Fall in the North Georgia Air?

Fall showing its splendors along the West Fork
 of the Chattooga River late last October.

Seven of 10 days with highs in the 70s in our local long-range forecast seen to suggest that fall is trying to creep into North Georgia. Of course, that's sort of hard to gauge because the forecast has looked strangely similar to that all summer. We rarely got above the mid 80s even during July and August afternoons. Not quite normal, but I'm sure not complaining.

We're not seeing significant fall color here yet, and in truth our brightest fall colors normally come pretty close to the end of October and even extending into November. We are getting quite a few leaves on roofs and driveways, and late-summer wildflowers like Joe Pye Weed and Goldenrod, which tend to suggest fall is coming soon, are mostly past the peak of their brilliance.

If the air feels like fall and the fish are biting well, which they sure were on my most recent outing, I guess it doesn't really matter if the leaves have changed colors or the calendar says it should be fall. Of course, that recent day on the water was in West Virginia, not Georgia. I probably need to visit a local pond or creek soon so I can decide for myself whether fall fishing has started.

Actually, my next casts are likely to be made in Oklahoma and maybe Arkansas, because I leave town early Tuesday morning, and I don't think I'll get the chance to fish locally between now and then. That gives autumn a little more time to make it's presence extra obvious in North Georgia. Whenever fall fishing arrives, I know I'll enjoy it.