End of North Georgia trout fishing?

This essay is by James Payne: When I caught my first trout the population of Georgia was a little over 4 million. Today, the estimated population is over 11 million. Most of that growth has been in Atlanta and North Georgia. The Atlanta metropolitan area is projected to increase by another 3 million people in the next 25 years. Suburban sprawl has now reached Dahlonega. Blue Ridge has become gentrified, and I have deemed it ‘Alpharetta North.’ Microsoft is putting a billiondollar campus in Rome. Not all of those newcomers will be looking for places to trout fish, but even if a tiny minority do it will result in a huge increase in the use of our mountain resources. Highways 400 and 515 function as conduits for the vast hordes who head to the mountains on the weekends. I do not blame anyone for wanting to enjoy our beautiful mountains and streams, but they will love them to death. The miles of trout streams has remained the same and will potentially shrink.

Back in the 1990s I was the editor of ‘The Leader’ for the Coosa Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited. At that time, I wrote several tongue and cheek articles on the ‘crowding’ of our trout streams. The population of Georgia when I wrote those was only a little over 5 million. I had no idea that the population would double. I want to share some parts of those articles with you now:

In all this mass of affluent humanity, how many will be trout fisherman? As a percentage of the population, I’m sure the numbers are low, but based on the sheer number of people, there has to be quite a few. Individually everyone of these folks may be caring, concerned, environmentalists who kiss a picture of spotted owls every morning, but collectively the weight of their resource use will be damaging... I have a few conservation suggestions that the State of Georgia might want to consider: (1) All carpetbagging Yankees must prove 5 years of residence before getting a trout stamp, (2) Make a sweep of Gwinnett County and impound all Range Rovers and Land Cruisers on opening day, (3) Before getting a trout stamp, the applicant must be able to pass a literacy test. They must be able to correctly pronounce “Armuchee,” (4) Before being issued a trout stamp all applicants must pass a blood test. They must test positive for sweet tea and Brunswick stew and (4) summarily execute anyone caught wearing a colorful bandanna around their neck while trout fishing.

In another one of my efforts I wrote: As we sat there trying to catch our breath, this goober from Gwinnet county comes walking up in a white T-shirt and Braves hat and strikes up a conversation. “This trout fishing is tough, he opined. “This is the first time I’ve tried it. Sure is pretty country up here.” At this point I began thinking of my “Great Wall Project.” The Great Wall, similar to the one in China would be built from Rome to Toccoa. The eastern half would be manned by the Rabun chapter of T.U. and the western half would be manned by the Coosa Valley chapter. All fishing rods would be confiscated

from any cars with metro Atlanta tags… But, alas, it was only a dream. It didn’t work in China either.

The end of trout fishing? Not entirely but gone are the days when us good ole boys with “South in our Mouth” could walk up to a landowner and be granted the right to fish. Gone are the days when a little hike to a small headwater stream would mean solitude. Gone are the days when one could fish the Chattahoochee or Upper Toccoa without being run over by

kayakers or tubers.

I’m getting old.

Here's Paul DiPrima: Things are not like they used to be. Years ago I fished Gilmer or Fannin County streams almost every week. I fished the rivers and almost every tributary where I had access.

My favorite, Tickinetly Creek, is a Cartecay tributary. I knew many landowners and one of them was Paul Mooney, who owned Mooney’s Store. I often stopped and got a snack and spent some time with Paul. He gave me permission to fish the creek on his property. I am not sure exactly how many miles he owned but he and other

landowners allowed me to fish at will as long as I didn’t damage any fences and left no trash. I rarely kept any fish, and I always offered to bring the landowners fish but they usually said, “no thanks.” I last saw Mr. Mooney just before the store closed for good and he said I could only fish the quarter mile from the bridge down stream, because the land was divided and many others now owned the creek. That is happening on many trout streams.

Many of the current landowners now have cabins on the previously pristine streams. The large wild browns are now hanging

on cabin walls and the logs, limbs and woody debris vital to a productive stream were removed to make the creek “prettier.” None of the new landowners want anyone else to catch their fish and so, restrict access. I can no longer fish my once favorite streams and trout fishing, as I once loved it, has ended in many places in Georgia.