It never crossed my mind that I might eventually find a place that would start to feel like a home away from home. For most of my adult life, I have been living and working (the dream) on a barrier island, a destination that many of my clients and friends worked their lives to spend the winter months or a week’s vacation. This has been nirvana for a lifelong angler.
For those of us who are lucky enough to live on the coast of southwest Florida, the seasons and the ability to “get away” were sort of reversed. We lived here and longed to escape the hot summers.
Over the years, trips to the west coast and the mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana provided a reprieve from the heat and some excellent fishing opportunities but always seemed a bit far away. Closer to home the mountains of north Georgia became a regular destination, in part because of the ease of access. We could load suitcases, bikes and fishing rods and be there the same day. After a few years of thinking of buying a second home, we found a place to rent in a unique area that’s becoming a sort of home away from home.
A big part of that “home away from home” feeling was occasioned by the friends we’ve made. Recently I had the pleasure of fishing with a longtime friend, Jimmy Harris, owner of Unicoi Outfitters and connecting and fishing with Captain Rex Gudgel. Gudgel, who hails from Athens, Ga., guided for years at Unicoi Outfitters before moving to Englewood, Fla. where he is an FFI Master Fly Casting Instructor and guide. I had met Gudgel years ago but this was the first time we had a chance to spend time on the water together.
We enjoyed a beautiful morning on the Chattahoochee River at Nacoochee Bend, a private section of river that Unicoi Outfitters manages near their shop in Helen. Everyone caught fish that morning and, like me, enjoyed the camaraderie as much as the fishing. We worked the lower section of the river fishing nymphs under indicators on five-weight fly rods. Harris brought a seven-weight outfit and a large streamer for stripers that have invaded the river in the last few years. As luck would have it, the day started off with Gudgel hooking a striper on the trout rig and Harris catching two rainbow trout on the streamer. We ended the morning’s fishing four hours later, everyone having caught fish and reveling in a cool and relaxing streamside experience.
The waters of North Georgia yield a surprising variety of fishing options for fly and conventional anglers as well. From trout streams to beautiful mountain lakes with striped and largemouth bass, opportunities abound. Now, after years of thinking we wanted to buy a “home away from home,” we’ve decided we can have it both ways. As an old friend said, “You don’t have to own it, you just need to have access.” North Georgia has that feel of a “home away from home” but it’s not an either/or decision. All those other wonderful fishing destinations around the world remain in play.
Today, I’m fishing with Unicoi Outfitter’s managers Wes McElroy and Jake Darling. They’re taking me on a float trip on a lower section of the Chattahoochee for shoal bass. This coming week I hope to fish for stripers on Lake Lanier with Harris. But that’s another story.
If you’re interested in fishing North Georgia, contact Unicoi Outfitters at 706-878-3083 or check out their website. Captain Rex Gudgel guides anglers in Charlotte Harbor as well as helping them to improve their casting. He can be reached at 706-254-3504 or check out his website.
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