Recently purchased some local flies from Big T. Great quality and the trout just loved them. I…read morecaught over twenty trout fishing a few hours over three days. My best was a 16" Brown. It's been many years since I've fly fished and now that I'm retired fish on! Big T gets a Hugh and his hand tied flies were a big reason for my successful return. Thanks a bunch Big T.

We came here to find some information on where we can fly fish and get some flies. They provided…read moreseveral different options for us. They have plenty of flies and other equipment to choose from. You can also buy supplies so you can tie your own flies. They were so incredibly kind and helpful. We will definitely be coming back here and going on a chartered trip next time.

Great little spot not too far away that's great for fishing. Pretty decent sized lake with plenty…read moreof fish to spare. Price is affordable and location can't get much better than this. I plan on coming back pretty often as my time allows. Ask for Rick or Rickie. Generally you need to bring your own gear, but the owner is quite friendly and accommodating and can help out with any questions or needs you may have. Very relaxed atmosphere with no real time limit. They allow overnight fishing, but no camp fires or alcohol which may be a negative for some. I can see why as they are trying to keep the area family friendly and clean and sometimes us drunken monkey bottom feeders can get out of hand.. oh well. ;) Excellent spot for family, young kids, and fishing right in the heart of metro Atlanta. Beware of Big Fish! 4.029111 stars rounded up for service makes this a 5 Yelp star review for me.

The guys in the store are very nice .. lined my poles for me and all.. I fished over night and…read morecaught 4 catfish .. using hotdogs and kool aid, corn, baby crawlers, snd nightcrawlers. Corked one line and 2 oz sink on another.

Venue Smithgall Woods State Park ( Smithgall Cottages) 5 out of 5 stars…read more After copious amounts of research and several venue tours, we decided on Smithgall Woods state park, and more specifically the cottages as the venue for our wedding on June 8th. We just have to say we loved the team we worked with at Smithgall, mainly Todd, Patty, and Art. Todd at Guestservices was simply fantastic! As he will be quick to mention "the venue sells itself", however having him as our man on the inside was a pretty huge selling point on its own. He was with us every step of the way to answer our plethora of questions, work with vendors, and generally keep our minds at ease. Honestly, I doubt the wedding weekend would have gone as smoothly and been as much of a success had it not been for Todd's guidance and cooperation. The venue is magical. I know how that sounds, but it's the truth. It's tucked away deep in the beautiful North Georgia mountains, surrounded by a lush forest teaming with wildlife. This majestic property consists of five "cottages", in quotations because they are more like log cabin style mansions. The two largest being; the expansive 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom cottage called the Smithgall Cottage, and the even larger 5 bedroom 5 bathroom Dover cottage. The Creekside Cottage is 3 bedrooms, and The Laurel and Garden cottages are one bedroom cottages with hot tubs on secluded side porches. All the cottages were clean, modern, and a huge hit with our guests. We were able to house both our families, close friends and wedding party all on the same property. Which saved us a great deal on lodging. Which after factoring in the cost of rooms made this one of the more affordable wedding venues out there. Also you get it for the whole weekend!!! We used the Smithgall Cottage for our wedding location due to the large wrap around porch and decks, and also due to the picturesque, covered foot bridge under which flows a gorgeous champion trout stream. We had some difficulty deciding where on this property to hold our ceremony because it is simply lovely all over. Unfortunately, the record rainfall that weekend made the decision for us. Even though the storms limited our use of the enormous field in front of the Dover cottage, and the gardens next to Smithgall we still were able to comfortably host our 50 or so guests and dozen vendors, at the Smithgall Cottage and our ceremony and reception went along wonderfully. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone wishing to have a once in a lifetime event at a once in a lifetime location.

I came here to see the covered bridge, but discovered they have so much more…read more THE SCENE Smithgall Woods may not be someplace Georgians are familiar with, unless you are an avid hunter or trout fisherman. It was once private property that was gifted to the state by conservationist Charles A. Smithgall Jr. in 1994. A large section still remains private property for the Smithgall family, but what was gifted is a treasure trove of beautiful mountains, streams, meadow fields and wetlands. I began my solo hike around 12:15pm from the Visitors Center. There I was given a map and a few brief highlights of points of interest, like the waterfalls and gold mine. I then set off one what turned out to be a 4.5 hour adventure. Probably not the smartest of ideas since I had surgery just three weeks ago. But I was tired of resting around the house and desperately wanted to get out and do something. Besides, nature brings a calmness to my inner being and allows me to relax my mind in ways I just can't at home. It was a perfect day with perfect temperatures for hiking. In my entire time there, I only ran across one other human. ----- THE HIKE Inside the Visitor's Center is a gift shop and small wildlife museum of the nature plants and animals. I walked down the paved Tsalaki Trail towards the Cathy Ellis Trail (approximately 2.6 mile away). The trail starts off as a fairly steep incline. Along the way I saw a sign saying "caution - bees". I thought that was a curious warning until I noticed the white honey bee houses in the woods nearby. Next came the wetlands with a one mile looping trail and a boardwalk into the marshes. Here you have a strong possibility of seeing a beaver at work on a dam. I decided to save this area for my return hike and I'm glad I did. My energy on the return leg was running very low and I needed the benches here for a nice long rest. I reached the covered bridge about 37 minutes after leaving the visitors center. It was a real beauty made in the simple Town Lattice style. The memorial plaque at the entrance was titled "Bay's Bridge In loving memory of 'Bay' Elizabeth Smithgall Watts", whom died the year the land for the state park was gifted. It crosses the amazing mountain stream known as Duke's Creek. The creek from here will be a large part of your journey. The trail turns to gravel just past the bridge. MARTIN'S MINE was one of the first Gold mines in Georgia. Most of the mining occurred from 1829 to 1935. By the 1840's most of the easy gold was gone and hard mining began. Miners dug tunnels and shafts to remove ore from deep underground. You can still see some of the entrances and shafts. The trail is well marked with numbers, so be sure to pick up the Mining Trail brochure at the Visitor's Center to help you decode the locations. There is a spur trail off the Martin's Mine loop that takes you to a waterfall used for hydraulic mining, which began in the 1850's. It is an uphill hike, but the waterfall is very nice. Back on the main trail I traveled another 1/2 mile to Cathy Ellis Trail. This 1/2 mile trail starts off uphill, but once you reach the shelter it's all downhill from there. The trail ends at the beautiful Chunannee waterfall (which means friendship). Lots of vegetation on this portion of the hike. This land was once the home of Lucy Bryant, a Cherokee Indian widow whom was granted this 640 acre parcel in the Treaty of 1817. But by 1839 the Trail of Tear forced all Cherokee Indians off their land to relocate in Oklahoma. They curiously chose to name the trail after a 19 year old girl who fell over a waterfall in a different county altogether instead of the Indian widow Lucy. I don't get that, but whatever. The waterfall here is beautiful. I sat here about 25 minutes resting and admiring its beauty and feeling sad for the ancient Cherokee Indian nation. I arrived here approx. 2.5 hours after I began my journey from the visitors center. NOTE: Prior to arriving at the Cathy Ellis trail there is another steep incline, similar to the one near the Visitor's Center. ----- FINAL THOUGHTS In total I hiked approximately 7.5 miles today. I would normally have done this in probably 3 hours, but I tried to go at an easier pace since I'm still recovering from surgery. I allowed myself plenty of places to sit and rest, the most enjoyable of them being the waterfall on the Cathy Ellis Trail. Smithgall Woods State Park is indeed a wonderful place for those who love nature and peaceful hiking venues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving them a visit.

The kids and other parents had an amazing time! My…read moreexpectations were definitely exceeded, Thank you

Here fishy fishy fishy…read more.. I am so glad to have found this place and I hope you will take the trip out to enjoy this facility as well. This is a trout hatchery. It rears about 75,000 trouts for the rivers and lakes in Georgia. Try to come on a Saturday, as they have a tour starting at 1pm. The kids loved the tour. This is up and close to the fish and they even get to feed the fish. The fishes goes into a frenzy.. and so do the kids In addition, they have a family fishing pond. Its a small pond and its is stocked with a LOT of fish. A fantastic way to get little ones hooked on fishing. The fish will bite and you will catch a fish very quickly... there was a LOT of squeals of delight when a kid hooks a live one. You can bring your own gear, ( hook#6 , bread + hotdogs) or use their free loaner poles. The area is well shaded, with benches and picnic tables. Truly awesome for the little ones.. you can hook a fish in 15-20 mins..

We always stop here when we visit family. This place has everything from great views of the lake,…read moresunsets, if you are lucky enough you can see rainbows, trails, swimming to boats! Honestly, you can spend an entire day here and will be asking to return the next day.

Nice little park near Lake Lanier dam. Lots of pavilions, park benches and grilling stations. You…read morecan spend an entire day here. Plenty of parking, but you have to pay a small fee at the entrance.....I think it's $4.00 for cars. During summer time, this park gets really busy and crowded....obviously very noisy too, as kids are running around and having fun in the water. This place is not too far from my place, so early mornings, especially on weekends, I come over here, with my comfy chair, a nice cup of coffee and something to read. Nice, very clean and beautiful place. There are several boat rental companies, with small and large boats, ski jets and all other kind of fun stuff. Highly recommended!

My son and I had a great trip with Joe this morning. We highly recommend Big Ol' Fish Guide Serviceread more

Shane is an excellent guide and I would highly recommend him to anyone. Very reasonable price and…read morehe knows how to put you on the fish!

Very nice people with a great selection of baits, lures and all necessary equipment and supplies!…read moreA++++++++

Big Ernie's is my go 2 spot for live bait. The people here are very friendly & knowledgeable.read more