Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Brook Trout
Size
Small to Medium
Location
North Central Georgia
Nearest Towns
Crandall
Season
Seasonal = check current regulations
Access:
Fair but lots of hiking required
Non-Resident License
State of Georgia
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
Seasonal regulations-check current conditions.
Spring:
Spring is the best time of year to fish the river because of the hatches.
Summer:
The best fishing is confined to the brook trout waters.
Fall:
Early autumn is a great time to fish. The fall foliage along the stream is beautiful. Brown trout spawn in the fall.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing Jacks River Georgia
Jacks River runs parallel with Georgia’s Conasauga River. It’s in the Cohutta Wilderness Area and is a tributary of the Conasauga River. I don’t really understand why it is because Jacks River is larger than the Conasauga River. It joins the Conasauga not far from the Georgia-Tennessee state line just inside Tennessee.
Almost all of its waters are in either the Cohutta Wilderness Area or the Chattahoochee National Forest. Unlike the Conasauga River, Jacks River is formed outside of public areas on private property. Jacks River’s West and South Forks merge to form the main part of the river and both of these are on private property.
None of the upper river lies within a developed area but it is accessible by roads. Like most small headwater streams, these little branches are almost completely enclosed with limbs that helps keep the water cool. They hold a population of native Appalachian brook trout.
One main feature of Jacks River is its sixty-foot high waterfall. It’s the only area of the river than gets much attention from visitors. Most of the river sees very few people and most of them are hikers and backpackers. Few anglers fish this stream even though it contains a good population of rainbow, brown and brook trout. The reason for this isn’t the lack of good fishing opportunities. The lack of popularity stems from the fact It’s difficult to access. Those that go to the trouble to hike to Jacks River are usually well rewarded. Its trout are said to be larger than those of its neighbor, the Conasauga River. Most of them are rainbows but there are some brown trout and like its neighbor, it also hold some large brown trout over 20 inches in length.
Jacks River Trail follows almost the entire length of the river. It only crosses the river about forty times. You have an alternative route to get there – Penitentiary Branch Trail. Now I don’t think I would want to watch the movie “Deliverance” and then travel there on Penitentiary Branch Trail, even though the movie was filmed on the other side of the State of Georgia. Jacks River may have been a better place to have filmed it. I do wonder how Penitentiary Branch Trail got its name. I’ll bet I could make a good guess. It accesses the middle section of the river but it’s very steep and tough to travel. The Beech Bottom Trail access the lower part of the river. It’s a long way to the river using Beech Bottom Tail though. In other words, there isn’t an easy access to Jacks River. This helps keep the entire river in a wild and rugged state for those that do want to go to the trouble to fish it. Backcountry primitive camping is allowed in the Cohutta Wilderness Area.
Jacks River depends on rainfall and melting snow for its water. It is a pure freestone stream, so the water levels vary greatly with the weather patterns and changes in the season. It can be low in the late Summer and early Fall and it can be dangerous to wade across Jacks River Trail during high water. It stays relatively clear though, even after heavy rains.
If you want to explore some new streams and be as assured as you could possible could be that you will not be bothered by other anglers, Jacks River is a stream you may want to try. Get ready to do some hiking and make sure you fish with a partner. The rugged, remote terrain along Jacks River wouldn’t be a good place to break a leg, especially if you were alone.