Peach State Fly Fishing

Guided days run on the Flint and the upper Ocmulgee, floated in inflatable oar rigs and rafts built to handle shoals. A Georgia Outdoor News writer’s day with Quint Rogers ran from the Highway 36 crossing down to Pobiddy Bridge: about seven hours with frequent stops to fish and lunch on the river bank, and a last mile of flat water with a lot of paddling. Rogers gives eight feet as his upper limit for fishing the river and two feet as his lower, so the gauge decides the day. Shoal bass are the signature quarry, found in shoal areas with current and structure that make them ideal fly targets, alongside largemouth, Alabama and spotted bass, gar and sunfish, both redbreast and shellcracker. Float trips are sold half day and full day and wade trips half day, at $400 for two anglers on a half day and $600 on a full, or $350 and $500 for a single angler. A full day is roughly seven to eight hours and a half day about four. All rods, reels, flies and tackle are provided, a locally sourced lunch comes with the full day, and a gourmet streamside grilled lunch can be added at $100 an angler.