By Rusty Chinnis
The legend of Brigadoon is the story of a mythical village in the Scottish Highlands. It’s a tale of a place that became enchanted long ago and has remained unchanged and invisible to the outside world except for one special day when it can be seen and visited by outsiders. Those lucky outsiders then spend an enchanted day immersed in joy and celebration. This past May, I had the good fortune of spending a day on the enchanted waters of the Brigadoon Lodge, not in Scotland but in the highlands of Northeast Georgia and not far from where we vacation in Sautee Nacoochee.
I first experienced this stretch of water when a trip I planned with my friend Bob Seegar, who had relocated from Longboat Key to Blue Ridge, Georgia, and his grandson, David, was unexpectedly canceled. Fortunately, a friend who lives nearby saved the day when he hooked us up at the lodge through a friend who oversees the guides there.
The lodge sits on a beautiful tract of land where the storied Soque River runs through the Chattahoochee National Forest. It’s one of a few tracts of private land along the river that’s designated non-navigable and where no public access is allowed. It’s appeared in many magazines and hosted the likes of President Jimmy Carter and Ted Turner, founder of Turner Broadcasting System.
On this occasion, Seegar and I were joined by our friend, Michael Riter. The two had arrived at our cabin the night before when we dined at the nearby Harvest Habersham, a new farm-to-table restaurant that serves some of the most delicious and unique dishes I’ve ever tasted.
The next morning, we drove the winding and scenic route 197 that follows the Soque through the Blue Ridge foothills to the Brigadoon Lodge. We were met there by our guide, Doc, and fitted with waders and boots for our day on the river. Over eight hours, we fished several of the river’s “beats” where we all landed numerous large rainbow trout on a fly. We fished mostly nymph patterns under a strike indicator but were also treated to some of the mix of native and stocked trout on dry flies. It was truly an immersive experience that with a slight narrowing of the eyes became the Brigadoon of lore. If you’re ever in the area, a trip to this beautiful river and lodge is unforgettable.
Explore the options at brigadoonlodge.com.
