The delayed harvest for trout opens this Saturday, November 1. There are five year-round streams with special regulations that fall under this category. The Trout Unlimited people refer to them as the DH. To quote the Wildlife Resources Division, “The ‘DH’ streams have special catch-and-release regulations from November 1-May 14, and are stocked monthly by WRD and our partner, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This combination of stocking and catch/release allows for good trout catch rates and high angler satisfaction.” That’s wildlife biologist talk for “the fishing is good.” The two streams in our area are the Toccoa above the dam, from .4 miles upstream of the Shallowford Bridge to the Sandy Bottoms Canoe Launch, and the Amicalola Creek.
Also on Saturday, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina is having their Blacksmith & Fine Craft Auction. This is a great place to find special Christmas presents or cabin furnishings. There is a silent auction from 1:00 – 2:00. The live auction preview is from 1:00 – 2:00, and the auction is from 2:00 – 4:00. There are directions for the scenic “back way” to the Folk School on my “Day Trips” tab (under Local & Outdoor Information), or navigate to Murphy and follow the signs to Hayesville, then to Brasstown. If you go, be sure to visit the gift shop, which is also a great source for Christmas presents and cabin items.
In the good news category, the DNR reports that a study of alligator snapping turtles suggests that they may be staging a recovery. These huge turtles can live 100 years and reach a weight of 200 pounds. They were heavily hunted and commercially harvested for soup meat in Georgia in the 1960s and 1970s, before the state protected them. The results haven’t yet been analyzed fully, but the preliminary findings of a recent study are encouraging. The results will be used to guide future conservation efforts.