Most of my life I’ve done what I had to and not what I wanted to — but that’s changing. I didn’t win the lottery, but I’ve accepted that it’s now or never. I’m writing this before sunrise on my birthday (I’m 72 now). I was planning to fish with a good friend yesterday, but he had a stroke exactly when we were to go out.
It looks like he’ll be OK, but it was still scary. It’s a reminder that we have to get things in order and take advantage of the precious time we have.
I just returned from traveling to visit friends and explore. Maybe I’ll share my adventures on the Nature Coast next time, but for now I want to share a wonderful experience fly fishing for giant trout. Western North Carolina and northern Georgia is beautiful country. The clear streams with their distinctive sounds of rushing water over rocks is wonderful even without catching fish. I’ve had some success there in public water, but I’ve always wanted to try it first-class.
I had a young friend who guided trout professionally. He got me totally hooked with stories of big, strong, beautiful trout, so I decided to give myself a birthday present and booked a private waters flyfishing trip for myself and my friend Mike Collins.
We went with Blackhawk Fly Fishing of Clarksville, Ga. (just a few miles south of the North Carolina border). The cost got my attention, but I wanted the opportunity to experience the best fishing possible. This time I got more than I could have expected!
We had an hour-plus drive through dark mountain roads, but Mike lives there half of the year now and delivered us safely. As we drove in, the old log cabin construction showed us they were concerned about taking care of things.
You can fish here with or without a guide. Knowing the value of a good guide, we opted to have one. Our host, Abby, introduced us to our guide and laughed when she said his name was Logan Hubbard. I don’t think we’re related, but you never know. We had a challenge finding wading gear for my big feet but soon got underway.
As we walked down to the stream, Logan explained our game plan and then helped me understand the right presentation style of casting and drifting. Do it correctly and catch fish. If not, at least you still get to see the fish. He demonstrated and immediately hooked a brilliantly radiant 4-pound rainbow trout.
He made it look so easy, but it took me some time to master casting in tight quarters (no back casting), then learning to mend my fly line. It’s necessary to flip the heavier fly line upstream, allowing the proper drift of your offering. A natural drift presentation is critical to success. Soon I was doing it well enough to get bites.
My first hookup was a monster brown trout, with brilliant colors and fat as it could be. It required skill to allow it to run with the current, then add just enough pressure to the light 6-pound tippet to bring it back toward me. I was so excited at the fish’s beauty and strength I was shaking. I came for the big trout, and I had everything I dreamed of on my first take.
After several minutes, she allowed me to lead her into the net; she barely fit! I just looked at her for a minute as she rested in the water. Then I wet my hands and we shot a few quick photos. Logan said she was 9 or 10 pounds. My dream had been granted.
But just a few minutes later I managed another, almost as big. Then the rainbows got going. They’re even faster, plus they jump. We moved around, enjoying the fact that we had two miles of stream to ourselves. I caught trout till my arms hurt, rested and then caught more.
Most of the time we could see fish trophy-sized trout in the water, and were frequently watching several fish at a time. I caught fish on consecutive casts multiple times. The colorful rainbows were so fast several broke me off before I could react and release the line.
This trip to Georgia was an adventure to remember. It’s not something I can do frequently, but it’s a treat I will try again if I am allowed. We created memories I’ll treasure forever. Sometimes we get what we pay for, and this was first-class — everything I dreamed of and more.
Remember that you can’t catch fish if you don’t go fishin’, so let’s go fishin’ soon.
Capt. Van Hubbard is a highly respected outdoor writer and fishing guide. He has been a professional USCG-licensed year-round guide since 1976, and has been fishing the Southwest Florida coast since 1981. Contact him at 941-468-4017 or VanHubbard@CaptVan.com.
Capt. Van Hubbard is a highly respected outdoor writer and fishing guide. He has been a professional USCG-licensed year-round guide since 1976, and has been fishing the Southwest Florida coast since 1981. Contact him at 941-468-4017 or VanHubbard@CaptVan.com.
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