Best Flies for Chattahoochee River (Georgia)

What's hatching now

Month, insect, size, and pattern from the Chattahoochee River hatch chart. October is highlighted when that month exists in the chart. We do not invent a hatch that is not on the chart.

Nymphs

Subsurface patterns matched to this river's chart and catalog. Fish them at the size the chart lists, not the size that looks good in the bin.

• 

  Zebra Midge

  #16

• 

  Midge Larva

  #18

• No photograph

  Egan's Tungsten Surveyor

  #14–#18

• No photograph

  ZebraGon

  #14–#18

• No photograph

  Egan's Thread Frenchie

  #14–#18

• No photograph

  Egan's Rainbow Warrior Perdigon

  #16–#20

• 

  Rainbow Warrior

  #16–#22

• 

  Klinkhammer Special

  #12

• 

  Thread Midge

  #18

Dries

Dries and terrestrials for the Chattahoochee River. If the chart says a size 18 PMD, do not start with a 12.

• 

  BWO Parachute

  #16

• 

  Elk Hair Caddis

  #12–#18

• 

  X-Caddis

  #14

• 

  Comparadun

  #12

• 

  Foam Ant

  #14

• 

  Foam Beetle

  #12

• No photograph

  Olsen's CDC Midge

  #18

• 

  Griffith's Gnat

  #18

Streamers

Streamers and wets for stained water, banks, and low light. This is not a claim that streamers are "on" today.

• 

  Black Spider

  #12

Setup

5X and 6X fluorocarbon on nymphs, 5X on dries unless the fish are on Tricos, then 6X or 7X. Start lighter than your home river. One small tungsten and a long tag often beats a 3.5mm bead in clear water. Tight-line the near bank and the heads of pockets. Use an indicator only when you need to search water you cannot euro.

FAQ

What flies work on the Chattahoochee River?

Start with Zebra Midge and BWO Parachute, then match size to the hatch chart for the month you are standing in. The Chattahoochee River does not need a 40-pattern box. It needs the right size on the insect that is actually in the drift.

When is the best time to fly fish the Chattahoochee River?

The editorial window we list is February, March, April, May, October, November, December. That is a planning month range, not a guarantee. Shoulder months can fish well if flows and water temperature cooperate.

Do I need a guide on the Chattahoochee River?

Georgia has walk-up wade water and, on some sections, float water. A guide is worth it for a first float or a technical tailwater. A hatch chart and a gauge are enough for a first wade if you already nymph. We list local guides and shops on this page when we have them.

Where can I see live flow for the Chattahoochee River?

The Chattahoochee River has no USGS gauge mapped yet. The river page says so; we are not guessing a number. Access notes and the hatch chart are on that page. We do not publish other people's spots or fish counts.

Is this a report of what's working now on the Chattahoochee River?

No. Executive Angler does not publish other anglers' catches, GPS, or a crowdsourced hot fly. This page is hatch-chart patterns plus catalog flies. Presence on the river page is gauge and weather only.

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