Fly fishing is a popular pastime for anglers across the Southeast, especially here in North Georgia. Among the many shops in our region, we think the Cohutta Fishing Company is the best fly fishing shop, outfitter, and guide service provider in all of Georgia.
The Cohutta Fishing Company was founded in 2009 and originally located in Cartersville, GA. Now, you can find them in the mountain town of Blue Ridge, comfortably located near prime fly fishing territory. Owned and operated by Andy Bowen, he works with a small team of seven active guides which keep the retail shop running.
We had the chance to fish with Andy and Gardner Reed, an expert guide, for a whole day. Here’s what Andy had to say about moving Cohutta to the Blue Ridge area.
“We decided to open a second location in Blue Ridge. Since we’ve done that, we found out a lot of the market was really coming up this way. Blue Ridge is a destination town, and we have a great spot on the corner of Main Street.”
Need some gear? You can visit them in person or shop online. All of their gear and tackle are selected by their expert fishing guides.
If you’re looking for more than just expert guidance in your gear selection, they also offer guided fishing trips for both new and advanced anglers. Book a guided trip with them, and you’ll find offerings for 6 unique trips featuring the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, Noontootla Creek, and Toccoa and Etowah Rivers.
Our very own Greg Goad is familiar with their awesome guide services. He’s been fishing with them for about two years! “I book a day with Gardner about once a quarter,” he says. “You get on the water, get into the flow of things, catch fish, and make a couple of different changes, and all of a sudden, boom, you’re hooked up. You have a fish on the line.”
“That’s what’s fun,” adds Gardner. “It’s a continuous learning process; I’m learning every day I’m on the water. Even by watching other people fish, you become a better angler. One thing to say about being in North Georgia and the greater Southeast is our variety of species. You can be trout fishing in Blue Ridge, and within a day's drive, you can chase tarpon or redfish. Cohutta is for the diversified angler because we like to chase everything.”
We couldn’t agree more. Interested in learning more about all that Georgia has to offer? Moving or not, we’d love the chance to connect. You can find us at Goad Home Partners or on YouTube. If you’re interested in shopping or booking a guided fishing trip with what we consider the best fly fishing shop in Georgia, the Cohutta Fishing Company, simply check out their website and call or email them using the contact info on the bottom of the homepage.
