Dave Gergacz holds a nice rainbow trout caught on the Watauga River on Friday, May 1, 2009 (click image for larger view).

Dave Gergacz and Mike Maginn joined their North Georgia Trout Unlimited chapter (the Blue Ridge Chapter of TU) for a group outing over the May Day weekend, to fish some of our favorite East Tennessee tailwaters, the South Holston and Watauga rivers. For their outing on the Watauga River they booked a float trip guided by Altamont Anglers guide Teo Whitlock.

In spite of the rainy weather--welcomed by all of us in the Southeast, who've suffered terrible droughts the last three years--Dave and Mike soldiered on, comforted by rewards like the trout Dave's holding on the left.

Dave sent us an email after the trip:
"Just wanted to let you know that Mike and I had a great trip on Friday, landed countless fish and missed as many.
Teo was a great guide and really knows every hot spot on the river. We were into fish all day long."

Mike Maginn with a colorful rainbow trout caught on the Watauga River on May 1 (click image to enlarge).

Mike Maginn, retired Army colonel, figured out a great way to spend his retirement: he started guiding fly fishers! He operates the Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Guides, a guide service in North Georgia. Guides generally appreciate (better than the general population of fly fishers) the value of a local guide's knowledge of the waters and the particular flies and techniques necessary for success--and success seems to be what Mike has achieved in the photo to the right.

Click the images below for larger views of more of Dave and Mike's fishing on the Watauga River:

(Altamont Anglers operates on Pisgah National Forest Rivers under USDA Forest Service Permit #PIS6560)