Written by: Chris Scalley, River Through Atlanta Outfitters
This gorgeous brown trout is the end result of a lot of hard work for David Aviles.
Photos by Chris Scalley
My good fishing buddy and friend, David Aviles, caught and released this great brown trout after much time and effort focusing on targeting a trophy fish: waking up early for low-light windows during legal fishing hours and taking shifts at the oars putting drift time in the McKenzie boats. Using his own innovative flies and utilizing various sinking-tip systems in rising and falling flows of our beloved Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam all paid off for Dave on the morning of August 18. The winning set up featured a 7-weight Recon rod and Access reel, a 250 grain HD sinking line, and 20-pound-test Mirage fluorocarbon.
Releasing the fish back into the river is an expression of hope that we can maintain its water quality.
The Chattahoochee River watershed is among the most endangered in the US according to American Rivers. Water allocation for the region is precarious yet sustainable for now, but our current burgeoning population growth in the South continues to put unwanted pressure on our coldwater rivers. This ifish is an example of what we stand to lose, but we will remain hopeful that we can overcome the challenges.
Chris Scalley owns and operates River Through Atlanta Outfitters in Atlanta, Georgia.