The phrase “heading south” typically refers to a time when things begin to fail or take a turn for the worse. Euphemisms aside, the waters of the southeastern United States hold an unrivaled amount of freshwater biodiversity, including many species that can be caught with a fly rod. Despite Alabama’s designation as “America’s Amazon,” pursuing fish with a fly is still largely perceived as a sport reserved for the elite who chase tarpon in the Keys or the many species of salmonids out West. Thankfully, a culture is brewing among southern anglers that is built around the desire to celebrate the unique pursuit that is flyfishing for redeye bass. These cool-water stream specialists exist in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, but Alabama is home to some of the largest populations and more species of redeye bass than the surrounding states. 

The redeye is often called the “brook trout of Alabama,” owing this distinction to their similarities in size, preference for breathtaking waters and bodies adorned with a palette of colors that are usually reserved for tropical reef inhabitants. Like brook trout, redeye bass have characteristic aggression that is a byproduct of living in the relatively unproductive mountain streams they call home. They cannot afford to pass up a potential meal. Within a millisecond of a popper hitting the water, they accelerate and often breach the water on the take. While the take is addictive, the real treat is the arena in which this occurs… 

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