Just got off the phone with John. He was pulling up to meet a friend and have breakfast. After breakfast John and friend are assaulting the North Georgia Mountains after huge bows like the photo above from John’s trip there last fall. John informed me that this stretch is know for having the state record bow caught in it.
I didn’t know Georgia had those kind of fish. That sure is a broad-shouldered, football of a fish. Beautiful.
John tortured me by sending me a email from his phone.
First 14 casts…14 bows to hand and all over 5 pounds.
John was using small stuff most of the outing.
Very nice fish. The colours on the one in the first post are brilliant.
- Jeff
John changed his total on 12 cast to 12…
still impressive
He is going to send me photos taken on his high megal pixel camera later.
I have to check but the Georgia state record Rainbow came from the Soque River in the North Georgia mountains. Most of the river is on private land with restricted access. There area a couple of stretches that require a platinum card to fish. Most of it is C&R, but now with fiberglass replica why kill a beautiful large fish?
John goes twice a year
Private c/r only and most landowners require barbless also.
Hi: Nice fish but…I don’t want to rain on your parade, those are nice fish, but how can you get catch a state record on private water? Those are artificial fish.That doesn’t seem fair to me. We have a rich guy near me that stocks hogs on his private water for rich clients from the cities and we don’t consider them real fish or record contenders. They are fun to catch, but I sure wouldn’t pay any money to fish for them. Because you are not permitted to dam streams in PA, some of his fish swim into public water and I’ve hooked a few. Just Thinkin’
Bruce
There are lots of state records that come from private water, usually farm ponds and lakes.
I am a native Mississippian, in my home state we had lot of what were call watershed lakes built by the govt. for flood control purposes on private land. I guess they used the law to force the long term lease of the land. The rule was if you could get on the water without crossing private property, i.e., put in your boat at a road crossing the creek into the lake, you could fish the lake without the land owner(s) permission. In Georgia if you own the land on both sides of the stream you can forbid access on the water in that section of the stream, including floating downstream or upstream on a stream. I do not like the law but the people who own land in the north GA mountains control more votes in the state house than I. I think it is great sport for some of the local mountain boys to slip in the river and “harvest” a few fish every once and awhile.
Brigadoon Lodge is owned by a lady who made her fortune on Wall Street and returned to the mountains for a better way of life. She lived in a tent while the first building was being built. There is a story about her wading into the stream and snapping the tippet of a “guest” who was overstressing one of her fish. I can only assume she them returned his fee.
to each their own.
i personally don’t fish in petting zoos and get no satisfaction from it.
Kind of a canned hunt in my book.
Lots of state record fish are pond escapees or some ones pet.
I will NEVER catch one so I am not very concerned about it.
Several of Wyoming’s warmwater fish records are from private ponds.
Thankfully, all of the trout have come from public areas.
Paul
I have had a couple of people who were going to take me to fish the Soque but I have not had one of them call and ask if I were available to go yet. I do not, have not and do not expect to have the surplus of cash to spend $500 to go fishing for the day unless I am a long way from home and have planned way ahead. That said I have an acquaintenance who owns a place on the river, I will admit to trying to shame him into inviting me up, which he let me know would not work on him. I have it on pretty good authority that slipping in to the private section is considered good sport for some of the local boys. I am too old, too slow and mama would not approve.
There is a public access area that I understand benefits from a lunker occassionally escaping the private areas. That is on my list of places to try.
I appreciate knowing fish like that exist…whether on private land or not. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us!
Pretty fish! Vacationing in the North GA mountains is what got me interested in fly fishing in the first place, but I’m like Uncle Jesse, I’ve never got to fish those private streams. But i’ve had alot of fun catching smaller trout iin public waters just the same. 
If I’m going to catch something that large, it’ll be a carp. They’re big and fun, though for me I do have to admit, they are alot uglier than those bows.