Snow Day
Any day on the Noontootla is a treat, what with its river-born browns and rainbows and a variety of water that ranges from deep and clear plunge pools to runs and riffles, not to mention the natural and rustic beauty of the Southern Appalachians, but throw in a rare snowfall that practically brings the whole state of Georgia to a standstill and temperatures that don't rise out of the teens and some of the finest bamboo rods known to man, and you've got a stream to yourself and a day to savor.
The trout that come out of the Noontootla are bigger than you'd expect from this part of the country and prettier than what you'd expect from just about anywhere, and when the summer heat rolls back around, and it will, you'll recall this day and the sweet presentation of an egg pattern that triggered a measured and deliberate take, and you'll remember bringing the spotted beauty to hand and touching the frigid water when you released the fish and just exactly what it feels like to be a kid out of school.
