Trout Fishing, Elk River

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Fly Fishing

At Choo Choo Fly & Tackle, we have been dedicated to fly fishing for 33 years.  For this reason, we offer our customers the finest fly fishing gear & apparel.  Below are the fly fishing brands we carry...

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Local Trout Waters

Elk River – From the Tims Ford Dam downstream to the Old Dam Ford, the Elk River is our favorite tailwater in Middle Tennessee offering quality brown & rainbow fishing in various basic & technical situations.  Adequate numbers of fish exist from stockings, holdover, and some natural reproduction.  Large, 25 inch plus browns are TWRA electro-shocked or angler caught every year.   With public access, the river is generally wadeable at 0 generator and floatable at 0 to 1 generator… about 1 hour 15 minute drive from Chattanooga.

Toccoa River – Located in north Georgia, the Toccoa River has two sections both of which are brown and rainbow fisheries.  The upper Toccoa is a freestone river running down to Lake Blue Ridge offering a quality delayed harvest section.  The lower Toccoa is our favorite Georgia tailwater flowing from Blue Ridge Dam down to McCaysville offering quality fishing due to stockings, large holdovers, and limited natural reproduction.  With public access, the upper is generally wadeable or floatable at normal flow, and the lower is generally wadeable at 0 generator and floatable at 0 to 1 generator… about 1 hour 25 minute drive from Chattanooga. 

Hiwassee River – Well known as the area's scenic trout river, the Hiwassee from Appalachia Dam in the Cherokee National Forest downstream to the Hwy 411 bridge has often been considered one of the South’s “blue-ribbon” fisheries.  Although dependant upon stockings, the river has produced big, double-digit holdovers.  The Hiwassee hatches are still some of the best around the southeast USA.  With public access, the river is generally wadeable at 0 or 1 generators and floatable at 1 or 2 generators… about 55 minute drive from Chattanooga.

Tellico River – The Tellico is the area’s premier freestone river with quality brown and rainbow fishing.  Originating in North Carolina, it flows into Tennessee meandering through the Cherokee National Forest downstream to Tellico Plains.  The river's mountainous gradient offers picturesque, trout-style water.  Stocked during the regular season, the Tellico is managed as a quality delayed harvest fishery from Oct.1 to Mar. 14.  The Bald and North River tributaries and numerous small creeks provide back-country opportunity for pursuing wild browns, rainbows, and native Eastern brooks.  With public access, the river is generally wadeable at normal flow… about 1 hour 25 minute drive from Chattanooga.

Local Bass Fisheries

Tennessee River – As one of the country's most productive bass fisheries, the Tennessee River is divided into three local reservoir sections...Chickamauga, Nickajack, and Guntersville.  They offer excellent largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass fishing.  These three sections of river offer a variety of bass fishing from the faster flowing water at the tailraces to the lake-like speed of deeper water in lower stretches.  There is an abundance of other species, such as striped bass, hybrid bass, white bass, crappie, sunfish, and catfish providing a plethora of angling opportunities.  With public and TVA boat ramps as access, the river is safe to float at normal flow… about 5 to 45 minute drive from Chattanooga.

Sequatchie River – Originating on the Cumberland Plateau, the Sequatchie flows southwest meandering through beautiful, rural country before it joins the Tennessee River.  With gravel shoals and deep, winding curves, this river offers intriguing and quality red-eye bass fishing.  There is an abundance of largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, and white bass also.  Although the Sequatchie is a free-flowing river, weir dams from defunct mills and wood-debris jams are commonly encountered.  With public access and boat ramps, the river is generally safe to wade and float at normal flow… about 25 minute drive from Chattanooga.

Little River – The Little River, located in northeast Alabama, is a little-known bass fishery.  Originating on Lookout Mountain and flowing through the Little River Canyon National Preserve, this river has a steep, mountainous gradient.  Once it settles down in its middle to lower canyon, it becomes fishable for red-eye and spotted bass.  Spotted bass up to 5 pounds are not unusual in big pools of the canyon or down lower in deeper slower water.  With public access, the river is generally wadeable year-round at normal flow… about 1 hour 15 minute drive from Chattanooga.

General Freshwater Fly Fishing

Choo Choo Fly & Tackle has the knowledge and experience to offer its customers consultation and advice on other freshwater species in other fisheries, nationally or internationally, such as Pacific Steelhead, Atlantic Salmon, Sea-run Brown Trout, Pacific Salmon (Kings, Silvers, and Sockeye), Peacock Bass, Golden Dorado, Pike, & Musky.  We have fished a great deal and with much success in the freshwater fisheries of Patagonia, Russia, Scotland, Western Rockies of USA, Canada, Alaska, and northern South America.  We would like to pass on what we know and help you get outfitted properly for your next adventure.

We also know spey casting… because we have fished several countries and species utilizing this casting and fishing technique.  From the River Spey in Scotland to the Bulkley River of British Columbia, we have lived and breathed traditional and modern spey casting.  If you are wanting to try it or you are going on a trip where it is necessary to fish, please let us offer casting lessons and our advice on your gear.  

General Saltwater Fly Fishing

Choo Choo Fly & Tackle knows saltwater fly fishing.  With years of experience on the flats or inshore waters of Mexico, the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, Venezuala, Costa Rica, or southeastern United States, Choo Choo Fly & Tackle is a store you can readily trust to get the best advice and finest gear for your next saltwater trip.  Our staff is intensively trained on how to properly set-up and rig saltwater lines for optimal performance and reliability for bonefish, tarpon, permit, barracuda, snook, redfish, and striped bass.  Make no mistake… your gear, especially reels-lines-rigging, will only leave our store in your hands once it is “tournament-approved.”  Also, in a time when every manufacturer claims to have the fastest, highest performance rods, we can set it all straight and give you the best double-haul casting lessons you’ll ever have.

Offshore Big-game Fly Fishing

With offshore fly fishing becoming more and more popular, Choo Choo Fly & Tackle is excited to be able to facilitate these equipment & gear needs for our serious, big-game anglers.  We know the rods, reels, and best lines for different off-shore fly fishing techniques and we can advise per each species.  From extensive offshore fishing in Costa Rica, Mexico, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Northern New Zealand, we understand the difference between the gear set-up for sailfish and bluefin tuna.  Let us help tune you in to what is a very realistic and rewarding way to fly fish for big-game.