I’ve always enjoyed fishing the Diamondglass, so just took it. There are actually some TU type structures in this stream’s open stretch where it could actually cast, but I didn’t get anything out fo there, just spooked a few.

Did get a pretty nice one (for GA) from under an overhanging root a little upstream of there.

I decided I didn’t really want keep crawling around, which any further exploration would involve, decided “mission accomplished,” and decided to head back to the car and go over to bigger water.
Actually, three weeks earlier, I’d intended to fish that brookie stream, but didn’t; there were some campers at the trail access, and our brookie waters get enough attention as is, without me showing folks any reason for special interest. That day I ultimately didn’t mind moving, getting several nice fish for the water I did fish, including this one.

I went to the same area, but the fish I got didn’t equal that one, much less the much bigger one that had broken fresh 5X.
That’s a nice stretch of water, but I may need to leave it alone for a couple of months. My cheap alcohol thermometer showed 68 there, and 64 over on the brookie water, so we’re pushing stress levels. Part of that is the hemlock die-off over the last 20 or so years; I’ve fished this stream often and 25 years ago, this run was shaded all year. (I didn’t take a temp three weeks ago.)

For a few years, hemlocks were down, often blocking the stream and creating some pools that pushed the banks out, but it seems that the last couple of winter/spring flows have blown the logs out, and the open pools often remain, without as much in-stream cover. I’ve been told that air temps this year are actually lower than usual, but I don’t think water temps have really reflected that, although i don’t have data.
There might be a few cooler streams at higher elevations, and we’ve got a couple tail waters, but I’ve always preferred wild streams. Of course, we’re at the southern end of wild trout streams, so things can get marginal. We have some nice stream bass fishing, but rain effects continue on those flows longer than on trout water, and we’ve been getting some rain. Still there are options, and I’m happy for the fishing I’ve been able to do this year. And fall’s a wonderful time to chase trout around here.


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 05:45 • #2 
Guide
Joined: 08/19/16
Posts: 314
Location: Brazil
Very nice! You say, "Took my Diamondglass 605, although I really knew better; left a couple of shorter rods in the car, but I hadn’t fished the Diamondglass all year, and it’s a pretty good bow and arrow caster. Sill, a shorter rod would have been able to maneuver better, and is really the better brookie default here, at least until you know the stream."

So if the 605 is on the long side, what are the shorter rods?


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 07:29 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
I want to know to because most shorter rods than 6’ and some 6’ for that matter are not very good until you get some line out..........Aurelio


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 07:45 • #4 
Sport
Joined: 08/13/17
Posts: 30
Location: PA
Nice fish!


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 08:04 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
Nice!


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 09:56 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
The two rods that stayed in the car were both 5wts, a Fenglass 5’3” from the series that came out about 25 years ago, and a 5’6” rod one of our regular posters built on a spinning blank. I also have a 5’9” CGR 3wt, but find the 5wts do a better job of the sometimes overly quick casts that have to be done under that kind of cover, especially with the bigger dries I can see quickly in the shade. The Fenglass is a decent roll caster, and not worthless in a longer cast, and the spinning blank rod gives a particularly rugged vibe. Not really sublime, but they get that job done.


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 10:09 • #7 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Those streams look like fun.


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 13:21 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/26/14
Posts: 3578
Location: US-MN
Beautiful water and fish!


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Post 20 Jul 2021, 19:33 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Great report, Bob! That’s a really nice wild rainbow for our GA streams. Thanks for the update on stream temps.


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Post 28 Jul 2021, 13:12 • #10 
Sport
Joined: 01/09/21
Posts: 35
Beautiful shots. Looks like an awesome spot.


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Post 28 Jul 2021, 13:21 • #11 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
Beautiful! Im surprised by your last photo, Im yet to find a Ga brookie in a stream that large/open. the few places I have found them are fairly tight.


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Post 28 Jul 2021, 13:58 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/16/05
Posts: 2537
Location: Georgia
Just to clarify, the last pic isn’t brookie water, but the bigger rainbow and brown where I went after I got tired of going hands and knees to the next “castable” brookie spot. AFAIK, anywhere in GA that has that much room as well as brookies, something ain’t right.


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Post 28 Jul 2021, 15:04 • #13 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/26/21
Posts: 383
Location: North West Georgia
Yep. An hour or two farther north and things change a bit.


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Post 05 Aug 2021, 12:59 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Excellent report and lovely brookies.


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