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
Year-round
Access:
Fair
Non-Resident License
State of Georgia
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
You can fish the stream anytime of the year.
Spring:
Spring is the best time of year for fly fishing the Conasauga River because of the hatches.
Summer:
The best fishing is confined to the brook trout waters.
Fall:
Autumn is a great time to fish. The fall foliage along the stream is beautiful. Brown trout spawn in the fall.
Winter:
Warm days can provide decent trout fishing.
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 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Conasauga River Georgia
Most of the approximate fifteen mile long stretch of the Conasauga River lies within the Cohutta Wilderness Area of North Georgia. This means you will have to use foot power to fish most of the stream. Fly fishing the Conasauga River isn’t exactly an easy task. These are rugged mountains. It’s a part of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The stream has wild rainbows inside the Cohutta Wilderness Area along with some wild brown trout and brook trout in the high elevations of its headwaters. The stream inside the Wilderness Area hasn’t been stocked in several years. The average rainbow trout is small but some of the brown trout are very large. They have been caught over 20 inches in length. The water stays mostly clear even when it’s at a high level. It flows north from Betty’s Gap to where it joins Jacks River near the Tennessee state line. The fishing season on the Conasauga River runs year-round.
The Conasauga River starts from a number of very small tributary streams in the southern part of the wilderness area. The mountains surrounding the valley are as high as 4,000 feet. At the point it flows out of the wilderness area, it’s a good size stream. It picks up rainfall and melting snow from a large area of land. During the Summer, by the time the stream flows out of the wilderness area, it begins to lose much of its cool water temperature making it very marginal for trout. The rules and regulations have prevented the state of the valley to remain in a natural condition mostly unaffected by man without any type of development. Since all travel is limited to hiking (there are some trails where horses are allowed) it has reduced the visitors to the relatively few who go to the effort it takes to see it and fish its waters. In fact, most of the visitors are hikers and backpackers.
You can get to the stream with about a three mile hike from Bettys Gap on Forest Service Road # 64. Getting to the trailhead requires several miles of travel over dirt roads. The Conasauga River Trail will take you to the river. Once it reaches the river, it crosses it at several locations. The Hickory Trail accesses the lower section of the river and takes you to the Conasauga River Trail. The other trails that access the middle part of the river are just too far and steep to take unless you are more into hiking than fishing. Primitive camping is allowed n the Wilderness Area.
The river has several species of stoneflies and a few species ofmayflies and caddisflies. Winter stoneflies, Little Yellow Stoneflies, Little Brown Stoneflies and Needle stoneflies make up the majority. Quill gordons, Blue Quills, American March Browns, Light Cahills and Sulphurs, make up the majority of the mayfly population.
You fish the Conasauga River the same way you fish any of the small freestone mountain streams. You have to stay hidden and get good drag-free drift or you can forget catching the wild trout that inhibit the streams inside the Wilderness Area.