Matt Lewis
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Thanks for the replies. Zach, not sure if you saw my other post, but I sent you and e-mail and sometimes from my account it goes to SPAM folders. Just checking to see if you got it?
Mike, If I had brown trout that close to me, I wouldn’t miss Alabama too often!
Back to back weekends in this place, what was I thinking? Left home at 5am to get an early start on what I hoped would be a very productive fishing day. First, I wanted to hit up some skinny water where I had spooked some nice sized redeye last year. Where I wanted to wade was blocked by a family and their rock chucking. So I opted to fish downstream. It was slow. Maybe the super moon had something to do with it? After a couple of missed hooksets and LDRs, I finally caught a Bama brookie. This redeye was one of the bluest I have ever caught.
Caught him out of the pool above the rock dam
I couldn’t move anymore fish, so I decided to hike back out to the trail and walk up a ways to get to some better water. I followed the trail for about a mile and a half and I seemed to just keep moving further and higher from the water.
I did find a cool cave
And some ripe blackberries
And came across a nice rocky field at the top of the mountain…
At this point, I decided to check out some scenery and make my way to the crappy hike to meet up with some buddies that were fishing in the area today as well.
Found the other guys working back to the trailhead and since they were working downstream, I decided to see if I could pick up any scraps they left upstream.
Found several small mayflies coming off, but I still couldn’t get any topwater love.
As I came to this pool I decided I was going to catch a fish from it, so I just kept casting until I did.
After about the 27th time I said, “last cast,” my persistence paid off.
Man these fish are something special.
Thanked the little guy for making my hike down worthwhile and sent him back to the drink.
This was the only fly of the 3 or 4 different ones I tried that got any love.
As always, the scenery is worthwhile….
Another cave
Supposedly this is the base of the chair lift that used to be there.
Zach, hate to hi-jack your thread, but just curious if you got my e-mail? I can’t figure out how to PM you on here.
Nice photos. They sure are fun to watch. Especially when they work birds that run like pheasants and grouse…you see the dog work to pin the bird. It’s something to see.
I would love to hunt both grouse and pheasants, but unfortunately Alabama isn’t the hot spot for either. They’re both on the bucket list though!
Matt, glad to hear you’ve been chasing birds. It’s a lot like fly fishing; once you’ve got the bug it stays with you for life. Unfortunately, the lack of wild birds in the lower 48 probably coincides with the lack of media available to drool over. I run dogs from September through February and am fortunate enough to live in an area with some wild birds to chase.
Keep at it and you’ll have some dogs before you know it!
Thanks. I can definitely see the similarities with the fly fishing addiction. I have already joined my local QF chapter, but dogs are still a ways off. I just simply don’t have the time right now. It wouldn’t be fair for the dog. When I do, I really want a GSP. Mainly because my g/f wants one and she has no clue they are bird dogs, she just likes the way they look!
I am relatively new to bird hunting. I own no dogs, etc. However, on my first quail hunt, a red setter was the star of the show. She was awesome and literally held point for 15 minutes while we were trying to find her.
I wish that there were more bird hunters that liked to put up pics of birds, hunts, etc. There’s not a lot of bird porn to drool over on the net relative to fly fishing.
Very nice pics Mike. I have heard lots of good things about the TG-1. It will be my next camera. I especially like that magic mode option.
Very cool; thanks for posting.
Zach
Thanks everyone. Zach, I enjoyed your read in the latest Drake mag on Atlanta brookies.
I LOVE this post!! Although standing in the same water and catching the same size (maybe even the same one) panfish can get boring after a while, in the end, I just love to catch fish. Not only that, my 7 and 9 year old boys get to learn and have a ton of fun, too. It doesn’t matter to them.
At this point, with three young children I just don’t have the money or time off to go searching for big fat trout in MT or WY (hell not even for trout at all, even though N GA is only a couple of hours away). So I have to take what I can get. The biggest thrill for me is watching the kids improve in their casting and the enjoyment I get in being outside and around water with a rod/reel in my hand.
Again, great pics and great post – just keep doing what you do! We’ll be watching…
[Sorry for being wordy…I’m a talker (wife says babbler)]
REP
Thanks Ryan. I am the same way, I have to do what’s local. I do get away to the smokies every now and then, and several tailwaters, but I dream of going west someday. I would love to do some bluelining for native greenbacks, catch some pig cut throats, and fool a huge brown. Until then, I’m okay with the alternative!
Thanks for the kind words guys. It is a special place and a special fish, so how could the day not be awesome!? I am anxious to go back.
If I could, I would have a Jackson coosa in a heartbeat. I have an old town (sit in) that I tolerate in the mean time!
