Out of my comfort zone
Wed, 11/06/2024 - 9:51am
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An ‘arm-twisting’ fly fishing adventure on Georgia’s Soquee River
By:
Greg Peralta
Sometimes, doing things outside of your comfort zone can be fun. This was the case when Elliott invited me to fly fish the Soquee River in the mountains of Georgia.
He wanted to test some fly gear, and I was the guinea pig.
At first, I was reluctant to go because fishing here has been awesome. Cooler weather and shorter days have the trout and redfish feeding like there is no tomorrow.
If you put a lure anywhere in their general vicinity they are going to crush it. Easy fishing. Big numbers. Why leave?
However, after much arm twisting from Elliott, I decided to join him on the Soque River trip. The ride to the lodge took about five hours.
Once in the mountains, the air was crisp, and the changing leaves were beautiful.
Shortly after our arrival at the lodge, we were wading in the Soque. The setting was picturesque. Fall foliage. Shallow runs with deep pools. Lots of trout.
Unfortunately, I was completely inept at catching them. I managed to catch several trees. At some pools, I caught the same tree twice! Clearly, I was out of my fly-fishing comfort zone.
Standing in the stream, I felt old. My balance was not as good as I remembered. My eyes struggled to see the tiny flies drifting in the current. I was frustrated.
So, I sat down on the creek bed and took in my surroundings. After a few minutes, I felt a lot better.
Elliott and I waded to the pool. We could see a nice rainbow trout holding behind a big rock.
Elliott looked at me and said, “That one is yours.” As I waded into casting position, Elliott said, “Don’t screw this up.” We both laughed.
Before making the cast, I looked around and took note of all the trees.
If I caught a tree, I would never hear the end of it. I made a short and delicate cast upstream of the rainbow and watched as the fly drifted towards the fish.
Slowly, the rainbow swam up and sipped the fly off the surface. It was the perfect take.
After a quick picture and a good release of the fish, we called it day. Sometimes, doing things outside of your comfort zone can be fun!
Contact Captain Greg Peralta at captgregp@gmail.com or call (843) 224-0099.