Greg's Fly Guide
Georgia Trout
Planned Trips

Planned Trips

Upcoming game plans
Next Up
2 scheduled
THIS SATURDAY · April 25, 2026
20.5 mi · 35 min from home
Lesson with Dillon
Abbotts Bridge CRNRA · Duluth, GA · Your first formal fly fishing lesson
DL
Dillon Lancaster
Southern Hackle Outfitters · River Through Atlanta
Dillon has the best skill with a fly rod of any guide you'll find, and he knows exactly how to transfer that skill onto his clients. Over a decade fly fishing, nearly five years teaching new anglers. "If there were only one fish in a stream and Dillon was your guide, you would catch that one fish." Currently attends Georgia State University and guides for Southern Hackle during time away from class.
🎒 What to bring
Douglas Sky G + Lamson reel · Simms Tributary waders · Korkers River Ops (felt soles for Hooch) · Fishpond sling with all 4 fly boxes · Georgia fishing license + trout stamp · $5 for CRNRA day pass · Split shot — last trip's lesson · 5X + 6X tippet spools (NOT 4X — Hooch fish see everything).
💡 Questions to ask Dillon
Based on last weekend's user-error rundown — you'll want to work on:
  • Depth & weight: how much split shot, how far below indicator, how to read "ticking bottom"
  • Tippet choices: when to drop from 5X → 6X on the Hooch
  • Mending & dead drift — the #1 skill, and the one you couldn't self-correct on Saturday
  • Tangles: rig setup that minimizes them, plus quick-fix technique
  • Reading water at Abbotts — which seams, tail-outs, and pools to target
Spot Details →
Main Event
In 22 days
May 11th Game Plan

Noontootla Creek Farms · Blue Ridge, GA · Arrive early, fish all day

Dawn
6–7am

🌙 Streamer Time — Trophy Brown Window

First 30–45 minutes of light only. Big brown trout are most aggressive in low light. Fish the deepest pools with slow strips. Best shot at a fish over 20 inches.

Woolly Bugger Black Size 6 — slow strip in deep pools Baby Gonga — trophy brown attractor
Morning
7am–noon

🎣 Nymph Rig — Most Productive Window

Two-nymph indicator rig. Your guide will set depth and drift. Focus on feeding lanes, seams, and tail of pools.

Point: Frenchie Jig Brown Size 14 Dropper: Flashback PT Tungsten Size 16 Alt: Pat's Rubber Legs Size 8 in deep runs
Midday
Noon–2pm

☀️ Continue Nymphing + Watch for BWO Rise

If overcast, BWOs may hatch. If you see trout noses breaking the surface, switch to a dry fly immediately.

Continue nymph rig if no surface activity Antonio's Adult BWO if fish rising on overcast day Parachute Adams Size 16 as first dry fly choice
Afternoon
2–6pm

🦋 Caddis Hatch — The Moment You've Been Building Toward

May caddis hatches on Noontootla are legendary. When you see caddis flying and fish rising — put on the Elk Hair Caddis Tan and don't change it.

⭐ Elk Hair Caddis Tan Size 14 — PRIMARY FLY Crystal Stimulator Rubberlegs Yellow — if big fish refusing Chubby Chernobyl + PT dropper — hopper-dropper rig
Evening
6–7pm

🌅 Last Light — Back to Streamers

As light fades big browns become aggressive again. Last cast of the day often catches the biggest fish.

Tungsten Thin Mint Size 8 — swung in fading light Mini Leech Black — last 20 minutes
⚠️ Critical Noontootla Notes

• Fish are educated — presentation beats pattern every time. A perfect drift on an Adams beats a perfect fly with drag.

• Stay low, move slow. Approach from downstream. Crouch. No sudden movements.

• Listen to your guide completely. They know every pool and every fish.

• 5X tippet for nymphs · 6X for dry flies. Lighter tippet = more fish.

• Artificial lures only. Catch and release. Wet hands, fish stays in water.

Future Trips
🗓️
No other trips planned yet
When you start thinking about the next one — Noontootla round two, a Smoky Mountains trip, a float day on Cochran Shoals — we'll add it here with a full game plan based on what you've learned.
Greg Holden · Georgia Trout Fly Guide · April 2026 🎣